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The Land Trust Of Napa County
The Land Trust of Napa County is a local non-profit organization formed in 1976 charged with maintaining the rural character of Napa County by protecting the area's most important open space and agricultural lands for present and future generations. The Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization supported by more than 1,600 members. Since our founding, we have worked cooperatively with private landowners and public conservation agencies to permanently protected over 33,000 acres in Napa County. Over 20,000 acres of these lands are covered by conservation easements with private landowners. Napa's extraordinary beauty and its proximity to the Bay Area mean that housing pressures for our County will likely continue to increase. The vintners and growers on the following list have made a loud response to this threat. Through the use of conservation easements on their properties, they have permanently assured that their lands will forever remain in open space and agriculture. www.napalandtrust.org
Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group
The Napa Valley Vintners supports the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group - a group dedicated to promoting sustainable farming practices including natural farming, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), pesticide reduction or elimination and, restoration of natural habitats on vineyard properties. The mission of the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group (NSWG) is to identify and promote winegrowing practices that are economically viable, socially responsible and environmentally sound. Specifically, the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group promotes viticultural land stewardship through educational outreach. Formed in October 1995 the group is comprised of members representing Napa winegrape growers, vintners, and local government and educational organizations. Additionally, the group is interested in identifying and acknowledging sustainable practices that are already being used effectively throughout the district. Visit the Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group Web site at www.nswg.org.
The Napa Sustainable Winegrowing Group recently released"Vineyards in the Watershed: Sustainable Winegrowing in Napa County." The book, written by local author Juliane Poirier Locke was funded by the Napa Valley Vintners and other community and environmental groups such as the Audubon Society Napa-Solano Chapter; Friends of the Napa River; Sierra Club; and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, among others.
The concept for the book began as a technical treatise targeting vineyard managers. It evolved into a collection of feature stories that richly describe how local vintners and grape growers are developing and implementing environmentally friendly, sustainable farming practices. Vineyards in the Watershed is comprised of a series of case studies and personal interviews with local farmers. Topics addressed include soil erosion, wildlife and habitat protection, organic farming, water use and quality, and more. Cost for the book is $15.95 plus tax. For a list of retail locations or to purchase Vineyards in the Watershed, contact the Napa County Resource Conservation District at 707-252-4188 or via e-mail at: nswg@naparcd.org.
Watershed Task Force
In 2000, a group comprised of representatives from the County Planning Commission, environmental community, vintners, growers, developers, engineers and county residents was appointed by the Napa County Board of Supervisors to identify possible ways to improve the Napa River Watershed.
After working together the task force submitted an official set of recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. Among the recommendations were changes to the existing conservation regulations, including ways to improve conditions for the habitat and for restoring the health of the Napa River.
The Napa Valley Vintners, Napa County Farm Bureau, Napa County Grape Growers and the Napa County Sierra Club came together to support and endorse the recommendations of the Watershed Task Force which includes Biological Analysis and Resource Protection, Oak Tree Preservation, Erosion Control Plan Requirements and, Watershed Protection Incentives to name a few.
San Francisco Bay Estuary Institute
The Napa Valley Vintners supports The Napa Watershed Historical Ecology Project of the San Francisco Bay Estuary Institute. The project is a collaborative effort to learn the history of the local landscape. The project seeks to recover, organize, and interpret diverse information about the early local landscape and how it has changed. Since conditions have changed rapidly in the last two centuries, historical research is necessary to explain current conditions of local streams, forests, wetlands, and other habitats. The project can help the community define and understand the existing environmental challenges and suggest how they can be successfully resolved. The San Francisco Bay Estuary Institute is an independent, non-profit science organization. Visit the Web site at www.sfei.org.
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