TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: David Morrison - Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services
REPORT BY: Pamela Arifian - Planner III
SUBJECT: Wildlife Conservation Commission Budget Recommendation in Support of Grant Requests
RECOMMENDATION
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Director of Planning, Building and Environmental Services requests approval of and authorization for the Chair to sign the following grant agreements for the term July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 for a total of $31,000 pursuant to recommendations by the Wildlife Conservation Commission:
1. $10,000 with Land Trust of Napa County for invasive plant removal on a 14-acre meadow in Aetna Springs Preserve;
2. $8,000 with Napa County Resource Conservation District to purchase materials and provide technical assistance for Monarch Habitat project; and
3. $13,000 with Napa Wildlife Rescue in support of part-time Education Coordinator.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Napa County Wildlife Conservation Commission (WCC) held a special meeting on August 30, 2021 to conduct annual grant application review and to develop funding recommendations. The WCC reviewed grant proposals from seven groups and organizations that requested a total of $75,554 in funding from the WCC budget. The WCC decided unanimously not to recommend funding for a new wood chipper requested by Napa County Parks and Open Space District, and to recommend approval of six (6) grant proposals for a total amount of $50,000. Funding for WCC grants is provided by Department of Fish and Wildlife court fines and settlements, as well as local fines and settlements that are intended for this specific purpose. Napa County General Fund allocated $50,000 for Fiscal Year 2021-2022 to the WCC budget, which will be used to supplement the difference between CDFW monies and the grant award total of $50,000.
Pursuant to the Napa County Purchasing Policy, it is requested the Board execute grant agreements for Land Trust of Napa County, Napa County Resource Conservation District, and Napa Wildlife Rescue. Grant agreements for International Bird Rescue, ICARE, and Napa-Solano Audubon qualify for PBES Director approval and therefore do not require action by the Board.
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? |
Budget Unit 21200 (Wildlife Conservation): For Fiscal Year 2021-2022, $50,000 was budgeted for grant expenditures |
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Is it Mandatory or Discretionary? |
Discretionary |
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Discretionary Justification: |
Wildlife Conservation Commission grants support wildlife conservation and other related projects, consistent with State guidelines. Funding for grants is provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife court fines/settlements, local fines/settlements that are intended for this specific purpose, and the General Fund. |
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Is the general fund affected? |
Yes |
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Future fiscal impact: |
No impacts beyond Fiscal Year 2021-2022 |
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Consequences if not approved: |
The proposed wildlife conservation projects would not be undertaken at this time and grant funds would not be expended until such time as the Wildlife Conservation Commission could consider grant applications again in 2022 and provide recommendations to the Board. |
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County Strategic Plan pillar addressed: |
Vibrant and Sustainable Environment |
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Additional Information |
The proposals from the Institute for Conservation, Advocacy, Research, and Education (ICARE), Land Trust of Napa County, Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD), Napa Wildlife Rescue (NWR), International Bird Rescue (IBR), and Napa-Solano Audubon (NSA) are not projects as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable. |
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION: The proposals from the International Bird Rescue (IBR), Institute for Conservation, Advocacy, Research, and Education (ICARE), Land Trust of Napa County, Napa County Resource Conservation District (RCD), Napa Wildlife Rescue (NWR), and Napa-Solano Audubon (NSA) are not projects as defined by 14 California Code of Regulations 15378 (State CEQA Guidelines) and therefore CEQA is not applicable.
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION
The WCC conducts four meetings annually, with one meeting dedicated to conducting an annual grant funding review. On August 30, 2021, the WCC held a special meeting to conduct their annual grant review and to develop their funding recommendations. The WCC reviewed grant proposals from seven (7) organizations requesting a total of $75,554 from the WCC budget. The WCC determined that one grant proposal (by Napa County Parks and Open Space District for $14,000 for a wood chipper) would not to be recommended for funding, in favor of supporting the projects more closely aligned with the eligibility criteria and priorities of the WCC. Due to the WCC's limited budget of $50,000, the remaining six requests were recommended for award, including full funding for NSA, and reduced awards for the remaining five requests (IBR at 81%, NWR at 91%, ICARE at 80%, LTNC at 69%, and RCD at 80% of their requests) so that grants could be recommended to all organizations.
The recommended grants totaling $50,000 would provide for the following projects:
1. $4,000 with International Bird Rescue to fund the rescue and rehabilitation of aquatic birds from Napa County;
2. $8,000 with ICARE for analysis of data from the 2021 Water Quality and Bio-Assessment Sampling Project from Napa River and preparation of a Final Report;
3. $10,000 with Land Trust of Napa County for invasive plant removal on a 14-acre meadow in Aetna Springs Preserve;
4. $7,000 with Napa-Solano Audubon in support of a part-time Education Coordinator;
5. $8,000 with Napa County Resource Conservation District to purchase materials and provide technical assistance for Monarch Habitat project;
6. $13,000 with Napa Wildlife Rescue in support of part-time Education Coordinator.