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Supervisor Ranalli recommending the Board consider the following:
1) Accept grant/project funding from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) funding, which will provide 75% cost share of total eligible costs for projects related to the tree mortality emergency, plus a 10% administrative fee; and
2) Approve the attached budget transfer increasing revenues and appropriations by $825,000 for the Fiscal Year 2016/17 CDAA Grant for the tree mortality emergency. (4/5 vote required)
FUNDING: 75% State Grant and 25% Local Match.
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DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATION
Supervisor Ranalli is recommending that the Board accept CDAA funding regarding the tree mortality emergency. In addition, approve a budget transfer to establish additional appropriations and revenues for Fiscal Year 2016-17 for the CDAA Grant.
DISCUSSION / BACKGROUND
On October 30, 2015, Governor Brown proclaimed a State of Emergency due to unprecedented tree mortality caused by the conditions of extreme drought and related bark beetle infestations. The Governor's Emergency Proclamation contains 18 distinct actions that direct state agencies, utilities and local governments to remove dead or dying trees in high hazard areas across the entire State of California.
On March 28, 2016, the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency due to pervasive tree mortality in El Dorado County.
Data collected by State and federal agencies demonstrates that, due to drought conditions and bark beetle infestation, over 66 million trees in the State of California are dead and that tens of millions more are likely to die over the next five to six years. Surveys conducted by the U.S. Forest Service in May estimate that new tree mortality (between October 2015 and May 2016) in the County of El Dorado has affected an estimated 177,000 conifer trees. Many of these trees are located in the Eldorado National Forest or on private land. However, some trees endanger County infrastructure (e.g. County roads and County buildings). In comparison, counties to the south of El Dorado County have had the following estimated number of dead conifer trees (between October 2015 and May 2016):
Tulare County - 8,100,000
Fresno County - 5,800,000
Madera County - 3,800,000
Mariposa County - 3,200,000
Tuolumne County - 2,500,000
Kern County - 2,200,000
The County of El Dorado alone lacks the capacity and resources to address this expanding emergency that threatens County infrastructure. The Board's adoption of Resolution 053-2016 enabled the County to start the process to seek State and possibly federal funding and demonstrated the County's intent to partner with State, federal, and local agencies and with private partners in order to immediately and effectively address tree mortality throughout the County.
On May 17, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved the County’s Tree Mortality Hazard Tree Removal Plan and allowed for the process of assessing the amount of dead trees that are threatening County maintained road infrastructure by transferring funds to the Community Development Agency to complete the count. The Facilities Division is also completing a dead tree count on County property that threatens County infrastructure.
Through the tree count, the County estimates that it has approximately 3,100 trees to remove that threaten county infrastructure (e.g. County roads or County buildings). Of the 3,100 trees that need removal, approximately 2,800 are threatening County roads and 300 are threatening County buildings and other infrastructure. These numbers are just estimates of the number of dead and diseased trees to be removed due to the threat to County-owned infrastructure. The number of dead and diseased trees could increase over the summer and fall. It is important to note that trees marked for actual removal under CDAA must come at the recommendation of Registered Professional Foresters (RPFs) or Certified Arborists.
On August 2, 2016, the Board of Supervisors authorized the Chair to sign the CDAA application and authorize the submittal of the application for funding related to the State’s declared Tree Mortality emergency.
ALTERNATIVES
The Board can reject the funding from the State of California. However, if it does reject the funding, the County will have to locate additional funding to remove the dead and dying trees or leave the potentially dangerous trees in place.
OTHER DEPARTMENT / AGENCY INVOLVEMENT
Sheriff's Office (OES), Community Development Agency, County Counsel, and Facilities.
CAO RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Board approve this item.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The budget transfer icreases revenues and appropriations based on the projected revenues that the County will receive from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services for California Disaster Assistance Act, currently estimated at $750,000 plus a 10% administrative fee of $75,000 for total anticipated grant funds of $825,000. The County included $250,000 as the 25% County match for the tree mortality emergency in the Fiscal Year 2016-17 budget, but did not include the grant funding. There is no impact to Net County cost.
CLERK OF THE BOARD FOLLOW UP ACTIONS
N/A
STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT
N/A
CONTACT
Supervisor Michael Ranalli - ext. 6513