TO: Technical Advisory Group for the Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency
FROM: Brian Bordona - Director, Planning, Building and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Jamison Crosby - Natural Resources Conservation Manager
SUBJECT: Napa Valley Subbasin GPR Implementation: TAG Considerations for Vineyard and Winery Certification Programs
RECOMMENDATION
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Technical Advisory Group (TAG) members will receive presentations from representatives of each of the four major vineyard and winery certification programs operating in Napa County, pose questions and provide feedback to staff and participants.
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BACKGROUND
The Napa County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (NCGSA) has developed and is implementing the Water Conservation (WC) and Groundwater Pumping Reduction (GPR) Workplans. The GPR includes an implementation plan and anticipated timeline for the program to achieve measurable reductions in groundwater pumping in the Napa Valley Subbasin. The WC and GPR Workplans identify a suite of water conservation practices. GPR implementation anticipates a voluntary program that incentivizes growers to adopt and expand water conservation practices.
One opportunity identified in the GPR implementation plan for encouraging voluntary adoption of water conservation practices is vineyard and winery certification programs. Certification programs require producers to meet specified standards to become certified. In exchange, certified businesses can meet regulatory standards (depending on the certification program), label their product in a certain way, and have access to new markets and value. Developing a certification program for water conservation practices (or expanding upon one or more existing certification programs) is one means by which the NCGSA may achieve sustainable groundwater conditions.
Examples of existing certification programs that are used by vineyards and wineries in the Napa area include but are not limited to:
? Napa Green. A local program wi...
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