Unjust Le Colline outcome
Dave DiCesaris • 06.27.24
I read with great interest Peter Mott’s letter regarding the illusory truth effect and its impact on our local political scene. It got me thinking about the effect a misinformation campaign had on our Le Colline project in the hills of Howell Mountain. A few years back, somebody had gone onto our property and posted signs stating “Stop Logging at Linda Falls.”
Because it simply wasn’t true, I didn’t think much of it until last summer. While attending a neighborhood party, Kathleen and I were approached by a seemingly nice person who began to admonish me for wanting to log Linda Falls. When I tried to gently explain that we were in fact not logging Linda Falls and that the project would have no effect on a place we all treasure, the response I received was “They wouldn’t say it if it weren’t true.”
Then there was the letter to the editor (April 2023) in the Napa Valley Register stating that the Le Colline project would remove 34 acres of old growth forest. Tough to do when the total project was only 28.45 acres of which about only 19 were forestland, and the amount of old growth forest on our property, per two independent biologists, was zero! At another social event, I was flatly told “I will never support a project that removes old growth forest!”
Finally, at the appeal hearing, a supervisor expressed concern about Le Colline’s proximity to the headwaters. In the nine years I had been working with Cal Fire and Napa County on Le Colline, never was this issue raised. So after the veto of our approval, I visited the county website and reviewed their mapping of all the watercourses. I was stunned to find that the headwaters in question were three miles away, and that there were vineyards not just near, but in these headwaters, which I later learned were owned by an ardent opponent of our project.
There are many more examples of the illusory truth effect taking hold in Napa County on the Le Colline project. One more example is a letter signed by local politicians sent to the County Supervisors, expressing concern over the effect that manure, a rare and unusual cultural practice strictly prohibited on Le Colline, would have on the water supply.
In her June 10 letter, Patricia Damery said “the Supervisors upheld the appeal” on Le Colline. This statement is misleading and illustrates perfectly the point Mr. Mott is making as in fact, the Supervisors upheld only parts of the appeal and rejected others.
The appeal points of increased fire risk, negative effect on Linda Falls, GHG science methodology and alternatives analysis were all rejected by the Supervisors, a fact that tells a much different story than her statement.
Mr. Mott has identified a very serious issue that, if allowed to persist in our local politics, will continue to lead to unjust and unfair outcomes on our ag/land use issues as it did on Le Colline; an enormously dangerous possibility for a region whose lifeblood is agriculture.
~ Dave DiCesaris