By JAY GOETTING, Register Staff Writer
Monday, October 24, 2005
California's Department of Fish and Game wants to restore 1,400 acres of what were once salt evaporation ponds near the Napa County Airport. DFG says it wants the area to become "a mosaic of tidal wetland and open water habitat."
While the Napa County Board of Supervisors says it commends DFG for its goals associated with the project, it also set forth a number of concerns to be addressed in the required environmental documentation.
The land in question is southwest of the Napa County Airport and is part of a 16,500 acre salt pond purchase by federal, state and private concerns throughout the San Francisco Bay estuary system.
The Napa County lands were part of the Cargill Salt Co. plant site purchased by DFG in 2003.
Fish and Game says the restored tidal marsh will provide habitat for flora and fauna that depend on the ecosystems for survival.
Because of its proximity to the airport, the county is concerned that it may be too good a home for birds that can interfere with or even impose a threat to aircraft.
Supervisors also want the environmental impact report for the project to address the possibility of future extensions of the airport's runway and taxiways.
The lands, zoned as Agricultural Watershed, will be subject to the scrutiny of the county's Airport Land Use Commission which must give its stamp of approval and be confident that the restoration project is compatible with the county's Airport Master Plan.
Although much of the land around the airport is protected against any future development, a letter from the county states, "The project should be designed to avoid precluding potential activities and/or future improvements in the vicinity, and the EIR should assess effects on these potential activities/improvements, including agricultural uses, the use of recycled water for irrigation and boating and ferry service on the Napa River."
DFG said it is taking into account the effects of the project on neighbors, including residences across the river on Milton Road.
Public uses are planned to be a part of the restoration effort, as well. They would include biking, canoe and kayak launching sites, hunting, angling and bird watching.
The county points out that the area may be part of a future trail linking Napa and American Canyon as part of a Bay Area-wide trail network. Housing is planned for DFG staff on Green Island, on an upland section of the property It would use existing structures, according to the department. Cargill con= tinues to do some work on or near the DFG property.
As recently as last week, it was involved in a routine dredging project on the river. The county would like to see the area for dredge spoils remain on the property for use by the flood control district.