Wildlands
Wildlands comprise 201.7 acres within the Fountaingrove II development

The scenic treasure of Santa Rosa, California

Wildlands comprise 201.7 acres within the approximate 600 acres of the Fountaingrove II development located in Northeast Santa Rosa. The Wildlands are a scenic treasure, whether you view them from the valley floor or from the ridges of Fountaingrove. This land was placed under the management of the Fountaingrove II Open Space Maintenance Association “OSMA”.  Read our Mission Statement and Background and Purpose of Fountaingrove II for why the Wildlands were set aside for environmental preservation, and how they are to be managed for biodiversity, habitat, erosion control, protection of endangered local species, requirements for native plantings, and management of fuel loads to reduce the risk of a catastrophic fire.

In addition to the Wildlands managed by OSMA, there are two City Parks in the development. Together, they cover 15+ acres and abut 45 Fountaingrove II residences with a Wildland Urban Interface “WUI.”  Additionally, there are many, many more acres of undeveloped property containing excessive dense fuels, and 100+ adjacent county residences. Most of the adjacent parcels are not properly maintained for defensible space as are the Wildlands maintained by OSMA, or as required by state, federal and local laws for a designated Very High Fire Severity Hazard Zone. See Fire Safety for more information about the fire risk in Fountaingrove and what OSMA does to mitigate this risk.

Management of the Wildlands is governed by the legal documents that created Fountaingrove II, with most of the externally imposed practices specified in the Fountaingrove II Design Program for Managing Open Space “Design Program” (pdf).

OSMA has created Forest Management Practices to manage maintenance of the Wildlands, which now have 60+ acres of firebreaks adjacent to homes abutting the WUI.  These Practices specify how maintenance will be performed to comply with the Design Program, and are necessary to be in place for OSMA to have an effective CWPP or maintain its Firewise status. The Practices also provide a database of detailed specifications that can be incorporated into Requests for Proposal to ensure vendors perform their work appropriately and consistently.

The Wildlands incorporate miles of trails or old fire roads that provide routes for hikers to enjoy the scenic treasure of trees, wildflowers, native plants, animals, streams, and habitat; while providing healthy exercise for both the body and mind.

Maps of these routes, as well as the fuel reduced fire breaks are only a click away to locate and plan your adventure. 

Enjoy our open space, but do so in a safe manner. Respect the land and protect it from erosion problems, and always take the necessary fire safe measures for your and all of our protection. It is not recommended that you hike the Wildlands alone. Wild animals including rattlesnakes and mountain lions live here and you should always be alert for ground wasps, ticks, and the ever abundant poison oak. Enjoy the outdoors, but wear the proper equipment, and take along water and a cell phone in case you need to call for assistance.

Periodically, hikes are scheduled with guides from OSMA or the Native Plant Society. Watch the calendar for upcoming scheduled events.  Hikes are also scheduled for planning or checking annual firebreak maintenance work seasonally.

The Board of OSMA recently engaged the services of licensed forest professionals to evaluate selected projects it is considering to make Fountaingrove II more fire safe.  These professionals will also educate OSMA as to what should be done to maintain a healthy and balanced forest environment for the trees, chaparral, plants and habitat.

Keeping Fountaingrove's Wildland Urban Interface as a Scenic Treasure