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Protecting Our Future

Learn what’s at stake at Lafferty Ranch

Protecting Our Wildlife

Lafferty Ranch is a property located on Sonoma Mountain which The City of Petaluma utilized as a municipal water source until the 1990’s. The site is home to a unique complex of springs that create a series of perennial wetlands that form the headwaters of the Adobe Creek watershed.

In 2006 the site was declared Critical Habitat for an Evolutionary Significant Unit of Steelhead Trout and in 2010 the site was declared Critical Habitat by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for California Red Legged Frog. As the site has come under increasing regulatory attention it has become apparent that, for a variety of factors, developing the site into a City Park will be impossible. However the Friends of Lafferty Park have used political influence to persuade the city to pursue the project in spite of ballooning costs, growing public opposition, limited benefit to the public, and detrimental impacts to this sensitive site.

 

The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires that all projects done within the state be subject to an environmental review and mitigation process. This includes projects done by government entities:

The Legislature further finds and declares that it is the policy of the state that projects to be carried out by public agencies be subject to the same level of review and consideration under this division as that of private projects required to be approved by public agencies.”
(Added by Stats. 1984, Ch. 1514, Sec. 1.)

The “Friends of Lafferty Park” along with city council member Mike Healy believe they have the right to bypass this process.

Learn More About Lafferty Park

Environment

Opening Lafferty threatens sensitive species.

Alternatives

Lafferty Isn’t the Only Petaluma Park Option.

History

From sacred Miwok hunting ground to wildlife sanctuary.