Fortuna secures $144,000 to expand Vancil Community Forest parkland

Fortuna is set to turn $144,000 into 6.25 acres of undeveloped redwood forest, a land purchase that could add permanent public green space next to Rohner Park and the city’s Vancil Community Forest.

California State Parks announced the grant recommendation on April 30 as part of $42.6 million in Land and Water Conservation Fund funding for 18 local park projects statewide. State Parks said the full slate would protect more than 2,800 acres for public outdoor recreation, and Fortuna’s share is earmarked for the Vancil Community Forest Acquisition.

The money would help the City of Fortuna acquire APN 200-084-084, a 6.25-acre parcel described in a California Environmental Quality Act notice as undeveloped land with redwood and Douglas fir tree species. The notice says the purpose is to preserve natural forest habitat, maintain public access and allow for potential future public recreational opportunities.

Planning documents already tie the parcel to the city’s broader open-space network. They describe the property as approximately 6.25 acres of second-growth redwood forest, with the same redwood and Douglas fir canopy, sitting across from Rohner Creek and Rohner Park. The parcel’s location gives the acquisition practical value: it would extend a visible green corridor in a part of Fortuna where forestland, trails and neighborhood recreation intersect.

The purchase also fits into a larger land-conservation strategy. North Coast Resource Partnership materials say Fortuna has been interested in a 13-acre Vancil reservoir redwood forest parcel and an adjacent 7-acre forest parcel, a combination that could create 75 acres of linked public lands within the city limits in the Rohner Creek watershed. A prior 2024 report on the same general effort put the ask at $171,000 to acquire about 6.25 acres and connect Rohner Park and Vancil Reservoir into a contiguous forested area with trails.

For residents, the immediate value is not a new building or a short-lived project. It is the chance to lock in land that can support trail access, habitat protection and future recreation in a city where every acre of forested open space carries long-term weight.