Steve Rabinowitsh briefed us about the Open Space tax renewal campaign. The campaign committee is seeking funds, asking that endorsing organizations staff a phone bank for one evening, and looking for precinct walkers to begin on September 9 and 10. This will be Measure F on the ballot. They will soon have their brochure for walkers to distribute, and hope for crossover with Council campaigns for efficiency.
A poll done about 2 weeks ago showed that both this tax renewal and the SMART tax are polling in the mid 70’s percent in support.

Andrea Mackenzie, general manager of the District, visited with us and gave an overview of their history and current efforts. An updated expenditure Plan includes community separators and greenbelts, scenic landscapes and corridors, agriculturally productive lands, biotic habitat areas, riparian corridors and other areas of biotic significance. Newly emphasized (if not newly added) are other open space projects such as urban open space and recreation projects and operation and maintenance of lands for public access. The latter is limited to 10% of total revenues during the life of the measure.

Andrea described the Small Farms program, in which District lands are made available to small farmers for lease, to address the rising prices of ag land that have reduced local vegetable production considerably.
Efforts underway to meet public requests: the Colgan Creek project, and improved signage on protected lands to demonstrate to the public what they’ve helped to save, and where applicable, how access for use is possible.
There was so much other discussion, but I don’t have enough notes to reliably pass it on to you. See their website at www.sonomaopenspace.org. CCSR will be active in supporting the tax renewal campaign.

Anne E. Seeley