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Dear Nicholas,
Happy Spring!
News from the Chair
by Nick Cheranich
 In last month’s newsletter we wrote about our commitment to having more outreach events within the community. We are continuing with that effort.
Last month, we worked with the American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation (ACCPF) on their Outdoor Connection project which took place during the King Tide event near Wetlands Edge Park. Our student interns joined us, and did a great job in demonstrating to locals and tourists how sea level rise affects the wetlands, and why it's so important to protect those wetlands. (Pictured above: student interns Maia M., Paulina Z., Kate B., and Liliana K.)
 We also partnered with Napa Bookmine on last month's Author Event with Rosanna Xia who discussed her book, California Against the Sea. Our new Executive Committee member, Elayna Trucker (pictured, Left), led the highly successful event.
In April, we will be partnering again with ACCPF for their Watershed Explorers project, in which fourth graders from American Canyon take a field trip to the Wetlands Edge Park and learn about the wetlands through hands-on learning activities. We will once again have a station (along with groups such as Napa County Resource Conservation District and Suscol Intertribal Council), helping to instruct the students about the importance of the wetlands.
 This year’s Earth Day celebration in Napa is on April 20th at the Oxbow Commons. Although we will not have a booth at the event, we did donate $500 to it. Please join us for the Earth Day event in American Canyon on April 21st. We will be in attendance there in collaboration with ACCPF. (Photo: Last year's booth hosted by our student interns Paulina Z., Kate B., and Allison Bencsik.)
And don't forget the Vine Trail Loco-Motion fundraiser. We have created a Napa Sierra Club team, which we hope you'll join in order to raise money for the Trail's completion. Come ride the Vine Trail with us!
Finally, be on the lookout for an invitation to our “Meet & Greet” Outreach event planned for May 16th at Bay Grape Wines in Napa. Essentially, we want to learn from our members what local environmental issues they would like us to focus on in the coming year.
Please read about our past and future events in more detail, below. If you’d like to help out with anything, let us know.
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 A huge congratulations to Amber Manfree (pictured, right) for winning her election to the Fourth District Board of Supervisors seat. She had asked for our support, and after we read the answers to the questionnaire that we sent to all candidates, we chose to endorse Dr. Manfree.
We were very pleased that she came to our last Conservation Committee meeting, where she stated that she was very open in having a continuous dialogue with us regarding the county’s many environmental issues.
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 There are a few issues in and around Napa County that we are working on. The first is Measure K in American Canyon, which was adopted by the City Council and not put on the ballot for a vote in November's election. We concluded that the Measure was an attempt to deregulate the various city, county, and state ordinances that are already in place, including the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in order to allow industry unfettered growth in the area. (Photo: a rendering of how warehouses are to look at the proposed Giovannoni Logistics Center in American Canyon. Thanks to the Napa Register and RMW Architecture & Interior.)
Please read below, about why it’s so important to keep CEQA in place, as well as the comment I sent to the AmCan City Council regarding the Measure.
 Also, in Solano County the California Forever issue is in full swing. It was recently revealed that a group of billionaires was buying up farmlands, with the intention of creating a brand-new metropolis near Travis Air Force Base. They have put an initiative on the ballot for the November election.
This effort is not supported by any of the Groups in the Redwood Chapter, including the Napa Group. More info is here. (Photo: Joe Feller from the Solano Sierra Club and David Campbell from the Napa Sierra Club both at a California Forever protest in Solano County.)
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 Lastly, from the last newsletter, if you were interested in the first part of my Milford Track adventure, a five-day trek in the mountainous valleys of the South Island in New Zealand, you can read Part Two of the journey, below. (Pictured: Stirling Falls from the Milford Sound.)
A few other things of interest are below as well.
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Our next Conservation Committee meeting will be May 21, 2024 at 6:00PM. If you would like to attend, just click on the RSVP button below and I'll send you a Zoom invite a few days before the meeting. Thank you.
- Nick Cheranich, ExCom Chair
napavalleysierraclub@gmail.com
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CEQA: What Is It and Why Should We Keep It Around?
Article by Elayna Trucker, Photo by Nick Cheranich
 A little over 50 years ago, riding the high of the brand-new Environmental Protection Act, then-Governor Reagan signed into law the California Environmental Quality Act - CEQA (pronounced “see-kuah”) - which has played a major role in how developments proceed in the state. Not every project is subject to CEQA review, but those that are must go through a checklist to determine the environmental impact of the proposal. (Pictured: the wetlands in American Canyon.)
Let’s start at the beginning: what happens when a development is proposed, and how does CEQA play a role? First, the local governing body (for instance, the planning commission), must determine whether the project might “cause a direct physical change in the environment or…cause a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.” If the answer is yes, this is a CEQA project. “Environmental impact” can mean many things. It can, for example, mean that a tree slated to be cut down is home to a protected species, and therefore ineligible for removal. It can also mean that the project will cause increased traffic to and from the neighborhood in which it is located and that the subsequent rise in greenhouse gas emissions could potentially affect the people who live and work there.
 Next a preliminary analysis is prepared by the agency to determine whether an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is necessary. When the project may have a substantial effect on the environment, an EIR must be created. However, an agency may make a negative declaration (ND), when no substantial effect is predicted. They can also produce a mitigated negative declaration, which allows the developers to move forward with the project yet obligates them to do so only with alterations to ensure that the environmental impact is lessened. Article continues here.
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Congressman Thompson Presents Big Check To American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation
Article by Scott Thomason, photos by Nick Cheranich
 Congressman Mike Thompson is pictured presenting an $800,000 check to Janelle Sellick and the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation (ACCPF) on March 26th. City Council members were in attendance as were members of the ACCPF’s Board of Directors.
The funds, which were approved by Congress under the leadership of Mr. Thompson, are to be used in developing the Napa River Ecology Center.
 The Napa River Ecology Center will be located at the City of American Canyon’s maintenance facility at Wetlands Drive/American Canyon Road and will be a year-round facility to develop and present environmental programs for people of all ages. (Pictured: a rendering of the future Eco-Center.)
At the event, Mr. Thompson praised the Sierra Club’s ongoing support for the project.
 The Sierra Club Redwood Chapter has been supporting this collaboration with ACCPF for almost three years with thousands of dollars in donations from Rohloff funds. The funds must be used to present the topic of Sea Level Rise through ACCPF’s ongoing environmental education programs to students in American Canyon. (Photo: the view of the Wetlands from the future Eco-Center.)
Sierra Club Napa Group ExCom members Nick Cheranich, Scott Thomason, and student interns Kate Bit, Paulina Zambrano, Maia Medalle and Liliana Karesh (along with Ex-ExCom member Chris Benz) have staffed booths at several of ACCPF’s ongoing environmental outreach projects to students and residents.
“Our partnership with ACCPF is exciting and a perfect fit for the goals of both groups,” states Ms. Benz, who was instrumental in getting Redwood Chapter to approve funding for the partnership activities of the Napa Group and ACCPF.
“We would like to continue that relationship, especially when the Ecology Center is open,” continued Ms. Benz.
“Hopefully, the Sierra Club can have a standing exhibit in the new Ecology Center which will draw thousands of visitors annually when it is fully operational and open year-round,” she added.
It is hoped that Congressman Thompson will be able to secure more federal funding for the project, and that a ground-breaking event can take place within a year to 18 months.
For more information about the Ecology Center, click here.
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Let's Keep Building the Napa Valley Vine Trail Together: Join the May Loco-Motion Challenge!
Article by Nick Cheranich
 It's That Time Again! We are partners with the Vine Trail and appreciate the need to fund-raise for this worthy cause of completing a 47-mile dedicated pedestrian and bike pathway from the Vallejo Ferry to Calistoga. I ride the Vine Trail almost daily and love the fact that I can do it safely.
We hope you'll join our "Sierra Club and Friends" Team and help raise money for the VT. Just use this link to sign up, and let the fun begin. Ask your friends to donate. Thank you! And Happy Trails!
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Earth Day Celebration, Sunday, April 21st, in American Canyon
Article by Scott Thomason
The Sierra Club Napa Group will be joining the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation (ACCPF) with their “Outdoor Connections” project to celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 21st at the Wetlands Parking Lot in American Canyon. Members and supporters are welcome to join us. (Photo: Last year's booth hosted by our student interns Paulina Z., Kate B., and Allison Bencsik.)
The event will run from 10 a.m.-1p.m., and will feature live entertainment, docent-led observation walks, a community bike ride, an environmental art exhibit, and hands-on nature exploration for all ages. This will also be a great opportunity to meet your Sierra Club Napa Group’s student interns, who will be there representing Napa, Vintage and American Canyon High Schools
For more information go to: acparks.org and click on the Earth Day flyer link.
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Napa Group Helps Educate Public at King Tide Event
Article by Scott Thomason, photos by Nick Cheranich
The Sierra Club’s Napa Group recently partnered with the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation (ACCPF) in celebrating the King Tide at the Wetlands on February 10th.
Led by its four student interns, the Napa Group focused on the issue of sea level rise, and its current and future importance in maintaining and preserving wetlands in battling what scientists indicate will be one of the major threats to our environment this century. (Pictured next to ACCPF’s “Outdoor Connections” environmental trailer are, from left to right student interns Maia Medalle, a sophomore at American Canyon High School, Paulina Zambrano, a senior at Napa High School, Katherine Bit, a sophomore at American Canyon High School, and Liliana Karesh, a junior at Vintage High School.
“We had a great turnout, and our students were able to share the causes of sea level rise and what we, as Napa County residents, can do to protect the Napa wetlands, which are a huge part of combating it,” said Scott Thomason, Napa Group ExCom member.
 The students took time to meet with people who were at the King Tide celebration, and provided a hands-on opportunity for young children to better understand the Wetlands. They also took part in a nature hike to view the King Tide up close and in person at Glass Beach. (Photo: Interns and Scott with the hands-on activity they used to teach children and their parents about the importance in preserving Wetlands.
Nick Cheranich, who is the Napa Group ExCom Chair, as well as its newsletter editor, said, "I am so proud of our interns. They jumped right in to both learn about and then teach the public about sea level rise. They managed pretty much everything on their own."
The students will be working on multiple environment-related projects throughout the school year and will be part of the Napa Group’s Earth Day event in American Canyon on April 21st.
Through Rohloff funding, the Napa Group has partnered with ACCPF since 2021. Last year, we began working with American Canyon elementary students during field trips as part of the Sierra Club’s efforts to raise awareness and understanding of sea level rise. The Napa Group’s goal is to continue these efforts in 2024 and beyond in a continued partnership with ACCPF.
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Important Event from Napa Schools for Climate Action
We hope you'll join us along with students from Napa Schools for Climate Action (a few of whom are our student interns), as well as members of Napa Climate Now for this important event. Thank you.
When: Tuesday, April 23rd, 6pm-7:30pm
Where: Napa County Library
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The Problem with Measure K
Comment by Nick Cheranich
[This is a public comment I sent to the AmCan City Council before they voted to adopt the measure, keeping it from being put on the ballot for a vote.]
To the Distinguished Members of the American Canyon City Council,
I am against Measure K, and I humbly ask the citizens of American Canyon as well as members of the City Council to be against it too.
After reading the so-called Net-Zero Energy Facilities Initiative, or Measure K, it is clear to me that it is an attempt to deregulate the various city, county, and state ordinances that are already in place, including the State Environmental Impact Assessment, to potentially allow industry unfettered growth in the area. It also leaves out the American Canyon voter from the decision-making process.
The initiative is a way for developers to obtain permits to build whatever building they deem feasible wherever they want, provided it meets the criteria of several codes put forth by the initiative. One such code is to establish a new city development entitlement, known as the Sustainable, Energy-Efficient Warehouse Design Permit, which would circumvent the need for a State Environmental Impact Assessment.
Further, Measure K goes against the City Council’s own Declaration of a Climate Emergency, which sets a goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
 Also, any further encroachment of new warehouses or other growth near the wetlands would go against California’s “30 by 30” Initiative , which seeks to set aside and preserve 30% of land and coastal areas by the year 2030. This is to protect ecosystems against habitat loss and destruction in order to enhance the biodiversity of the wetlands and other areas throughout the county and state – as well as the planet.
Additionally, the fact that the developers who are building the controversial Giovannini warehouse are behind this measure, is to me, further evidence that this is an attempt to literally “streamline the warehouse building process” (the exact wording of the ordinance) in American Canyon without the interference of politics, i.e., the citizens of American Canyon.
 Lastly, most of the proposed actions in the initiative use words such as “where feasible.” For example, [The initiative would] “Preserve biologically sensitive on-site areas as open space where feasible.” Do we really want Industry in charge of preserving areas that they deem feasible?
Again, this initiative appears to deregulate many important local, county, and state ordinances and laws already in place in order to increase the ease with which industry can expand in the area without voter input.
As such, for the arguments listed above, I think we all should consider the potential harm induced by Measure K. Thank you.
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My Tramping Adventure on the Milford Track in New Zealand, Part Two
Article and photos by Nick Cheranich
 [Didn't get a chance to read Part One? You can read it here.]
Also that evening, one of the guides discussed some of the interesting history of the Milford Track, before and after Europeans came. She said that the next day’s hike, by all accounts the hardest day of all, was forecast to be primarily in the rain, and that we were all to leave between 7 and 7:15am. The trail condition was supposed to be fairly rocky and would potentially be slippery. Just three days earlier, they had reopened an area of that part of track, which had been washed out by an avalanche.
 Also, for our safety, if there was too much rain and the river started flooding the track, we would be helicoptered to the next lodge if necessary.
That kind of sobered us up.
As mentioned previously, all four of our guides were energetic twenty-somethings. They were mostly college-age kids who basically put education on hold so as to enjoy the great outdoors, and to get paid in the process. They also had to serve our dinners, and put up with some ornery customers, and make sure that all of us made it to the next lodge in one piece. They all tried to make themselves available to everyone (all 49 of us) at one or more points along the trek. They would chat a little with us, get a message on their walkie-talkie, and then run ahead to either help people, or take over the lead, or fall back to be at the end. They had a lot of responsibility, and we appreciated them greatly.
 I asked the guides about the carbon footprint that was involved with the operation, how they dealt with sewerage, the logistics of getting all that food in, and how they did the laundry daily.
Apparently, once a week, helicopters bring in a week's worth of food and laundry to each of the lodges. And then as they fly back, they take out all the raw sewerage, garbage, and laundry. The wastewater from showers, sinks, etc. goes back into the river, but first passes through a filtration system. The electricity that was produced came from fossil fuel generators at each site. They would turn on the generators at about 6am, and turn them off by 10pm. Solar energy probably is futile because of so much daily cloud cover. They didn’t know the answer to my carbon footprint question, but I gathered it wasn’t insignificant. Article continues here.
If you would like to see a short video I made of the trek, you can click here.
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Wondering What Your Legacy Might Be? Consider Joining the Napa Sierra Club Excom
 A sense of legacy might be defined as the impulse to care for those who come after us.
As you know, the Napa Sierra Club Group has a mission to conserve natural ecosystems and work for sustainability in land and water usage, and to reduce the carbon release into the air. We take on projects that we think are significant to Napa that may be helped by local action.
We are trying to take care of our environment for those who come after us.
We are still looking for people to join our Executive Committee team who have knowledge and experience relevant to our mission and skills in research, presenting, organizing, and/or educating our neighbors. People who are willing to learn.
Is that you? Or do you know someone? We have openings on our team. Looking for motivated volunteers. Prepare for your legacy now.
Join us at our next meeting to ask questions and/or see how we roll. Email us, in care of Nick Cheranich, at napavalleysierraclub@gmail.com. Thank you!
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Berkeley Earth's Global Temperature Report, 2023
Article courtesy of Berkeley Earth
 Berkeley Earth, a California-based non-profit research organization, has been preparing independent analyses of global mean temperature changes since 2013. The following is our report on global mean temperature during 2023.
We conclude that 2023 was the warmest year on Earth since 1850, exceeding the previous record set in 2016 by a clear and definitive margin.
The global annual average for 2023 in our dataset was estimated as 1.54 ± 0.06 °C (2.77 ± 0.11 °F) above the average during the period 1850 to 1900, which is traditionally used a reference for the preindustrial period. This is the first time that any year has exceeded the key 1.5 °C (2.7 °F) threshold. The significance of this is discussed below. Also, please note that given the uncertainties and differences in methodologies, other groups are expected to report 2023 as slightly less than 1.5 °C above preindustrial. The differences between Berkeley Earth’s analysis and that of other groups is discussed at the end of this report.
The last nine years have included all nine of the warmest years observed in the instrumental record. Read the entire report here.
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