To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Authorization for the Humboldt County Department of Public Works to Accept and Administer Funding Made Available by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (“CAL FIRE”) and Approval of the Associated Supplemental Budget (4/5 vote required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt the attached resolution authorizing the Humboldt County Department of Public Works Director, or a designee thereof, to accept a direct award invitation and administer funds, on behalf of the county and the North Coast Resource Partnership (“NCRP”), made available through the CAL FIRE, Forest Health Grant Program to support the “Integrating Regional Planning and Forest Health Implementation Pilot Project”;
2. Direct the Clerk of the Board to provide a fully executed original copy of the attached resolution to the Humboldt County Department of Public Works for submission to CAL FIRE; and
3. Approve, and authorize the Humboldt County Auditor-Controller to post a supplemental budget request and make technical corrections as needed (4/5 vote required).
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant
DISCUSSION:
The NCRP was initiated in 2004 as a water management collaborative between the counties of Humboldt, Sonoma, Modoc, Mendocino, Trinity, Del Norte and Siskiyou. The NCRP is now a successful coalition of North Coast Counties and Tribes that has brought over $100,000,000 in highly competitive funding to the north coast region. The Leadership Council, the governing body for the NCRP, is comprised of representatives from each of the seven (7) NCRP counties and Tribal areas and acts as the North Coast Regional Water Management Group. The County of Humboldt is currently represented on the NCRP Leadership Council by Supervisors Madrone (Leadership Council Co-Vice-Chair), Bohn, and Wilson (Alternate voting member). In addition, the County of Humboldt has acted as the Regional Contract Administrator, as authorized by the NCRP Leadership Council, since 2005. The county’s role is to enter into grant agreements, on behalf of the NCRP, and oversee project implementation and administration within the terms of each funding source. County administrative staff work closely with NCRP lead consultant, Westcoast Watershed, responsible for coordination, strategic planning, funding applications, plan development, stakeholder engagement and outreach, and communications, as well as the consulting NCRP Tribal Engagement Coordinator, California Indian Environmental Alliance.
CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Program developed the Landscape Grant Pilot with the California Department of Conservation (“DOC”) under the leadership of California’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force and the NCRP was selected for a Direct Award to model the regional approach to project selection and implementation. CAL FIRE is offering the NCRP, through the County of Humboldt, an award of $10,000,000 to implement the “Integrating Regional Planning and Forest Health Implementation Pilot Project” (See the CAL FIRE support letter provided in Attachment 1 for more details). Over the last 17 years, the NCRP has demonstrated the capacity to prioritize, plan and fund the implementation of projects that achieve the State of California’s ambitious goals for forest health, watershed resiliency, equity, human community health and safety, climate action, and economic vitality. This grant will result in implementation of project priorities identified in the NCRP regional wildfire resilience plan developed with guidance and support from the DOC's Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program. This grant will leverage the NCRP’s stable, equitable, science-based identification and prioritization process to deliver additional regionally important Forest Health implementation projects.
In its role as the Regional Contract Administrator for the NCRP, the administration of funds, such as those offered through this grant, is the responsibility of the County of Humboldt, Public Works Natural Resources Planning office. Staff is now requesting that the Board authorize the Humboldt County Public Works Director, or a designee thereof, to accept and administer this CAL FIRE grant award (See Attachment 2 for the associated authorizing resolution). Natural Resources Planning has extensive experience managing CAL FIRE funded grants and is confident that all standard grant agreement terms can be met. In addition to the clear benefits these funds will bring to the north coast region, they will also sustain grant funded positions for Humboldt County employees and likely support wildfire resilience work within the county as well.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Acceptance of this grant made available by CAL FIRE will bring $10,000,000 of state funding into the north coast region to implement multiple-year, multi-benefit wildfire resiliency projects. The recommended supplemental budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year will increase appropriations in the Public Works budget unit 1720289 by $1,000,000 (see Attachment 3). This is the amount of the total award estimated to be expended before the end of the fiscal year. The balance of the award will be added to budget unit 1720289 through the standard annual County budget making process through the term of the grant agreement which ends in March of 2026. Acceptance of the grant funds will not impact the Humboldt County General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by protecting vulnerable populations and creating opportunities for improved safety and health.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
North Coast Resource Partnership and CAL FIRE
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board of Supervisors may choose not to accept the funding made available by CAL FIRE. However, this alternative is not recommended because of the regional forest and community wildfire resiliency benefits that will be gained from implementation of the Project.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Support Letter from CAL FIRE for NCRP Direct Funding Award
2. Resolution Authorizing the Humboldt County Department of Public Works to Accept a Direct Funding Award Made Available through the CAL FIRE Forest Health Program
3. Supplemental Budget Request Regarding the CAL FIRE Forest Health Grant
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A