TEMPLATE FOR FORMATTING A COMMENT LETTER TO NAPA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
SUBMIT BY MONDAY JANUARY 28th, 2019
To: Supervisor Ryan Gregory
Chair Napa County Board of Supervisor
1195 Third St.
Napa CA 94559
ryan.gregory@countyofnapa.org
Subject: Increased Forest Canopy, Stream Setbacks and Watershed Protections
Dear Supervisory Gregory,
Thank you for beginning the discussion of forest canopy, stream setbacks and watershed protections at the January 29th, 2019 meeting of the Napa County Board of Supervisors. Please accept my comments for inclusion in the public record and make my comments available to all supervisors and planning staff.
I am resident of ________________________city/county/ area/community.
I have lived here for _____________years.
I have been/I am a/ I have been involved in ____________work, service, recreational activities in the Angwin Area. (I am a Teacher, hiker, farmer, youth leader, winemaker, mother, scientist, wildflower photographer, bird watcher, mountain biker, etc.) and have firsthand knowledge of impacts to our forest and watershed from vineyard development.
Over the past years the impacts of deforestation for vineyard development I have experienced include___________/ Loss of wildlife habitat, destruction of forest canopy, increased pesticide spraying, over pumping of ground water, night harvest and 24 hour per day noise, worker and truck traffic on rural roadways, increased heat due to forest canopy removal, erosion into creeks and streams and our local reservoir at Howell Mountain’s Friesen Lakes, loss of connectivity to permanently conserved lands, changes in flood patterns causing impacts to my home or property, loss of precipitation from fog due to tree canopy loss, illegal vineyard development, loss of privacy and enjoyment of my home, wildlife now forced into conflict with residences, damage to roads from vineyard development, loss of scenic ridgelines, illegal and permitted fences impacting wildlife movement, nitrification of water supply, increased illegal cannabis grows associated with vineyard development in rural locations, violations of conditions of approval and mitigations that are not enforced, social pressure from industry to not speak about my concerns, loss of recreational access, street flooding following forest removal, burning of tress following vineyard clearing affecting air quality, impacts to climate change ignored by environmental studies, lack of response to complaints, no analysis of cumulative impacts to housing needs in Angwin, ignoring science on project impacts, channelization of small feeder streams and creeks for vineyard development, pesticide in air during summer months affecting health and quality of life, landslides following vineyard development and edge effect on remaining trees, no ongoing monitoring of vineyards and erosion control infrastructure, failure to address piece mealing of projects such as multiple timber harvests and wineries on same parcel, impacts to surface water quality from pesticide storage, out house washout and equipment storage near streams, impacts to fisheries and aquatic species, diminution of natural experience while visiting permanently conserved lands from vineyard noise and equipment, sedimentation in municipal drinking water supply, increased vehicle miles traveled by workers to remote vineyards, heightened wildland fire risk from equipment and workers, displacement of local renters due to conversion of existing housing stock to weekend or winery guest homes. ( your comments here).
As you consider new land use policy regarding forest protections I/we/my family urge you to adopt bold conservation regulations and immediately end all future deforestation for wine grapes. Our forest is a diminished, dying resource that demands immediate protections. Please do not allow loopholes for small vineyards or small parcels as these are indeed the exact projects that are destroying the remaining forest canopy.
In order to insure a strong, secure agricultural economy, permanent conservation of our headwater forests and development of a watershed-forest conservation plan should be the Board of Supervisors highest priority.
Thank you for your consideration of my comments.
Sincerely,
_______________
Date
E-mail addresses:
ryan.gregory@countyofnapa.org
brad.wagenknecht@countyofnapa.org
brian.bordona@countyofnapa.org
david.morrison@countyofnapa.org
Alfredo.Pedroza@countyofnapa.org
belia.ramos@countyofnapa.org
brad.wagenknecht@countyofnapa.org