NEWS RELEASE

The Coastal Conservancy, a state agency that helps to protect and improve the coast and San Francisco Bay, recently awarded a $235,100 grant to the Sonoma County Regional Parks Department to help construct a 5-mile addition to the Bay Area Ridge Trail in Hood Mountain Regional Park.

Most of the new trail will pass through the former Johnson Ranch, a 307-acre addition to Hood Mountain Regional Park purchased in 2003 for $4,250,000 by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (SCAPOSD). “The District was pleased to acquire this 307 acre addition to Hood Mountain Regional Park that makes public access more convenient and offers a spectacular continuation of the Bay Area Ridge Trail,” states Andrea MacKenzie, General Manager of the SCAPOSD. “ It's a great example of how public partners at every level can work together for the benefit of the public we serve.”
This Ridge Trail segment will begin on the floor of the Sonoma Valley and wind through the ranch, connecting to the Hood Mountain Trail near the 2,730-foot summit. The trail will pass by ponds and a group of historic cabins, through a grassland meadow, up a wooded canyon, and into forested hillsides, emerging on the ridgeline between Napa and Sonoma valleys with panoramic views. Dee Swanhuyser, North Bay Coordinator for the Bay Area Ridge Trail, shares, “(We’re) thrilled to be a partner in this …trail for all users; horseback riders, hikers, bike riders…for everybody”. Dee stressed the value of cooperative relationships with the local landowners and neighbors, and making sure the project serves them as well as park users.

The 1,750-acre open space Hood Mountain Park is the county’s largest regional park; a relatively undeveloped wilderness offering trails for hiking, biking and equestrian use. In addition to the new trail, the project will include an equestrian concession and parking area, picnic tables and benches, two environmental campsites, interpretive signage and kiosk, habitat enhancement and infrastructure improvements.

The conservancy grant was made available through funds from Proposition 40, a resources bond act passed by voters in 2002. Additional funding for the project includes $300,000 from Proposition 12 and $100,000 from park mitigation fees.

The Bay Area Ridge Trail Council is a non-profit organization formed in 1987 that works with local communities and organizations to plan and build a proposed 500-mile trail that encircles the bay area. Information on the trail can be found at www.ridgetrail.org
Additional information on Sonoma County’s 41 Regional Parks is available by calling (707) 565-2041 weekdays or at www.sonoma-county.org.