We can now be found at the following two locations in Sebastopol:
Science and Administrative Office
103 Morris Street, Suite A-5
Planning and Design Office
7151 Wilton Avenue
PCI is hiring!
Join our amazing team of designers, scientists and restoration technicians to take an active role in restoring our natural world. PCI is seeking applicants for several positions, follow the link below for more information.
Gualala River, Mill Bend Preserve
PCI is thrilled to be working with the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy to develop a Conservation Plan for the 113-acre Mill Bend Preserve. This newly-acquired preserve lies at the mouth of the Gualala River, at the border of Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, and offers spectacular views of the estuary. It is adjacent to the town of Gualala to the north, and Gualala Point Regional Park to the south. PCI’s work includes assessment of the site’s rich resources, identifying restoration opportunities, and planning public access that protects sensitive habitats.
Two Petaluma parks are moving forward
Petaluma River Park is Funded for Phase 1
The McNear peninsula in the Petaluma River located downtown is in the process of becoming a beautiful art park. As the gateway to Sonoma County it will be what you first see when you enter the county on HWY 101 from the south. For residents and visitors to Petaluma it will offer a great addition to our public open space for recreation and river access. PCI is involved in the design and planning for the project and about to start phase 1 which includes initial public access and shoreline restoration. The park will ultimately be home to many large sculptures and other art installations.
Petaluma River Park secures 1 million to start first phase of construction
Kelly Creek – Putnam Park Extension Project
The Kelly Creek project is moving forward with preparation of the Final EIR. PCI is working with Earth Island Institute and Sonoma County Regional Parks to design a project that includes restoration of the iconic red barns, new trails that connect into the 256-acre Helen Putnam Regional Park, parking lot with restrooms, children’s play area with native butterfly garden, creek restoration and pasture improvements. We are excited to continue design development and planning for the park.
Coming soon details of the 44 acre Helen Putnam Regional Park expansion
PCI design success: Nathanson Creek
Nathanson Creek flows through the city of Sonoma, past schools and homes, on its way to Schell Creek and San Pablo Bay. In the past, it frequently flooded during winter storms. The City of Sonoma, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Water, and Sonoma County Ag + Open Space worked together to protect and restore a key half-mile reach of the stream. PCI was brought in to develop a restoration design that would simultaneously alleviate the chronic flooding and improve riparian habitat.
The project, completed in late 2018, transformed a flat, compacted, weedy gravel parking lot into beautiful, functional habitat. A side channel and wetland basin were created to provide more room for high flows and to allow for the gradual infiltration of runoff that is so important to water quality. Hundreds of native riparian and wetland plants were planted.
This winter’s robust rains tested the project, and it performed just as planned. Check it out when you are in the neighborhood! The Nathanson Creek Preserve welcomes the public to stroll along this lovely and functional riparian corridor; you can access it from E. MacArthur just east of Broadway.
Ten Mile River salmonid enhancement underway
PCI has been working with The Nature Conservancy since 2013 to
plan, design, and find funding for projects to improve salmonid habitat value in the lower South Fork Ten Mile River and mainstem Ten Mile River in Mendocino County, California. The first of these projects was successfully constructed in the summer of 2018. Read on for local coverage of the project from Fort Bragg…
Kelly Creek progress!
As recently covered in the Press Democrat, the nonprofit Kelly Creek Protection Project recently announced that it has succeeded in securing $4.1 million to purchase 44 acres adjacent to the popular Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma. The land had been proposed for housing by property owner Davidon Homes, but now may be added to the park instead. Davidon Homes will retain 14 adjacent acres, where it plans to build 28 homes. PCI’s Maggie Jensen has been the lead designer on the proposed park expansion project.
Kelly Creek runs through the property. A proposed new multi-use path would run along it and connect with the existing park’s six miles of trails. Other proposed park enhancements include rehabilitating the three red barns into an interpretive center, an amphitheater, livestock demonstration areas and a children’s playground.
Learn more about the Kelly Creek Park effort here.
Restoring summer streamflow for coho
PCI has worked with local and regional partners on a number of projects to help increase summer flows in coho streams. Designing water storage options allows water users to draw water when flows are high in winter, and then store it for summer use. That leaves more water in the streams in summer for coho and other aquatic creatures, when adequate cool, clean water is a critical need. The Westminster Woods tanks and water conservation mentioned in this video are one example of our work. We’re glad to be part of these important efforts to support healthy fish populations in west Sonoma County streams, and we’re thrilled to watch the positive results!
Jenner Headlands opens!
5,630 acres of spectacular lands on the Sonoma County coast are now open to the public, thanks to many years of hard work by a suite of partners (with assistance by PCI!). On Friday, September 7, the Preserve was opened to the public for the first time.
View from Sentinel Point, Jenner Headlands
The property was acquired in 2009 by the Sonoma Land Trust and the taxpayer-funded Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. Other funding sources included the California Coastal Conservancy, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Forest Legacy Program. The Wildlands Conservancy also assisted with funding. In September 2013, Sonoma Land Trust transferred the property to The Wildlands Conservancy to manage as a preserve managed jointly by TWC and Sonoma Land Trust.
PCI’s role was to design and assist with regulatory compliance for the new entrance on Highway 1, allowing public access while ensuring a safe entry point, protection of sensitive resources, and maintaining the beauty of this highly visible location. Project components included a trailhead parking lot, ADA-accessible restrooms and day-use area with picnic tables, ADA-compliant access road and trail to trailhead, wetland enhancement, and a restored drainage. The two-tiered parking lot is designed to blend in with the natural topography, and allows for bus parking and emergency vehicle access. Storm water runoff will be retained onsite and infiltrate into a constructed bio-swale and infiltration basin. PCI also completed the biology studies, wetland delineations, visual analysis, managed cultural resource assessments, assisted with community outreach, and prepared construction cost estimates.
When you visit, you can take your pick from a challenging 7.5-mile hike up to Pole Mountain on the Sea to Sky Trail, shorter loops near the entrance, or a relaxing picnic at the trailhead with amazing views. Dogs on leash are allowed on Jenner Headlands, but not on Pole Mountain. The Wildlands Conservancy’s trail map is available here.
A PCI Bridge Design Was Put to the Test During the North Bay Fires
PCI assisted the Sonoma Land Trust with the site design and bridge alternative analyses for an eroding bridge at Live Oaks Ranch, located near the start of the Tubbs fire. Sonoma Land Trust successfully replaced the bridge in fall 2017, just days before the area caught fire. Firetrucks used the new bridge to access the Live Oaks Ranch property and fight the fire through the night.
Read the full story on the Sonoma Land Trust’s stewardship blog.
