On Top of Sonoma Mountain
The 632-acre Mitsui Ranch Preserve is a property owned and operated by the Sonoma Mountain Ranch Preservation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization committed to preserving the natural beauty and biodiversity of the ranch, and to developing grazing practices and management activities that preserve, steward, and enhance ecosystem function; preserve/enhance habitat for several special-status species present there; and provide education and guidance through research for the preservation and enhancement of agricultural, natural, scenic, and open oak savanna.
Rangeland Revitalization
Mitsui Ranch Preserve leads by example through year-round rangeland management of this property through sustainable grazing, prescribe burns, invasive species management, and reseeding of native grasses
Research
We support research on site covering a variety of topics from rangeland management to native amphibian migration. These projects are driven both internally and in collaboration with local organizations and academic institutions
Collaboration
We work with local institutions to provide education on the work that we with the public as well as with students and professionals locally and statewide. Our staff provide opportunities to volunteers learn about our native ecosystem
The Mitsui Ranch is subject to a Deed of Conservation Easement held by The Nature Conservancy, an IRC Section 501(cX3) organization. As part of the easement, The Nature Conservancy has the right “to protect, preserve, enhance and restore the natural habitat, to study and make scientific observations of the ecosystems and native species.”
The Mitsui Ranch is immediately adjacent to three protected properties owned by government entities including the North Sonoma Mountain County Park (Sonoma County Parks District); the Lafferty Ranch (City of Petaluma); and Jack London State Historic Park (State of California). The Foundation maintains a small administrative and support staff and provide research and education opportunities to designated institutions and individuals. The research, and knowledge we gain from its products, will be the currency with which we buy cooperation and direct involvement with park personnel, regional water districts, state and federal agencies, and neighbors, for the purpose of exporting successful management and restoration actions. In this way, Mitsui Ranch Preserve can help improve lands far beyond its holdings.