To: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Regional Parks
Staff Name and Phone Number: Brook R. Edwards, 707-565-2041
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth
Title:
Title
Monte Rio Redwoods Shaded Fuel Break Contract Award
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Award a services contract to Spye General Engineering for the Monte Rio Shaded Fuel Break project, for a not-to-exceed amount of $297,000 for a term ending March 1, 2025 and authorize the Director of Regional Parks to execute the contract and future related task orders. (Fifth District)
end
Executive Summary:
The Sonoma County Regional Parks’ Monte Rio Redwoods Shaded Fuel Break Project will reduce hazardous wildfire fuel loads along a key access road through the Monte Rio Redwoods Park and create a shaded fuel break to re-establish a section of the Monte Rio Fire Break. This project will be funded by the California State Coastal Conservancy. The shaded fuel break project, when completed, will provide access for firefighters to reach the main ridgeline in the event of a wildfire and provide a safer location to extinguish fuels in front of an advancing wildfire.
Spye General Engineering has been selected to complete project tasks that will include reduction of the horizontal and vertical continuity of fuel loads by removing small diameter trees and shrubs from the understory.
Discussion:
The Coastal Conservancy’s Forest Health and Wildfire Resilience Program (Program) supports projects that improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic fire in areas where people are living near wildlands. Funding for this Program came from a block grant from the Department of Conservation’s Regional Fire and Forest Health Capacity Program, the California Climate Initiative Program, Proposition 68 and Proposition 84.
Regional Parks successfully applied to the Program for grant funding totaling $297,000 to implement a shaded fuel break in Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors took prior action (Resolution #22-0508) accepting the grant award and (Resolution #22-0509) adjusting Regional Parks’ FY 23-24 budget in the amount of the grant award.
The Monte Rio Redwoods Shaded Fuel Break Project is supported by the local communities along the Bohemian Highway Corridor, where there is considerable concern about catastrophic wildfire. Historically, the ridge west of the property used to be a functional fire break, however, over the years the various access routes to the ridge have fallen into disrepair and are overgrown with vegetation and downed woody debris. Every year there are numerous human-caused fire starts in the area, and the potential for severe fire to get out of control is high. This project will re-establish a vital access route to the west ridge and provide Regional Parks the means to begin to address the high fuel loads found on the property to prevent the impacts of severe wildfire.
The Monte Rio Shaded Fuel Break Project was advertised on the County website on May 26, 2023. A pre-proposal onsite conference was held on June 6, 2023, to orient interested proposers to the work. Twenty-one potential contractors attended. Nine proposals were received and opened on June 30, 2023. Spye General Engineering's proposal was both lowest price proposal for the core work to be performed under the grant, and demonstrated it was the most qualified contractor.
The contract award will allow a professional forestry crew to implement the shaded fuel break at Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park, starting with the initial acreage anticipated to be covered by the grant amount and, upon approval from the Coastal Conservancy, potentially increasing the total acreage to be maintained within the park and preserve. Tasks include thinning targeted understory up to 10” DBH along 2 miles of access road, lopping and scattering of cleared material across a larger area of forest floor. Chipping will be conducted along the road.
Regional Parks will be committing $70,600 in matching funds for Natural Resources staff working on planning, coordination, environmental compliance, and invasive species management at Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park. This matching funding is for staff time that has already been included in the FY2023/24 budget and future budget years. Additional project costs include project management and contractor oversight, including shaded fuel break alignment flagging, regular field meetings with the crew, and pre- and post- implementation assessment. Regional Parks matching funds associated with this project come from Measure M, a tax measure approved by Sonoma County voters in 2018 to fund local parks.
Staff recommends your Board authorize the Director of Regional Parks to execute the proposed contract and the initial task order of $155,500 for phase one work, and additional task orders within the scope of the contract up to a total not to exceed amount of $297,000, upon approval of such additional expenditures by the Coastal Conservancy, as set forth in the attachment.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal: Goal 1: Continue to invest in wildfire preparedness and resiliency strategies
Objective: Objective 3: Leverage grant funding to support sustainable vegetation management program.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
On December 6, 2022, the Board of Supervisors of The County Of Sonoma, State Of California, authorized the acceptance of State Coastal Conservancy Grant.
On December 6, 2022, the Board of Supervisors of The County Of Sonoma, State Of California, adjusted FY 2023-24 budget in the amount of $297,000 for the State Coastal Conservancy Grant for Monte Rio Redwoods.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 23-24 Adopted |
FY24-25Projected |
FY 25-26 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
$155,500 |
$141,500 |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
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Total Expenditures |
$155,500 |
$141,500 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
$155,500 |
$141,500 |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
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Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$155,500 |
$141,500 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
The Board has accepted grant funds on December 6, 2022. Budget appropriations related to this grant were included in the FY2023-24 Adopted Budget.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Scope of Work
Contract
Insurance Requirements
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None