Press Release

Statement on Watershed and Oak Woodland Initiative

10/2/2017 - In early September, the Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announced that its Board of Directors was working with the local Watershed Protection Committee in support of the compromise Napa County Watershed and Oak Woodland Protection Initiative of 2018. Over the past few weeks, the NVV has received extensive feedback from members of the trade association, other wine industry groups and the community at large regarding this announcement.

Although NVV's intentions were to try to prevent the return of last year’s unnecessarily restrictive initiative, it has become evident that there is a lack of consensus among NVV members and others in the community regarding this action. Complicating matters, the original burdensome initiative was refiled last week by its proponents.

As a result, the NVV Board of Directors voted unanimously on Friday to:

• Suspend work on the compromise 2018 Watershed and Oak Woodland Initiative.
• Support a professionally-mediated, consensus-building process that includes leaders from both the local wine and environmental communities to create a new approach that more people in the industry and community can support.
• Work toward a February 1, 2018 deadline which would allow for any new proposed initiative to qualify for the November 2018 ballot.

The NVV Board heard from its members, industry colleagues and community leaders on both sides and looks forward to continuing this important conversation.

About the Napa Valley Vintners The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its 550 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, to provide environmental leadership and to care for the extraordinary place they call home. Learn more at napavintners.com.

Contact: Cate Conniff, Communications Manager, 707.968.4229, cconniff@napavintners.com