Position on Measure B

The Napa County Farm Bureau Board discussed The Napa County Wildfire Preparedness, Watershed Protection and Open Space Preservation sales tax measure that will be on the November 2026 ballot as Measure B. In addition to the Board’s review and discussion, the Farm Bureau’s Advocacy Committee spoke directly with representatives from Napa Firewise and Napa Land Trust, the primary sponsors of the tax measure.

The proposed measure is a half-cent sales tax, expected to generate approximately $23 million annually for the next 18 years. We believe the proposed measure needs to be considered in two parts, as revenue would be split in half for two distinct and different purposes. The first is funding for fire mitigation and prevention. The second is for land acquisition, park development, and open space stewardship.

Ongoing funding for fire mitigation and prevention is critically needed for the wellbeing of the community and agriculture industry. Work by the County and organizations like Napa Firewise have provided a direct benefit to agriculture, and to the public, in lowering costs and providing measures of mitigation against future wildfires.

Although we have some concerns with the lack of specificity for how the revenue will be used for fire prevention, and what organizations can access funding through the competitive grant process, the value of having dedicated funding for fire prevention activities and services outweighs those concerns.

Funding for Open Space will help grow and sustain the Regional Parks and Open Space District, and appears likely to fund Napa Land Trust for land acquisition and land management. The Napa Land Trust controls over 90,000 acres of land in Napa, according to the organization. While some of this is through agricultural easements, the total acres controlled by the Land Trust is double that of acres in agricultural production. Early indications suggest the new revenue will be used to acquire additional land.

Existing open space in Napa is not consistently maintained, and in some cases has put agricultural land at greater risk for fire and pest issues. Collaboration with individual land owners neighboring Land Trust controlled land has been difficult, and active land management in partnership with agriculture has been lacking in consistency. The Napa County Farm Bureau sees the need for a record of active land management and effective partnership with the agricultural sector before the organization can support tax revenue to acquire and manage more land.

We hope the future of open space controlled by Napa Land Trust and other agencies will incorporate a more active land management approach, that benefits and protects, works in relation to, and in partnership with agriculture. Until that time, we do not support a public tax to fund more of the same.

Like the measure itself, the Napa County Farm Bureau is split between supporting additional and ongoing revenue for needed fire mitigation and prevention services, and opposition to an overly broad tax that has the potential of putting pressure on Napa agriculture. The Farm Bureau cannot oppose the measure because of the proven value of fire prevention, yet cannot support the measure without a better track record of open space agencies working in collaboration with agriculture. Because of this, the Napa County Farm Bureau will remain neutral in the campaign.