Petaluma resident Neal Fishman, who recently retired as chief deputy executive officer of the California State Coastal Conservancy, has joined the board of directors of the Sonoma Land Trust.

While at the conservancy, Fishman, 60, became well-known for developing creative land and water conservation strategies.

“My role has always been to look at new possibilities,” said Fishman of his time with the CSCC, which partners with local government, nonprofit organizations, and landowners to protect and restore coastal resources.

One of those new possibilities was a program that allowed the agency to expand its services to inland areas which are part of coastal watersheds. Another was the formation of the Conservancy’s San Francisco Bay Area Program which Fishman spearheaded along with the Bay Area Open Space Council to the benefit of all nine Bay Area counties.

In Petaluma, projects have included riverfront planning, protecting the Schollenberger Park trail system and nearby marshes and wetlands. In other parts of Sonoma County, the conservancy has also helped protect additional areas which are popular with Petalumans, including Tolay Creek Ranch, Sonoma Mountain Ranch and the Estero Americano Preserve.

Fishman is a local boy, through and through. He was raised on his family’s Penngrove chicken ranch, where his father was one of the last of the local poultry producers. He earned a degree in Conservation and Natural Resources from University of California, Berkeley, and in 1978, began working as an intern at the fledgling Coastal Conservancy.

He later served as  a project analyst for the organization and as its legislative director. For the past five years, Fishman was both the deputy director of the conservancy and the program supervisor for the California Ocean Protection Council, which works to integrate science and ocean policy and has been responsible for the creation of high-resolution seafloor maps critical for the designation of marine reserves.

“Neal has been a major player in California land conservation for decades,” said Ralph Benson, the executive director of the Sonoma Land Trust. “With his deep roots in Petaluma, we are honored that he has joined the Board of Directors of Sonoma Land Trust. In these challenging times we look forward to working with Neal to protect more of the beautiful natural and agricultural landscapes of Sonoma County.”

Fishman said he appreciates the thoughtful planning that has taken place in Petaluma over the past 40 years, citing the reorientation of the city towards the river and the growth in both residential and commercial uses in the downtown core. He also sees additional potential for providing recreational opportunities that respect natural resources in the area.

A love of the Sonoma County countryside where he grew up was what originally inspired Fishman to work in the conservation field. Today, the view of Sonoma Mountain, which he has from his home, continue to motivate him.

“I’d like to see a trail system to connect Petaluma to the newly protected open space at the top of Sonoma Mountain,” he said. “After 30 years in government, I must know something. Where I can be helpful, I will be. It was a really fun career, and I don’t think it’s exactly over.”