Napa County: Wine groups endorse ‘best practices’ list for new projects

(NVR) - After being at odds over Napa County’s proposed Climate Action Plan last fall, county planning staff and wine industry groups have reached accord in developing a list of “best practices” to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Staff, industry groups, land-use planners, civil engineers and attorneys have been working on the list since April, and it’s intended to be included in the packet of materials applicants receive when they seek development approval from the county.

The applicants would use the voluntary list to check off aspects of their projects that reduce emissions, such as having solar energy on site, reducing waste, conserving water and energy, or restoring habitat.

The list could ultimately be included in the Climate Action Plan, which is under revision after the Board of Supervisors declined to adopt it in December. Wine industry groups protested the plan’s tactics for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the unincorporated area, which would have targeted new winery projects.

The plan would have required new projects to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 38 percent below “business as usual,” or the emissions that would result if the developers didn’t change their plans.

The supervisors voiced a preference for revising the plan to focus more on transportation-related emissions and other sources, thus reducing the requirement on new development.

County staff wanted to get the best practices list in place before moving on to the Climate Action Plan, and intends to continue working with industry representatives to produce a revised draft of the plan this fall. That plan will eventually return to the commission and the Board of Supervisors