Coastal Forest Activists from Sonoma County will unveil their own vintage product today in front of the 2004 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium in Sacramento to call attention to the continued conversion of coastal redwood forests to vineyards. An eight-foot high wine bottle bearing the label “Pinot Egregio: Chainsaw Wine” wielding an over-sized chainsaw will threaten eight-foot tall redwood trees in its quest to convert the fragile forest ecosystem to a highly cherished vanity crop.
The California Department of Forestry (CDF) is currently approving forestland to vineyard conversions in the coastal forests of Sonoma County. Clear cutting is presently taking place on many acres of conversions spearheaded by vineyard entrepreneurs. They hope to profit by permanently scraping an ancient forest ecosystem off coastal hills and planting the bare ground with wine grapes. The recent CDF issuance of a Negative Declaration for the “Artesa” conversion in Annapolis represents the opening door on a far reaching, serious threat to maintaining water quality, water quantity and biodiversity in north coast watersheds.
The Artesa conversion is one of the largest conversion projects so far in Sonoma County. It includes the permanent deforestation of 105 acres of redwood and conifer forest. Artesa Vineyards is located in Napa County, and its owner is the Spanish corporation Codorniu, the world’s third largest largest wineries.
"The deforestation in these plans being approved and those pending is being done without any thorough study of the cumulative effects from all of the existing, pending, and potential future conversions”, says Chris Poehlmann of the Coastal Forest Alliance, an environmental citizens group from the Annapolis area concerned about widespread forestland conversion. "These planned coastal vineyards are in water scarce areas and utilize large lined reservoirs that prevent natural runoff from entering streams and the river. Evidence is mounting that rivers throughout the North Coast are experiencing greatly reduced summer flow due to extensive vineyard development.”
Environmental groups are concerned about dangers these conversions pose to the surrounding areas. The complex forest ecosystem acts as a sponge that absorbs winter rainfall and releases it slowly over the year to maintain fish, riparian habitat and clean, safe water for domestic use. In addition, long lists of toxic pesticides and herbicides used by commercial vineyards have been shown to disrupt soil and nutrient cycles, causing irreversible damage. No studies exist looking into the effects of this potential chemical cocktail on salmonids and other downstream fauna and aquatic life.
Although the 2004 Wine and Grape Symposium is primarily an industry and trade-related event aimed at improving practices and available technologies for wine growers throughout the nation, the continued deforestation of the world’s largest trees is noticeably absent from any of the discussions among the four day event.
“I think the majority of America’s wine consumers would be heartbroken to see that the Redwood Empire is being carved away to make room for the Redwine Empire,” adds Toben Dilworth of the Occidental-based Town Hall Coalition.
In 2002, The Wine Institute released its Code of Sustainability in response to drawing fire from environmental groups over their development practices. Although both groups acknowledge the progress the Wine Industry has made in making improvements on existing vineyards, the loss of irreplaceable redwood forests still continues.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 28, 2004
CONTACT: Chris Poehlmann (707) 886-5182
Coastal Forest Alliance
Toben Dilworth (707) 874-9110
Town Hall Coalition
Additional Contacts:
California Department of Forestry
Alan Robertson, Forest Conversions
916-657-0300
David DiPiero, Grower Relations
Artesa Vineyards and Winery
1345 Henry Road
Napa CA 94599
707-224-1668 x132
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