Skip to Content
County of Sonoma - News and Press Releases

View All County Press Releases


June 30, 2021 | Office of the District Attorney

<p>District Attorney’sOffice collects $1.2 million in civil judgments in FY 2020/2021 fromunscrupulous businesses that violated environmental or consumer protection laws.</p>

<span style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch announced that in FY 2020/2021, her Environmental and Consumer Law Division (“ECLD”) collected over $1.2 million for the County of Sonoma in civil judgments against businesses that violated state and local environmental and consumer protection laws. The civil judgments, all approved by the Superior Court, included monies collected for civil penalties and reimbursement of costs of investigation and prosecution.</span> Read full story


June 30, 2021 | County Administrator's Office

Sonoma County awarded $37 million FEMA grant to mitigate wildfire risks to life, property and the environment

President Joe Biden announced today that the County of Sonoma will receive a $37 million grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency designed to help local, state and tribal agencies in California receive reimbursement for certain costs related to wildfire risk reduction. Biden made the announcement Wednesday at a White House briefing of governors from Western states. Read full story


June 02, 2021 | County Administrator's Office

Board of Supervisors Approves Over $3.7 Million for Vegetation Management Projects to Reduce Wildfire Risk

Funding will support countywide projects to clear roads, create defensible space, increase safety Read full story


May 27, 2021 | Department of Health Services

WIC to increase fruits and vegetable benefits for four months withAmerican Rescue Plan funding

Starting June1, Sonoma County’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) families will receive atemporary increase in their monthly WIC fruits and vegetables benefit thanks tofunding from the American Rescue Plan Act. Read full story


May 18, 2021 | Permit Sonoma

Sonoma County Planning Commission to Hear Draft Winery Events Ordinance

Permit Sonoma has published Sonoma County’s first draft Winery Events Ordinance, which would set new standards for winery events like parking requirements, food service, event coordination, traffic management, and noise standards to address the impact of winery visitor-serving uses on agricultural land. Read full story


May 11, 2021 | County Administrator's Office

County of Sonoma provides retirement system annual review

The County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors today received the annual State of the Retirement System Report on pension costs and pension-related liabilities through Fiscal Year 2019-20, including membership data for Sonoma County Employees’ Retirement Association, investment returns and December 2019 actuarial valuation results. The annual report to the public was recommended by the FY 2014-15 Sonoma County Grand Jury Report, the July 2016 report of the Independent Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Pension Matters, and the September 2018 report of the Board’s Ad Hoc Committee on Pension Reform. Read full story


May 10, 2021 | Permit Sonoma

Burn Suspension Announced

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has announced the enactment of a burn suspension, beginning at 12:01 AM Monday, May 10, 2021, which bans all outdoor burning. Read full story


April 27, 2021 | County Administrator's Office

County of Sonoma proclaims drought emergency

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today adopted a resolution proclaiming a local drought emergency and requesting the governor seek a Presidential Disaster Declaration. On April 21, Governor Gavin Newsom visited Lake Mendocino and proclaimed a state of emergency in Sonoma and Mendocino counties due to drought conditions in the Russian River Watershed. Read full story


April 27, 2021 | County Administrator's Office

El Condado de Sonoma proclama emergencia causada por la sequía

La Junta de Supervisores del Condado de Sonoma adoptó hoy una resolución que proclama una emergencia local con motivo de la sequía y solicita al gobernador que pida una Declaración Presidencial de Desastre. El 21 de abril, el gobernador Gavin Newsom visitó el Lago Mendocino y proclamó un estado de emergencia en los Condados de Sonoma y Mendocino, debido a las condiciones de sequía en la cuenca del Río Russian. Read full story


April 19, 2021 | Permit Sonoma

Permit Sonoma publishes Draft Environmental Impact Report for rezoning sites to meet Sonoma County's housing needs

Permit Sonoma published a Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) that analyzed the environmental impact of potentially rezoning up to 59 sites for housing. Releasing the Draft EIR is a critical step in rezoning parcels to meet Sonoma County's share of its Regional Housing Needs Allocation and to comply with state housing laws. Read full story