Regional Parks outlines dune and forest restoration at Doran and Hood Mountain

Sonoma County Regional Parks staff briefed the board and public on recent ecosystem restoration projects that aim to restore native dune and serpentine‑soil habitats at Doran Regional Park and Hood Mountain Regional Park.

Project details: At Doran Regional Park, staff said they are removing nonnative ice plant and European beach grass and replanting native dune species — dune buckwheat, sagewort and beach strawberry — to improve habitat for western snowy plovers and increase ecosystem resilience to sea‑level rise. A parks presenter said, “a big impetus for this project is to restore snowy plover habitat… removing that European dune grass and by doing that, removing the cover that predators can utilize.” The project is a partnership with the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, the California Native Plant Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is funded in part by the Parks for All ballot measure.

At Hood Mountain, staff described post‑fire recovery following the 2017 Nuns Fire and the 2020 Glass Fire. Park personnel collected seed from 26–27 local species and planted local seed mixes in sensitive serpentine soils to reestablish native plants, including slow‑growing sergeant cypress in the pygmy forest. Staff reported encouraging results from first plantings and ongoing monitoring.

Why it matters: The projects aim to restore biodiversity, protect species of concern and make these public lands more resilient to climate impacts and predators that exploit nonnative cover. Staff said work is planned and ongoing and that the county’s natural‑resources and volunteer programs support the efforts.

Action: The briefing was informational; no board action was required during the meeting.