Pryor Ranch Conservation Easement OK'd

A deal to conserve a 1,509-acre ranch west of Healdsburg, primarily for the property’s water, wildlife, and natural resources was approved Tuesday by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, acting as the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District’s Board of Directors.  

The property is located on the north side of Sweetwater Springs Road and west of the Dry Creek Valley, and has been owned by the Pryor family since the 1940s and used for livestock grazing, recreation, and limited timber harvest. Four seasonal creeks, that feed Porter Creek, traverse the property and its vastly diverse habitats—including grasslands, mixed woodlands, and chaparral.

 “Since the 1946 purchase of this portion of the Rancho Sotoyome, also known as ‘White-O Ranch, our grandparents, Edward and Elva Pryor, had the vision to preserve the land in its natural state,” said co-owner Kim Thompson, on behalf of his family. “For the past 65 years, we have  accomplished this feat—maintaining a working livestock ranch while being light on the land, and utilizing timber proceeds to make long-term improvements.

"We are pleased to enter into this agreement with the District, which will allow the land to be forever free of development and will provide long-term care of the land," Thompason said. "Livestock grazing and a high level of forestry stewardship, above and beyond what is required by state and federal guidelines, will continue.”

 The District purchased the conservation easement for $2.4 million, representing a 10 percent reduction based on appraised value, which limits the development to two parcels. The easement requires a management plan, in addition to an existing Non-industrial Timber Management Plan (NTMP), to guide sustainable timber harvesting over 768 acres, or approximately half, of the property.

 “Our investment provides a cost-effective way to safeguard critical natural resources such as clean water, habitat protection for endangered Steelhead and Coho and preservation of a valuable wildlife corridor and watershed,” said Mike McGuire, Fourth District Supervisor. By integrating productive uses with sustainable management practices, we support a healthy forest and ecosystem, and achieve environmental benefits for generations to come.”

 The supplemental timber plan details specific harvesting provisions to protect and enhance wildlife habitat, and water quality and quantity, while providing for sustainable timber harvesting. Provisions in the plan are designed to replicate an old growth type forest by restricting harvest size, retaining old growth trees, and harvesting over a longer growing cycle.

 As one of largest remaining privately-owned parcels in the area between the Austin Creek State Recreational Area and Highway 101 urban corridor proximate to the City of Healdsburg, the property provides a swath of uninterrupted wildlife habitat and comprises one-third of the Porter Creek watershed that supports endangered Steelhead trout and Coho salmon.

“Our communities’ health and well-being are inextricably linked to the health of our lands and water,” said Bill Keene, General Manager of the District. “Now, more than ever, it is essential to protect our natural resources, especially as our landscapes adapt to the impacts of climate change.”