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NAPA -- The State of
California will recognize Napa County’s
work to preserve agricultural land with
the Williamson Act Stewardship Award and
other commendations.
“We applaud Napa
County’s commitment to creating an
environment in which agriculture and
viniculture can thrive,” said Bridgett
Luther Thompson, Director of the
California Department of Conservation.
DOC will present a
resolution from Governor Schwarzenegger
commending the county’s stewardship of
the Act at the October 18 Board of
Supervisors meeting. The county will
also receive a joint proclamation from
Senator Wesley Chesbro and
Assemblymember Noreen Evans.
“Napa County
appreciates this recognition from the
Department of Conservation,” Board of
Supervisors Chairperson Diane Dillon
said. “The residents of Napa County, as
well as the many visitors we get from
around the world, value not only our
wines, but also our open space and our
rural ambience. The Williamson Act is an
important part of maintaining our unique
setting and environment.”
Through its Division
of Land Resource Protection, DOC
administers or supports a number of
programs designed to promote orderly
growth in coordination with agricultural
endeavors. That is a critical job, since
the population of California is expected
to grow from its current 38 million to
55 million by 2025, and the need for new
homes will put strain on the nation's
leading agricultural economy, valued at
$33 billion last year.
One of the key tools
available for land conservation planning
is the Williamson Act, which provides
tax incentives for landowners that keep
large tracts of land in agricultural or
open-space use. The law has been widely
credited with discouraging ``leapfrog''
development, and more than 16 million
acres -- half of the state's
agricultural landscape -- are currently
enrolled in Williamson Act contracts.
As of the 2004-05
fiscal year, Napa County had 69,430
acres of land enrolled in the Williamson
Act, including more than 18,000 acres of
prime farmland. Napa County produced
more than $393 million worth of
agricultural products in 2002-03.
“Napa County embodies
what the Williamson Act envisions,” said
Dennis O’Bryant, head of the Division of
Land Resource Protection. “We have never
had any problems with the county’s
enforcement of the Act – no incompatible
uses on contracted land, no illegal
subdivisions. That history reflects the
value the county puts on agricultural
land. Napa County is renowned for its
world-class wines, but we in the
Department of Conservation appreciate it
just as much for its world-class
attention to protecting agricultural
land.”
Linda Reiff,
Executive Director of the Napa Valley
Vintners (NVV) said: “"Promoting and
protecting the Napa Valley as one of the
finest winegrowing regions in the world
is a critical part of our vision. The
Williamson Act and other local
agricultural land preservation efforts
have allowed our region to continue to
flourish."
The NVV, representing
more than 270 winery members, recently
commissioned a study that shows that the
Napa Valley wine industry has a $9.5
billion local economic impact.
"Protecting our
natural and agricultural resources also
helps to protect our economy and our
community,” Reiff added.
Al Wagner, Napa
County Farm Bureau President,
wholeheartedly supports the Williamson
Act as the state's most important land
conservation program.
"I congratulate and
thank Napa County government for leading
the nation in agricultural preservation
policies,” Wagner said. “The Williamson
Act and our agricultural preserve
policies are essential elements in
protecting our agricultural heritage and
world-renowned winegrape region."
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