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 with 92 Napa Green Certified wineries and 70 growers certified or in the process of becoming certified, representing over 7,000 vineyard acres in Napa County.
• California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA). A program that operates statewide and has approximately 33 wineries and 259 vineyards on 15,000 acres certified in Napa County. Some CSWA certified wineries are also certified by other programs.
• SIP Certified. The Sustainability In Practice (SIP) certification is for vineyards and wineries. The program has certified operations in California, Oregon, and Michigan.
• Fish Friendly Farming. A vineyard/agricultural program that has certified over 39,600 acres of vineyards. They operate in 10 California counties, supporting compliance with water quality regulations and other environmental improvements including water conservation and efficiency.
The GPR implementation plan specifies that NCGSA staff and its consultants will work with existing certification programs, or potentially a new program, to develop specific water conservation practices, standards, and a method for reporting and sharing data. In short, the goal is to develop or expand one or more certification programs to achieve and verify additional water conservation in the Napa Valley Subbasin.
The TAG has received information and presentations regarding certification programs from NCGSA staff and consultants at multiple TAG meetings in 2022 and 2023. During today’s meeting, representatives of the four existing certification programs will make presentations about their programs. This will provide an opportunity for the TAG to engage directly with representatives from each program, learn more about each program, and understand how the program(s) could support the GPR implementation plan.
Each presenter was given four questions/prompts to frame the discussion. This staff report provides a concise summary of those questions/prompts and provides additional context for how each relates to GPR implementation.
Question/Prompts for Certification Program Representatives and TAG Discussion
For a certification program to be successful and support GPR implementation it must result in the adoption of new water conservation practices (and expansion of existing practices that are widely adopted), verification of water conservation, and (for the entire Subbasin in aggregate) result in demonstrable, collective progress towards reducing groundwater pumping. This leads to the four following themes of questions/prompts. Representatives of each program were asked to speak to the questions in bold. The goal is for these questions to spark an additional discussion with the TAG. The staff report includes additional context and questions that may support additional follow-up with each presenter.
1. What water conservation practices does the certification program currently include in its program?
• Additional context: Some programs include multiple water conservation practices that are listed in the GPR (such as metering), but other programs currently have very few practices. Other programs allow certified businesses to choose from a suite of potential water conservation practices (e.g., pick 4 out of 10 potential practices).
• Potential discussion topics:
o How many entities are currently certified by the program?
o What is the cost to become certified?
o Are water conservation practices mandatory or voluntary?
2. What additional water conservation practices could be added to the program (e.g., those identified in the WC and GPR), and what is the process for adding new water conservation practices?
• Additional context: The GPR and WC provide a comprehensive overview of potential water conservation practices. An existing certification program may need to be “expanded” to include additional water conservation practices that are not currently included in the program. Understanding the process and timeline for adding new practices will help support GPR implementation.
• Potential discussion topics:
o What is the timeline for adding new water conservation practices?
o Are there examples of water conservation practices that have been added to the program?
o Are there limits to adopting new practices?
3. What is the verification process for ensuring that certified vineyards/wineries meet and comply with water conservation practices?
• Additional context: To be meaningful for the GSP, it is necessary to verify that businesses are implementing and continuing to implement water conservation practices. For example, if distribution uniformity (DU) testing is completed, it would be necessary to complete any irrigation system improvements to verify and achieve water conservation. Ideally, a program would rely on direct and third-party verification in a timely manner (e.g., annually) to ensure compliance.
• Potential discussion topics:
o How frequently are water conservation practices verified?
o What is the typical process for verifying compliance?
o Is there a process for assisting businesses with coming into compliance?
o Is there a process for de-certifying entities that fail to maintain compliance?
o Are there other opportunities or constraints to getting businesses to verify certification (e.g., costs?)?
4. How does the program collect data related to water conservation practices and is there potential for sharing (anonymized) data to support GPR and GSP implementation?
• Additional context: To ensure that the GPR is achieving water conservation it is necessary to measure and monitor performance/adoption. This includes tracking adoption over time in addition to measuring gross and net water conservation attributable to each water conservation practice. This informs both GSP and GPR implementation and is viewed as critical for program success.
• Potential discussion topics:
o How are data currently compiled and made available?
o Are there confidentiality concerns and, if so, how can those be overcome?
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.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
1. ERA Economics PowerPoint Presentation: Certification Programs for GPR Implementation, April 2024
2. Napa Green PowerPoint Presentation. April 2024.
3. Fish Friendly Farming PowerPoint Presentation. April 2024.
4. SIP Certified PowerPoint Presentation. April 2024.
5. California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance PowerPoint Presentation. April 2024.