Kendall Jackson Demonstrates Environmental Credibility (2004)

BACKGROUND
In 2004, Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates Ltd. (K-J) was contemplating the development and use of their owned and leased properties in the fertile wine growing area of Santa Barbara County, California, an area featured in the 2004 best film Oscar nominee “Sideways.”  The twist for K-J, however, was that the land was home and habitat to a threatened species, the California tiger salamander. To its credit, the company understood its responsibility as stewards of the land and began talks with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) for an agreement that would both enhance the habitat while still allowing for the potential of vineyard development. The company was prepared to expend tremendous resources to the initiative.

However, executives remembered, painfully, the negative fallout that resulted from a simple oak tree removal project conducted a few years previously. That activity had provoked a strong reaction from environmental activists at U.C. Santa Barbara and among sympathizers throughout the county. K-J understood that for this new project, communications was going to be key.
The mistake K-J made during the oak tree removal project had little to do with the decision to prepare unused company property for development or the way the program was conducted. Most of the oaks selected were diseased or dead, and a planting campaign was scheduled to follow.