Sierra Club
Redwood Chapter Newsletter
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Native Forests Threatened by Vineyards Peter Ashcroft | |
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Conversion of forests and wild lands to vineyards is a pressing environmental issue throughout the Redwood Chapter. Rather than using land that has historically been used for agriculture, vineyard conversions take place in redwood or other conifer forests, oak woodlands, and on native grasslands. The environmental impacts of vineyard conversions include habitat fragmentation, water diversion, soil erosion, and water pollution. Fences impede wildlife movements, and access roads act as the thin end of the wedge for other subsequent development. Because conversion projects often occur away from population centers and the public view, (for example, in the Annapolis area of Sonoma County), the public is generally not aware of them. Too often, only the immediate neighbors of these projects appreciate their destructive impacts, and those neighbors lack the political clout to intervene. The Longview project is much larger than most, but is otherwise typical of vineyard conversion projects. This set of properties straddling Sonoma and Mendocino Counties totals approximately 80,000 acres. These timber lands have passed through the hands of several owners in recent years, but have generally been severely over-harvested. Now that the timber potential for the property is exhausted, (and will be for years to come), the owners propose to convert 5,000 acres of the total to vineyards. Although the details of the vineyard proposal are still undecided, the environmental impact cannot but be profoundly destructive. This example highlights the relationship of non-sustainable timber practices to vineyard conversions. Property owners with an eye towards eventual vineyard conversion or other development can harvest their timber with no thought for maintaining a healthy and sustainable forest. The Sierra Club supports sustainable agriculture, but conversion of wild lands to vineyards is inherently unsustainable. The best use for forests even those that have been aggressively over harvested in the past is as forest. |
Sonoma Group members now have a unique opportunity to address the problem of vineyard conversions. The Sonoma County General Plan update provides the opportunity to limit vineyard conversions by redefining the acceptable uses for forests and wild lands. Supervisor Mike Reilly has proposed that we take this opportunity to establish stronger protections for some of our wild lands. While the scope of Supervisor Reilly's proposal is not yet clear, it is clear that he has shown leadership on an important environmental issue. The next step is up to us. What you can do:
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