Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2018 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 126Introduced by Senator Dodd(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry)April 02, 2018Relative to the 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSCR 126, as amended, Dodd. 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve.This measure would recognize April 9, 2018, 2018 as the milestone 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve Preserve, and further recognize the critical part the hundreds of growers, vintners, local leaders, and members of the Napa community play to preserve the beauty and splendor of the valley and its agricultural industries, for this and future generations.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, Through trying times, including the Prohibition Era, natural disasters, and the relentless encroachment of urban sprawl, agriculture has maintained its celebrated position as an integral part of life in the Napa valley; andWHEREAS, For nearly two centuries, Napa valley farmers have worked with the valleys fertile volcanic soils and unique climate, optimal for growing lush vineyard grapevines and producing world-class wine grapes and other agricultural products; andWHEREAS, In the 1960s, agricultural regions throughout the state were rapidly disappearing, and being replaced with residential subdivisions and commercial developments, that were seen as more lucrative uses of the land; and WHEREAS, While many other regions throughout California permanently paved over their agricultural land, Napa valley did something visionary and doubled down on agriculture, resulting in the long-term preservation of Napa Countys agricultural legacy; andWHEREAS, On April 9, 1968, the Napa County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, the first of its kind in the United States; andWHEREAS, This innovative resolution initiated a succession of progressive land-use policies to protect Napa valley farmland from encroaching urbanization, and prioritized agriculture as the best use of the land, thereby protecting 31,609 acres of agricultural preserve farmland from urban development until 2058; andWHEREAS, Well into a second generation effort to preserve the valley, Napa County property owners are voluntarily placing their land into conservation easements, dictating how those parcels will be used in perpetuity, thereby ensuring that approximately 55,000 acres of Napa County will be forever guaranteed to remain rural through the program; andWHEREAS, In addition to protecting Napa Countys agricultural land, the Napa County Agricultural Preserve ensures the preservation and sustainability of the wine countrys agricultural heritage, including the charitable leadership of the industry, innovative agricultural housing and worker protection programs, standard-setting sustainability efforts, and, of course, the production of world-class wines; andWHEREAS, Napa valley continues to maintain its commitment to agriculture, and the maintaining of its agricultural preserve, stating clearly in its general plan: Napa County in 2030 will remain a world-famous grape growing and winemaking region, with a viable and sustainable agricultural industry; now, therefore, be itWHEREAS, The County of Napas farmers and rich soils have produced a bountiful array of crops, livestock, and agricultural products for centuries; andWHEREAS, The County of Napas exceptional climate and topography produce world-class winegrapes, wines, and other outstanding agricultural products; andWHEREAS, Despite pressures for development over the years, agriculture has remained at the heart of the regions economic and cultural life; andWHEREAS, As farmland across California was rapidly disappearing, as supplanted by commercial developments, the County of Napa recognized the importance of preventing urban sprawl by protecting its irreplaceable agricultural lands; andWHEREAS, On April 9, 1968, the Napa County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Napa County Agricultural Preserve (hereafter the preserve); andWHEREAS, The creation of the preserve was groundbreaking and marked the first such preserve in the nation, and led to related land-use policies to protect the County of Napas farmland, prioritizing agriculture as the highest and best use of prime agricultural land; andWHEREAS, The preserve protects 31,609 acres of farmlands, and tens of thousands of additional acres of land are shielded from future development through conservation easements voluntarily entered into by property owners or protected through agricultural, watershed, and open-space zoning, which, combined with the preserve, encompasses over 90 percent of the countys total acreage; andWHEREAS, In addition to protecting the County of Napas agricultural land, the preserve enables and fosters cutting-edge sustainability efforts, the charitable leadership of the agricultural industry, and innovative farmworker housing programs; andWHEREAS, These efforts have been supported and made possible in large part because of the leadership of the County of Napa, Napa County Farm Bureau, Napa County Resource Conservation District, Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Vintners, and Winegrowers of Napa County; andWHEREAS, The County of Napa continues to maintain its commitment to agriculture and the maintaining of its preserve, stating clearly in its general plan: Napa County in 2030 will remain a world-famous grape growing and winemaking region, with a viable and sustainable agricultural industry; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes April 9, 2018, 2018 as the milestone 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve, and further recognizes the critical part the hundreds of growers, vintners, local leaders, and members of the Napa community play to preserve the beauty and splendor of the valley and its agricultural industries, for this and future generations; and be it furtherResolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2018 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 126Introduced by Senator Dodd(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry)April 02, 2018Relative to the 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSCR 126, as amended, Dodd. 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve.This measure would recognize April 9, 2018, 2018 as the milestone 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve Preserve, and further recognize the critical part the hundreds of growers, vintners, local leaders, and members of the Napa community play to preserve the beauty and splendor of the valley and its agricultural industries, for this and future generations.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2018
Amended IN Assembly April 19, 2018
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 126
Introduced by Senator Dodd(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry)April 02, 2018
Introduced by Senator Dodd(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Aguiar-Curry)
April 02, 2018
Relative to the 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SCR 126, as amended, Dodd. 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve.
This measure would recognize April 9, 2018, 2018 as the milestone 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve Preserve, and further recognize the critical part the hundreds of growers, vintners, local leaders, and members of the Napa community play to preserve the beauty and splendor of the valley and its agricultural industries, for this and future generations.
This measure would recognize April 9, 2018, 2018 as the milestone 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve Preserve, and further recognize the critical part the hundreds of growers, vintners, local leaders, and members of the Napa community play to preserve the beauty and splendor of the valley and its agricultural industries, for this and future generations.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Through trying times, including the Prohibition Era, natural disasters, and the relentless encroachment of urban sprawl, agriculture has maintained its celebrated position as an integral part of life in the Napa valley; and
WHEREAS, For nearly two centuries, Napa valley farmers have worked with the valleys fertile volcanic soils and unique climate, optimal for growing lush vineyard grapevines and producing world-class wine grapes and other agricultural products; and
WHEREAS, In the 1960s, agricultural regions throughout the state were rapidly disappearing, and being replaced with residential subdivisions and commercial developments, that were seen as more lucrative uses of the land; and
WHEREAS, While many other regions throughout California permanently paved over their agricultural land, Napa valley did something visionary and doubled down on agriculture, resulting in the long-term preservation of Napa Countys agricultural legacy; and
WHEREAS, On April 9, 1968, the Napa County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Napa Valley Agricultural Preserve, the first of its kind in the United States; and
WHEREAS, This innovative resolution initiated a succession of progressive land-use policies to protect Napa valley farmland from encroaching urbanization, and prioritized agriculture as the best use of the land, thereby protecting 31,609 acres of agricultural preserve farmland from urban development until 2058; and
WHEREAS, Well into a second generation effort to preserve the valley, Napa County property owners are voluntarily placing their land into conservation easements, dictating how those parcels will be used in perpetuity, thereby ensuring that approximately 55,000 acres of Napa County will be forever guaranteed to remain rural through the program; and
WHEREAS, In addition to protecting Napa Countys agricultural land, the Napa County Agricultural Preserve ensures the preservation and sustainability of the wine countrys agricultural heritage, including the charitable leadership of the industry, innovative agricultural housing and worker protection programs, standard-setting sustainability efforts, and, of course, the production of world-class wines; and
WHEREAS, Napa valley continues to maintain its commitment to agriculture, and the maintaining of its agricultural preserve, stating clearly in its general plan: Napa County in 2030 will remain a world-famous grape growing and winemaking region, with a viable and sustainable agricultural industry; now, therefore, be it
WHEREAS, The County of Napas farmers and rich soils have produced a bountiful array of crops, livestock, and agricultural products for centuries; and
WHEREAS, The County of Napas exceptional climate and topography produce world-class winegrapes, wines, and other outstanding agricultural products; and
WHEREAS, Despite pressures for development over the years, agriculture has remained at the heart of the regions economic and cultural life; and
WHEREAS, As farmland across California was rapidly disappearing, as supplanted by commercial developments, the County of Napa recognized the importance of preventing urban sprawl by protecting its irreplaceable agricultural lands; and
WHEREAS, On April 9, 1968, the Napa County Board of Supervisors voted to create the Napa County Agricultural Preserve (hereafter the preserve); and
WHEREAS, The creation of the preserve was groundbreaking and marked the first such preserve in the nation, and led to related land-use policies to protect the County of Napas farmland, prioritizing agriculture as the highest and best use of prime agricultural land; and
WHEREAS, The preserve protects 31,609 acres of farmlands, and tens of thousands of additional acres of land are shielded from future development through conservation easements voluntarily entered into by property owners or protected through agricultural, watershed, and open-space zoning, which, combined with the preserve, encompasses over 90 percent of the countys total acreage; and
WHEREAS, In addition to protecting the County of Napas agricultural land, the preserve enables and fosters cutting-edge sustainability efforts, the charitable leadership of the agricultural industry, and innovative farmworker housing programs; and
WHEREAS, These efforts have been supported and made possible in large part because of the leadership of the County of Napa, Napa County Farm Bureau, Napa County Resource Conservation District, Napa Valley Grapegrowers, Napa Valley Vintners, and Winegrowers of Napa County; and
WHEREAS, The County of Napa continues to maintain its commitment to agriculture and the maintaining of its preserve, stating clearly in its general plan: Napa County in 2030 will remain a world-famous grape growing and winemaking region, with a viable and sustainable agricultural industry; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature recognizes April 9, 2018, 2018 as the milestone 50th Anniversary of the Napa County Agricultural Preserve, and further recognizes the critical part the hundreds of growers, vintners, local leaders, and members of the Napa community play to preserve the beauty and splendor of the valley and its agricultural industries, for this and future generations; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.