TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Brian Bordona, Interim Director Planning, Building and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Jamison Crosby, Natural Resources Conservation Manager
SUBJECT: Resolution Affirming Napa County's Support for the Human Right to Water Policy Including Protection of Public Health, the Environment and All Beneficial Uses
RECOMMENDATION
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Interim Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services (PBES) requests adoption of a Resolution authorizing Napa County to affirm this Human Right to Water Policy, including protection of public health, the environment consistent with public trust principles, and all beneficial uses, to ensure prudent water resource management and efficient use, for the benefit of the natural environment and future generations.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Napa County General Plan, adopted in 1969, and last updated in 2008 promotes the protection of public health and the environment to ensure prudent water resource management and efficient use for the benefit of present and future generations.
On August 11, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom, issued the Administration's strategy document, California's Water Supply Strategy, Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future, which "outlines California's strategy and priority actions to adapt and protect water supplies in an era of rising temperatures."
Napa County, other California counties, and other states in the nation face the concerning implications of successive years of dry conditions and effects on natural resources. It is highly important to consider the potential short- and longer-term effects of current and future drought years, including ongoing hotter and drier years, on overall water resources conditions and water supply availability.
The proposed Human Right to Water resolution affirms the County's commitment to protecting water resources in the County for all beneficial users and builds on the legacy of water law (Water Code section 106.3, enacted on September ...
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