To: Board of Supervisors
From: Agricultural Commissioner
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Approval of Agreement No. 832639, the Invasive Shot Hole Borer University Reimbursement Agreement in the amount of $10,763.
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve Agreement No. 832639, the Invasive Shot Hole Borer University Reimbursement Agreement with the University of California, Davis; and
2. Authorize the Chair to sign the original agreement and return the signed copy to the Agricultural Commissioner’s Office for further processing.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
University of California at Davis (UC Davis)
DISCUSSION:
The Agricultural Commissioner’s Office receives annual subventions from the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to offset the local costs associated with enforcing certain state-mandated programs. One of these programs, pest detection performs annual surveys for known pests of agriculture and the environment. County detection surveys are the local component of an annual state-wide effort by CDFA and County Agricultural Commissioners to identify introductions of these pests before they become established.
Beginning in the spring of 2021, the Agriculture Department will survey Humboldt County for a recently introduced pest to California, the Invasive Shot Hole Borer (ISHB). ISHB are two closely related species of small, non-native beetles that bore into trees and introduces a fungi (Fusarium sp.) that causes a tree disease called Fusarium dieback. ISHB are believed to have been accidentally introduced into California via wood products or shipping materials from southeast Asia and were first identified in Los Angeles County in 2012. ISHB has since spread to 6 other counties (Orange, San Diego, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, and Riverside). ISHB attack a wide variety of tree species including avocados, common landscape trees, and California native species in urban and wildland environments. Since its introduction, ISHB has killed and caused the removal of thousands of affected trees. Currently, there are 64 confirmed species of trees in which the beetles can successfully grow their fungus and complete their life cycle.
The agriculture department survey for ISHB will follow trapping protocols for non-infested counties and will consist of traps and visual surveys at targeted locations including greenwaste processing facilities, and firewood storage and distribution lots. ISHB traps will be placed and serviced from April to October based on local climate/temperature data. Funding for ISHB trapping comes from Assembly Bill-2470 (Grayson. Invasive Species Council of California) which allocated $5 million for the control, management, and detection of ISHB. Agreement No. 832639 provides funding for Humboldt County to perform survey activities for ISHB. Due to staffing limitations at CDFA, UC Davis is administering county ISHB agreements for the CDFA.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no net cost to Humboldt County for the ISHB trapping program. All costs for personnel, mileage, and supplies will be reimbursed by the agreement. Agreement No. 832639 provides a total of $10,763 in FY 2020-21 and 2021-22 for Agriculture Department activities related to the ISHB survey. No supplemental budget accompanies this request as revenue and expenditure accounts were previously funded at levels adequate to cover costs associated with performing the services covered by this agreement. All costs are billed to the University of California monthly and payment is made in arrears to Humboldt County.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by enforcing laws and regulations to protect residents.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
UC Davis
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion
ATTACHMENTS:
One complete copy of UC Davis Reimbursement Agreement No. 832639, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources ISHB Information Sheet.
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.:
Meeting of:
File No.: