Modini Mayacamas Preserves Access The Modini Mayacamas Preserves (MMP) is 3,000 acres of protected wild country in northeast Sonoma County. This packet provides a brief introduction to the land for those who have been through the orientation session. It explains the privileges and responsibilities that come with having a permit, provides a general overview, and introduces you to some of the ways you can get to know the place including volunteer opportunities. Welcome to the community of people who care about this place, we're glad to have you on the team! Contents: Preserve Overview p. 1 Expectations p. 2-3 Preserve map p. 4 Hiking routes p. 5-8 The preserves are owned and managed by Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR). We are a local conservation organization that protects our natural and human communities through land preservation, nature education, and conservation science. We are not a part of the National Audubon Society, and while this is a new preserve for us, we have been managing nature preserves for over 50 years in Marin and Sonoma Counties. There are forever wild conservation easements on MMP, held by the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, which prohibit development. The Modini Mayacamas Preserves are comprised of two adjoining units. This permit provides you with access to the western portion, the Mayacamas Mountains Sanctuary. It has multiple hiking, bird-watching and volunteer opportunities. The eastern portion, Modini Ingalls Ecological Preserve, is not open for visitation, it is reserved for research and resource management activities only. This honors our commitment to Jim and Shirley Modini, the conservation pioneers who donated the property to ACR, and also provides a refuge for wildlife where there is very little human presence. Major habitat types on MMP include grassland, forest, chaparral, riparian, and serpentine outcrops. Black bear, mountain lion, coyote, grey fox, and bobcat are all found on the preserve. The entire preserve burned in the Geysers fire in September of 2004. Uphill of the preserve is a large geothermal complex operated by Calpine and connected to the grid by the high voltage power lines that run through the preserve. The city of Santa Rosa operates a pipeline which runs underground through the preserve and delivers reclaimed water up the hill to be injected in the steam fields. In the 1870 s Pine Flat was a quicksilver mining town of several thousand. To learn more about the ecology and history of the preserve please join one of the regularly scheduled guided outings. Pine Flat Road, a public county road with pullouts, goes right through the preserve, allowing anyone to visit anytime without appointment to enjoy the views and the bird watching from the roadside pullouts. Please drive cautiously; this is a one lane winding road with very limited sight lines. The preserve also hosts a variety of expertled outings and stewardship workdays which are open to all. Our staff is small and we are fortunate to be able to rely on the help of dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers. Volunteer opportunities include joining our hike leader cadre, hands-on projects such as land stewardship or trail maintenance, and helping out with the native garden at our Healdsburg office. To find out more please call or e- mail, contact info is at the bottom of each page. www.egret.org modini@egret.org 707.431.8184 p 1
If you agree to our use conditions, we will be glad to have you as partners in the management of this preserve. We ask that when you are on the preserve, you keep your eyes and ears open. Let us know if you notice anything interesting or concerning. That could include a hazard such as a partially fallen tree, something biologically interesting like an uncommon animal, a maintenance need such as fallen or destroyed signage, or something that you believe to be a security concern. We send out a monthly e-mail with information about any public outings and volunteer opportunities in the coming month. You will be added to this list after you go through the orientation. However, if you prefer to not receive the monthly e-mails, just let us know by responding to one of the messages and we will remove you from the list. All preserve activities are also posted on the calendar at egret.org. There is no physical permit, we maintain a list of people who have been through the orientation and are therefore permitted on the preserve. Please consider supporting our programs with a donation to ACR at www.egret.org or call ACR headquarters (415) 868-9244. Expectations of permit holders You are responsible for your own safety. Poison oak is found on the preserve, learn to recognize it. Ticks occur here, always check for ticks thoroughly after a visit. Rattlesnakes live here, watch and listen for them. Mountain lions and bears are both found here. Never approach or feed wildlife. Illicit marijuana cultivation has occurred in this region. If you see something that indicates such activity, leave the area and notify us of what you saw. This is a wild and primitive place. There are no bathrooms, no litter collection, and no water fountains. Carry out any trash. Dehydration and heat stroke are serious medical conditions, and parts of MMP are very exposed and can get very hot. Bring sufficient drinking water with you. Urinate at least 200 feet from watercourses including those that are seasonally dry. Feces must be buried in a hole six inches deep, and paper must be carried out, not buried or burned. Never use the creek for washing up, do not put any soap or other product in the creek. Don t Spread Weeds or Pathogens. Help to protect this preserve by exercising good wildland hygiene. Mud can carry the pathogen that causes Sudden Oak Death and invasive species can hitch a ride on boot laces or pant cuffs. Use a stiff brush to clean all mud and seeds off of your footwear and clothes before coming. Fire danger is often very high in the summertime. A small amount of carelessness by a visitor can result in a fast moving wildfire. Never discard cigarettes out of windows, and never smoke outside of your vehicle on this preserve. If you believe you see a wildfire nearby, get out as quickly as possible and alert authorities. Dogs and other pets are not permitted on the preserve. The preserve is day use only. You are only permitted off the paved road from sunrise to sunset. There is no overnight camping on the road or on the preserve as part of this permit. Leave gates as you find them. Portions of MMP are seasonally grazed. Once you have attended an orientation session and provided your completed Permit Holder Agreement to ACR, you have permission to hike unescorted beyond the paved road. You are granted access to the western portion of www.egret.org modini@egret.org 707.431.8184 p 2
MMP only, which is what is shown on the attached map. Your permit is only valid if we have your current contact information as we need a way to update you with any changes we make to the program. Once every couple of years we will send out an e-mail to all people who have been through the orientation asking for a confirmation that you are still interested in being a permit holder. If we do not hear back from you after a couple of tries, your permit will no longer be valid. Please make sure that e-mail messages from egret.org are delivered to your inbox. Please respect our neighbors and do not trespass on their land. We try to keep all boundaries clearly marked, but you are responsible for knowing where you are. We reserve the right to revoke your access permit, for example if you are found in violation of the Permit Holder Expectations or Agreement. We welcome your feedback on this access program. Permit Holder Agreement - This is what you signed Pine Flat Road is a public, county-maintained road, which provides excellent views into most of the Modini Mayacamas Preserves (MMP) and surrounding landscape. The public is invited to use this road for viewing birds and other wildlife, using the pullouts along the road. There is no litter collection or restrooms available. Access to the MMP beyond the Pine Flat Road right-of-way is granted by Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) to those individuals who agree, by signature of this document, to abide by the following MMP Use Conditions. Access may be limited to a particular time period and is revocable if Expectations in the and these Use Conditions are not adhered to. Access is limited to the portion of the preserves shown in the map. Hours of use are from sunrise to sunset. Individuals acknowledge the risks involved in outdoor activities, and voluntarily assume these risks and liabilities. Collecting, removing, or damaging plants, animals, fungi or other organisms is prohibited except what happens naturally during the course of a walk. Exemptions to this provision will be considered by request for activities (e.g. invasive species management or scientific investigation) that do not significantly harm the natural resources of MMP. The following are prohibited: Collecting wood Use of motor vehicles off of the paved road Fires, smoking and other ignition sources Camping Discharge of firearms Hunting and fishing Dogs and other pets Maximum party size is six people, with exceptions considered by special request. At least one person in the party must have a signed copy of these use guidelines on file with ACR, and that person is responsible for ensuring that all members of the group comply with requirements. You are responsible for ensuring that ACR has your current contact information, so that we can contact you in case of any changes to the Permit Holder Expectations or Agreement. When you are off of the paved road on MMP, you are required to carry identification, and to show it to ACR staff or our designees upon request to verify that you have been granted access. www.egret.org modini@egret.org 707.431.8184 p 3
www.egret.org modini@egret.org 707.431.8184 p 4
Hiking routes of ACR's Modini Mayacamas Preserves These routes are open to permit holders only. This page lists the segments separately, and the following pages list some round trip hikes you can put together with these segments. Detailed map is on page 4 of this packet and is available to permit holders only. Distance: 1 ½ miles Elevation gain: 600' Difficulty: easy Connections: Ferguson climb, Pine Flat Rd Ridgeline Trail This is a maintained dirt road with a gentle grade. It connects at its north end to Rob Roy Flat on Pine Flat Rd, 7 miles from the bottom of the road. At the south end it connects to Ferguson Climb. This ridge-top route gives great views, frequently as far as Mt. Tam. It passes mostly through grassland, so there is little shade. Please leave gates as you found them, there may be cattle grazing. Distance: 1 mile Elevation gain: 330' Difficulty: medium Connections: Red Hill Peak Trl, Pine Flat Rd Red Hill Cut-off This is a maintained dirt road, with some uphill in either direction but more if you start from the south. This trail has some shade, but most of it is in open habitat. It passes through several habitat types including serpentine chaparral, doug-fir/ madrone forest, oak savannah, knobcone pine forest, and riparian. Distance: ½ mile Elevation gain: 220' Difficulty: medium Connections: Red Hill cut-off Distance: 1 ¼ mile Elevation gain: 540' Difficulty: hard Connections: Pine Flat Rd, Ridgeline Trail Red Hill Peak Trail This is an out and back to the top of Red hill. There are nice views from the top, and in April you might see the St. Helena fawn lily along this trail. At the top you are at about 2,480' in elevation. Red Hill is the highest point on the preserve, here's a chance to look down on soaring raptors. Foss Trail This trail follows the old stage coach route and is named for its most famous driver. It is our shadiest trail passing through both forest and grassland. Watch for blue paint on rocks to ensure you follow the path. The north end connects to Schoolhouse Flat, 8 miles from the bottom of Pine Flat Rd. The south end is marked with grey wooden posts and is a steep climb to the Ridgeline Trail not far from where it meets Pine Flat Rd. This challenging hike includes steep rocky pitches and places where poison oak grows alongside the trail. Distance: ⅓ mile Elevation gain: 200' Difficulty: hard Connections: Pine Flat Rd, Ridgeline Trail Ferguson Climb A steep hike through grassland from Ferguson Spring pullout to the south end of the Ridgeline Trail. Please leave the gates as you found them, there may be cattle grazing www.egret.org modini@egret.org 707.431.8184 p 5
Permit Holder Agreement Pine Flat Road is a public, county-maintained road, which provides excellent views into most of the Modini Mayacamas Preserves (MMP) and surrounding landscape. The public is invited to use this road for viewing birds and other wildlife, using the pullouts along the road. There is no litter collection or restrooms available. Access to the MMP beyond the Pine Flat Road right-of-way is granted by Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) to those individuals who agree, by signature of this document, to abide by the following MMP Use Conditions. Access may be limited to a particular time period and is revocable if Expectations in the and these Use Conditions are not adhered to. Access is limited to the portion of the preserves shown in the map. Hours of use are from sunrise to sunset. Individuals acknowledge the risks involved in outdoor activities, and voluntarily assume these risks and liabilities. Collecting, removing, or damaging plants, animals, fungi or other organisms is prohibited except what happens naturally during the course of a guided walk. Exemptions to this provision will be considered by request for activities (e.g. invasive species management or scientific investigation) that do not significantly harm the natural resources of the MMP. The following are prohibited: Collecting wood Use of motor vehicles off of the paved road Fires, smoking and other ignition sources Camping Discharge of firearms Hunting and fishing Dogs and other pets Maximum party size is six people, with exceptions considered by special request. At least one person in the party must have a signed copy of these use guidelines on file with ACR, and that person is responsible for ensuring that all members of the group comply with requirements. You are responsible for ensuring that ACR has your current contact information, so that we can contact you in case of any changes to the Permit Holder Expectations or Agreement. When you are off of the paved road on MMP, you are required to carry identification, and to show it to ACR staff or our designees upon request to verify that you have been granted access. Signature: Date: Name: Phone number: E-mail address: Mailing address: You'll receive a monthly e-mail with preserve activities, as well as the Audubon Canyon Ranch e-newsletter. 1 st Visit: Yes / No I'm interested on volunteering: Yes / No How did you learn about the Modini Mayacamas Preserves? ACR Newsletter ACR Website Facebook Meetup Other Web Friend or Family Other: