Stornetta Public Lands To Open Officially on May 14

Public and Private Sponsors Invite the Community to Opening Ceremony on Spectacular Mendocino Property

San Francisco, Calif.—April 26, 2005—The public is invited to a ceremony marking the opening of Stornetta Public Lands at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 14. The spectacular Stornetta Public Lands property, recently protected by a coalition of private organizations and public agencies, is located on Lighthouse Road off Highway 1, approximately 2 miles north of Point Arena, California (map enclosed). The new public area features two and a half miles of coastline, rolling hills and an ancient estuary that supports a wide variety of birds, fish and mammals.

During the ceremony, which will take place on a bluff overlooking the stunning coastal landscape, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management will unveil the first official public lands sign and formally welcome the public to the area. The program will include remarks from Congressman Mike Thompson, Lisa Badenfort on behalf of State Senator Wes Chesbro and representatives of several of the public and private agencies that were instrumental in last year’s acquisition and permanent protection of this remarkable property. The new public lands area consists of 1,711 acres that were formerly part of the Stornetta Brothers Ranch.

Light refreshments will follow the ceremony, after which guides will lead hiking tours of a portion of the property to enable visitors to enjoy views of the public lands, the ocean, the lighthouse and the Garcia Forest to the east. Hikers should bring sack lunches. The tours will conclude at approximately 1:15 p.m.

The Stornetta public lands are open during daylight hours seven days a week for recreational activities that include hiking, wildlife and wildflower viewing and picnicking.

Stornetta Public Lands, adjacent to the historic Point Arena Lighthouse and Manchester State Beach, features the estuary of the Garcia River, coastal wetlands, two and a half miles of coastline and an island off the coast known as Sea Lion Rocks that will be included in the newly designated California Coastal National Monument. A portion of the property will continue to operate as a family ranch, managed to protect habitat for threatened and endangered species.

Migratory waterfowl, shore birds, raptors, deer and several species of rare plants can be found on the property. The area is an important heritage location for the Bokeja (Manchester–Point Arena) Pomo tribe, which now includes more than 600 members in the North Coast area.

Event sponsors include the Bureau of Land Management, The Nature Conservancy, the State Coastal Conservancy, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Mendocino Coast Audubon Society. The six organizations worked in partnership to acquire the property and safeguard an important natural area while ensuring continuing economic opportunities for local residents and compatible recreational opportunities for the public.

Special guests at the ceremony will include:
• Congressman Mike Thompson
• Lisa Badenfort (representing Senator Wes Chesbro)
• Kathleen Kelly (representing State Assemblymember Patty Berg)
• Sam Schuchat, Executive Officer, State Coastal Conservancy
• Al Wright, Executive Director, California Wildlife Conservation Board
• Steve Thompson, Western Regional Operations Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Wendy Millet, North Coast Ecoregional Director, The Nature Conservancy
• Jim Abbott, California Associate State Director, Bureau of Land Management

Shuttle service will be available for attendees who require assistance walking the 100 yards from the parking area to the ceremony site. Visitors planning to participate in hikes should wear sturdy shoes, bring water and a sack lunch and be prepared for light to moderate exertion. Guides will stop along the trail for guests to rest and eat.

The BLM is completing a resource management plan and will soon be adding informational kiosks on the biological value of the landscape and installing other public facilities. For more information on the Stornetta Public Lands, visit www.ca.blm.gov.

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The BLM manages more land — 261 million surface acres — than any other federal agency. Most of this public land is located in 12 western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.8 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical and cultural resources on the public lands.

The Nature Conservancy is an international non-profit membership organization whose mission is to preserve plants, animals and natural communities by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. Founded in 1951, The Nature Conservancy and its more than one million members have safeguarded more than 15 million acres in all 50 states and Canada. The Conservancy has also worked with like-minded partner organizations to preserve more than 100 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Asia. In California, The Nature Conservancy has protected more than 1.2 million acres. Visit us on the web at nature.org/california.