Preserve Rural Sonoma County GETS RESULTS:

  • Raised awareness of winery/event center over-expansion on Ag lands and in rural neighborhoods as a countywide issue. ‘Wine industry backlash’ was one of the top 10 stories of 2015, according to the Press Democrat. And, in 2016, along with a continued editorial campaign that set the dialog on this issue, PRSC co-sponsored a set of videos to get our message out.
  • Launched PR campaign to inform and educate community, resulting in major coverage in Press Democrat, key stories in the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle, participation on a panel for KQED, and strong editorial support in all county press.
  • Organized a coalition of neighborhood and concerned groups to develop consistent and effective permitting policies, standards and criteria to be applied county-wide.
  • Several PRSC steering committee members were official participants on the County’s Winery Working Group and PRSC successfully advocated for the addition of a west county community member to be added to the group.   The Winery Working group served in an advisory capacity to County staff in the development of standards and criteria that moderate winery event-related impacts.
  • PRSC successfully influenced the Board of Supervisors to   pass a resolution directing the staff to create an ordinance and draft changes to the zoning codes that control event center development and activities on agricultural lands.
  • Mobilized hundreds of concerned citizens to attend key workshops and barrage the Board of Supervisors with letters in support of limits on winery development, including protesting specific projects, such as the Dairyman Winery/Event Center proposal and Beldon Barns, in both cases demanding development and analysis via an Environmental Impact Report.
  • Met with every Supervisor to advocate for balance and measurable criteria and made a formal presentation to the Planning Agency (September joint meeting of Planning Commissioners and Board of Zoning Adjustments).
  • Aligned our messages and lent critical support to key County initiatives passed by the voters to protect Sonoma County’s green belts, open space and organic farmlands.
  • Raised awareness of Local Coastal Plan issue, mobilized 150 attendees at Timber Cove meeting. Produced and distributed hundreds of info leaflets on coast and in West County to help save our coast from development, elevating public concern to Supervisors.
  • Organized convocation of Coastal preservation groups to develop strategy for addressing proposed Local Coastal Plan deficiencies before they are adopted by Supervisors.