|
[ History
| Facts | Goals
& Accomplishments | Conceptual
Plan | Meetings | Monthly
Updates ]
Co-chairs Davie Piña and
John Williams, and RDRT consultant Ellie Insley, have been
working diligently to make the RDRT project a great success
for the entire community. Below is a summarized list of
key meetings and events.
- October 16, 2004: Ellie Insley and Andy Collison presented
the RDRT Napa River restoration project at the Society
for Ecological Restoration - California Conference. The
presentation was very well received, and unique among
the projects presented, primarily because this is a landowner-initiated
project of extensive size and scope with significant restoration
benefits.
- October 12, 2004: Matt Kondolf, a prominent
professor from UC Berkeley, toured parts of the river
with Mike Napolitano of the Regional Water Quality Control
Board, Todd Adams of the Flood Control District, Jonathan
Koehler fisheries biologist with the Resource Conservation
District, and Ellie Insley, to determine locations for
monitoring Chinook salmon spawning habitat on the river
this winter. The RDS has hired a consultant this month
to survey cross sections of the river where the salmon
spawn, and to gather other data that will tell us what
are the optimum conditions for spawning fish. This information
will help us prepare the river restoration design. Thanks
to Sutter Home, Frog's Leap, Honig, Round Pond, St. Supery,
Emmolo, Quintessa and Sawyer for giving us permission
to survey on your properties. We should begin to see the
salmon in the river in the next few weeks.
The Resource Conservation District is putting the finishing
touches on the contract with the Coastal Conservancy
for the $280,000 grant, and we are laying the groundwork
for the $270,000 grant from the County of Napa.
Katherine Philippakis, attorney with Farella Braun+Martel
LLP, is reviewing all documents that are being prepared
for these grants to make sure that they are in the best
interests of the landowners and members of the Rutherford
Dust Society. These documents include a Memorandum of
Understanding between the RDS, the Napa County RCD,
and the County of Napa to carry out the project design;
and a Landowner Access Agreement, requested by the Coastal
Conservancy, for activities relating to the project
design.
- The Coastal Conservancy grants
the full $279,000 requested to the design of the Rutherford
Dust Restoration Project design phase.
- The Rutherford Dust Society asked
for and received enthusiastic letters of support for our
funding applications from the following organizations,
politicians and individuals: Land Trust of Napa County,
Acorn Soupe, the Regional Water Quality Control Board,
Department of Fish and Game, Natural Resources Conservation
Service, Piña Vineyard Management, Frog’s
Leap Winery, Cakebread Winery, State Senator Wes Chesbro,
Congressman Mike Thompson, Supervisor Diane Dillon, State
Assemblywoman Patricia Wiggins. We have requested funding
from the Board of Supervisors ($270,000) and The Coastal
Conservancy ($279,000).
- John Williams, Davie Piña and Ellie
Insley met with County staff to draft a Memorandum of
Understanding between the County, the Napa County RCD,
and Rutherford Dust Society to proceed with the river
restoration design.
- Landowners from River Reaches 1, 2, 3,
4, 8 and 9 met with Andy Collison of Phil Williams &
Associates, Davie Piña and Ellie Insley. The meetings
took place along the river, where we staked out potential
design solutions for river restoration. Landowners were
asked to indicate whether they continued to support the
project in concept, and all agreed to move forward with
it. The landowners and managers attending included Sutter
Home Winery (Bob Torres), Frog’s Leap Winery (John
Williams and Frank Leeds), Quintessa Winery (Agustin Huneas),
Round Pond Vineyards (Bob MacDonnell), Carpy-Connolly
Vineyards (Davie Pina and Colette Connolly), Honig Winery
(Kristin Belair), Sequoia Grove Winery (Steve Allen),
Cakebread Winery (Bruce Cakebread), Opus One Winery (Gary
Caravantes), Nickel and Nickel Winery (Aaron Fishleder),
Spencer Vineyards (Norman Spencer).
- The Napa County Board of Supervisors signed
a letter that states that the County is willing to devote
$270,000 to the design of the Rutherford Dust Restoration
Team's Napa River restoration project. A quote from the
letter follows: “The County is excited about the
possibility of partnering with the Rutherford Dust Society
and views this project as the type of public/private partnership
that will successfully restore the Napa River and its
tributaries. The Rutherford Dust Society is proposing
a valuable improvement to the Napa River system and is
creating the model of how the Napa County Board of Supervisors
envisions working together with the community to restore
and care for our river and watershed environment while
protecting the citizens of Napa County from damaging flood
events."
- Ellie Insley met with engineers from the
County of Napa and their consultants to discuss the current
design for the Oakville Cross Road bridge, which is scheduled
to be rebuilt next summer. The Napa River restoration
project in the Rutherford Appellation could be affected
by the bridge design, if the project does not include
safeguards against the incision in the channel bed from
“migrating” upstream. If the channel deepens
through the Rutherford Reach, our project would need to
be redesigned, or, if already built, could be undermined
and fail over time. The County engineers agreed to reconsider
the design of the channel bed, and will include fish passage
features to ensure that steelhead trout and Chinook salmon
can easily negotiate any modifications to the riverbed.
- The Rutherford Dust Restoration Strategy Team met to
plan upcoming meetings with landowners, grant agreements
for funding the river restoration design, and legal questions.
It was recommended that RDS retain an attorney to represent
the organization and consult with landowners as the project
proceeds. Attending: Mike Sipiora (Quintessa), Bob Zlomke
(Napa County RCD), Bruce Cakebread (Cakebread Winery),
Todd Adams (Napa County Flood Control District), Chris
Pedemonte (Colinas Farming Company), John Williams (Frog’s
Leap Winery), Davie Piña (Piña Vineyard
Management), Phill Blake (NRCS), Ellie Insley (Ellie Insley
& Associates).
- Presentations to Coastal Conservancy and Board of Supervisors
frequenting funding.
- RDRT Stategic Planning Meeting.
- Ellie and Davie presented to the Napa Valley Grape
Growers association.
- Davie Piña presented to the Yountville Appellation
board.
- Grant Applications Completed for 50% Project Design.
Ellie Insley submitted grant applications to two funding
agencies:
1. the Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation
District (Measure A – Watershed Improvement and
Flood Control Project Funding), and,
2. the Coastal Conservancy.
The request totaled $600,000 for design of the Rutherford
- Napa River Restoration project. If approved, the monies
will be used to produce the 50% design plans for the entire
4.5 miles of the Rutherford – Napa River project,
and complete environmental review and permit process.
- Meeting of Friends of the Napa River and RDRT (Davie
Piña). Davie was invited to present the RDRT program
to the Friends of the Napa River. David Graves, of Saintsbury,
told the group of the RDRT campaign, and was responsible
for the invitation. David has attended at least two of
our presentations and has been very enthusiastic. The
FONR asked how they could help. RDRT requested a letter
of support to help fundraising and permitting projects.
- RDRT Strategic Planning Session. Held at Cakebread,
and attended by a number of landowners, land managers
and local agency staff (County Planning, Flood Control,
Resource Conservation District), the participants outlined
a strategic plan for restoring the Napa River based on
the Conceptual Plan completed in December 2003. During
this meeting, the following issues were addressed:
o Fundraising for project design and implementation
o Project organization and management
o Continued outreach to landowners
o Logistics of project permitting
o Possible need to create a non-profit to expand the river
restoration program beyond Rutherford.
- Meeting of Patrick Lowe and Jeff Sharp of Napa County
Planning and RDRT Davie and Ellie met with County Planning
staff to discuss funding opportunities for RDRT. Many
fruitful ideas were generated, and RDRT developed a great
supporter in the Planning department.
- Meeting with John Hoffnagle and Vanessa Johnson of
the Land Trust of Napa County and RDRT.
- Presentation to Oakville Landowners by RDRT. RDRT presented
the Conceptual Plan to a group of Oakville landowners
with property along the river north of the Oakville Cross
Road, and they agreed to join in the RDRT project. They
are paying into the pool of funds to have a Conceptual
Plan completed for their half-mile reach. Theirs will
be called Reach 9, and their plan will be written as an
addendum to the Conceptual Plan, which currently includes
Reaches 1-8. They will also participate in the 50% design
and ultimate construction project. The Conceptual Plan
addendum for Reach 9 will be initiated in late April,
and should have a draft of Reach 9 by mid-May.
- Aaron Fishleder from Nickel & Nickel, and Davie
met with the Oakville Growers' Board of Directors. RDRT
was well received and will be invited to speak at the
next Oakville Growers members' meeting.
- Presentation to the Regional Water Quality Control
Board and Coastal Conservancy. At the invitation of Mike
Napolitano of the Regional Water Quality Control Board,
RDRT presented the Conceptual Plan to 12 representatives
of two important funding agencies. This was an unusual
invitation, and a great opportunity to show off the RDRT
project and ask for feedback prior to submitting our application
for funding. Everyone was impressed with the project,
and they provided encouragement and helpful hints for
our application.
- Watershed Information Center (WIC) presentation. At
the invitation of Patrick Lowe of Napa County Planning,
RDRT presented to the WIC Board, a new group dedicated
to coordinating watershed restoration efforts in Napa
County, including helping watershed groups such as RDRT
write grants and carry out successful projects. The WIC
Board previously wrote a letter of support for RDRT for
a (successful) grant application, and wanted more details
on our project. RDRT may be a pilot project for the WIC
Board, helping chart the way for other similar projects
throughout the Napa River watershed.
- Presentation of the Conceptual Plan. RDRT held a well-attended
meeting at Frog's Leap Winery presenting the finalized
conceptual plan and the beginning the design phase of
this historic and unprecedented river restoration project.
Several speakers provided an outline of the project, including
the improvements to fish and wildlife habitat, bank stabilization,
and Pierce's disease management.
The meeting was attended by Rutherford and Napa Valley
winery owners, growers, landowners and local government
officials including U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson, Napa
County Supervisor Diane Dillon and Bob Fredenburg, Resource
Consultant for California State Senator Wesley Chesbro.
"Congratulations for your effort, it is commendable,"
said Congressman Mike Thompson. "You've all put your
shoulder to the wheel to make this partnership work, and
I pledge my support to see that it succeeds."
Andy Beckstoffer of Beckstoffer Vineyards announced that
his company, along with Beaulieu Vineyard, Niebaum-Coppola
Estate Winery and Sutter Home Winery committed to donate
funds to the restoration project. Andy's "River Rats"
group immediately raised $15,000.
[About
Us] [History] [Watershed] [Wines] [Facts] [Members] [Links] [Events] [Contact
Us] [Home] |
