July Update
Hello Angwin Residents,
The positive energy and words of encouragement Kathleen and I have received from so many of you as a result of our first letter warmed our hearts and made us that much more excited to settle in at our property on Cold Springs Road. Thank you to all who reached out to us. With that in mind, we thought you would appreciate an update on our project.
Le Colline Approval Appealed to Napa County Board of Supervisors; Hearing Set for August 15th @ 9am
On April 23rd, the Center for Biological Diversity headquartered in Tucson, AZ, appealed Napa County's approval of our project. Because of the appeal, we are forbidden from doing anything on our project for the foreseeable future, including the fire mitigation in and potentially around the conversion areas. With fire season already upon us and approximately 100 tons of February storm damage in our open forestland, we hope to resolve this appeal as soon as possible for everyone's be.nefit.
Le Colline Adds to Permanently Protected Lands
The County's approval reduces the size of our vineyard by 20% and places approximately 39.5 acres of forestland into a permanent deed restriction/conservation easement. Much of our property borders the 177-acre Linda Falls Preserve where Linda Falls is located. Le Colline permanently increases the amount of land protected in its natural state in proximity to Linda Falls and Conn Creek from 177 acres to 216.5 acres, an increase of 22%. We are honored to increase the amount of permanently protected lands adjacent to the Linda Falls Preserve, providing increased protection for Conn Creek, Linda Falls and Angwin.
Le Colline Vineyard as a Firebreak
We have heard many firsthand accounts of local vineyards serving as fire breaks and believe our project will play a significant role in protecting our open space and community. Kathleen and I are committed to farm Le Colline in a manner that maximizes the fire mitigation benefits to the community and our own property. We will be working with an independent urban/wild land fire management expert and our Registered Professional Forester to identify how best to help implement and support Napa Firewise mitigation efforts. Using vineyard avenues to create new access points for first responders, reducing fuel loads, and having eyes on the ground with access to basic firefighting equipment are just a few examples of how Le Colline will reduce wildfire risk.
Staying Positive
We have been disappointed in those who continue to misrepresent our project. We believe environmentally responsible agriculture has long protected Napa County from urbanization, reduced wildfire risk, and created open space for the next generation to enjoy. Our team has worked for over 7 years readjusting our project based on neighbor and general public input and over 5 years working with Napa County identifying and mitigating all the potential environmental impacts. We invite you to read the EIR by clicking here to see the unprecedented community and environmental benefits associated with Le Colline. We also invite you to review the maps we provided here to confirm we are 1/4 mile away from Linda Falls, just like the two other vineyards that have been there for decades. Finally, I invite you to reach out to dave@lecollinevineyards.com if you have any questions about our project.
Given the environmental issues we all face and the challenges of living in a high fire risk zone, Kathleen and I firmly believe using our Ag Land to address these critical issues is the right thing to do.
Kathleen & Dave DiCesaris