Much of our advocacy work occurs quietly, behind the scenes; in an effort to be more transparent with our members and supporters, this month we debut a new feature: a weekly blog post to update you on all the meetings, hearings, etc. we’ve been following this week.
We serve on the Citizens Advisory Committee of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority. Last week’s meeting included an update from Regional Parks staff on three trails that have received funding from Measure M: Central Sonoma Valley Trail, Sonoma Schellville Bike Trail, and Bodega Bay Trail. 1.5 miles at the north end of the Bodega Bay Trail have been completed; the remainder is in the design & environmental phase and are anticipated to be built in 2022. Design work is completed on the Sonoma Schelville Trail; the next step is an appraisal for purchase of right-of-way from Union Pacific Railroad. A very small section of the Central Sonoma Valley Trail is complete, and the rest awaits funding. You can check on the status of any Regional Parks trail project here.
At the Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee meeting we got an update on the cleanup of the Joe Rodota Trail. Large debris has been removed and workers are removing “microtrash,” washing the asphalt, and replacing gravel. The trail is tentatively scheduled to re-open on March 7 – we will send out an alert as soon as we hear confirmation! Staff also gave a brief update on the status of Carrington Ranch near Salmon Creek.
We spoke to the Rohnert Park City Council in favor of the Copeland Creek Trail extension, which will run from Petaluma Hill Road near SSU up to Crane Creek Regional Park. The Council approved the environmental review document, and construction is slated to begin this spring or summer!