The Valley floor is packed with vineyards and there’s no space to expand. So winemakers who want to increase their crop have to plant new vines on the valley’s hillsides which, right now, are covered with one of California’s densest concentrations of oak woodlands.
http://kalw.org/post/napa-county-measure-c-sharply-divides-wine-industry#stream/0
In this moment of mercenary politics, those of us who are out-proud tree-huggers have taken to citing the bottom line. The clean water, timber, cultural and recreation opportunities of a single forest deliver more economic value than all of the failing U.S. coal industry.
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/the-secret-life-and-value-of-trees/
Measure C in Napa County, which would limit the number of oak trees that vineyard owners can cut down on hillsides, narrowly led Friday night 50.1 percent to 49.9 percent, despite farmers and the wine industry heavily outspending conservation groups.
Have you ever wondered why woodpeckers pound so incessantly?
In the case of acorn woodpeckers -- gregarious black-and-red birds in California’s oak forests -- they’re building an intricate pantry, a massive, well-organized stockpile of thousands of acorns to carry them through the winter.
https://www.kqed.org/science/1925251/youd-never-guess-what-an-acorn-woodpecker-eats
Dr. McCreary advised in the of Spring 2017, “Powdery mildew doesn’t need rainfall, but it is favored by warm conditions, high humidity and low light and it loves young, succulent foliage.
