Natural Resources

The Natural Resource Division has a broad and diverse practice that can touch on nearly all aspects of natural resource management in Sonoma County.  The Division consists of a division manager, department program manager, department analyst, administrative aide, professional geologist and senior environmental specialists, with expertise in multiple disciplines including finance and administration, procurement, forestry, CEQA/NEPA, wetlands, rare species, botany, ecology, hydrology, and geology and hydrogeology.

 Public Project Environmental Review.  The Natural Resources Division is presently managing multiple,  complex, multi-year public projects that require significant work and oversight at all phases from NEPA/CEQA/Permitting through construction and post-construction mitigation monitoring.  It also performs environmental and permitting for maintenance and emergency repair projects.  In addition, we regularly provide environmental review support on a range of other public projects including the Sonoma County Airport, Central Landfill, various General Services projects, and support to other departments and agencies including Regional Parks, Ag+OS and Sonoma Water.

 Program Development through Grant Application and Management.  The Natural Resources Section is presently implementing various grant projects to advance County objectives in wildfire resiliency, water quality, geothermal energy, and habitat conservation planning.

 Riparian Corridor, Oak Woodland, Timberland Conversion Ordinances.  The Natural Resource Division assists in implementing (with the Planning Division) the Riparian Corridor and Timberland Conversion Ordinances as well as the recently adopted Oak Woodland Ordinance, including, processing zoning and use permits and assisting Code Enforcement in addressing violations of these ordinances. 

 Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP)/Natural Community Conservation Plan (NCCP).  The Natural Resources Division has been tasked with taking the lead in developing an HCP/NCCP for Sonoma County.  This multi-year effort will result in a streamlined permit process for endangered species reviews and a long-term conservation strategy and reserve system for species covered in the plan.

 Aggregate Resource Management (ARM) Program.  The Natural Resources Division manages all aspects of the County's ARM regulatory program, including inspection, compliance, permitting, coordination with the state's mining program (SMARA) as well as reclamation and restoration of former active sites. 

Geysers Geothermal Field.  The Natural Resources Division is the County lead for addressing permit and resource questions at the Geysers Geothermal Field and is involved with other efforts to advance renewable energy, especially new geothermal technologies in the County. 

 Stormwater and Water Quality Programs.  The County has significant and complicated regulatory obligations to the state and regional water quality control boards. Although substantive work is divided among various County departments, the County’s stormwater coordinator is the Natural Resources Division and provides overall program coordination and development, compliance assurance, reporting and monitoring, and grant management working closely with Code Enforcement on water quality complaints and Engineering and  Construction on best management practices and low impact development requirements.

 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Program Support and Coordination. The Natural Resource Division geologist is the lead contact for Permit Sonoma to Sonoma Water and the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) for the three SGMA priority basins in the County where groundwater management plans are in active development.  We regularly present and provide technical support and are developing subprogram components (e.g. well databases) under subgrants with Sonoma Water. 

 Private Project Environmental Review Support. In any given year, the Natural Resource Division provides various levels of substantive technical review on private discretionary projects for groundwater, geology, biology (e.g. sensitive natural communities/species, wetlands), water resources (stormwater, water quality), forestry, and wildfire issues.

 Comprehensive Planning Project Support. The Natural Resources Division provides CEQA and substantive technical support for multiple comprehensive planning projects including the specific plans as well as more comprehensive ordinance development (e.g., oak woodland) and will be heavily involved especially with the various aspects of the General Plan update.