Public Benefit
Public Benefit: This project includes proposed Conditions of Approval which have independent utility separate from the Le Colline II project. These proposed Conditions of Approval are offered for the purposes of addressing Napa County’s existing and future need to provide additional protections to Angwin and the Conn Creek watershed from catastrophic wildfire and to address existing Le Colline forest conditions for the purpose of additionally preserving and enhancing wildlife habitat and movement, protecting the local watershed and providing effective wildfire resiliency to the property, neighborhood, Angwin and the surrounding area. These proposed Conditions of Approval are unrelated to the Le Colline project impacts, none of the proposed actions would change the existing vegetative cover and all of the proposed actions shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The proposed Conditions of Approval are as follows:
Public Benefit Conditions of Approval
1. Establishment of a continuous 66.39 +/- acre conservation easement bordering the Linda Falls preserve, Conn Creek and the homes behind Bishop Place, Winding Way and Cold Springs Rd, substantially in the form shown on the attached Exhibit B, the specific terms and conditions and holder of which to be determined at a later date.
2. Implementation of an oak woodland restoration and conservation plan of 3.91 acres +/-pursuant to Cal Fire Forest Practice Notice RM-73 (1038(e)) (Rev. 3/20/25) substantially in the form shown on the attached Exhibit B (Oak Woodland Restoration and Preservation Plan) to begin no later than thirty (30) days after completion of Phase I of the forest restoration and fire mitigation plan as shown in item 3. below.
3. Implementation of a forest restoration and fire mitigation plan substantially in the form of the attached report prepared on 5/2/25 by Peter Lecourt, M.S. North Bay Forestry (Forest Restoration and Fire Mitigation Plan). Phase I of the Forest Restoration and Fire Mitigation Plan shall also include items a. – c. below and provided no appeal of the Le Colline II project approval has occurred, shall begin within 72 hours after the expiration of the project approval appeal period. Phase 2 and 3 of the Forest Restoration and Fire Mitigation plan shall begin shortly after the first marketable crop is harvested.
a. Implementation of Defensible Space pursuant to Public Resources Code 4291 and Napa County Code Section 8.36.080 from legally permitted structures along Cold Springs Rd, Winding Way and Bishop Place to comply with defensible space requirements for adjacent residences
b. Granting to Napa Firewise access to Le Colline Ranch to perform fuel load reduction work in compliance with all necessary permits and approvals per Napa Firewise existing plans to address high priority fuel load reduction in the vicinity of Angwin
c. Placement of basic firefighting equipment throughout the Le Colline Property.
d. Upon commencement of vineyard installation, the Forest Restoration and Fire Mitigation plan (or the Oak Woodland and Restoration Plan as the case may be) shall also include the following:
i. Installation of signage to direct first responders
ii. Retrofitting property water tank(s) to allow first responders additional access to firefighting water on the Le Colline property
iii. Installation of fire hydrant at Winding Way to provide firefighting water to first responders to protect residences utilizing existing vineyard irrigation water storage
iv. Mowing and maintaining vineyard row cover crops in accordance with ECP cover crop requirements in a manner that reduces flammable vegetation in vineyard rows
v. Creation of an additional “engine ready” all weather secondary ingress/egress through the Le Colline property to Howell Mountain Rd for first responders, the specific location, form and substance of which is to be determined
4. Adaption of a stream protection zone restoration plan of 6.79 acres +/- (SPZ Restoration Plan) for the purpose of removing invasive, non-indigenous vegetation from the stream protection zones in the areas shown in the attached Exhibit B to begin no later than one hundred eighty (180) days after completion of Phase I of the Forest Restoration and Fire Mitigation plan as shown in item 3. above.
