Napa’s lovers of wildlands were ecstatic this January to learn that the 2300-acre Walt Ranch on Atlas Peak is on track to be purchased by Land Trust of Napa County. The deal is not quite sealed, a lot more money needs to be raised (Napa Sierra Club and the Redwood Chapter are contributing $4000). To make your own contribution go to https://napalandtrust.org/help-us-protect-walt-ranch/). The Land Trust will conserve the land in perpetuity, operating it in partnership with Napa Parks and Open Space District, raising hopes for public trails in this glorious spot high above the valley floor.
Walt Ranch is the epicenter of the biggest local environmental fight of recent memory: the plan by a Hall family company (vintners Craig and Kathryn Hall) to destroy 400 acres of Atlas Peak wild habitat in order to develop vineyards. For nearly a decade, starting in 2014, Sierra Club led the vigorous opposition to this project, which outraged a large segment of the Napa community, invigorating such organizations as Napa Vision 2050 and Defenders of East Napa Watersheds (DENW). The fight created a network of trusted allies which still exists.
The proposed plan would have clearcut over 28,000 trees in an environmental hotspot which harbors many threatened species, serves as an important wildlife corridor, and hosts the headwaters of Millikan Creek, which supplies water to the City of Napa. The anticipated annual pumping of 69 million gallons of water for vineyard irrigation could have threatened the water supply of the community of Circle Oaks. Since Walt Ranch actually comprises 32 separate parcels, there was the possibility to develop small “gentlemen’s vineyards” spread over the parcels to be sold off individually, for wealthy parties to build ridge-side McMansions, fulfilling their fantasies of wine-country chic. The Halls had already implemented a similar plan in Sonoma County.
Community members organized en masse, filing comments, raising money, hiring experts, demonstrating, and spreading the word. Sierra Club partnered with the nationally renowned Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) to challenge the project’s Environmental Impact Report (EIR), with the hiring of experts, raising money, and submitting comments to local officials. When the disputed EIR was accepted, Sierra Club reluctantly filed a lawsuit in partnership with CBD. We were not alone: local environmental non-profit ICARE, and the Circle Oaks Water District and Circle Oaks Homes Association also filed separate lawsuits.
Thankfully, Sierra Club’s lawsuit prevailed on a major issue: the lack of adequate accounting and mitigation for the greenhouse gas emissions which would result from the wholesale destruction of so much woodland. A revised EIR was approved with some strengthened mitigations, and the project plans moved ahead, though by now cut back by about 50%: only approximately 14,000 trees over 200 acres would be destroyed. We got half a loaf, not the whole.
As a side note, Walt Ranch also spawned the controversy over Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza’s failure to disclose the purchase of land bordering Walt Ranch, land which could be expected to go up in value if the Walt Ranch Project succeeded. Pedroza did not recuse himself from Walt Ranch votes until this transaction was publicized.
We believe our environmental activism helped to depress the potential profit of Walt Ranch by decreasing the project acreage, adding costly greenhouse gas mitigations, and imposing delays and legal fees.
What else was achieved by our campaign to save Walt Ranch?
At the very least, potential developers of Napa’s hillside watersheds were put on notice that environmentally unsound projects would face vigorous, expensive and prolonged opposition, resulting in delayed and diminished profits, and bad press. Developers were also reminded of the need to consult with the community early in their process to address concerns.
We educated people that Napa Valley groundwater supplies depend on accumulation of runoff (via creeks and underground) from our hillsides. Our oak woodlands gather, store, and gradually release water to the valley, which our residents and farms rely on.
Finally, our understanding was broadened that fighting climate change is not only a matter of defending the Amazon or coral reefs, but taking care of our own back yards.