Welcome to the Fall/Winter Edition of Air Aware! With changing weather patterns and increased wood burning, the colder months bring their own air quality challenges. The District is committed to keeping our community informed and prepared. Inside this issue, we’re sharing updates on grant programs for residents, reminders about Don’t Light Tonight advisories, and asking for your help on a quick community survey. | | |
In this edition of Air Aware:
- Fresh Air for All – Home Air Filtration Pilot Program Finished!
- 2026 Clean Air Calendars Available
- Don't Light Tonight Season Has Begun
- We Want Your Input: Community Grant Funding Priorities Survey
- New Air District Board Chair and Vice Chair
- Staff Spotlight: John Rowe
- Yolo-Solano Recognized as Clean Air Champion
- 2025 Solicitation Update
- Spare the Air Season Recap
- Woodsmoke Reduction Program – Apply Now
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Fresh Air for All - Home Air Filtration Pilot Program Finished!
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The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District successfully completed its Fresh Air For All – Home Air Filtration Pilot Program, distributing 700 high-quality HEPA air purifiers to households across the District.
Launched in July, the program focused on helping residents—especially those in disadvantaged communities—maintain healthier indoor air during wildfire smoke events and other periods of poor air quality.
The response from the community was overwhelming and highlighted the strong need for access to air filtration resources. With limited funding available, distribution was prioritized for households on tribal land and in state-designated disadvantaged communities, including Rio Vista and parts of West Sacramento.
We’d like to thank everyone who participated in the program and picked up their air purifiers at the District office or at community distribution events, including those held at the Rio Vista and West Sacramento libraries, Rio Vista Senior Center, Holy Cross Church in West Sacramento, the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation Safety and Preparedness Fair, and Yolo County Housing properties. We were grateful to hear so many personal stories—from a new parent excited to use a purifier in their baby’s room, to a resident with a lung transplant, and many others simply looking to keep their homes healthier.
We encourage all residents to stay prepared for smoke events by using air filtration devices and creating “clean air rooms” to help protect indoor air quality on high-pollution days.
We’re also excited to share that the District plans to continue this program in 2026. Visit ysaqmd.org/airfilter for future updates.
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2026 Clean Air Calendars Available
The 2026 Clean Air Calendars are here—and they’re filled with creative artwork from talented student artists across our community!
We loved celebrating these young artists at our recent Clean Air Calendar Art Contest Reception, where students and their families picked up calendars and perused the drawings. District staff members, including our Executive Director Gretchen Bennitt, were able to visit with the students and learn more about their artwork. We were so inspired by their creativity and hard work!
Free copies of the calendar are now available at the District Office, located at 1947 Galileo Ct., Suite 103 in Davis. Stop by during regular business hours to pick one up and enjoy the wonderful student artwork all year long.
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Don't Light Tonight Season Has Begun!
The Don’t Light Tonight season is officially underway. During this time, the District asks residents to refrain from burning wood indoors in fireplaces or wood stoves, and outside in fire pits and barbecues whenever air quality is forecasted to be poor. Advisories are posted online at our website and social media channels, as well as available on our Don't Light Tonight hotline at 530-757-3787.
Woodsmoke contains fine particles and harmful pollutants that can irritate the lungs, worsen asthma, and increase the risk of health problems—especially for children, older adults, and people with existing health conditions. Reducing wood burning during poor air quality days helps protect the health of our entire community.
If you must burn wood for heat on these days, please burn cleanly (only dry, seasoned wood to reduce smoke) and use an EPA-certified device.
Don't Light Tonight season runs through the end of February. Check before you burn. Every small action helps keep our air healthier for everyone!
| | We Want Your Input: Community Grant Funding Priorities Survey | | |
E-bikes. More air purifiers. Electric lawn equipment. What types of projects would you like to see funded? We want to hear from you!
Through the Community Air Protection Incentives Program, funded by the California Air Resources Board, the District provides grants to residents, businesses, and public agencies to help reduce exposure to air pollution.
Please take a moment to share your thoughts using our survey. Your feedback helps guide future grant programs to make the air cleaner and healthier for everyone in the community.
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New Air District Board Chair and Vice Chair
At its December meeting, the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District Board of Directors appointed new leadership to guide the District in 2026. Jim Ernest, Councilmember for the City of Dixon, was appointed as Board Chair, and Carol Scianna, Councilmember for the City of Winters, was appointed Vice Chair.
Both bring valuable experience in local governance and a shared commitment to protecting public health and improving air quality across Yolo and Solano counties. Under their leadership, the Board will continue advancing programs that reduce pollution and engage the community in efforts to maintain cleaner air for all residents.
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Staff Spotlight: John Rowe
We are pleased to welcome John Rowe as the District’s new accounting specialist. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in business administration, both from UC Davis.
Rowe has more than eight years of experience, much of it in the public sector, including roles with the Placer County Superior Court, El Dorado County, and several positions across Yolo County at the district attorney’s office, Department of Financial Services, and county administrator’s office.
He is passionate about fiscal efficiency and sustainable organizational growth and looks forward to using his experience to benefit the agency and the public it serves.
| | | Yolo-Solano Recognized as Clean Air Champion | | |
The Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District, along with the five regional Sacramento air districts, was honored with a Clean Air Champion Award at the Breathe Together event hosted by Breathe California in September. The recognition coincided with an important regional milestone: the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s finalized Determination of Attainment confirming that the Sacramento metropolitan area has officially met the 2008 National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ground-level ozone by the 2024 deadline.
Meeting the 2008 ozone standard means cleaner, healthier air for residents, reduced regulatory burdens for businesses, and continued eligibility for federal transportation and infrastructure funding. The District celebrated the milestone with the other regional air districts at an event in August. As Board Chair Lucas Frerichs noted, “By working together, we’ve made real progress in reducing air pollution and safeguarding public health for our communities—but our work doesn’t stop here.”
We’re grateful to the businesses, residents, and organizations who have worked alongside us to help improve air quality across the region.
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2025 Solicitation Update
The District completed the random drawing for its 2025 Solicitation this fall, selecting projects to receive grant funding through our incentive programs. Using a bingo cage and balls, a total of 18 projects were randomly selected, including 17 agricultural equipment replacement projects and one non-agricultural off-road equipment replacement project.
This year, $2.3 million in funding was available through the Carl Moyer, Community Air Protection (CAP) Incentives, Targeted Airshed Grant (TAG), and AB 923 programs. Most selected projects will replace older tractors with cleaner, more efficient models, along with a few loader and backhoe replacements.
Four funded projects are located in state-designated disadvantaged communities, including two in West Sacramento and two in Rio Vista, helping to reduce emissions in areas that experience a greater air quality burden.
One of the selected projects is at Rainwater Ranch in Winters, where a frequently used tractor (pictured) will be replaced with a newer, lower-emission model—supporting cleaner air and healthier communities throughout the region.
To ensure fairness and transparency, project selection was conducted through a random drawing process.
For more information about the District’s incentive programs, visit our website.
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Spare the Air Season Recap
Summer brings sunshine, heat, and unfortunately, ozone—also known as smog. Ozone forms when vehicle emissions mix with heat and sunlight, making it the biggest air pollution concern during these months. We closely monitor ozone levels throughout the season from May 1 to Oct. 31.
During the 2025 season, we called two Spare the Air days—on July 11 and July 12—asking residents to limit driving gas-powered vehicles to reduce ozone-forming emissions during the hottest, sunniest days.
Thanks to the efforts of our community and favorable conditions, air quality was relatively healthy throughout the 184-day season:
- Good (0–50): 160 days — up from 151 in 2024
- Moderate (51–100): 24 days — down from 33 last year
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101+) or higher: 0 days
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Woodsmoke Reduction Program – Apply Now
The District’s Woodsmoke Reduction Program is actively accepting applications and offering significant financial assistance—ranging from $2,500 to $10,000—to help residents replace old, uncertified wood-burning stoves or fireplaces with cleaner, more efficient options like gas or electric inserts, or heat pumps.
Woodsmoke is not only bad for the environment but can also affect your health. Woodsmoke is made up of a complex mixture of harmful gases and particulate matter, known as PM2.5, that is small enough to bypass the human body’s natural defenses. Upgrading improves indoor and outdoor air quality and makes your home healthier.
Learn more and apply today on our website or email woodstove@ysaqmd.org with any questions.
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YOLO-SOLANO AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT
1947 Galileo Court, Suite 103, Davis, CA 95618
Phone: 530-757-3650 | www.ysaqmd.org
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