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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 09162008 - C.116 VE_ C Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS a Costa FROM: FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE County DATE: September 16, 2008 SUBJECT: AUTHORIZATION TO RELEASE FUNDS FROM THE COUNTY FISH AND WILDLIFE PROPAGATION FUND TO HOST A MEETING AND TO FUND A HABITAT MONITORING PROJECT SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS 1) ACCEPT a recommendation of the Fish and Wildlife Committee regarding the awarding of a grant from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund for habitat monitoring and assessment at the Moorhen Marsh. DIRECT the Auditor/Controller to release a total of$3,255 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund to the Wildlife Project for this project. 2)AUTHORIZE the Fish and Wildlife Committee to host the ninth Annual BBQ for law enforcement agencies to discuss fish and wildlife conservation and enforcement of fish and wildlife regulations in Contra Costa County. DIRECT the Auditor/Controller to no more than $1200.00 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund for costs associated with hosting this event. FISCAL IMPACT No impact to the general fund. A portion of the fines collected from violations of fish and game regulations in the County is deposited in the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund, which has a current balance of approximately $300,000. State law defines how money in this fund may be spent, but the Board of Supervisors is responsible for authorizing specific expenditures. Above recommended expenditures are consistent with the expenditure criteria established by the State Law. REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION / BACKGROUND Since 1996, the Fish and Wildlife Committee has implemented a structured process for reviewing funding requests. The intent of this structured review process was to replace case-by-case decision-making with a grant process that enables comparative and efficient review of applications. s4w46-_ f FW(- CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: x YES SIGNATURE: aniel Pellegrini Chair, Fish & Wildlife Committee 2 ECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE �PPROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S): 4o(--t� 4;7—� ACTION OF BOARD ON ~S',,4/b 2,ioK APPROVED AS RECOM NDED OT R VOTE OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS (ABSENT 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND AYES: NOES: CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact: Kae Ono (925) 335-1230 ATTESTED d cc: Department of Conservation & Development DXVId TWA, CLERK OF THE County Administrator's Office D OF SUPERVISORS AND Clerk of the Board TY ADMINISTRATOR Auditor-Controller BYZ7 UTY A,ppropr;ation from Fish and Wildlife Propagation to Fund Annual BBQ �j2- September 16, 2008 Page 2 of 2 REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION/BACKGROUND (cont.) Expenditure of $3,255 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund to the Wildlife Project: In November 2007, a Request for Proposals was circulated to interested individual and organization soliciting proposals for grant funding. Nineteen proposal were submitted by the deadline, including a proposal submitted Mr. Jeff Alvarez of the Wildlife Project to monitor and assess western pond turtle habitat at the Moorhen Marsh and Peyton Slough wetland areas adjacent to the Mt View Sanitary District treatment facility. On March 27, 2008, the County Board of Supervisors approved eleven projects to be funded from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. The Wildlife Project's proposal was not one of those approved for funding because there was confusion about whether the proposal had been withdrawn. In April of 2008, Mr. Alvarez clarified that his proposal had not been withdrawn and requested further consideration. The Committee agreed to reconsider it and on May 21, 2008, the Committee unanimously agreed to recommend to the County Board of Supervisors partial funding of the project. The Committee voted to recommend a grant of $3,255.00, which excludes requested reimbursement of labor costs($2,100). Findings from this study will be shared with the Mt View Sanitary District, East Bay Regional Park District and Lindsay Wildlife Museum and may support existing environmental education programs at the site. The Wildlife Project is required to adhere to three general commitments by accepting a check issued by the County Auditor's Office: a)return funds if the project is not performed; b)provide documentation and/or accounting to show that funds were spent for the purpose described in his application and c) provide a brief summary report on the progress or results of the project by April 15, 2009. Ninth Annual BBQ hosted by Fish and Wildlife Committee: A specific component of the Fish and Wildlife Committee's charge is to advise the Board of Supervisors on issues related to the enforcement of regulations protecting fish and wildlife. Since 1997, the Committee has received quarterly reports with summary and detailed information on the issuance and prosecution of citations for offenses such as poaching, fishing without a license, and illegal disposals. The Committee has also participated in a number of discussions with law enforcement agencies on the challenges and needs for protecting resources from illegal activities. The annual BBQ has become a successful means for improving coordination of enforcement issues and providing all involved with information on the valuable fish and wildlife resources in the County. The first BBQ was hosted in May of 1999. Since then, the Committee has hosted the event each year in September. The Committee is planning to host the ninth annual BBQ for all relevant participants in the enforcement process on September 18, 2008. Participants have indicated that the previous BBQs have been helpful in providing a forum to identify any opportunities for cooperatively improving the regulatory process to protect fish and wildlife. Each year a guest speaker is invited to talk about the valuable natural resources in the County. Last year, several wardens from the CA Department of Fish and Game spoke on their work in the field. This year, Mr. Bob Doyle(East Bay Regional Park District) and Mr. Ron Brown (Save Mount Diablo)will talk about land and wildlife conservation in the County. In the first two years, material donations as well as cash donations from the Fish and Wildlife Committee members covered the cost of meals. In recent years, the Board has authorized the Committee to spend no more than $600 to$900 from the Fund to host this event. The Committee has spent less than that amount from the Fund each year. This year, the Committee unanimously agreed to recommend that no more than $1,200.00 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund be used to cover any expenses that are not covered through material donations. The amount is higher than previous years in anticipation of increased prices of food that might affect by the cost of fuel. This expenditure would be consistent with Fish and Game Code Section 13103(a),which provides that the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund may be spent on public education relating to the scientific principles of fish and wildlife conservation. Should the Board provide its authorization, the Committee intends to hold the event on Thursday September 18th from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Martinez Sportsmen's Club in Martinez. Invited attendees would include representatives of the California Department of Fish and Game, Sheriff's Department, District Attorney's Office, Superior Court, Public Defender's Office, and the East Bay Regional Park District Police. Board of Supervisors' participation would be most welcome. The event will be an open, public meeting subject to the Brown Act and Better Government Ordinance, and any interested individuals would be welcome to attend. The agenda for this gathering was finalized during the Committee's July meeting and invitations to this event went out in August pending Board approval. Attachment: • Cover page of the grant proposal submitted by Mr. Jeff Alvarez • Grant announcement that was distributed in November 2007 • Agenda and map to the BBQ site CONTRA COSTA COUNTY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 651 Pine Street,N. Wing-4th Floor Martinez, CA 94553 n Telephone: 335-1272 Fax: 335-1299 afate@cd.cccounty.us DATE: November 1, 2007 TO: Persons & groups interested in the fish and wildlife resources of Contra Costa County FROM: Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee RE: Requests for funding from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund The Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Committee is pleased to announce the availability of funds from the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. The Fish and Wildlife Committee requests the submission of completed Funding Applications(attached). Proposals need to be received by 5:00 p.m.on Thursday December 27,2007(a postmark of December 27th does NOT satisfy the submission deadline) AW gpplications that are received after the due date will be automatically rejected. Recommendations of the Fish and Wildlife Committee will be forwarded to the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, which maintains final decision- making authority for expenditures from the Fund. Successful applicants may anticipate receiving funding awards by the spring of 2008. The Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund is entirely supported by fine revenues which result from violations of the Fish and Game Code and Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations in Contra Costa County. Expenditures made from the Fund must benefit the fish and wildlife resources of the County. Projects awarded funds from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund must meet the requirements of Section 13103 of the Fish and Game Code (attached) which describes the types of projects that may be eligible. Though all projects which meet the requirements of Section 13103 will be considered, the Fish and Wildlife Committee strongly encourages applications relating to activities to protect and conserve fish and wildlife, including improvement of fish and wildlife habitat, public education about fish and wildlife conservation, and scientific fish and wildlife research in Contra Costa County. The Fish and Wildlife Committee generally does not recommend funding for operating costs and overhead. Examples for these may include benefit such as health insurance,and operation cost such as electricity to run an office. If an hourly rate is listed, overhead cost needs to be itemized separately (see more details on the grant writing instruction sheet). The funds also need to be expended within a year of receiving funds from the Committee (i.e. spring of 2009). Grant applicants need to submit their final project report at that time. The Committee expects to recommend awards to several applicants. However, it is possible that a particularly excellent proposal will be recommended to receive a large portion of the total available funds. During the 2006/2007 grant cycle a total of$48,557 was awarded to 12 projects.The awards ranged from$1200 to$6526. The Fish and Wildlife Committee appreciates your interest in this opportunity to improve the fish and wildlife resources in Contra Costa County. Should you have any questions about the Fish and Wildlife Committee or this funding program,please contact Abby Fateman at 925-335-1272. 9-id-ate Contra Costa County Office Use Only: 2008-2009 Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund Application Cover Page Project title: Status,distribution, and utilization of the Moorhen Marsh and Peyton slough wetland areas by western pond turtle. Organization/Individual applying: Jeff Alvarez (organization type: please circle one— government, non-profit, for-profit,MR Address: P.O. Box 579805 Modesto, CA 95357 Telephone: 1-209-815-5660 Fax: n/a E-mail: Jeff@thewildlifeproject.com Name and title of contact person: Jeff Alvarez, Wildlife Biologist for The Wildlife Project One sentence summary of proposal: Our study will determine if western pond turtles are present in Moorhen Marsh and Peyton Slough and the role that a high density river otter population may play on western pond turtles at this site. Requested grant: $5,355 Proposal prepared by(name &title): Jeff Alvarez, Wildlife Biologist Signature: Date: e7.iiG Contra •sta County Fish and Wildlife Committee • 9th Annual Barbecueon • Wildlife Related Regulations Contrain • County Date: Thursday September 18, 2008 Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. • • Martinez Sportsmen's Club, 304 Embarcadero Street, Martinez (Please see reverse for detailed map) 5:00 Reception/sign-in/refreshments 5:30 Welcome and overview(Danny Pellegrini,the Fish and Wildlife Committee). Baby back spare ribs,chili beans, and salad dinner,courtesy of Fish and Wildlife Committee chefs(vegetarian menu available). 6:00 Fish and Wildlife Outreach (Brett Morris,the Fish and Wildlife Committee) • The purpose of the BBQ • Acknowledgement of the relationships created by Judicial process • Summary of the Fish and Wildlife Committee's interest in the Fish and Game Codes • Opportunities to improve coordination 6:10 Conserving Natural Resources in Contra Costa County. (Bob Doyle,East Bay Regional Park District and Ron Brown, Save Mt.Diablo) 6:30 Comments/questions/suggestions(including public comment) 6:45 Dessert and open discussion/mixer 7:00 Adjourn Please contact Kae Ono at(925)335-1230 or luno(-cd.cccounn:.us if you have questions about the Fish and Wildlife Committee or desire additional materials related to this meeting. tE..et its) susUl+(3ay .. -. St1�, C.rooketl Pon Costa Rosea Helcums (D�''I Rnole' W.—Sudo, Concora EI Sobrante w Piessant Hd• Claylon 'Cemta r Walnut creek Aloany 11.-Lnfayate Qrnaa °x at. Berkeley ,tate Park A,amo ITada ry w Z 3 o J n 01 c_ OI f4' V y, out nlbart,U(. r a.' f' � C Oe c q ai r }iigr: ei 3y � e �• �r, �y. T. C�; oz 5:p5e:s. a :r r Cwt` t n , 4`Dr s f° o a Vc'4n a yl� \fiattr ` U, Coming from Richmond / Hercules on Hwy 4 Exit at Alhambra Avenue and turn left. Continue on Alhambra Avenue. Turn left at Marina Vista Ave. Turn immediately right at Berrellesa Street and cross the train track. Turn left onto Embarcadero Street (dirt road). Coming from Antioch/ Pittsburg on Hwy 4 Exit at Alhambra avenue and turn right. Continue on Alhambra Avenue. Turn left at Marina Vista Ave. Turn immediately right at Berrellesa Street and cross the train track. Turn left onto Embarcadero Street (dirt road). Coming from Walnut Creek / San Ramon on Hwy 680 Exit at Marina Vista and turn left. Continue on Marina Vista. Turn right at Berrellesa Street and cross the train track. Turn left onto Embarcadero Street (dirt road). Coming from Benicia / Vallejo on Hwy 680 Exit at Marina Vista (first exit after the Benicia Bridge) and turn left. Continue on Marina Vista. Turn right at Berrellesa Street and cross the train track. Turn left onto Embarcadero Street (dirt road).