Have you ever wondered how the Napa Open Space District is funded and how that funding is used to protect our parks and open space? Well, wonder no more!
The Napa Open Space District is currently funded through the Napa County’s Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Special Projects Fund, (just over $800,000 this fiscal year). With that $800,000 the District has leveraged grants of nearly $3 for every $1 the County provides. In addition to leveraging TOT to secure additional grant funding, the District organized 13,200 volunteer hours in 2015, for a grand total of more than 60,000 hours at a value of $1.3million since 2007.
With this funding, the Open Space District over the last 12 months:
- Completed purchase of 443 acres on Smittle Creek west of Lake Berryessa. This purchase will allow the public to explore the federally owned but up to now mostly inaccessible 6,500 acres Cedar Roughs Wilderness.
- Accepted of a donation of 51 acres on Dry and Wing Creeks in the Mayacamus Mountains, known as Amy’s Grove, that will provide a quiet respite under towering redwoods.
- Protected the “donut hole” at Lake Berryessa in partnership with the Napa County Land Trust (a private inholding between District and federally-owned lands), thereby creating a 784-acre contiguous wilderness preserve and opportunities for hiking and backcountry camping.
- Completed phase I of the Soscol Headwaters with the purchase of 411 acres, which will result in 5 miles of new Bay Area Ridge Trail, connect Skyline Park to Highway 12 in Jameson Canyon, and offer spectacular 365 degree views from the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the east, Mt. St. Helena to the north, Mt. Tamalpais and Sutro Peak in San Francisco, and Mt Diablo to the south.
- Completed phase I of Camp Berryessa, which will offer youth outdoor education and group camping experiences
- Completed Sam the Eagle trail and started on the Madrone Trail at Moore Creek Park
- Is close to obtaining a 20-year lease to operate all three state parks in Napa (Robert Louis Stevenson, Bothe Napa Valley and Bale Grist), to ensure they remain open to the public and to protect their natural and cultural resources.
Despite all that has been accomplished, at current funding levels (including the County Special Projects Fund and park user fees), it would take the District nearly 100 years to raise what is needed to complete all the existing projects in the 10 locations managed by the parks district. The District is rapidly approaching the limit of what we can do with existing funding and can’t take on new projects without letting existing projects go.
If you support the work of the Napa Open Space District we have a number of opportunities for you to get involved!
As you can see our volunteers provided extensive support of our work. If you are interested in volunteering, go to our volunteer page and let us know by filling out our online form. We’ll add you to our list of volunteer activities which take place monthly!
If you can’t volunteer, you can always donate to the cause. All donations are tax deductible and go to a specific project, which you can determine. Click here to head to the donation page.
Last but not least, you can check out the expenditure plan that will guide the use of proposed new revenues if they are approved by the voters of Napa County this coming November!