Parks Foundation and Regional Parks Celebrate Foothill Park Restoration
|
After four years of diligent work, Sonoma County Regional Parks and the nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation are thrilled to celebrate the renovation of Foothill Regional Park! Regional Parks restored the park following the Kincade Fire, when 95% of the property was burned. Climate-adaptive construction included the installation of metal bridges and stone retaining walls, construction of new trails, and design and construction of a magnificent new accessible entry, complete with a public gathering area. The gathering area incorporates a spectacular 30-foot mosaic, created by artist Angelina Duckett in collaboration with youth members of Latino Service Providers, that tells the story of the park's destruction and rebirth. The entry area adjoins new accessible parking in the facility's parking lot.
|
|
Artist Angelina Duckett installs a gorgeous mosaic at the park entrance
New metal footbridge is an example of climate-adaptive design being used at Foothill Regional Park
Sonoma County Regional Parks' Career Pathways Youth Crew was instrumental in trail construction and vegetation management
|
The Parks Foundation thanks the following for critical funding for this project:
We also express our appreciation to CalFire and local fire departments for assistance with the park redesign. In addition, Redwood Trails Alliance mentored Regional Parks Youth Crew and Conservation Corps North Bay youth to rebuild an exceptional trail system. Our work is not done!We welcome additional support for this beloved local park. Future improvements will include a shade structure for the group picnic area at Pond C, which is estimated to cost $250,000. In addition, Regional Parks regularly hosts field trips at Foothill Regional Park, including the "Life in a Pond" outing for students in 2nd to 4th grade. Donations are welcome to support these field trips, which rely extensively on the Parks Foundation for funding.
|
Foothill Regional Park Recent History
In December 2020, the Kaiser Permanente National Community Benefit Fund awarded the nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation a $500,000 to support rebuilding Foothill Regional Park. This funding enabled Sonoma County Regional Parks to renovate the 211-acre park with a new “climate-adaptive” design to make it more resilient to future wildfires and offer greater protection to surrounding neighborhoods.
In October 2019, Foothill Regional Park was the frontline in the fight to contain the Kincade Fire, the second wildfire in three years to threaten Sonoma County. Firefighters snaked miles of hoses through the park's woodlands and bulldozed fire breaks in its open spaces. Their efforts kept the fire from burning through adjacent subdivisions and into the town. However, 95 percent of the park was burned or damaged, including four miles of trails, eight trail bridges and a 40-foot bridge that provides access to the park’s back country.
“It’s important for us to recognize that wildfires are occurring more frequently in Sonoma County and for us to take the initiative to make our parks and communities better prepared,” said Sonoma County Regional Parks Director Bert Whitaker. “Many parks haven't been designed with fire in mind. Since we are all facing the same existential climate threat, we hope Foothill will become a model for the Western United States.”
Climate-adaptive design means adjusting construction materials and techniques to be more resilient to future climate changes. At Foothill, this includes replacing wooden infrastructure like retaining walls and footbridges with fire-proof materials like metal or stone, or replacing plastic culverts with metal ones. It also means introducing new features that support firefighting, like redesigning some trails with cleared borders and no low-hanging limbs to accommodate fire truck or bulldozer access without damaging sensitive ecological and historical resources.
Over 100,000 people visit Foothill Regional Park annually. Supported by this grant, Sonoma County Regional Parks employed local young adults in fire resilience projects, including trail construction and vegetation management, through its Career Pathways Youth Crew program. This program helps young people – most of whom have faced challenges in their lives – develop work-readiness skills under the mentorship of parks staff.
“We are deeply grateful to Kaiser Permanente for this generous grant,” said Melissa Kelley, executive director of the Sonoma County Parks Foundation. “Rebuilding and strengthening the parks damaged by wildfire is a top priority for the Foundation, especially through funding programs that support at-risk community members, seniors and youth, and enhance the social networks that are so crucial to a community’s disaster resiliency."
Grant funding from Kaiser Permanente was matched with $50,000 in individual donations to the nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation for fire recovery, a $15,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Coronado and facilitated by the Rotary Club of Windsor, and revenue from the Measure M parks sales tax approved by Sonoma County voters in 2018.
Thank you to Kaiser Permanente for providing the funding necessary to rebuild Foothill Regional Park after the devastation of the Kincade Fire.
In December 2020, the Kaiser Permanente National Community Benefit Fund awarded the nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation a $500,000 to support rebuilding Foothill Regional Park. This funding enabled Sonoma County Regional Parks to renovate the 211-acre park with a new “climate-adaptive” design to make it more resilient to future wildfires and offer greater protection to surrounding neighborhoods.
In October 2019, Foothill Regional Park was the frontline in the fight to contain the Kincade Fire, the second wildfire in three years to threaten Sonoma County. Firefighters snaked miles of hoses through the park's woodlands and bulldozed fire breaks in its open spaces. Their efforts kept the fire from burning through adjacent subdivisions and into the town. However, 95 percent of the park was burned or damaged, including four miles of trails, eight trail bridges and a 40-foot bridge that provides access to the park’s back country.
“It’s important for us to recognize that wildfires are occurring more frequently in Sonoma County and for us to take the initiative to make our parks and communities better prepared,” said Sonoma County Regional Parks Director Bert Whitaker. “Many parks haven't been designed with fire in mind. Since we are all facing the same existential climate threat, we hope Foothill will become a model for the Western United States.”
Climate-adaptive design means adjusting construction materials and techniques to be more resilient to future climate changes. At Foothill, this includes replacing wooden infrastructure like retaining walls and footbridges with fire-proof materials like metal or stone, or replacing plastic culverts with metal ones. It also means introducing new features that support firefighting, like redesigning some trails with cleared borders and no low-hanging limbs to accommodate fire truck or bulldozer access without damaging sensitive ecological and historical resources.
Over 100,000 people visit Foothill Regional Park annually. Supported by this grant, Sonoma County Regional Parks employed local young adults in fire resilience projects, including trail construction and vegetation management, through its Career Pathways Youth Crew program. This program helps young people – most of whom have faced challenges in their lives – develop work-readiness skills under the mentorship of parks staff.
“We are deeply grateful to Kaiser Permanente for this generous grant,” said Melissa Kelley, executive director of the Sonoma County Parks Foundation. “Rebuilding and strengthening the parks damaged by wildfire is a top priority for the Foundation, especially through funding programs that support at-risk community members, seniors and youth, and enhance the social networks that are so crucial to a community’s disaster resiliency."
Grant funding from Kaiser Permanente was matched with $50,000 in individual donations to the nonprofit Sonoma County Parks Foundation for fire recovery, a $15,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Coronado and facilitated by the Rotary Club of Windsor, and revenue from the Measure M parks sales tax approved by Sonoma County voters in 2018.
Thank you to Kaiser Permanente for providing the funding necessary to rebuild Foothill Regional Park after the devastation of the Kincade Fire.
