TO: Napa County Climate Action Committee
FROM: Brian D. Bordona, Director of Napa County Planning, Building & Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Jesse Gutiérrez, Principal Planner, Sustainability
SUBJECT: Staff update on the Napa Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP).
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive an update from Staff on the Napa Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposed action is not a project as defined by 14 California
Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The Napa Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) is a comprehensive, long-range climate and adaptation plan laying out measures and actions to achieve greenhouse gas reduction goals by 2045. The plan also provides a countywide strategy to reduce risk, adapt to, and strengthen community resilience to the effects of climate change.
The plan has overarching strategies that tackle key sources of GHG emissions sectors in the region. Those key sectors are On-Road Transportation, Building Energy, Solid Waste, Off-Road Equipment, Agriculture, and Wastewater and Imported Water.
Six adaptation strategies were developed to address various aspects of climate change vulnerability and climate impacts for the region. The first strategy is an all-encompassing strengthening of resilience followed by strategies for specific threats - fire, increased temperature, flood, drought, and energy grid resilience.
Public Comments
The full draft of the RCAAP was released for public review on August 1, 2025. A 60-day comment period closed on September 30, 2025.
In August and September Erik de Kok from Ascent Environmental presented the RCAAP to all 6 of the jurisdictions’ governing bodies and to the Climate Action Committee. These presentations to the councils and Board of Supervisors were meant to inspire conversation and provide an opportunity for all elected members from each of the Napa jurisdictions to get familiar with and weigh-in on the RCAAP and its content.
Project staff, Napa RCD, and the Ascent consultant team hosted public community workshops in American Canyon, City of Napa, Town of Yountville, and City of Calistoga. These open house type events provided opportunities for residents to interact with the concepts, strategies, and measures found in the RCAAP. Event attendees were able to provide direct feedback and comments through interactive exercises and by having conversations with staff.
The draft RCAAP document was available online where comments could be made directly onto the document, providing public access to all comments over the 60-day review period. Staff also received emails and formal letters from project partners and stakeholders.
Over 700 individual comments were submitted during the 60-day comment period, which are currently under review by Project staff and Ascent. Once the review is completed, Project staff and Ascent will develop a public response to comments document is anticipated to be completed shortly after a final draft of the RCAAP is available in early 2026. The final draft of the RCAAP will incorporate recommendations and changes approved by the project team.
CEQA environmental review
The preparation of the initial study environmental review of the RCAAP is underway. Project staff will be contacting and notifying culturally affiliated tribes in the region in compliance with AB 52 which requires public agencies to consult with tribes during the CEQA process. A completed initial study is expected in spring 2026.
Plan Implementation
When a final draft of the RCAAP has been delivered the all-jurisdiction working group and the CAC should begin developing strategies for implementation and regional coordination.