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Community Development Agency, Development Services Division, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Cooperative Agreement in the Amount of $15,000 with the Bureau of Land Management to fund and support vegetation fuel management activities at the Pine Hill Preserve during the 2017 Federal Fiscal Year, in order to provide safety to the Pine Hill Preserve neighbors and improve the habitat for eight rare plants.
FUNDING: Rare Plant Mitigation Fees. (100% - Local)
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Community Development Agency (CDA), Development Services Division, recommending the Board approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Cooperative Agreement (Agreement) with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to fund and support vegetation fuel management activities at the Pine Hill Preserve during the 2017 Federal Fiscal Year, pursuant to the County Ecological Preserve Ordinance.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
The County Ecological Preserve Ordinance authorizes the collection of mitigation fees from new development to fund the acquisition and maintenance of rare plant habitat. The County has been working cooperatively with State and Federal agencies and others to protect the eight species of rare plants located in the Pine Hill (Cameron Park/Rescue) area of El Dorado County.
The County currently provides $25,000 in annual support to the BLM Pine Hill Preserve Manager (BLM Manager) through a separate Cooperative Agreement, approved by the Board on July 21, 2015 (Item 20). The $25,000 to BLM (Legistar 15-0754) is specifically limited to the Pine Hill Preserve Manager position. The Preserve Manager works out of the Mother Lode Field Office in El Dorado Hills to manage the Preserve and coordinate management, monitoring, and research activities between the County, EID, US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), and BLM. The BLM can only use the $25,000 for the Preserve Manager position and administrative costs.The proposed Agreement will allow for an additional contribution of $15,000 to support vegetation management.
The BLM Manager has conducted vegetation management activities over the past years that has proven very successful at protecting existing residences from wild land fire, yet also providing improved habitat for the rare plants.
At this time, BLM has plans for vegetation management in five areas of the Cameron Park area, as shown in Attachment B.
ALTERNATIVES
N/A
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel (has approved the Agreement) and BLM.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no change to Net County Cost resulting from the proposed action. Funding for the recommended Agreement is included in the adopted Fiscal Year 2016/17 Rare Plant Preserve Endowment Fund budget and will be provided by mitigation fees collected for the purpose of maintaining rare plant habitat.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk to obtain the Chair's signature on two (2) original copies of the Agreement with BLM.
2) The Clerk to send one (1) fully executed original copy of the Agreement to the CDA Contracts and Procurement Unit.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Roger Trout, Development Services Division Director
Community Development Agency