To: Board of Supervisors
From: County Administrative Office
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Grant Agreement and Supplemental Budget for the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities grant award for CalForest WRX (4/5 Vote Required)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the grant agreement and supplemental budget for the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities for CalForest WRX grant award (4/5 vote required);
2. Authorize the County Administrative Officer (CAO) to sign the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities Subrecipient Agreement 21-00218 and any subsequent addendums, amendments, or attachments thereto upon approval of County Counsel and Risk Management; and
3. Direct staff to sole source with the entities as identified in the grant agreement’s project budget to perform the scope of services as defined in the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities Subrecipient Agreement 21-00218.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Economic Development (1120)
DISCUSSION:
On June 15, 2021, your Board directed the County of Humboldt’s Economic Development Division to join the CalForest WRX Alliance and to partner with the CalForest WRX Alliance in exploring the viability of pursuing a US Forest Service Innovative Finance for National Forest grant for a feasibility study.
Since that time the CalForest WRX Alliance partners have been able to secure a $84,986 grant from the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities for the purposes of funding a multi-phase study which will identify market drivers to incentivize local forestry businesses, inform a strategy to develop market opportunities around sustainable forest management practices resulting in job creation and increased tax revenue for communities.
Therefore, staff recommends that your Board accept and approve the grant agreement and supplemental budget for United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities for CalForest WRX and authorize the CAO to sign the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities Subrecipient Agreement 21-00218 and any subsequent addendums, amendments, or attachments thereto upon approval of County Counsel and Risk Management.
The grant agreement also specifies in Appendix C - “Project Budget by Year” that funds under the agreement will be allocated to specific agencies as follows:
• A total of $14,986 will cover the costs of wildfire-market modelling, conducted primarily by a Humboldt State University graduate student under the supervision of Dr. Ho Yi Wan. The subcontract to Humboldt State University Sponsored Programs Foundation will include compensation for five weeks of full-time summer effort and 22 weeks of half-time academic year effort.
• A total of $10,000 will be allocated to Fabric to engage the Beck Group to focus on: Manufacturing Start-up Costs and Supply Chain for advanced manufacturing in the Northern California market.
• A total of $60,000 would be allocated to the Conservation Investment Group to design a strategy to provide a framework to create a mutual understanding of the problem, opportunities, and barriers and to co-create solutions that are tailored to the community.
Given that the application submitted for this grant directly specifies the aforementioned agencies, staff recommends that your Board direct staff to sole source in accord with the County’s purchasing policies with the entities as identified above and as identified in Appendix C - “Project Budget by Year” to perform the scope of services as defined in the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities Subrecipient Agreement 21-00218.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of staff recommendations will result in supplemental budget in the amount of $84,986 for Economic Development (1120-275) for activity defined in the United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities Subrecipient Agreement 21-00218.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by supporting business, workforce development and creation of private-sector jobs .
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
United States Forest Service
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board Discretion
ATTACHMENTS:
1. United States Endowment for Forestry and Communities Subrecipient Agreement 21-00218
2. CalForest WRX Fact Sheet
3. EDD Nov. 9, 2021, Supplemental Budget Request CalForest WRX
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: H1
Meeting of: June 15, 2021
File No.: 21-676