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Interested in seeing what moves around your backyard?

Wanting to connect with your wild neighbors? Join ACR’s Living with Lions Trail Camera Project and become a citizen scientist! The project uses cameras on private properties to collect visual data on mountain lions in Sonoma and Napa counties, as well as add to our region’s understanding of overall wildlife diversity. That photo above is a black bear who was spotted a few weeks ago near Trinity Rd in Glen Ellen. Learn more and sign up here.

Every month they post highlights from all the cameras here.

Now that we have your attention…

As we enter our 51st year, we’re making some changes at the BVCA. As we emerge from the pandemic, we’ve got some new board members, a new mobile-friendly website & newsletter format, and more. Here are some highlights:

• We’ve switched to donations from an annual membership fee to fund our projects.

• More online donation options like Apple Pay & credit card

• We have 2 new board members, Rebecca Casciani & Jennifer Beer

Here’s what we have planned for 2021/22

• Current projects: working with the County on changes to North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park, reduce road trash dumping, assist application for fire prevention grants, reviewing the Bennett Valley Area Plan and host and organize in-person events.

If any of these projects interest you, just reply to this email to learn how you can help.

BVCA Quarterly meeting, July 29 2021

The BVCA meets quarterly and our meetings are open to the public. Our next meeting is Thursday, July 29 5:30-6:30pm. If you’d like to attend, just reply to this email. You can always access the BVCA events calendar on our website.

Road update

Great news for our nearby roads! Sonoma County’s pavement preservation program will spend $37 million to fix 43 miles on 50 roads during the 2022 and 2023 construction seasons. These projects include a half mile on Crane Canyon Road between Inverness Avenue and Petaluma Hill Road, 1.6 miles of Bennett Valley Road extending east from Grange Road to about 6600 Bennett Valley Road, and $700,000 for road improvements on Sonoma Mountain Road. (Read more)

Quick Update: The county tells us that the large crack near 4496 Sonoma Mountain Road (see photo, above) is scheduled to be fixed the week of July 19. If you want to see how Sonoma County keeps track of that repair, click this link: (SoCo Report It link)

Board of Supervisors Rejects Proposed Cannabis Ordinance

The board of supervisors rejected on May 18 the proposed cannabis ordinance, and voted unanimously to undertake a full environmental impact report (EIR). (Read more)

North Sonoma Mountain Regional Park Update

Regional Parks Management is reviewing the SMR Community’s preferred draft plan. The county’s “preferred draft plan” is still a work in progress.

According to Karen Davis-Brown, Regional Parks Project Manager-NSMRP, the county will create a summary based on the comments received. (Read more)

Reflection on Climate Change

A quick note with some thoughts from Jacqueline Levy, Education Program Manager, Bouverie Preserve in Glen Ellen. (Read more)

Golf /course update

Thanks to a public outcry and the formation of the 4,000-strong grassroots advocacy group Save Bennett Valley Golf Course, the prospect of redevelopment of some of the golf course property into housing is remote. The Santa Rosa city council seems responsive to the public it serves, and is trying to improve the golf course and park, and resurrect the restaurant and event center. (Read more)

Thank you, Larissa and Bill!

• The BVCA salutes two long time volunteers who are retiring from the board of directors. Larissa Goliti has served since 2006, almost 16 years. She has also been our membership coordinator for 14 years, and vice-president for 10 years. Bill Finkelstein has served as the BVCA’s webmaster for 11 years. He has served on the board for seven years, and as our treasurer since 2018. Thanks to Bill and Larissa for their long and dedicated service to improving our community.