August 25, 2026 (Saint Helena, CA) — Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) announces an $85,000 grant to Napa Communities Firewise Foundation for the second year of its Valley Stewards Initiative. To date, NVV has given $2.1 million directly for wildfire preparedness in Napa County.
This grant builds on NVV’s long-term commitment to community and is the latest in a series of investments intended to strengthen Napa County’s ability to respond to wildfire incidents.
“NVV understood early on that mitigation work requires sustained investment, not a one-time response. Their continued support has helped move Napa County from reacting to wildfire toward greater preparedness and resilience,” said Joe Nordlinger, CEO of Napa Communities Firewise Foundation.
Following the devastating wildfires of 2020, NVV made wildfire prevention and preparedness a top priority, advocating with policymakers at the county, state and federal levels for greater government resources. NVV’s advocacy and endorsement of grant applications helped secure over $25 million for fire resiliency in the Napa Valley community.
Those efforts have been enhanced by direct investments from NVV and its members in projects that strengthen response across the county.
Investing in Wildfire Preparedness
In 2022, NVV provided funding for emergency communications technology and 24/7 wildfire detection, helping connect Napa County Fire with volunteer fire stations and maintain detection sensors during peak fire season.
From 2023 to 2025, NVV gave another $1.6 million in grants for wildfire defense work through Napa Firewise and the Napa County Resource Conservation District. Those investments have supported strategic fire roads and firebreaks, forest restoration and community education. To date, Firewise has restored 189 miles of strategic fire roads.
In 2024, NVV provided $300,000 to purchase a bulldozer for Napa Firewise to help establish and restore fire-containment lines throughout the county. Maintained fire roads are critical to wildfire response with one recent example being the August 2025 Pickett Fire where fire roads became the anchor points for fire containment.
Valley Stewards Initiative
NVV first invested $100,000 in the Valley Stewards Initiative in 2025. The newly approved $85,000 grant will support its second year.
“Being prepared for wildfires depends on knowing what resources exist across the landscape and being able to put that information in the hands of firefighters when they need it,” said Nordlinger.
Through field assessments and mapping, Napa Firewise identifies private lands, including vineyards, that contain water sources, emergency access roads, fuel breaks, staging areas, turnarounds and other resources that can be used during incidents. Most of this information has not been visible to firefighters until now. Once verified, the information is added to CAL FIRE’s command system for use in planning and response.
Nearly 200 landowners representing approximately 37,000 acres have participated to date. Sixty-four properties have already been integrated into the system, with 100 expected by the end of 2026 and more than 350 anticipated over the initiative’s first three years.
The initiative is also helping Napa Firewise identify where additional fuel-reduction work could provide the greatest community benefit, with more than 12 priority projects already being scoped for 2027.
About Napa Valley Vintners
The Napa Valley Vintners nonprofit trade association has been cultivating excellence since 1944 by inspiring its nearly 530 members to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, provide environmental leadership and care for the extraordinary place they call home. NVV has invested more than $245 million in community healthcare, youth development and the environment in Napa County.
