Draft rules out on hillside vineyard tree removal in Sonoma County

Draft rules out on hillside vineyard tree removal in Sonoma County

[excerpt:]
Sonoma County grape growers aiming to convert forested hillsides with neat rows of vineyards will have to prove their projects won’t damage local waterways under draft regulations released Thursday. The new rules, proposed by Sonoma County Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar, would prohibit tree removal on the steepest of slopes, keep vineyards 50 to 100 feet away from unstable hillsides, and require three years of follow-up to ensure the regulations are effective.

“The ultimate goal of these standards is to protect water quality,” Linegar said.

. . .

Two Annapolis-area proposals call for the conversion of more than 1,900 acres of forest into land for wine grapes. Those two projects – the 146-acre Artesa Vineyard proposal and the 1,769-acre Preservation Ranch project – would be subject to the updated regulations, Linegar said.

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For additional information, see:

Artesa Winery vineyard conversion nears approval?
CAL FIRE released the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for Artesa Winery’s plan to clear-cut 154 acres of coastal redwood forest to plant a vineyard in Annapolis. The EIR states that the project will have no significant environmental or cultural impacts.