NVG has heard from many members looking for resources related to preventing erosion on fire-affected properties, and in particular, around CalFire bulldozed lines. Therefore, we have done extensive outreach with industry partners to Napa County, CalFire, and the Napa County Resources Conservation District (RCD) to ensure growers have all the resources needed to manage winterization efforts.
NVG recommends winterizing fire-affected properties ahead of winter rains to mitigate increased erosion risks following fires. However, winterization may look different for every property. Fire and heat severity are often determining factors in deciding what work to do an a specific property. Napa County's WERT Reports for LNU Complex and Glass Fires indicate that most properties were not impacted with the kind of high heat severity that would necessitate work such as reseeding. Therefore, at this time, NVG is not recommending reseeding fire-affected properties UNLESS specifically recommended by the Napa County RCD technical support team. We do, however, recommend installation of straw wattles, water bars, and T-post photo monitoring as ways to both prevent erosion and monitor for increased risk. More information on this is included below.
A note on CalFire's restoration efforts around bulldozed lines: At this time, CalFire has completed any restoration work around bulldozed lines that they intend to do. If you are concerned about potential erosion risks on your property due to bulldozed lines created by CalFire and/or are have not been supported with clean-up and restoration as outlined in this Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Sonoma Lake Napa Unit) letter, please contact CalFire at lnu.incidentclaims@fire.ca.gov.
A note on Napa County's winterization deadline: Napa County's current winterization deadline for vineyard owners is December 15. NVG worked in partnership with other industry groups to secure this deadline extension, as well as received confirmation that landowners will not be penalized for needing more time to clean up debris before installing winterization materials, even following the deadline.
1. Login to view NVG's recent Fire Recovery Seminar Recordings from October 28 & 29 in our "Past Presentations" library including:
2. Determine what assistance makes the most sense for your property:
3. Contact Napa County Resources Conservation District (RCD) to schedule a site visit and receive free technical advice on erosion control and restoring burned properties and bulldozed fire lines
4. Contact the Natural Resources Conservation District (NRCS) and Farm Services Agency (FSA) for guidance on financial assistance for land restoration and vineyard replanting
5. Plan to monitor your hillslope