HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09231997 - SD3 5D 3
TO. BOARD OF SUPERVISORSContra
FROM: DENNIS M. BARRY AICP ; Coun
INTERIM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR x �,�,,,,,,� _�
DATE: SEPTEMBER 23, 1997 ��•~_'^'=='i4
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SUBJECT: $225,000 Grant Application under the State Department of Parks and Recreation
Habitat Conservation Fund Program to Assist in the Acquisition of the Sky Ranch
property on Franklin Ridge in the Martinez Area by the Martinez Regional Land Trust
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND & JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATION:
1. APPROVE the attached resolution which applies for a $225,000 grant from the
State Department of Parks and Recreation Habitat Conservation Fund Grant
Program to acquire Sky Ranch on Franklin Ridge in the Martinez area.
2. AUTHORIZE the Interim Community Development Director to sign all necessary
grant application materials.
3. ACKNOWLEDGE that acquisition partners will include the Martinez Regional
Land Trust and that the land will be acquired and owned in part by this
organization and that the County's interest will be transferred to this organization
upon acquisition.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This grant application, if successful, will provide funds for the acquisition of this
property; staff time to assist in the acquisition should be the only County cost.
BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS:
County staff has been approached by the Martinez Regional Land Trust staff requesting
the County be the grant applicant in the Habitat Conservation Fund Grant Program for
the potential acquisition of Sky Ranch on Franklin Ridge in the Martinez Area. Only
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE s� .
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
APPROVE OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD ON Sept 23,1997 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED x OTHER
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE
AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN
x—UNANIMOUS (ABSENT _ _ _ ) AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE
AYES: NOES: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
ABSENT: ABSTAIN:
ATTESTED
Contact: John Kopchik(335-1227) PHIL BATCHELOR
c.c.: Community Development Department(CDD) CLERK OF THE BOARD OF
CAO SUPERVISORS &COUNTY
County Counsel ADMINISTRATOR
Public Works
Martinez Land Trust (via CDD)
BY: , DEPUTY
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Board Order
Grant to acquire Sky Ranch
September 23, 1997
- Page 2 -
governmental agencies can apply for this fund; the Martinez Regional Land Trust is
ineligible as a non-profit organization.
The attached resolution authorizes an application for$225,000 of State funds to assist
in the acquisition of the property, and authorizes the Director of Community
Development to act as the County's agent in the application and acquisition. If the site
is acquired, the County's interest in the property will be transferred to the Martinez
Regional Land Trust.
The site is designated Agricultural Lands on the County General Plan and is within the
Briones Hills Agricultural Preserve. Two multi-use trails, the Bay Area Ridge Trail and
County's Feeder Trail #1, traverse the property. The Martinez Regional Land Trust has
signed an eighteen month option on the property for$685,000, and has independently
raised $225,000 towards the purchase of Sky Ranch.
The General Plan requires that open space acquisition be planned and funded in
concert with other infrastructure objectives. It also calls for the County to cooperate
with and support other public agencies in acquisition of privately-owned lands to protect
habitat. This Board action would be consistent with General Plan policy in this area.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Adopted this Order on September 23, - - - ,-1997 by the following vote:
c
AYES: Supervisors Rogers, Uilkema, Gerber, Canciamilla and DeSaulnier
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
RESOLUTION NO. 97/ 504
SUBJECT: APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT)
OF $225,000.00, FOR THE LOCAL AGENCY GRANT )
PROGRAM - FISCAL YEAR 1998-1999 UNDER )
THE HABITAT CONSERVATION FUND PROGRAM )
OF THE CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE PROTECTION
ACT OF 1990 FOR THE SKY RANCH ACQUISITION. )
The Board of Supervisors of Contra Costa County RESOLVES that:
WHEREAS, the people of the State of California have enacted the California Wildlife
Protection Act of 1990, which provides funds to the State of California for grants to local agencies
to acquire and/or develop facilities for public recreational and fish and wildlife habitat protection
purposes; and
WHEREAS, the State Department of Parks and Recreation has been delegated the
responsibility for the administration of a portion of the program within the State, setting up
necessary procedures governing application by local agencies under the program; and
WHEREAS, said procedures established by the State Department of Parks and Recreation
require the applicant to certify by resolution the approval of application(s) before submission of
said application(s) to the State; and
WHEREAS, said application(s) contain assurances that the applicant must comply with;
and
WHEREAS, the applicant will enter into an agreement with the State of California for
acquisition of the Sky Ranch property; and
WHEREAS, the Martinez Regional Land Trust has taken the lead in the effort to purchase
Sky Ranch by obtaining an option to purchase the property for $685,000 and by independently
raising $225,000.00 to date towards this purchase; and
WHEREAS, the Martinez Regional Land Trust is unable to apply for the Wildlife
Protection Act grant because it is not a public agency;
WHEREAS, the Contra Costa County General Plan requires that open space acquisition
be planned and funded in concert with other infrastructure objectives, and, in addition, it calls for
the County to cooperate with and support other public agencies in acquisition of privately-owned
lands to protect habitat; and
RESOLUTION NO. 97/_5D4 4
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Contra Costa County Board of
Supervisors hereby:
1. Approves the filing of an application for the Habitat Conservation Fund Grant
Program under the California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990 State grant assistance
for the above project on behalf of the Martinez Regional Land Trust; and
2. Certifies that said applicant understands the assurances and certification in the
application form; and
3. Certifies that said applicant, in cooperation with the Martinez Regional Land Trust,
has or will have available prior to commencement of any work on the project(s)
included in this application, the required match; and will have sufficient funds to
operate and maintain the project(s); and
4. Appoints the Director of Community Development as agent of the County to
conduct all negotiations, execute and submit all.documents, including, but not
limited to applications, agreements, amendments, payment requests and so on,
which may be necessary for the completion of the aforementioned project(s).
5. Authorizes the Director of Community Development to accept any funding
awarded by the Habitat Conservation Fund Grant Program for this project, to hold
this funding in trust for the purchase of Sky Ranch, to include any interest earned
on these funds in the trust account, and to disburse these funds for the purchase of
the property after determining that the terms and conditions of the Habitat
Conservation Grant Program have been met.
4 I hereby certify that this is a true
cc: Orig: John Kopchik 335-1227 and correct copy of an action taken
Community Development and entered on the minutes of the Board
of Supervisors on the date shown.
County Counsel
CAO ATTESTED September 23, 1997
Martinez Regional Land Trust Phil Batchelor Clerk of the Board
(Via CDD)
of Supervisor a County Admi ator
B
Barbara . Gr Deputy Clerk
JK
H:\cdadpool\jkopc\john-old\mrltgrnt.res
RESOLUTION NO. 97/ 4
9-11-1997 9.07AH FROH MARTINEZ LAND TRUST 510 228 5460 P. 2
Marfinez Regional
Land Trust Box 2452 Martinez, Ca. 94553
Fax: 510.372-5460
E-mail:mrlt@silcon.com.
Web Site:http//rilcon.com/`-lmxlt/Ohome.html.
July 10, 1997
Sky Ranch Fact Sheet
• On December 20, 1996, our Land Acquisition Subcommittee signed an
eighteen month option to purchase the 242 acre Thomason/Mercury
Marketing Property in the Frank)w, Ridge, for $685,000. The proposed
acquisition, which we call "Sky Ranch" will add 242 acres of
permanently protected open ranchland to the larger Briones Hills
Agricultural Preserve Area, a 60,000 acre"Inverse Greenway" serving
the entire Central Contra Costa County.
• Sky Ranch Road, an historic stage coach road, now called the Bay Area
Ridge Trail,traversed the Sky Ranch property,linking Franklin Canyon
and Martinez to Briones Valley, and on to Tilden and West Contra Costa
County. By preserving Sky Ranch, a key property in the Franklin Ridge,
the Land Trust is taking one more step in eventually linking Carquinez
Strait Regional Shoreline Park to Briones Regional Park, the EBMUD
Watershed lands.
• The Bay Area Ridge Trail traverses Sky Ranch, on its route through
the Bay Area's seven counties. The Sky Ranch acquisition is the first time
a property has been acquired that secures a new section of the Ridge
Trail. All previous trail sections have been dedicated on existing public
lands.
• Sky Ranch is also a crucial juncture of Contra Costa's historic Feeder
Trail 01, where it meets the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Feeder Trail#1 was
the first feeder trail linking sections of the original California Riding
and Hiking Trail, which ran the length of California. Both the Ridge
Trail and the Feeder Trail are multi-use trams, and are used by hikers,
bicyclists, and horseback riders.
a The Martinez Regional Land Trust Board has asked the Bay Area
Ridge Trail Council, East Bay Regional Park District, the
Agricultural Land Trust of Contra Costa County, and the
Carquinez Preservation Trust to participate as partners in the Sky
Ranch Acquisition, which would benefit all the organizations in terms
of leveraging funds and staff time. On June 5, 1997, the Board of
Directors of the East Bay Regional Park District awarded the Land
Trust a $100,000 challenge grant, which must be matched by the
end of our option period on June 20, 1998.
9-11-1997 9-08AH FROM MARTINEZ LAND TRUST 510 228 5460 P. 3
The Martinez Regional Land Trust was founded in 1988 by a diverse group
of citizens concerned with preserving their natural resources. The Land Trust
promotes protection of land by acquiring it through donation or
purchase.
Our first project was to raise $76,000 towards the acquisition of the 325 acre
Mt.Wanda addition to the John Muir National Historic Site. Sky Ranch,
our current acquisition is one property down the Franklin Ridge from Mt.
Wanda. While we have yet to request that the National Parks expand their
boundaries to include Sky Ranch, we are in fact adding open space to the newly
created John Muir National Park.We are currently researching the possibility of
creating a Regional Heritage Area in conjunction with the National Trust
for Historic Preservation.
At the same time we were fundraising for Mt. Wanda, our Land Acquisition
Subcommittee was negotiating with the owner of the Stonehurst
Subdivision in Alhambra Valley. Security Owners Corporation wanted to
donate Conservation Easements on 150 acres of open space within
Stonehurst to Martinez Regional Land Trust. This open space is contiguous
with. Sky Ranch. In addition, we have accepted the donation of Conservation
Easements along the East Bay Regional Park District Trail that runs
through Stonehurst.
Two years ago, our newly formed Environmental Education Subcommittee
sought funding to start an Interpretive Program at Shell Marsh, the 240
acre Tidal wetland adjacent to the Carquinez Straits. EBRPD bought the
Marsh with mitigation funds from the Shell Oil Spill that occurred in 1988. Our
program provides a Docent Training Program, Teacher Grant Program,
and Teacher Training Workshop for interested teachers, students and
community volunteers throughout Contra Costa County.
We are seeking funding to establish a volunteer stewardship on Sky Ranch.
Gary Beeman,a wildlife biologist,volunteered to do some preliminary
research at Sky Ranch to determine the quality of the existing habitat,identify
plant and animal species, and make recommendations for volunteer based
habitat enhancement activities. Mr.Beeman will be helping us establish the
long term stewardship and habitat restoration program in conjunction with
MRLT Stewardship Committee Chair, and the volunteer coordinator at The
Lindsay Museum.
Our membership is currently at about 300 members. The Board of
Directors, Executive, Land Acquisition, Education, Membership, and
newly created Finance Committees meet monthly.All committees are chaired
by MRLT Board members,but include individuals outside our Board. That way,
businesses, corporations and citizens with a particular expertise or interest can
help us in our work.Our general membership meets once a year, and we have
a number of special events for our members throughout the year.
�ANp TRUST r�1Q1 2,28
FRaE,1 MARTINEZ
1997 9:1UA1`i
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