To: Board of Supervisors
From: Public Works
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
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Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program Grant and Supplemental Budget Requests for Fiscal Years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 (4/5 Vote Required)
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Review the staff report and associated supporting documents;
2. Authorize the Humboldt County Public Works Director, or a designee thereof, to be the authorized Grantee representative and execute a state standard agreement, in a form substantially similar to the attached agreement, and any other documents, including, without limitation, professional services agreements and sub-grantee agreements, necessary to accept and administer funding made available through the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program;
3. Authorize the Humboldt County Public Works Director to execute any and all future amendments to the grant agreement, professional services agreements, and sub-grantee agreements after review by County Counsel and Risk Management; and
4. Direct the Humboldt County Auditor-Controller to process the attached fiscal year 2018-2019 supplemental budget and after the fiscal year 2019-2020 budget is approved, process the attached fiscal year 2019-2020 supplemental budget requests (4/5 vote required).
5. Direct the Humboldt County Auditor-Controller to create an interest-bearing trust account for advance payments of grant funds associated with the aforementioned project.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
California Climate Investments, Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program, administered by the California Department of Conservation on behalf of the California Natural Resources Agency.
DISCUSSION:
The Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program seeks to increase regional capacity to prioritize, develop, and implement projects that improve forest health and fire resiliency, facilitate greenhouse gas emissions reductions, and increase carbon sequestration in forests throughout California. The North Coast Resource Partnership (“NCRP”) has been selected to receive a block grant in the amount of $4,037,500.00. The program is intended to support planning and implementation of landscape-level forest health projects in the Northern California Region, consistent with the California Forest Carbon Plan and Executive Order B-52-18.
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 and is expanding the scope of its focus to include forest and watershed resiliency to the impacts of wildfire. In 2005, the NCRP leadership designated the County of Humboldt as the Regional Contract Administrator for the NCRP. Humboldt County staff, in the capacity of Regional Contract Administrator, will oversee regional distribution of funding and work with existing and new contractors to implement the Program. Existing NCRP staff and consultants will be key implementation partners, including West Coast Watershed (“WCW”) and the California Indian Environmental Alliance (“CIEA”).
WCW has been a long-term NCRP partner, providing planning and coordination services through development of the North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan, providing technical support for project proponents, responding to calls for proposals for NCRP funding opportunities, preparing funding applications, and providing staff support to the NCRP governing and technical bodies since its inception in 2004. CIEA has been the NCRP Tribal Coordinator since 2014 and is the trusted representative chosen by the Tribal Representatives on the NCRP governing body to facilitate the implementation of NCRP programs on their behalf. Consultant services provided by WCW and CIEA were written into the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program scope of work and upon approval of professional services agreements, they will move forward with implementation. All work will be completed under the guidance of the NCRP and in partnership with the County of Humboldt as the grant recipient and administrator.
Accordingly, the Board is asked to accept staff recommendations so that the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program can move forward, resulting in significant benefits for the Northern California region.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The recommended actions will not impact the county General Fund. Accepting these grant funds will bring $4,037,500 of state funding into the north coast region over a three (3) year period (over $250,000 of which is allocated to cover county staff time). The recommended supplemental budget for the 2018-2019 fiscal year will create a new revenue line item in the Public Works Natural Resources Planning budget unit (1720289) with an appropriation of $20,000 of the above-referenced grant funding. The recommended supplemental budget for the 2019-2020 fiscal year will appropriate the balance of the above-referenced grant funding, in the amount of $4,017,500, into the new revenue account.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by creating opportunities for improved safety and health and protecting vulnerable populations.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The North Coast Resource Partnership, California Department of Conservation, and California Natural Resources Agency
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
The Board of Supervisors may choose not to accept the funding made available through the Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program. However, this alternative is not recommended because of the regional forest and community wildfire resiliency benefits that will be gained from implementation of the Program.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: State of California Natural Resources Agency Grant Agreement Template
Attachment 2: Preliminary Regional Forest and Fire Capacity Program Work Plan
Attachment 3: Supplemental Budget Request for FY 2018-2019
Attachment 4: Supplemental Budgets Request for FY 2019-2020
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: N/A
Meeting of: N/A
File No.: N/A