The West County Wire is mainly concerned with the meetings of quasi-governmental agencies like water boards and fire department boards, the kinds of places where a decision might be made that could directly impact the quality of your life in West Sonoma County. West County Wire is dedicated to the premise that you have a right to know what these decisions are and how they come to pass.
But I (West County Wire, that is) am also dedicated to the premise that the public has a right to know about other agencies that perform work on its behalf. And for that reason, I will limber up my typing fingers from time to time and bring you news from the world of nonprofits. There are many in the West County: schools, land trusts, quilting bees. They exist tax-free, for our benefit, so every now and again I will sit in on their public meetings and report to you the myriad ways they are serving the public good.
This is one of those times and so, today, I bring you the regular monthly meeting of the Bodega Land Trust.
The Bodega Land Trust, or BLT, as it is more commonly known, started 18 years ago in the sleepy heart of the little town that could, Bodega, California. (Full disclosure: BLT was started by my parents, Mary Biggs and Sandy Sharp, who are still actively involved. And Bodega is still my home town.) Since its inception, the Bodega Land Trust has held many community nature walks, obtained easements on several hundred acres of pristine coastal land, earned deserved praise from its peers in the land trust world and become a gem in the crown of Bodega. The annual dinner and auction is always a well-attended and splendid affirmation of the power of community.
The regular meeting was called to order at 6:45 pm in the Kurt Erickson room at the Salmon Creek School between Freestone and Occidental. The land trust has adopted the Salmon Creek Watershed as its natural home, and the school happens to inhabit a prime location therein. One of the many benefits accrued by the hard work of the BLT crew on behalf of the public is this primo office in a prime location.
The big news of the night is that some major easements are in the works. The BLT is currently negotiating to preserve over 1000 acres in the heart of the watershed. Because the prospective easements are still locked in legal negotiations, the owners and locations of the properties are not yet public. But as soon as those babies are signed and public, I'll let you know.
Each easement managed by the BLT, eight properties in all, is monitored on an annual basis. There are still several easements that need to be monitored this year, so if you would like to help them out, let them know. I don’t recommend using the website; they are currently accepting bids on an upgrade. But you can find them on Facebook or email marysand@sonic.net.
A prospective board member was in attendance, and there are apparently other openings if you are interested and have something to offer. Finally, there will be a special meeting next Monday to discuss the upcoming annual dinner, fundraising in general, and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Bodega Land Trust in 2012. If you want to help with any of that, you just might want to go to the meeting!
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