Caring for Our Community’s Future
Caring for Our Community’s Future
New Ag and Open Space Report
Improvements along the way:
- Oaks management including mulching and tree trimming
- Purchased appropriate signage for park management
- Purchased redwood picnic tables (Probation Camp quality)
- Removed an acre of blackberry bushes
- Continue to use abatement procedures for blackberries
- Hosted a “Workday” for invasive species removal (done annually)
- Purchased stainless steel “bear cans” for trash management
- Took out dirt road through the middle of the park left over from installation of the wood bridge and replanted with native grasses
- The wood bridge itself linking the West County Trail to town
- Installed two “dog poop” stations
- Removed invasive species near the bridge
- Planted in a native species garden near the bridge
- Graded and improved gravel road along east of property
- Upkeep of the parking lot after yearly rains
- Mow grasses outside of wetlands regularly then mow dried grasses in the fall for fire protection
2026 Community Grant Fund
Go to see which projects received grants through the years (every year since 2008): Grants Awarded.
Latest President’s Message
June 2026
This April we were able to welcome about twenty Ag and Open Space staff at the Oaks Park. They were having an annual retreat and came to see how their matching grant given Forestville in 2013 turned out. That was the grant that allowed us to purchase 4 acres of the Oaks Park twelve years ago. Read more…
Great Stories and Reporting by Vikki Miller
If you haven’t been reading this section on the site: Community News, you are missing out on some great articles. All by Vikki Miller, member of the FPA board and volunteering for more things than she has time for. We invite you to do some community volunteer work for FPA as well. You will learn a lot and can teach us what you know. Go here: Volunteer
Here is a list of the most recent Community News articles:
- Keeping the Orchard Spirit Alive
Long before Sonoma County became known for its vineyards and farm-to-table movement, the Gravenstein apple helped define the character of this region. The story of the Gravenstein apple begins more than three centuries ago… - The Ripple Effect of Kindness
We are living in a time when it often feels as though anger speaks louder than compassion. Every day we encounter conflict, disagreements, and attempts to convince us that we have more separating us than uniting us…. 
When Someone You Love Dies and the Path Through Grief
There are moments in life that divide time into a “before” and an “after.” The death of someone we love is one of those moments. One day, the world seems familiar and predictable…
Three Part Series – Stories from the Revolutionary War
A Legacy Written on the Land — How a Revolutionary Hero Gave His Name to a County
Every family tree holds surprises. Sometimes those discoveries are humble stories of ordinary lives. Other times they reveal an ancestor whose courage helped shape the course of history. For me, uncovering the story of Col. Thomas Robeson Jr… Part 3 of 3 Parts
The Colonel Who Defied the Crown – Thomas Robeson and the Fight for Freedom
By the autumn of 1781, the Revolutionary War had entered its sixth year. While major battles were being fought across the colonies, a different kind of war raged in southeastern North Carolina…. Part 2 of 3 Parts
- Rediscovering a Revolutionary War Patriot During America’s 250th Anniversary
As America prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, one local woman is helping bring a forgotten chapter of that history back into public view… Part 1 of 3 Parts
Three Part Series – Stories from the Revolutionary War
Sebastopol’s Apple Blossom Festival Is Still Blooming After 80 Years
Every spring, as blossoms begin to color the trees and the streets of downtown Sebastopol fill with families, music, and celebration, the Apple Blossom Festival returns as a tradition that tells the story of a town, its roots, and the generations who shaped it…- The Heroes You Never See –
How 911 Operators Hold the Line
When most people think of first responders, they picture police officers, firefighters, and paramedics rushing toward danger. But before the sirens sound and before help arrives, another first responder is already at work: the 911 dispatcher…. - Rancho Compasión – Where Care Becomes a Way of Life
In the rolling hills of Nicasio in Marin County, Rancho Compasión operates with unmistakable purpose. Founded in 2016, thesanctuaryprovides lifelong refuge for rescued farm animals while serving as an educational space for children, families, and the broader community. Here, compassion is lived, practiced, and sustained every day…. - The Hidden Costs of America’s Fracking Boom
Deep beneath the surface of towns and farmland across the United States, a revolution in energy extraction is quietly reshaping communities. Hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, has unlocked vast reserves of oil and natural gas once thought unreachable…..
Know a “Hometown Hero?”
With so many involved citizens who volunteer their time to make this town special the FPA has created a Hometown Hero section on the site.
Go here to see who has been recognized: Hometown Heroes
Go here to nominate your own hero: Hometown Heroes Form
Jacque Brazieal with her skateboard kids.
Announcing the Recipients of the 2025 Community Fund Grants
See the list of the list of the 13 organizations that received these funds:
Grants Awarded
To learn more about the Fund, go to the following pages:
Free WiFi in Downtown Forestville
OUTSIDE ONLY – Forestville, along with other West County communities (Bodega, Bodega Bay, Cazadero, Guerneville, Monte Rio and Jenner), now have FREE WIFI. The “wireless mesh” functions outdoors through the installation of devices on the outside of buildings.
If you are inside of any buildings, you will not see it come up in the list of WiFi connections. When downtown & outside, go to your Settings then to the WiFi settings – choose EQAC PUBLIC WIFI (sign-in is required). Go through the prompts and you can now have service in places that were almost impossible before. The range goes up to Speer’s and maybe other places not on the downtown streets.
Free Chipper Program
Be Fire Safe! Take advantage of the County’s Chipper Program!
They have purchased more chippers to help homeowners clear vegetation from their property.
The program is FREE but has specific rules to the length and width of what you’ll be chipping.
What a relief you’ll feel when those piles are gone! Read more on Sonoma County Permit department pages.
Reflective Signs
At the recent Town Hall meeting, a rep from the Sonoma County Fire Department mentioned how important it is to have a reflective sign for your address sign. Why? Because this is how the fire department, ambulances and others can find you especially when you are calling for help. This is known as the Green Sign Program because the signs are green.
Trash Can Bins in the Downtown Forestville Oaks Park
A reminder to anyone using the park – when putting your trash in the trash bins. if your it does not fit in one of the bins, then please take it with you. And, please do not bring your trash from home. The FPA does not have the funding to regularly pay a maintenance worker to do this job. If you would like to volunteer for this, please contact Lucy, FPA’s president, here.
Here is the original story about the bins:
A while back, the FPA Board installed three new trash can bins in the Downtown Forestville Oaks Park after years of discussion on what would work best. These bins have a narrower opening so that folks inclined to get rid of their household trash at the park.
Board Meetings
Regular Board meetings are scheduled every month.
Dates: Every 1st Tuesday of the month.
Time: 5:30-7:30PM
Where: In-Person at: 6550 Railroad Ave., Forestville
Or join us via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86061256687?pwd=VGlHRzRiSzVGM1hOUEZRV2ZxRUFRdz09
Meeting ID: 860 6125 6687
Passcode: 618070
Dial by your location
• +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
• +1 669 444 9171 US
Anyone interested in attending is very welcome.
Contact: Board President Lucy Hardcastle for more information.