April 2, 2021
Hello,

A lot is happening! On the issue of wildland fire, the Board of Supervisors will be taking up "all things fire" at our next meeting on Tuesday, April 6. Click here for the agenda and go to item 11, which will include: status of the After Action Reports for the Hennessey and Glass Fires; presentation by Napa Communities Firewise Foundation of the recently completed Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) with recommended vegetation management projects; proposed changes to our fire hazard abatement ordinance; the 2021 Emergency Preparedness Public Outreach and Education Campaign; an update on key State legislation related to wildfires; and much more.

We're also actively engaged in trying to deal with the mess of almost 18,000 trees left on the ground by PG&E in Napa County (as pictured). My update on that can be found here. Meanwhile, CalRecycle is beginning its several month project of removing standing trees along the roadsides with a white "X" and the County has separately contracted to have tree debris from the fire along county roads begin their work soon. PG&E trees are marked with green paint. Click here for photos and descriptions to help you identify which trees are scheduled for removal by CalRecycle and the County.

For individual property owners, navigating the process to remove burned/dead trees not covered by your property insurance is challenging, but can be done. This rather intimidating chart sets forth the requirements for doing so; don't hesitate to consult our County staff for assistance and direction.
On the COVID front, our public health officer, Dr. Karen Relucio will have the first hour of our Tuesday meeting to inform all of us about the latest status of testing, cases, and prognosis for our movement forward into the orange tier. All of our meetings are available for later viewing, if you cannot watch on Tuesday at 9 a.m.

Dr. Relucio's slide presentation also is added to the agenda page after the meeting. Historians will be interested in looking at those almost weekly presentations in years to come as the story of the 2020-21 pandemic is written.
Last week, I participated in the State Board of Forestry meeting concerning the proposed changes to state fire safe regulations, which will severely limit what property owners can do in the State Responsibility Area and, after July 1, in the Very High Hazard Severity Zone of the Local Responsibility Area (i.e., the Foothill Blvd. hillside in City of Calistoga). Click here for a map showing these areas, which are significant in Napa County. If the rules are adopted, they will effectively prohibit new or expanded residential and business construction in these areas. 22 counties (including ours) and many individuals and organizations submitted letters of opposition; hopefully, the Board will reconsider this path of decision-making.
Please don't hesitate to contact me with questions or concerns; I receive many each week on the PG&E tree issue alone. Fire insurance coverage is also of grave concern north of Rutherford on the valley floor and east of Silverado Trail. It's very much a State issue (i.e., County has zero control) but I will continue to lobby for changes that can assist residential and winery owners in obtaining coverage that allows people to affordably protect their property.

Thank you for reading!
Supervisor Diane Dillon | 707-963-0890 diane.dillon@countyofnapa.org