Court Requires Impact Report for Knights Valley winery

Court overturns a negative declaration of environmental impact and requires an Environmental Impact Report for winery project in Knights Valley. Perhaps this will help the Board of Supervisors think again about approving other similar wineries without EIRs. Good news for the environment!

Knights Valley, like the upper Mark West Watershed, is covered by the County’s Franz Valley Area Plan, so we share many land use issues in common. At the Public Hearing for "Pelton House," Jess Jackson's Knights Valley Winery and 200-person events facility, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted to approve the project--even after listening to a roomful of residents speak against it. For recent expert testimony regarding impacts on tributaries to the Russian River (Kellogg, Yellowjacket, and Redwood Creeks) and their habitat, please click here. Here's the Press Democrat article on the vote.

Free Wood Chipper/
Defensible Space Program

The Alpine Valley has received grant money for a wood chipper program to be used by residents in their efforts to create defensible space from wildland fires on their properties.

"Home survival in wildland fires is largely dependent on steps taken by homeowners far in advance of a fire. SV Fire, CAL FIRE and Fire Safe Sonoma’s Caerleon Safford will be presenting 'Living with Fire in Sonoma County.' This lively and enjoyable presentation will show that “Defensible Space” is beautiful, why it is crucial for the health of our County’s beautiful wildland areas, and how to create it.

"Caerleon Safford is the Executive Director of Fire Safe Sonoma. She has also worked for the Sonoma County Department of Emergency Services as a fire prevention and vegetation management specialist and is an active volunteer firefighter for the Fort Ross VFD."

To download an application for the free Wood Chipper program (Chippers Ahoy), visit: http://firesafesonoma.org/

FMWW Supports Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership

On 02/28/2010, the FMWW membership voted to wholeheartedly support the Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership (RRCWRP). You can read the entire letter of support here.

For more information about this exciting partnership,check out their website: www.cohopartnership.org

Cornell Winery Update

UPDATE: BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENTS
Item No. 1 Time: 1:05 p.m. File: UPE07-0008 Applicant: Guy Davis

Request for a Use Permit for new winery with maximum annual production capacity of 10,000 cases with visitors/tasting by appointment only on a 40 acre parcel; on August 24, 2009, project modified to include 100 Wappo Road and 560 Wappo Road.

Applicant proposes to demo house at 100 Wappo Road and put a conservation easement on property to remove its water usage from Mark West Creek Watershed and mitigate impact of new winery; applicant proposes to relocate septic system to 560 Wappo Road.

Location: 100, 245 and 560 Wappo Road, Santa Rosa APN: 028-260-025, -041, and 028-250-007 Supervisorial District: 1 Zoning: RRD (Resources and Rural Development), B6-100 acre density, BR (Biotic Resource), and RR (Rural Residential), B6-15 acre density, BR (Biotic Resource), SR (Scenic Resource)

BZA deliberations CONTINUED TO AUGUST 12, 2010 AT 1:05 P.M.

The Board of Zoning Adjustments held a hearing on the Cornell Winery proposal on 2/25/2010. After the results of a peer-reviewed geologic report showed that the proposed winery site was potentially unstable, the County recommended that the applicant:

A) Reduce the building size to what is reasonable necessary to accommodate
the hospitality needs of the 15 tasters or ten diners;

B) Explore alternative locations to avoid landslides; and

C) After any directed or required geologic and geotechnical studies, submit the revised project, with a landscaping plan to the Design Review Committee for review before returning to the BZA.

Mr. Davis requested that the County give approval of the new site before he have new building plans drawn up. The County agreed that it would not require new building plans until it had approved a building site.

The revised project is scheduled to appear again before the BZA, perhaps in July. Stay tuned for updates.

See 2004 photos of sediment in Mark West Creek below Cornell vineyards and 2006-2009 photos of Cornell's efforts to repair damage to hillside caused by 2006 landslide. All of these photos were supplied by Paul Keiran from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board (the NCRWQCB).

Cornell Winery Controversy

For a brief backgrounder visit: Documents Directory.

Phone Alert System from the
Emergency Preparedness Committee

A joint program of the Alpine Club and the FMWW, the Phone Alert System calls your phone(s) when there is a local emergency that could impact you or your property. For more information, go to our new Emergency Preparedness page.

FMWW Criticizes County's Proposed Grading Ordinance

UPDATE:  Final Ordinance now posted. This ordinance will amend the Sonoma County Code to consolidate all grading, drainage and vineyard and orchard development related code provisions into one comprehensive chapter. In other words, it will make all grading and vineyard conversions "ministerial actions," thereby "...circumventing any eaningful environmental review and public disclosure and participation" according to Ray Krauss. To see the documents involved and read FMWW's critique, go to our new Grading Ordinance page.

Your Watershed Needs You!

The FMWW is reorganizing itself so much of the work we hope to accomplish will happen in highly-focused Standing Committees. You can now read descriptions of the FMWW Standing Committees.

FRIENDS OF THE MARK WEST WATERSHED
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

August 19, 2009, 6- 9 PM
MONAN’S RILL HUB

(Agenda to come one week before meeting)

Directions to Monan's Rill ~ 7899 St. Helena Road, Santa Rosa CA 95404. Approx. 4 miles on St. Helena Road from Calistoga Road. At the bottom of a sharp S turn, there are several mailboxes on the left at the base of the main drive onto the land. You will also see a sign for Monan's Rill at the entry on the left side of the road. Go up the gravel drive. Please keep your speed below 15 mph. Monan's Rill community hub is about a mile up the drive. Once you get onto the property, keep going straight, curving around to the left until you get to a "Y". Take the right fork and make the next left at the mailboxes. The community building is on the left and parking is on the roadway or in the parking lot area on the right of the building. Please leave your pets at home ~ stay clear of the ponds ~ no smoking. Please Note: All attendees at our monthly meetings are asked to sign a general liability release for the benefit of Monan’s Rill.

Our On-Going Strategic Planning

FMWW Mission:  We are a community dedicated to preserving, protecting, and restoring the Mark West Creek and its watershed as a natural and community resource.

Read our May 17, 2008 Agreements as to how FMWW plans to operate under Consensus (a work in progress).

NEW uploads of Planning Documents:

Saddle Mountain Management Plan: The Ag and Open Space District has contracted for the preparation of a management plan for the Saddle Mountain property. This is the latest update on their progress. (Acrobat file; 20KB size)

Upper Mark West Watershed Management Plan: Phase One: The Sotoyome Resource Conservation District has begun a management plan for the Upper Mark West Watershed. Phase One summarizes existing information about the natural history of our watershed and identifies what further work we need to complete a plan for its (hopefully enlightened) management. (Acrobat file; 604KB size)

Franz Valley Specific Plan; 1979: Sonoma County prepared and adopted this land use plan and environmental impact report in 1979. It has since been incorporated by reference into the County’s General Plan. It contains information about the environmental sensitivities and constraints and opportunities of our watershed and the importance of the watershed to the environmental future of the County. It also has a nice ethnographic history. (Acrobat file; 13MB size)