The Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area
can be viewed as a peninsula of wild and range
lands extending from the southern portions of the
Mendocino National Forest all the way to Interstate
80 in Solano County. Sparsely populated and
abundant in natural resources, the BRBNA stands
out in California as a mosaic of public and private
lands that have witnessed relatively little change
in the last century.
The region is named for two prominent geographic features – the Blue Ridge Mountains and Lake Berryessa – but is also characterized by an array of surrounding valleys, ranches, and natural areas. The BRBNA's diverse geology supports a unique assemblage of ecological communities, including serpentine chaparral, grasslands, and oak woodlands. Cache and Putah Creeks and their tributaries, as well as the region's lakes, provide important riparian and fisheries habitat as well as a water supply for both urban and agricultural uses.
Thousands of acres of oak woodland serve as the signature ranchlands that characterize those portions of the landscape shaped by human use. These private lands comprise nearly half of the BRBNA while federal and state lands make up the other half. Throughout the publicly accessible lands, there is ample opportunity for nature-based outdoor recreation including hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, hunting, fishing, rafting and canoeing.
BRBNA Partnership
The BRBNA Conservation Partnership was founded in 1997 to provide a forum for public and private land managers to meet and discuss their activities. The group has since grown to nearly 75 partners including federal and state agencies, counties and other public entities, local businesses, non-profit organizations and conservation-minded landowners – all with the common goal of promoting collaborative conservation of the natural and working landscape of the BRBNA. Five principal objectives guide the work of the Partnership.
