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Environmental Quality

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• Soils

  • Larkfield Community Garden heavy metal tests – as coordinated by UC-Berkeley, results of testing the vegetation and soils after the 2017 wildfires to determine food safety. All compounds are considered safe with the exception of arsenic; however, Sonoma County Environmental Health Department indicates soil arsenic levels naturally occur at 7-22 mg/per kg throughout the county.

  • North Coast Soil Health Hub – principles and benefits of soil health plus regional demonstrations and assessment tools

  • Erosion Control – CA Department of Transportations provides standards and guidance on effective erosion control best management practices

  • Marin Resource Conservation District’s Groundwork – handbook on the causes, effects, prevention, and management of soil erosion and sedimentation

  • The Soul of Soil: A Soil-Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers by Joseph Smillie and Grace Gershuny
     

• Water Resources and Watersheds

  • Sonoma County Water Agency – water conservation, water quality, flood protection, and aquatic habitats in the Russian River Watershed

  • North Coast Regional Quality Control Board – water quality, flow rates, fisheries, and groups working in the Russian River

  • USGS Water Resources – real-time data on water quality, water flows, and ground and surface water levels in Sonoma County

  • Sonoma RCD Mark West Creek Watershed Management Plan – identifies water quality and other natural resource problems in the Mark West watershed, proposes solutions, and creates a strategy for taking action

  • Laguna de Santa Rosa Restoration and Management Plan – findings and recommended actions towards the preservation, restoration, management and long-term monitoring of its natural resources

  • Sonoma Valley Groundwater Management Program – guide to help homeowners limit water pollution and sedimentation
     

• Forests and Vegetation

  • California Invasive Plant Council – assistance with identification, best management practices, and education on the control on invasive species

  • Native Plant Network – native plant propagation database for growing and planting native plants for restoration, reforestation, and landscaping projects

  • Russian River Watershed Association’s River-Friendly Landscape Guidelines – landscaping templates and guidelines for rebuilding after the 2017 fires

  • University of California’s Oak Woodland Management and Forest Stewardship – research, conservation and management strategies, and land use planning information on oak woodlands and hardwood rangeland ecosystems
     

• Fire Preparedness and Recovery

  • Sonoma County Recovers – hub for recovery after the 2017 North Bay fires, including the community-driven Recovery & Resiliency Framework document

  • California Native Plant Society’s Fire Recovery Guide – post-fire recovery questions about erosion control, revegetation and invasive plants on private property

  • Sonoma Ag + Open Space, Living in a Fire Adapted Landscape – set of strategic priorities to protect natural and working lands

  • Fire Safe Sonoma – local guidelines and infographics on vegetation management, defensible space, and evacuation procedures

  • CAL FIRE Preparing for Wildfire – state guidelines on defensible space, fire-safe landscaping, emergency preparedness, and wildfire prevention