(Photo credit by local photographer-artist Phil Wendt)

The Redwood Coast Land Conservancy and Gualala Regional Park

The Redwood Coast Land Conservancy is purchasing 112 acres of beautiful land close to the Gualala Regional Park and river. The purchased land’s location remains at the mouth of the Gualala River and includes 13 acres of river frontage. It will become a permanent preserve for both its habitat and for public recreation.

The community has wanted to improve access to the river and preserve the natural scenery intact for some time. So the Redwood Coast Conservancy purchased the Mill Bend property with funds provided by a secret benefactor.

The next part of the development process includes securing state and federal wildlife agencies grants. Grants remain also needed from the California State Coastal Conservancy and the California Natural Resources Agency. The land conservancy hopes to repay the secret donor using $1.8 billion in funds donated to the conservancy project.

The group also needs to raise $600,000 for a grant to maintain the land for future years.

A description of the area includes:

1. The purchased land comprises almost all of the upriver estuary from the town to the southern entrance. It also consists of a small sliver of coastal bluffs In Sonoma County. An old mill at the bend of the river used to stand there at one time, but now the site is vacant.

Fifty-nine acres of higher elevation stands on Highway 1’s east side. Thirty-five acres of a conifer forest lies south of Gualala, from the river’s edge to the nearby timberlands.

The conservancy doesn’t want to change too much about the area. It does, however, want to increase the size of the coastal bluffs, develop a trail, and convert a house on the land to an education center, on top of other small projects.

The newly purchased property has been seen by many as a natural extension of the existing Sonoma Gualala Point Park. One of the primary goals of the land project remains to make experiencing this area seamlessly and naturally. Also, they’d like to focus on developing water trails, which have recently become popular with visitors.

The area also serves as a shared interest between Mendocino and Sonoma counties, blending communities and services and improving the economies of both regions. Plus, because the land is under a conservancy, homes can’t get built there.

The Allemall Foundation, which is the foundation that assisted in the purchasing of this lovely land, is based in Maryland. It was founded by a couple from the East Coast whose daughter lives in the area. The daughter became aware of the issues surrounding the purchase of the river’s property. The parents decided to get involved financially to prevent the land from getting developed.

Sellers often don’t want to sell the property to conservations because the funding takes so long to come through. This significant donation by the unnamed couple allowed the land to be purchased without waiting for governmental funding.

Ocean View Properties, in The Sea Ranch, CA has a vacation rental home agency near this developing conservancy. They can help you and your family have a great home base at which to stay while you visit the sights and scenery of the Redwood Coast Land Conservancy.