CITY OF AMERICAN SPEAKER FORM CANYON To speak during the open public comment period or on a specific agenda item, please complete a speaker form and return it to the meeting clerk. Remarks are limited to 3 minutes. Please select one option: Pyblic Comment (non-agenda item) 3 Agenda Item (number or title): bunerel Plam Iwould like to be contacted by: Please provide your name for the official record. Include contact information if you would like staff to follow up with you. Name Suolhe Bagmolee Meeting Date (Please print) Email Address Phone Mailing Address (optional) CITY OF AMERICAN SPEAKER FORM CANyON To speak during the open public comment period or on a specific agenda item, please complete a speaker form and return it to the meeting clerk. Remarks are limited to 3 minutes. Please select one option: Pwblic Comment (non-agenda item) - or 53 Agenda Item (number title): bienesl Plar Iwould like to be contacted by: Please provide your name for the official record. Include contact information if you would like staff to follow up with you. Name ScoNn Gre Meeting Date 412/29- (Please print) Email Address Phone Mailing Address (optional) Nicolle Hall From: Nance Matson Sent: Tuesday, April 1, 2025 10:17 AM To: Brent Cooper Cc: Tara McClinton-Horner, CityClerk Subject: Fwd: Jurisdiction of your committee. Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Yvonne Baginski Date: March 30, 2025 at 9:59:35 AM CST To: Tara Horner - Nance Matson Barry Christian - External Cc: Jeannette Goyetche , Scott Thomason Subject: Jurisdiction of your committee. Good afternoon. There's sO much on my mind about this General Plan that will come before the Commission on April 2. Iwill try to summarize my comments here: 1. All land in the American Canyon ULL has already been slated for development. No critical habitat has been set aside for wildlife within the ULL, except for 36-acres (is this the same property some are proposing to make into a BMX bike park?) as a mitigation for the Canyon Estate Home Development and a 34-acre wetland at Napa Logistics Park. Both these properties are managed by the Golden State Conservancy. There is no other property I know of that has been set aside for wildlife habitat. lam also unaware of any potentially habitable property within the current ULL. This General Plan does not address any particular properties as critical habitat. Though painted a deceptive green on the map, all grasslands to the north are already slated for development by the Buzz Oates Warehouse Project. There are no critical habitat areas designated in American Canyon. The loss of the grasslands in the north area of the city will have a significant impact on foraging capabilities for the raptors and other wildlife. One possibility of future habitat conservation near American Canyon is on properties currently under the auspices of Napa County. Without a dedicated conservation commitment to any new properties coming in under the American Canyon ULL, these properties, too, will eventually be slated for development. The conservation commitment cannot be limited to special or endangered species. Itis the biodiversity of all biological resources that are now considered at risk in this region. 1 2. While the General Plan now considers streams/creeks in American Canyon as Open Space, I don't see a map of all creek and open space availability in the General Plan. Is this open space accessible to the public? The General Plan states 20% of American Canyon land is Open Space. The State of California is asking for 30% of land be designated as open space by 2030. American Canyon is far below that goal. 3.The General Plan defines "engaging streets" as open space. That's certainly a stretch and doesn't come under any official designation I can find online. Maybe more information can be defined on what is meant by an "engaging" street and where exactly, in American Canyon, these streets are located? 4. In 2023, SB 272 (Laird) became law. This requires that local governments along the S.F. Bay estuary develop a Bioregional Shoreline Adaptation Plan. This plan must be developed by 2034. American Canyon is not technically required to submit such a plan, however it will be impacted by seawater rise and is strongly encouragedto adopt a plan. There are also SB 1 funds available to cover the costs of this plan, once it is submitted. Information on the specifications of this are at Bayadapt.org. The Bay Conservation and Development Commission has guidelines for the plan. You can also see the impact of rising sea levels on the American Canyon wetlands at caladapt.org. Wetlands are threatened over the next ten years and I see no policy or plan relating to this in the General Plan. And, it's not just the sea level rise to be concerned about, there is also the issue of rising groundwater and changing shorelines. In January, 2025, American Canyon residents reported that during the King Tides, the bay water rose over the levees along the wetlands. There will be just more of that in the future. 5. The reason a shoreline adaptation plan is sO important is because there is a 157-acre parcel of land, the Green Island Vineyard property, where the investor is working hard to geti it into the Sphere of Influence and eventually become annexed by the City of American Canyon. His plans include housing and a business park on that property. However, its location is imperative for wildlife and marsh for seawater absorption as sea level rise takes over the lower parts of the levee areas. We will need that land to prevent flooding and for wildlife habitat. That property could, if purchased by the City of American Canyon, and deemed as wildlife conservation property, be the saving grace of the shoreline. There is no mention of habitat conservation along the shoreline in the General Plan. 6. The General Plan also calls for the encouragement of private developers to develop commercial recreation, including a possible campground and/or RV park. Where? What are the potential locations for commerclatrecreation opportunities? 7. The General plan refers to "Smaller wetlands" within the city boundaries. Is there a map of all the wetland locations? Is there a verifiable number? Where is the information on these wetlands maintained? These wetlands should be mapped and in the general plan. 8. The General Plan calls to 'encourage the use of native vegetation, where possible. The State of California will required in 2027 (AB 1572, 2023) 3 all nonfunctional turn owned by municipalities, HOA's, etc., will no longer be permitted to use potable water for watering. This is going to be a huge shift and cities should start preparing now for the shift. There is no implementation plan on how this will happen happen in A.C.. The city 2 doesn't have a native plant inventory, nor even a list of native plants that are conducive to American Canyon's several micro-climates. And, there's been little/no enforcement of landscaping that's been already put in by developers to make sure that it's met the terms of mitigations. Sometimes, I've found, nothing but dying plants because the developer didn't putin a watering system. There need to be a more specific plan on how this is going to be carried forth. 9. Local environmental groups, i.e., the Napa Solano Audubon Society and the California Audubon Society, have the most up-to-date information on critical habitat, wildlife movement, bird sightings, etc. in Napa County. There needs to be an amendment to the Biological Resources section encouraging utilization by developer-hired wildlife biologists, when putting together an EIR or Biological Assessment for a property. Currently, they only use the California Nature Biodiversity Database. This database is woefully out-of- date and posting are not kept up. Reliable sources have told me that this database is several years behind in postings. For the more accurate information, the database materialin Naturalst.org, or eBird.org could be more valuable. Mostly, the General Plan ignores the urgency of the climate crisis, habitat conservation and a balance between the preserving the environment and economic development. The General Plan lacks a clear Conservation component. urge this Commission to consider these points before moving forward to approve the draft of this General Plan. will see at the meeting. Yvonne Baginski, Conservation Director Napa/Solano 3