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Lake Berryessa is a travesty. The concessions should be closed down and a reputable concession company brought in, with a proven track record of environmental compliance and experience in operating facilities for the public rather than just collecting monthly rent from private vacation sites.

Other recreation lakes generate sales tax and transient occupancy tax for local government, but instead of public accommodations that would generate revenue for Napa County, Lake Berryessa has 1300 private vacation sites which don't pay TOT and generate little sales tax. This is why Napa pays $700,000 more in enforcement and emergency services for Lake Berryessa than it earns in revenue from the Lake. Napa Valley tourists bring in more than $22 million dollars a year for local government. As a Napa resident I am tired of my local tax dollars subsidizing this lake.

And as the Lake only generates $375,000 a year for the federal government while the operating budget for the Lake is $3.8 million dollars, I am also tired of my federal tax dollars subsidizing the private enjoyment of this lake.

Most Napa residents don't recreate at the Lake - there are few trails, the concessions - which control many of the access points - are unattractive, expensive and focused on serving the private vacation sites with few public facilities, the Lake is overrun with motor boats and jet skis during the holidays, and it has a reputation for being unsafe. The commercial campsites are miserable - crowded, noisy, and in some cases downwind of wastewater ponds, while the private vacation sites take up prime shoreline. This isn't fair. The public needs trails, cabins, public campgrounds, and no motor and 5 mph zones around the lake for swimming and kayaking.

I am also outraged to learn that the government has allowed the concession areas to continue operating even though their own environmental assessment indicates that there are numerous code violations, including the conclusion that because of the lack of regular maintenance and repair, the sewer systems are in a deteriorated condition and the potential for human pathogenic contact is "very high". Why are these concessions still in business? Doesn't the federal government read its own reports?

Shut down the concessions and bring in someone with experience and a good track record to redevelop the area to better serve the recreational needs of the public.

Sincerely,