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: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): First
Title:
Title
California Office of Emergency Services-Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative Grant Award
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Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Adopt a resolution authorizing the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors to accept grant awards from the Sonoma Land Trust in the amount of $140,000 to complete work under the California Office of Emergency Services allocated funding to implement fuel reduction projects at Sonoma Valley and Calabazas Creek Regional Parks and authorizing the Director to execute all documents necessary to carry out and administer the grant.
B) Adopt a resolution authorizing budgetary adjustments to the Fiscal Year 2023/24 adopted budget to increase revenue and expenditure appropriations in the amount of $140,000 in support of the Cal Office of Emergency Services Grant. (4/5th Vote required)
C) Find the proposed scope of work is exempt from CEQA under Title 14, Section 15304 of the California Code of Regulations. (First District)
(4/5th Vote Required) (First District)
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Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Regional Parks (Regional Parks) has been awarded grant funding to implement vegetation management at Sonoma Valley and Calabazas Creek Regional Parks. Grant funding from the California Office of Emergency Services administered by the Sonoma Land Trust to Regional Parks ($140,000) would fund ongoing fuel reduction projects in the Sonoma Valley area increasing recovery and resilience. This work furthers the coordinated efforts of the Sonoma Valley Wildland Collaborative.
Discussion:
In the wake of the October 2017 fires, six different land-owning organizations in the Sonoma Valley area (Regional Parks, Ag + Open Space, California State Parks, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma Mountain Ranch Preservation Foundation, and Audubon Canyon Ranch) formed the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative (the “Collaborative”) to build landscape resilience by coordinating land management across parcel boundaries. The Collaborative has successfully received and expended or is in process of expending similar Grant awards. The Board of Supervisors took action on previous Collaborative grant applications and awards including:
Acceptance and expenditure of a grant sub-award from CALFIRE via the Sonoma Land Trust was approved by the Board of Supervisors on August 20, 2019. The grant funded implementation of fuel reduction projects at North Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma Valley, and Hood Mountain Regional Parks.
Acceptance and expenditure of a grant sub-award from CALFIRE via the Sonoma Land Trust was approved by the Board of Supervisors on February 28, 2023. The grant funded ecosystem resilience and fire hazard reduction planning at Hood Mountain Regional Park.
On July 12, 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 129, which approved $258,000,000 in one-time funding for wildfire prevention and forest management. The County of Sonoma, on behalf of the Collaborative, was awarded a $500,000 grant for vegetation management, perimeter fuel reduction, roadside fuel breaks, defensible space, and fuel break maintenance. The grant was administered on behalf of the State of California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The County entered into a Pass-Through Grant Subaward Agreement with Cal OES which directed the Grant through the County, as the Subrecipient, to Sonoma Land Trust, as the Implementing Agency.
Sonoma Land Trust administers this funding, to be disbursed as directed by the Collaborative for priority projects. Regional Parks is eligible to receive funds in the amount of $140,000 to complete identified fuel reduction projects at Sonoma Valley and Calabazas Creek Regional Parks.
The proposed work is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to the CEQA Guidelines and California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15304, which exempts minor public or private alterations in the condition of land water, and/or vegetation which do not involve removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees except for forestry and agricultural purposes.
Regional Parks owns and operates park lands throughout Sonoma County and conducts ongoing vegetation management as well as episodic or one-time vegetation treatments as needed at all park properties. This grant award focuses on parks in the Sonoma Valley, which was impacted by the 2017 Nuns Fire and 2020 Glass Fire; however similar ongoing and upcoming activities will occur throughout the County’s regional parks.
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:
December 11, 2018 - The Board of Supervisors approved the Recovery and Resiliency Framework (Agenda Item #61) which addresses natural resources as one of five key strategic areas. Projects on Regional Parks properties resulting from this grant directly address priority actions within this key strategic area.
August 20, 2019 - The Board of Supervisors approved a sub-award agreement between SLT, Regional Parks, and the Ag + Open Space District to accept CALFIRE grant funds for fuel reduction and planning.
February 28, 2023 - The Board of Supervisors approved the acceptance and expenditure of a grant sub-award from CALFIRE via the Sonoma Land Trust for ecosystem resilience and fire hazard reduction planning at Hood Mountain Regional Park.
April 19, 2022 - The Board of Supervisors approved the acceptance of a grant pass through sub-award from Cal OES and disbursement of funding to Sonoma Land Trust for funding eligible projects.
Fiscal Summary
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Expenditures |
FY 23-24 Adopted |
FY 24-25 Projected |
FY 25-26 Projected |
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Budgeted Expenses |
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Additional Appropriation Requested |
$140,000 |
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Total Expenditures |
$140,000 |
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
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State/Federal |
$140,000 |
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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 |
$140,000 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
This item will increase revenue and expenditure appropriations by $140,000 for activities related to this grant as part of the Regional Parks FY 2023-24 annual 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:
Resolution
Budget Resolution
Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None