What's going on in the Napa Sierra Club?

Within the Conservation Committee meeting (which you can attend—see RSVP below), we have selected two extremely important issues to work on: 1) water (specifically both water security and water quality for Napa County, in light of increasing climate extremes); and 2) winery and vineyard emissions (from Ag burning and the fermentation process). We have formed two sub-committees which are meeting separately and deciding on various actions in which to pursue. Thanks to the several new members who are joining us in this effort.

Photo credit: Roland Dumas

On behalf of the Napa Group, I had the privilege to present a check for $2000 to Yountville Mayor John Dunbar and Town Manager Steve Rogers on March 4. The funds will be used for bilingual outreach materials for the town’s ban on gasoline-powered leaf blowers that will go into effect on July 1, 2021.

Also, the Napa Group signed on as a community group supporter for Napa Firewise and sent letters to Asm. Aguiar-Curry and Senator Dodd urging the appropriation of early action funding for Wildfire and Forest Resilience as soon as possible, so that fuel load reduction work can be done before the 2021 fire season begins.

Lastly, the Napa Group (including the Napa Group student interns, Emily Bit and Alisa Karesh) commented at the March 2 American Canyon City Council meeting hearing on adopting a moratorium on gas station permits in order to ban additional gas stations. Although they did approve one more station, the moratorium passed and there appears to be support on the Council to ban any additional gas stations. To help combat climate change, we must continue to reduce the Fossil Fuel infrastructure and plan ahead for the further electrifying of the Transportation sector.

If you would like to learn more about what we are doing and would like to attend a Napa Sierra Club meeting, please DO. Our next Conservation Committee meeting will be May 18, 2021 at 6:30PM. Just click on the RSVP button below. Thank you.

- Nick Cheranich, ExCom Chair
 

The Napa County Ground Water Sustainability Plan has hit the halfway point in the arduous 1 ½ year long journey of creating a water usage approach that will hopefully sustain the water available for the Valley’s general subbasin needs over the coming 20-25 years. The next half of the planning process will focus on determining how much water our aquifers currently have stored (on average) and how much is being extracted through pumping. This should require more wells being monitored and all new well permits, as well as surface water diversions, being closely scrutinized.



Should water availability begin to show signs of stress, the plan will require decisions to be made establishing landmark steps that will need to be put in place that would begin limiting water usage in various aspects of our Valley’s community. These aspects would include agricultural, winery, industrial, cities and the general public. Since the City of Napa receives over half it’s water needs from the Central Valley Project, keeping an eye on the annual Sierra snowpack would be of critical importance to the Ground Water Sustainability Plan as well.

Register here to walk, run, hike, bike or dog walk for 47 miles during the month of May (for a $47 registration fee) for Team Napa Sierra Club.Then report your miles on your account dashboard starting May 1.

May is also Bike Month sponsored by the Napa County Bicycle Coalition. They are offering a Pledge to Ride weekly raffle contest running through April and May, so win some goodies while you’re putting in your miles!

Come join us in getting out and getting healthy!