Napa Sierra Club Newsletter July 2021

July 25, 2021

Dear Supporter,

Welcome to the Napa Sierra Club's July/August, 2021 Newsletter.

News from the Chair:

Greetings. I wanted to thank all of you who took the time to help us take action by signing our Action Petition to the County Board of Supervisors and David Graves, the Chair of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan Advisory Committee.

The committee is in charge of creating a plan, which must be okayed by the State, “to protect and enhance the groundwater quantity and quality for all the people who live and work in Napa County, regardless of the source of their water supply” (from the Napa Valley Subbasin Sustainability Goal; approved December 13, 2016).

Lake Hennessy. Photo credit: Raphael Kluzniok

We have several concerns about the committee, including its lack of diversity, and its large proportion of members from the Ag industry. We also have a number of recommendations to make the plan stronger in its management of groundwater sustainability in this time of climate crisis. (Please read Roland Dumas' article on Sustainability, below.)

Also, please read Chris Benz’s article, below, about a recent meeting we had with the committee’s leadership.

We would like you to continue to pressure our County Supervisors, who are the Board of Directors of the Groundwater Sustainability Agency, to pay attention to our recommendations. Please take action here:

Click Here to Take Action.
Please Sign the Action Petition Today.

I hope you can spend more time reading the other articles in the newsletter, including a poem about the climate crises and an invitation to have your child or grandchild take part in an exciting summer environmental program. Both of these pieces are from our youth activists.

Lastly, the Napa Group was able to award $10,000 in 2021 Rohloff Funds (money that was donated to various Sierra Club groups around the Bay) to the American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation to use for planning and development of the Wetlands Ecological Center. This will be located at the former American Canyon Corporation Yard. The location is surrounded by wetlands and will serve as a regional hub for environmental education, including hands-on learning.

Want to get involved? 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 September 21, 2021 at 6:30PM. Just click on the RSVP button below and I'll send you a Zoom invite soon. Thank you.

– Nick Cheranich, Executive Committee Chair

RSVP for Our Next Conservation Committee Meeting

Meeting the Goals of Our County's Groundwater Plan

by Chris Benz

The Napa County is in the process of preparing a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the Napa Valley Subbasin, as required by the State for all high- and medium- priority groundwater basins. The Napa Sierra Club recently submitted a list of high priority recommendations designed to strengthen the GSP and increase planning and protection for our water resources.

We had hoped to discuss these recommendations at a meeting of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan Advisory Committee (GSPAC), but were informed at a meeting with the County staff that the compressed schedule for preparing the Plan would not allow time for our discussion with the committee of our recommendations. GSPAC Chair David Graves agreed that the Sierra Club had raised some very important issues, some of which go beyond the scope of the GSP.

He said “I look for this GSP to be a piece of a comprehensive look at many of the issues that have been raised by the Sierra Club and other members of the community.” (Continued...)

Protect Your Mother (Earth), A Poem

Poem and Photo by Kennedy Ervin, Junior at New Tech High School

The following poem was written by Kennedy Ervin, a New Tech High School student. It was one of the winning pieces from a highly successful creative climate action contest entitled, “Our Future Is in Your Hands.” Emily Bit and Alisa Karesh, co-presidents of the Napa Schools for Climate Action (and Napa Sierra Club student volunteers), planned and carried out the event.

It attracted more than 75 countywide student entries of artwork and written pieces (including one video game), using the theme, “How do you feel about climate change?” (Continued...)

What's the Deal with Biochar?

by Samantha Smith; Photos courtesy of Sonoma Biochar Initiative

The Biochar revolution is upon us. Everywhere we look it seems like it is being touted as the next great thing to improve our soil health and save our planet. But what is Biochar and how is it created?

According to the Sonoma Biochar Initiative (SBI), Biochar is a specialized form of charcoal that is produced from woody wastes using high heat (typically 300 C to 700 C) in low-oxygen environments. Imagine charcoal briquets and you get the idea.

But instead of powering your home barbecue, Biochar is a much more valuable resource and has been found to have a number of important benefits all along its lifecycle. (Continued...)

Free Summer Kids Workshops!

by Emily Bit and Alisa Karesh, Student Interns

Hi everyone! This summer the Napa Sierra Club will be hosting FREE virtual workshops for all Napa County students hosted by our Student Interns, Emily and Alisa. Each workshop you sign up for comes with a free activity kit that will be sent home. These 1-hour long sessions will foster growth and exploration, build important social skills, and encourage kids to get outside. Please contact Emily Bit for more info. Or click on the poster to sign up today.

Sustainability: A More Preventive Approach

by Roland Dumas, PhD; Photos by Berit Barton and Raymond Clarke Images

Are we allowing reckless driving as long as there are no crashes?

There are several issues with our use of the term “sustainability;” many of them are so easy and simple that we can do a lot of very unsustainable things while thinking we’re preventing bad outcomes. This is particularly worrisome when we consider water security in this time of severe drought.

The Sierra Club Napa Group has requested our Groundwater Sustainability Plan Advisory Committee to consider the following approach to setting sustainability indicators. We requested the opportunity to present, explain, and answer questions on this and other issues we consider critical. We have been denied the opportunity to present, explain, and answer questions on this and other issues we consider critical.

This short overview is offered in lieu of a fuller discussion. (Continued...)

Exploring Wild Napa: Green Island

by Chris Benz; Photos by Nick Cheranich

There actually is a Green Island at the end of Green Island Road, as we discovered during the Napa Climate NOW! Road to 350 Climate Ride on June 5. It’s an isolated island, formerly farmland surrounded by salt ponds, that is connected by a levee road to Green Island Road. It’s also part of the Green Island Unit of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area, managed by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

And it made a fascinating stop along the Napa River Bay Trail at Wetlands Edge Park in American Canyon. (Continued...)

Napa Climate NOW Drafts Reusable Foodware Ordinance Aimed at Takeout Waste

by Samantha Smith

Napa Climate NOW! has been working on reducing wasteful disposable foodware in Napa County. They have developed a draft Reusable Foodware and Waste Reduction Ordinance that aims to eliminate plastic disposable foodware, allow compostable foodware upon request only, and encourage reusable foodware where possible.

The Sierra Club has signed on as a supporter of the Ordinance and is currently assisting in data collection for the effort. The group presented to an enthusiastic County Climate Action Committee yesterday, and will present to the Napa City Council later in the month. If you're interested in learning more, please contact Bob Figoni here.