TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Brian D. Bordona, Director of Planning, Building, and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Dana Morrison, Supervising Planner - Conservation
SUBJECT: Status of the Watershed Information and Conservation Council
RECOMMENDATION
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Receive a presentation on the status of the Watershed Information and Conservation Council, direct Staff to re-envision the role of the WICC and return with recommendations for discussion and direction. (No Fiscal Impact)
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BACKGROUND
In 1990, the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Board listed the Napa River as impaired by sedimentation due to erosion and risks to salmon and steelhead habitat. In the early 2000s, it conducted studies to better understand sediment sources and other factors affecting these fish populations. In 2002, the Napa County Board of Supervisors (Board) passed Resolution No. 02-103, creating the Watershed Information and Conservation Council (WICC) to serve as an advisory committee to the Board. The WICC was created as a forum for Napa County stakeholders to address watershed concerns by analyzing data, guiding management and restoration, coordinating planning and land acquisition, and supporting outreach, education, monitoring, and data management.
Recently, low attendance among the 23 representatives has made it difficult to achieve a quorum, leading to canceled meetings or sessions limited to information sharing. The WICC meets quarterly and is comprised of the following representatives.
* two members of the BOS (2), and one alternate (1)
* one member of the Napa County Planning Commission (1)
* two members each from the City of Napa, City of American Canyon, City of St Helena, City of Calistoga, Town of Yountville (10)
* one member of the Napa County Land Trust (1)
* one member of the Napa County Resource Conservation District (1)
* one member of the Natural Resource Conservation Service (1)
* six members of the public at large (6)
The WICC was originally formed as an advi...
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