The Sonoma County Regional Parks Department has been notified that it is the recipient of the 2002 California Park & Recreation Society's annual Award of Excellence under the category of Park Operations and Maintenance for the Restoration of the Ocean Views at Sea Ranch.

This project was made possible by a $100,000 grant from the State of California Resources Agency and a $12,000 match from the County. Implementation of the work was performed by the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection, Parlin Forks Camp and the Regional Parks Department staff.

The original developer of Sea Ranch had planted trees to screen the houses from Highway 1. Unfortunately the trees also blocked the public's view of the Pacific Ocean along this six-mile stretch of scenic highway. The trees, which are Monterey Pine, were originally planted by the developer and are not native to the area.

The project originated as part of the public interest lawsuit brought by "Californians Organized to Acquire Access to State Tidelands" (C.O.A.A.S.T.), which demanded that the views of the Pacific Ocean be restored and that access to the shoreline be provided. The matter was ultimately resolved by an amendment to the Coastal Act. To resolve the lawsuit, the State of California bought easements over the 40 acres of the tree plantations, for the purpose of restoring the views, as well as easements for the six public access trails. The State then transferred the easements to the County with the understanding that at some time in the future there would be funding to pursue the projects. The County implemented the trail projects at Sea Ranch in 1986 with a State grant, but it was not until 2000 that funding became available for the restoration of the views to the Pacific Ocean. By then the plantations of trees had become seriously overgrown. Additionally, the residents of Sea Ranch, many of whom had purchased their properties in the intervening years, were skeptical of the impact of the tree removal on their quality of life. Several meetings were held with residents to find ways to address concerns, follow general guidelines prepared by Coastal Commission staff in 1982, and yet provide the restoration of the ocean views.

In order to provide the residents, the public, and CDF crews who were involved in the project with clear management goals, Steve Ehret, the Regional Parks Department Planner, developed some unique visual tools to assist Regional Parks staff in their outreach efforts. These included aerial photos, a vocabulary which provided clear definitions of the types of views being restored, photo montages showing the existing blocked views and desired outcome, and the development of guidelines for the precise trimming, clearing, and hauling of the trees.

This project was supported by C.O.A.A.S.T., who filed the original public interest lawsuit almost three decades ago, and the Sierra Club. The removal, thinning and trimming affected forty acres of trees and the views have now been restored.

Bill Chapman, former Director of Facilities & Resources at Sea Ranch, praised County staff for an excellent public relations effort. "I expected my telephone to ring off the hook when the work started," he said, "but I was amazed how well the work went. The County staff and California Department of Forestry staff took the time and effort to work out issues with my staff and residents and still remained true to the goals of restoring the views of the ocean."

Supervisor Mike Reilly, in whose district the project is located, said: "This project is an example of how the local community, county agencies and State agencies such as the California Department of Forestry, can work together to accomplish a public benefit. As Chairman of the Coastal Commission, it is with great pleasure that I can inform my colleagues that we have finally resolved this matter. I am also extremely grateful to Andrea Tuttle, the Director of CDF and her staff at the Parlin Forks CDF camp for their assistance."

Chuck Rhinehart of C.O.A.A.S.T., who initiated the lawsuit almost three decades ago, said, " I want to congratulate the personnel of the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department for having received the State's Annual Award of Excellence in the category of Park Operations and Maintenance for their detailed planning, implementation and management of this restoration project. The Board of Directors of C.O.A.A.S.T. is pleased to have this long standing condition for the development of The Sea Ranch finally met. The views of the ocean for travelers of State Highway One are outstanding and inspiring and deserve to be etched in the memories of those who are passing through as well as those who look forward to seeing them on a daily basis."

Jim R. Angelo, Director of Sonoma County Regional Parks, has praised the Regional Parks staff on the outstanding team work and their coordination with all agencies that made the successful completion of the project possible. "I am specifically proud of the manner in which Regional Parks staff spent the time and effort responding to the public's comments, questions and concerns and Mr. Ehret's efforts in spearheading the project from start to finish", he said.
For more information on the Sonoma County Regional Parks, call (707) 565-2041 weekdays or visit www.sonoma-county.org/parks.