Sen. Dodd: State Designates More Parkland at Former Sonoma Developmental Site

SONOMA – Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, D-North Coast, announced today an additional 11.4 acres of open space once part of the Sonoma Developmental Center has been transferred to California State Parks and will be open to the public, adding to a previous 650 acres designated as parkland in January. The property is near Jack London State Historic Park.

“I’m happy to see the state delivering on its promise to protect this beautiful land and make sure it’s available to the public for hiking and outdoor recreation,” Sen. Dodd said. “Increasing access to open space is critical, and I’m confident State Parks, working with the local community, will steward and protect this incredible property for generations to come.”

“The transfer of Camp Via, a historic retreat and campground in the heart of the SDC, is another milestone in this transformational project. State Parks is quickly moving on our long-term goals to open up Camp Via -- an additional 11.4 acres -- to the public that we placed into State Parks stewardship earlier this year,” said Senate President pro Tem McGuire. “We’re grateful for the ongoing partnership with Sen. Dodd, the community of Sonoma Valley and State Parks to get this important piece of the SDC transformation project in place and open for public access.”

The 11.4 acres, originally known as Camp Via, was part of the Sonoma Developmental Center’s orchard operation and was later converted to a retreat for its residents. It was excluded from an earlier property transfer and has remained an island ever since.  It intersects the Jack London State Historic Park trail system, affording recreational opportunities to day hikers.

Combined with the 650 acres, the land will provide a connection to Sonoma County Regional Park, maintaining a critical regional wildlife corridor from the coast to Lake Berryessa. The property includes high-quality oak woodlands, mixed evergreen forests, coast redwood and riparian forests, grasslands and wetlands.

Both pieces were part of the 945-acre Sonoma Developmental Center, a state institution for severely disabled people, which closed in 2018.

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Senator Bill Dodd represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Yolo, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento and Contra Costa counties. More information on Senator Bill Dodd can be found at www.senate.ca.gov/dodd.