Third-party organizations will guide owners through the new regulatory process surrounding the Napa River and Sonoma Creek watersheds.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Atascadero, Calif., — The San Francisco Bay Regional Quality Water Board has approved a partnership between SIP Certified, LandSmart and Fish Friendly Farming to help vineyard owners along the Napa River and Sonoma Creek watersheds comply with the new water quality control regulations adopted in July 2017. This partnership announcement allows a variety of third-party programs to assist growers in complying with the new permit.
SIP Certified has a long history of regulatory relief throughout California. Now, all SIP Certified growers qualify for Agricultural Order Region 3 compliance, automatically placing all certified vineyards in Tier 1 and verifying compliance with most Tier 1 requirements.
“We are extremely pleased SIP Certified has been approved for this new partnership to work alongside LandSmart and Fish Friendly Farming,” said Kris Beal, Executive Director of the Vineyard Team and SIP Certified. “With the many requirements and deadlines surrounding this new permit, we will be able to not only work closely with the new partners but with our members to guide them through this permit process.”
By selecting to work with a third-party program, vineyard owners may see a reduction in fees due to the San Francisco Bay Regional Quality Water Board, less monitoring and paperwork and receive assistance throughout the entire permit process. Vineyard owners who are currently members of any of these third-party programs will find it much easier to comply with the new regulatory requirements as they will have a good head-start on the programing.
About SIP Certified
Sustainability in Practice (SIP) Certified is a rigorous sustainable vineyard and winery certification with strict, non-negotiable standards based on science and expert input, independent verification, transparency and absence of conflict of interest. The SIP Certified seal helps growers and vintners measure their environmental, social and community impact while also assuring consumers that the product in their bottle was made with conscience and care. Developed by the Vineyard Team, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to sustainable winegrowing since 1994, this program represents one extension of the group’s many innovative programs. To learn more about SIP Certified, please visit the website www.sipcertified.org. For more information about the Vineyard Team, please visit www.vineyardteam.org.
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