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: Adopt a Resolution Recommending Napa County Jurisdictions adopt the Napa County Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
RECOMMENDATION
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Adopt a resolution recommending that the six member jurisdictions in Napa County adopt the Napa County Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and the Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration
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BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
On September 25, 2026, the Climate Action Committee (CAC) received a presentation from Ascent Environmental and project staff on the plan development process to date and, based on questions and concerns expressed by the CAC members at previous meetings, two options for moving forward with the final Regional Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (RCAAP) as drafted.
1) Proceed on the path to recommending the adoption of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) qualified RCAAP maintaining its current final form, or
2) Pivot to a “framework” version of the RCAAP that would revise the current draft by removing the CEQA-qualified components written into the plan, remove the Consistency Checklist, and republish a clean “framework” version.
The CAC directed staff to proceed with the first option listed above and present the CEQA-qualified RCAAP to the CAC for a recommendation, and later to the member jurisdictions for adoption.
Today the CAC is being asked to discuss and adopt a resolution recommending adoption of the Final CEQA-qualified Napa County RCAAP and the accompanying Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND). If the resolution to recommend adoption of the RCAAP is adopted by the CAC, it will be forwarded to each of the member jurisdictions and included for their consideration with the RCAAP and IS/MND. A draft Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program (MMRP) was prepared by Ascent for all member jurisdictions as a template, intended to serve as an outline and modified by the jurisdictions to reflect their preferences prior to the local agency's adoption hearing. In accordance with CEQA Guidelines Section 15097, each local agency must then adopt its MMRP concurrently with its approval of the MND and project. The RCAAP and IS/MND have been attached to this agenda item and are published on the project website: <https://climateactionnapa.konveio.com/document-library>.
In response to public comments received on the IS/MND Ascent Environmental has prepared a response to comments memorandum. The Board of Supervisors (acting as the lead agency) and the incorporated jurisdictions’ legislative bodies (acting as responsible agencies) will consider all comments received before adopting the RCAAP. The response to comments memorandum will be forwarded to all jurisdictions for their review and consideration.
History and Structure of the Climate Action Committee. The Regional Working Group on Climate Change began meeting in September 2019 and became the CAC in October 2019. The following year the CAC moved forward with a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) establishing the collaborative framework among the six jurisdictions. The purpose of the JPA is to establish a collaborative framework to allow member agencies to work on coordinated actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the effects of future climate change. The twelve member CAC acts to share information, provide public education, promote events and grants, develop a regional climate action and adaptation plan, and identify mutually agreed upon climate goals and actions for consideration by member agencies. In 2021 and 2022, all six jurisdictions adopted resolutions or proclamations declaring a climate emergency and committed to a goal of net zero climate pollution by or before 2030.
The Road to the CEQA-Qualified RCAAP. The RCAAP is a roadmap of strategies, measures, and actions to help the region reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. Shaped by input from residents, businesses, community organizations, and staff across all six jurisdictions, it offers regionally tailored solutions that reflect the unique environmental, economic, and social character of Napa County, and its cities and town. The plan builds on existing climate action and sustainability efforts already underway across the county, coordinating and amplifying them through a unified regional approach - one that will require bold, collaborative action across jurisdictional boundaries.
The request for proposal (RFP) for a consultant to prepare the RCAAP was released on September 15, 2023. Guided by direction from the CAC to develop a CEQA-qualified RCAAP, the RFP called for qualified consultants to develop a document that identifies specific actions and strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change within the jurisdictions in Napa County including Cities of American Canyon, Calistoga, Napa, St. Helena, County of Napa, and Town of Yountville.
The RFP stated that successful proposals will ensure compliance and consistency with CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5 (Tiering and Streamlining the Analysis of Greenhouse Gas Emissions) to analyze and mitigate the significant effects of greenhouse gases (GHG’s) under CEQA at a programmatic level.
CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5 states that “Lead agencies may analyze and mitigate the significant effects of greenhouse gas emissions at a programmatic level, such as in a general plan, a long-range development plan, or a separate plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Later project-specific environmental documents may tier from and/or incorporate by reference that existing programmatic review.”
Ascent Environmental was selected as the lead consultant to develop the RCAAP and signed a professional services agreement for the project on December 19, 2023.
Based on the 2019 Napa County GHG Emissions Inventory (published 2022) and on the RCAAP GHG Emissions Forecast (published 2024) in alignment with statewide GHG reduction targets and the ambitious goals and GHG reduction measures set forth in the RFP, the RCAAP outlines a feasible plan for achieving zero carbon emissions by 2045, with incremental targets for 2030 and 2035.
The magnitude of the RCAAP goals and the speed at which they should be implemented will require real commitment, through the adoption of ordinances, coordinated education and outreach efforts, and program development and come with financial obligations.
CEQA-Qualified RCAAP. The RCAAP was developed to meet the requirements of a “plan for the reduction of greenhouse gases” as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15183.5 (i.e, CEQA-qualified). These requirements generally provide that the GHG analyses and specificity of measures and actions in such a plan must be based on substantial evidence and, where applicable, be specific and enforceable at the project level. The RCAAP includes many measures and detailed actions that support aggressive and immediate action, including 17 quantifiable GHG reduction measures to reach the initial 2030 and 2035 targets and keep the region on track to achieving the ultimate net-zero goal by 2045.
The primary advantage of having a CEQA-qualified RCAAP is the potential to streamline the GHG emissions analysis portion of environmental review for discretionary development projects. GHG emissions is one of the 21 environmental issues that may be analyzed in an environmental document under CEQA. To streamline the GHG analysis process for projects that are eligible for streamlining, projects must be found to be consistent with the RCAAP by demonstrating consistency with the RCAAP’s assumptions and incorporating applicable GHG reduction measures into the project. Streamlining GHG analysis can reduce developer and municipal costs associated with preparation of an environmental document such as an environmental impact report (EIR). However, such projects would still be required to analyze the 20 other environmental issues required by CEQA.
If JPA municipalities adopt the RCAAP in its current CEQA-qualified form but do not take action to implement measures as laid out in the plan, the RCAAP may lose its ability to be CEQA-qualified, and GHG analysis streamlining would no longer be an option for eligible discretionary projects in the region. Similarly, if some jurisdictions adopt and implement the plan but others do not, the RCAAP can no longer serve as a CEQA-qualified plan.
The RCAAP is a long-range 20-year plan and though not all implementation details are yet known, taking active coordinated steps towards implementation and monitoring and reporting on progress over time can provide insights into the feasibility and success (or shortcomings) of implementing certain measures. This information can then be used to make adjustments during the 5-year RCAAP updates to determine if some measures are not working as planned, need more time, or if alternate or new measures are needed.
The RCAAP currently provides a broad strategy for regional implementation and monitoring including preliminary funding and financing options, in-depth implementation cost estimates for 17 measures, and primary roles and responsibilities. After adoption of the RCAAP, the development of comprehensive and coordinated implementation strategies will be imperative and prioritized by jurisdictions for all near-term actions in the plan. Staff presented details to the CAC on April 24, 2026, regarding staff’s recommended RCAAP implementation and coordination approach and estimated costs.
Requested Action
Adopt a resolution recommending that all member jurisdictions adopt the RCAAP and IS/MND. If adopted, this resolution, containing the CAC’s recommendation, as well as the RCAAP, IS/MND, and accompanying documents will be forwarded to all member jurisdictions for consideration prior to the local agency's adoption hearing.
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.