Sonoma County logging site transforms into redwood open space

SONOMA COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- In Sonoma County, what used to be logging land is now a public open space, right next to a private club known for visits from the political elite.

The newly-purchased forest land is near Monte Rio at the Russian River.

It feels like a trip to the clouds with views that sweep across the peaks of the Bay Area.

"You can see Mount Tam, you can see the Point Reyes Peninsula," said Jeff Stump, form Save the Redwoods League, pointing across the horizon.

Stump is director of Land Protection for the organization. He hiked us onto a bluff, that was formerly part of a long-time logging operation. It's a massive unbroken grove, larger than a thousand football fields, laced with trails, built in part with the help of a local mountain biking club.

"Yeah, it's going to be an incredible opportunity for a mixed use of access both hiking and biking, equestrian use in the right places. So, it takes a while to get through the planning process. But what we have in this landscape are existing trails that can be utilized very quickly," Stump added.

But the Redwoods are unique for other reasons, starting with the previous owner.

A timber company controlled by the family of John Fisher, owner of the former Oakland A's, who acquired the property decades ago.

The land also connects a seven-mile corridor, stretching from the Sonoma coast to the edge of an historic and secretive Russian River retreat for the politically powerful, known as Bohemian Grove.

The grove and its storied campgrounds will stay strictly off limits. But the new redwoods acquisition nearby completes a vision that planners have worked on for decades.

Misti Arias and Eamon O'Byrne helped shepherd the $24 million sale. The partnership included Save the Redwoods, The Sonoma Land Trust and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. And they say the key was staying engaged with local landowners.

"So that, when they get to a space where they are thinking of selling or transitioning ownership, they reach out to your parks department or they reach out to your open space district," says Arias who worked on the project for the district.

O'Byrne with Sonoma Land Trust also praised the partnership.

"We can create refuges for almost any type of habitat in parks and open spaces throughout the county," he says.

The forest is a mix of some older growth, and younger Redwoods regrown after more than a century of logging. It's home to several threatened species including the spotted owl. And with three miles of streams and twenty miles of trails, managers believe the property has the potential to transform this stunning stretch of Sonoma County.

"Yesterday we saw foxes. We saw a bobcat, you know, obviously plenty of deer," says Jeff Stump.

And for Arias, the experience borders on spiritual.

"And then just incredible views of the Pacific Ocean. It is it always catches you off guard, right? Even if you've seen it dozens and dozens of times," she says.

The area is being called the Monte Rio Expansion Property for now. And plans to trailheads and access points are still in the works.