TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Ryan J. Alsop, County Executive Officer
REPORT BY: David Shew, Fire Administrator
SUBJECT: Agreement with Napa Communities Firewise Foundation
RECOMMENDATION
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Approve and authorize Agreement No. 250180B with Napa Communities Firewise Foundation through June 30, 2025 with two additional one-year term extensions to provide community outreach, defensible space consulting, wildfire mitigation, fuel reduction and preparation for wildfires. (Fiscal Impact: $4,000,000 Expense; Fire Fund; Budgeted; Discretionary)
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BACKGROUND
To help reduce future impacts from wildfires, the County entered into a previous Agreement (Agreement No. 210118B) with the Napa Communities Firewise Foundation (NCFF) for wildfire prevention activities. The original agreement occurred in September 2020 and was subsequently extended through five individual Amendments through December 2023. The aggregate amount for these initial Agreements was $14,166,000. This funding has been used to provide public outreach and education on wildfire preparedness, created local Fire Safe Councils throughout the County, planned and executed wildfire prevention projects focused on vegetation modification, and provided administrative support for these projects.
Agreement No. 240256B was subsequently approved on January 9, 2024, providing an additional $7,000,000 to continue these wildfire prevention efforts. This funding was broken into two categories with separate Scopes of Work (SOW), as delineated in Exhibit “A” of that Agreement. The first category totaled $6,000,000 per the County’s FY 2023-24 budget appropriation in the Fire Fund. The second category for $1,000,000 was funded through an agreement with the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) for capacity building and infrastructure. The funds were received in FY 2022-23 and these funds were then appropriated from the restricted fund balance.
Agreement No. 250180B will provide a total of $4,000,000 to continue these wildfire prevention efforts. The funding sources include $3,000,000 from state appropriation secured by Senator Dodd in 2023 and $1,000,000 is County general fund match. This funding provides for prevention activities that are identified in the Scope of Work (SOW) in Exhibit “A” of the Agreement. These activities are subdivided into two broad categories. The first category will involve continuing the work of Napa County’s Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and services. This will involve providing community-based wildland fire awareness programs. The programs will provide Napa County residents in high-risk communities with the knowledge they need to survive wildfires. It will also provide public outreach via workshops, newsletters, and literature to educate Napa County residents. In addition, the funding will provide outreach and support to new communities interested in forming a Fire Safety Council to manage and protect a given geographic area within Napa County. This support shall be ongoing for all councils for the life of the contract. The second category of wildfire prevention efforts will involve performing planned vegetation treatment projects that are also identified in the SOW in Exhibit “A” of the Agreement. These projects are located throughout the entire county. The projects include roadside clearances, creating more viable access and egress routes in the event of a wildfire, fuel breaks in strategic locations, and grazing projects to reduce overall fuel loads in specified locations.
Some projects have had environmental reviews and have completed permitting, while some are in the process of being completed. There is also a list of proposed projects that are scheduled for environmental review via the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The various proposed activities are either categorically exempt from CEQA as minor alterations to land for fuel management activities pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15304, categorically exempt from CEQA as information collection and resource evaluation pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15306, or are not a project as defined by CEQA Guidelines section 15378 and, therefore, CEQA is not applicable.
Exhibit “B” outlines the plan for compensation and expense reimbursements for this Agreement. The majority of the $4,000,000 is dedicated to fuel mitigation programs, while the remaining amount will be used for environmental compliance, wildfire preparedness programs, grant writing and funding strategy services, program and project personnel, and some indirect costs to administering this funding source.
This Agreement is an important component the County’s long-term planning for a more fire resilient future. The ongoing project work and capacity building from this agreement will be a critical link as the BRIC Grant (Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities) continues to unfold.
REQUESTED ACTION:
1. Approve and authorize Agreement No. 250180B with Napa Communities Firewise Foundation (NCFF) for a maximum amount of $4,000,000 for the term of July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, to provide community outreach, defensible space consulting, wildfire mitigation, fuel reduction and prepare for wildfires.
FISCAL & STRATEGIC PLAN IMPACT
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Is there a Fiscal Impact? |
Yes |
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Is it currently budgeted? |
Yes |
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Where is it budgeted? |
Fire Fund |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Community priority |
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Is the general fund affected? |
No |
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Future fiscal impact: |
None |
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Consequences if not approved: |
If the Agreement is not approved Napa County will need to seek alternative wildfire mitigation solutions. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The various proposed activities are either categorically exempt from CEQA as minor alterations to land for fuel management activities pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15304, categorically exempt from CEQA as information collection and resource evaluation pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15306, or are not a project as defined by CEQA Guidelines section 15378, and therefore, CEQA is not applicable.