North American beavers (Castor canadensis) have been gradually re-establishing populations in Sonoma County after historic extirpation. Beavers have been recognized in recent decades as “ecosystem engineers” that increase biodiversity and riparian system function through their dam building and wetland creation. Although beavers and their dams benefit both natural and human communities, they can also pose…
The spectacular, newly protected Mill Bend Preserve is located at the mouth of the Gualala River, straddling Mendocino and Sonoma Counties along Highway 1. The property was recently purchased for conservation by the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy (RCLC), with support from the State Coastal Conservancy and multiple other partners. It encompasses a portion of the…
Green Valley Creek is a large tributary to the Russian River, with a drainage area of approximately 31 square miles above the project site. The Iron Horse Vineyards property is one of the largest single-owner properties on lower Green Valley Creek in west Sonoma County, and has provided a unique opportunity to create large, flooded…
PCI prepared an ecological resources assessment for this spectacular 821-acre property in 2013. Now, we are assisting Sonoma County Regional Parks in preparing plans for public access to, and resource management of, the diverse forests and scenic grasslands of this landmark location.
PCI has prepared a conceptual design for proposed parkland along Kelly Creek in Petaluma. This 44-acre property will expand on the popular Helen Putnam Regional Park in Petaluma. The land had been proposed for housing by property owner Davidon Homes. However, thanks to community efforts led by the nonprofit Kelly Creek Protection Project, the site, which…
In 2012, PG&E completed a seismic retrofit at Crane Valley Dam, the embankment that forms Bass Lake, a popular US Forest Service recreational area. A project-specific quarry was developed adjacent to the site on USFS property to supply the project. To restore both the 8-acre quarry site and the 32-acre stockpile and processing areas, PCI…