Public Access to Lafferty Ranch on the Agenda

by Larry Modell

Approximately one third of Sonoma Mountain's 40,000 acres overlook the Petaluma Valley. Within this expanse, there is currently no place the general public can go to explore the mountain’s ridges and streams, or to appreciate the area’s natural beauty firsthand.

Yet what may be the most scenic parcel in this watershed has been in public ownership since 1959. In that year, the City of Petaluma purchased 270-acre Lafferty Ranch, which includes land around the wooded headwaters of Adobe Creek up to 2,100-foot ridge. For decades, both city and county general plans have called for the property to be open to the public as parkland.

Since 1996, Petaluma has been taking deliberate steps to open the Lafferty Ranch as an open space park for activities such as hiking and wildlife observation. This process is expected to culminate early this summer when the Petaluma City Council considers whether to certify the environmental impact studies and approve the park project.

For more information, visit the Friends of Lafferty Park website at www.laffertypark.org