Title
Department of Transportation recommending the Board:
1) Approve and authorize the Chair to sign the El Dorado County Community Forestry Urban Parcel Fuels Treatment Planning Project Grant Agreement CTA23010LR with the California Tahoe Conservancy in the amount of $78,045 for the development of the vegetation management plan to address forest fuel loading on County-owned parcels in the Tahoe Basin; and
2) Authorize the Director of Transportation to submit the Grant Agreement and to execute any future modifications that do not increase the total dollar amount of said Agreements. (District V)
FUNDING: California Tahoe Conservancy (100% - State).
Body
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
In 2021, record-breaking wildfires devastated millions of acres across California, making restoring forest resilience to wildfire a primary goal of the State. On January 8, 2021, the Governor's Forest Management Taskforce released a comprehensive action plan to reduce wildfire risk for vulnerable communities, improve the health of forests and wildlands, and accelerate action to combat climate change. The 2021 Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan includes the State’s strategy for increasing the pace and scale of forest management to meet its target of treating 500,000 acres annually by 2025, particularly on state-owned lands. On November 8, 2021, the California Tahoe Conservancy (Conservancy) Board authorized grant guidelines and the expenditure of up to $50,000,000 to implement projects to remove excess vegetation and mitigate potential wildfire risk to assist in achieving the goals of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan.
The Department of Transportation (Transportation) submitted a grant proposal to the Conservancy to pave the way for the County of El Dorado to implement projects to remove excess vegetation from County-owned parcels in the Tahoe Basin. Transportation has been awarded $78,045 for the El Dorado County Community Forestry Urban Parcel Fuels Treatment Planning Project Grant, which Transportation proposes to utilize by contracting with consultant(s) to develop a vegetation management plan (VMP), perform environmental analysis, and obtain all necessary permits and appropriate California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) documentation to address excess vegetation and forest fuel loading on County-owned parcels in the Tahoe Basin identified in the table and map attached. The VMP will also allow the County to compete for future funding for vegetation management projects . This grant includes site preparation for that project, once developed in the VMP.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board could choose not to approve receipt of the grant funds, which would require Transportation to utilize other funding for the Project.
PRIOR BOARD ACTION
See Discussion / Background Section above.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
County Counsel, OWPR, and USDA Forest Service.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
Approve as recommended.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will have no impact to the Net County Cost. Approval of the proposed Agreement will allow Transportation to receive a total of $78,045 in State revenue through the Conservancy. Grant funding will be provided this fiscal year, with the majority of the funding to be spent in FY 2023-24. No match is required for this grant.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
1) The Clerk of the Board will obtain the Chair's signature on each of the three (3) originals of the Agreement.
2) The Clerk of the Board will send the three (3) originals of the partially-executed Agreement to Transportation - Headington Engineering Unit, Attention: Matt Gourley for further processing.
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
Healthy Communities
CONTACT
Rafael Martinez, Director
Department of Transportation