Governor urges unity in drought fight during visit to Sonoma County’s Iron Horse Vineyards

Apr 20, 2015

(PD) -Gov. Jerry Brown used an Earth Day celebration at Sonoma County’s Iron Horse Vineyards on Sunday to applaud California’s environmental leadership and reassure residents the state will survive its historic four-year drought by tapping its reservoirs of innovation and creativity.

“I wouldn’t worry about the drought. Just don’t use too much water,” the governor quipped at the event north of Sebastopol. “If we all pull together, I think we can get through it.”

Brown was the surprise speaker at an event that also featured remarks by Santa Rosa climber Kevin Jorgeson and raised funds for the B-Rad Foundation, which honors the life of fallen climber and Jorgeson’s friend, Brad Parker.

Iron Horse Vineyards CEO Joy Sterling said the 300-acre estate winery in the Green Valley appellation epitomized the environmental stewardship honored on Earth Day, which officially marks its 45th year Wednesday.

“Anywhere you look you are going to see love of the land,” Sterling said from a tent beside verdant chardonnay and pinot noir vines. “Where better to celebrate Earth Day than Green Valley?”

Sterling’s family has close ties to Brown’s. Her mother, Audrey Sterling, served as Fair Employment Practices Commission under Brown’s father, Gov. Pat Brown. Sterling herself sits on the state’s Food and Agricultural Board.

Far from dismissing the threats of the ongoing drought, Brown stressed its seriousness. He noted that what many see as a “new normal” of more droughts and higher temperatures is drying out soils, impacting forestlands and extending the state’s fire season by two to three months.

But he stressed there is “a lot of water” that could be put to greater use, including seawater through desalination, graywater from people’s sinks and laundry, recycling treated wastewater and capturing rain water.

“There are literally millions of acre feet that we can, in essence, find, utilize, just through efficiency and innovation and wise use,” Brown said. “There is a challenge, but the challenge then stimulates people’s creativity.”

The state’s wine industry has a mixed record on water use. Some areas have made significant strides in water efficiency and sustainability. But overall water use remains high (it takes many gallons of water to produce the average glass of wine) and the use of water for frost protection can impact rivers and creeks that are habitat for endangered salmon.


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