HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04272010 - C.68RECOMMENDATION(S):
1) ACCEPT recommendations of the Fish and Wildlife Committee (FWC) regarding the
awarding of grants from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund;
2) DIRECT the Auditor/Controller to release a total of $85,071.41 from the Fish and
Wildlife Propagation Fund to the following organizations to support projects benefiting the
fish and wildlife resources of the County: $19,473.00 to the Office of the Sheriff Contra
Costa Marine Services; $12,290.78 to the Muir Heritage Land Trust; $4,690.00 to
California Waterfowl; $1,000.00 to the Tri-Valley Fly Fishers; $2,545.00 to the Lindsay
Wildlife Museum; $10,644.00 to the Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed; $6,540.00 to the
San Pablo Watershed Neighbors Education and Restoration Society (SPAWNERS);
$8,373.00 to The Watershed Project; $4,156.32 to Contra Costa County Department of
Conservation and Development (DCD) on behalf of the Contra Costa Watershed Forum;
$9,600.00 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute; $4,859.64 to James M. Hale; and $899.67
to DCD on behalf of the California Department of Fish and Game.
APPROVE OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE
Action of Board On: 04/27/2010 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER
Clerks Notes:See Addendum
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
AYE:John Gioia, District I
Supervisor
Gayle B. Uilkema, District II
Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III
Supervisor
Susan A. Bonilla, District IV
Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V
Supervisor
Contact: Michelle Luebke,
335-1315
I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board
of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: April 27, 2010
David J. Twa, County Administrator and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors
By: June McHuen, Deputy
cc:
C.68
To:Board of Supervisors
From:Chair, Fish and Wildlife Committee
Date:April 27, 2010
Contra
Costa
County
Subject:APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE PROPAGATION FUND TO
SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT FISH AND WILDLIFE
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 as of 1-31-10 had a balance of 157,242.70. State law defines how money in
this fund may be spent, but the Board of Supervisors is responsible for authorizing
specific expenditures. The projects recommended to receive funding are consistent with
the expenditure criteria established by State Law.
BACKGROUND:
Since 1996, the Fish and Wildlife Committee (FWC) has implemented a structured
process for reviewing funding requests. The intent of this structured review process was
to replace case-by-case decision-making (such as occurred previously and such as is the
norm with most other Fish and Wildlife Committees) with a grant process that enables
comparative and efficient review of applications. In order to encourage the most diverse
numbers and types of applications, the Committee instituted a new procedure to focus
one meeting per year on a particular region of the County. Organizations active in that
region will present information about their structure, activities, and opportunities for
collaboration with other organizations. The first meeting of this type was held in
September 2009 in East County and was incredibly well-received. The FWC developed a
grant application packet (attached - see "GrantAppPacket_2010-2011.pdf"), which
included a cover letter to explain the grant process and funding priorities, an application
to solicit relevant information about the project, and a copy of the expenditure criteria
established by California law for the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. In the fall of
2009, application packets were sent to the Fish and Wildlife Committee mailing list and
to anyone who requested one. A press release was issued on the availability of funding
for fish and wildlife projects. A total of 21 funding applications requesting a total of
$252,976.84 were received during the application period, which ended November 2,
2009. The Fish and Wildlife Committee (FWC) discussed the funding applications at its
November, December, and January meetings. Some applicants came to FWC meetings to
talk about their applications during the public comment section of the agenda. The FWC
acknowledged the hard work that went into all of the applications received and
appreciates the commitment to improving the resources of the County demonstrated by
these applications. At the January 2010 meeting, the Committee recommended funding
thirteen (13) proposed projects to the County Board of Supervisors. The individual FWC
recommendations and the vote of the FWC on recommendations are listed below and the
cover letters for each of these applications are attached (see "Recommended_2010-11").
All recommendations are for full funding of the project as proposed unless noted
otherwise.
1) As in previous years, require recipients of the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Funds to
adhere to three general commitments outlined in their application packets and reiterated
in a letter accompanying the award check: 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 applications; and c) provide a brief summary report on the progress
or results of the project by May 1, 2011 [9 ayes/0 noes].
2) Appropriate $19,473.00 to the Office of the Sheriff Contra Costa Marine Services for a
Sinking Vessel Emergency Trailer. [9 ayes/0 noes]
3) Appropriate $2,990.78 to the Muir Heritage Land Trust for their Wildlife Tracking
Project. [9 ayes/0 noes]
4) Appropriate $9,300.00 to the Muir Heritage Land Trust for their Evolution of Restored
Creek Habitats at Fernandez Ranch. The funding is to be used for three surveys. [8 ayes/1
noes/1 abstention]
5) Appropriate $4,690.00 to California Waterfowl for their Contra Costa County Youth
Program - getting outdoors for wildlife. The funding is to be used for Objective #1
(partnering with the Concord Youth Center) only and must be received by the Concord
Youth Center. [6 ayes/2 noes]
6) Appropriate $1,000.00 to the Tri-Valley Fly Fishers to expand their "Trout in the
Classroom" Program to East County. [9 ayes/0 noes]
7) Appropriate $2,545.00 to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum for Incubators for injured
native wildlife. [8 ayes/0 noes (1 abstention, Heckly)]
8) Appropriate $10,644.00 to the Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed (FOMCW) for the
Marsh Creek Habitat Improvement Project. The funding is to be used for listed materials
only, not labor. [8 ayes/1 noes]
9) Appropriate $6,540.00 to SPAWNERS for their San Pablo Watershed Water Quality
Monitoring Program. The funding is to be used for all the listed materials and a $1500
stipend for one intern only. [5 ayes/3 noes (1 abstention, Berthelsen)]
10) Appropriate $8,373.00 to The Watershed Project for their Wildcat Habitat
Restoration. The funding is to be used for all the listed materials and $3,000.00 for the
intern stipend, but not for staff time. [7 ayes/1 noes (1 abstention, Berthelsen)]
11) Appropriate $4,156.32 to DCD on behalf of the Contra Costa Watershed Forum for
the Contra Costa Volunteer Creek Monitoring Program for field sampling equipment. [9
ayes/0 noes]
12) Appropriate $9,600.00 to the San Francisco Estuary Institute for their East Contra
Costa County Historical Ecology Project. [8 ayes/1 noes]
13) Appropriate $4,859.64 to James M. Hale for his Contra Costa County Mountain Lion
Migration Corridor & Tracking Survey. [8 ayes/0 noes (1 abstention, Hale)]
14) Appropriate $899.67 to DCD for a freezer that will be donated to the California
Department of Fish and Game to store evidence necessary for prosecuting violations of
the Fish and Game Code in Contra Costa County. The Fish and Game procurement
process is so complicated and unpredictable that the FWC recommended that
procurement occur through the County. The Department of Conservation and
Development is amenable to performing the procurement. [9 ayes/ o noes]
The Fish and Wildlife Committee did not recommend funding the following applications
(a brief, partial explanation is provided below - cover letters attached, see
"Not_recommended_2010-11"):
• Mitigating human-wildlife conflict in urban landscapes: an initiative for longer-term
data and citizen-science, proposed by Linklater, Brashares, Barrett & McCullough
(Victoria University of Wellington & UC-Berkeley). The project had high costs for labor
and communication, which the Committee did not find cost-effective. The Committee felt
other proposals would provide more benefit to fish and wildlife resources in the County.
[1 ayes/8 noes]
• Movement patterns & habitat use by western pond turtles in eastern Contra Costa
County, proposed by Jeff Alvarez at The Wildlife Project. The Committee has funded a
similar study in the past and felt that other proposals would provide more benefit to fish
and wildlife resources in the County this year. [1 ayes/8 noes]
• San Pablo & Moraga Creeks Habitat & Resource Monitoring & Mapping Program,
proposed by Friends of Orinda Creeks. The requested equipment is available at no cost to
community groups or individuals through the Contra Costa Watershed Forum’s
Monitoring Assistance and Resource Center. The Committee felt other proposals would
provide more benefit to the fish and wildlife resources in the County. [0 ayes/9 noes]
• Limiting Factors Analysis for Salmon Reproduction in Marsh Creek, proposed by the
Delta Science Center at Big Break. The Committee felt that this project was not
cost-effective and that other proposals would provide more benefit to fish and wildlife
resources in the County. [0 ayes/9 noes]
• Design for Pinole Creek Fish Passage Improvement Project, proposed by the Contra
Costa Resource Conservation District. The Committee felt that, while beneficial, the cost
of the study was very high and was entirely labor costs. The Committee felt other
proposals would provide more benefit to fish and wildlife resources in the County. [0
ayes/9 noes]
• Marsh Creek Fish Passage Project, proposed by American Rivers, Inc. While the
proposed project is excellent and demonstrates a clear benefit to fish and wildlife species,
it was unclear as to the status of the project and necessary permits. [0 ayes/8 noes (1
abstention, Morris)]
• Restoration of Elkhorn Creek, proposed by the Carquinez Regional Environmental
Education Center. The Committee had concerns about the viability of the project and
whether the organization had obtained the necessary permits. The Committee felt other
proposals would provide more benefit to fish and wildlife resources in the County. [0
ayes/9 noes]
• Friends of Lafayette Creek Website, proposed by Friends of Lafayette Creek. The cost
of the website was quite high and was for longer than one year, which is the duration of
the grant cycle. The Committee felt other proposals would provide more benefit to fish
and wildlife resources in the County. [0 ayes/9 noes]
CLERK'S ADDENDUM
ADOPTED the recommendations; and REFERRED the grant award selection process
to the Internal Operations Committee for review.
ATTACHMENTS
Grant_application
Recommended_2010-11
Not_Recommended_2010-11
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
651 Pine Street, N. Wing - 4th Floor
Martinez, CA 94553
Telephone: 335-1315 Fax: 335-1299 mlueb@cd.cccounty.us
______________________________________________________________________________
DATE: September 14, 2009
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 that completed
funding applications are now being accepted for consideration for the Contra Costa County Fish
and Wildlife Propagation Fund (Fund). All application materials and guidelines are attached.
Proposals must be received in our office by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 2, 2009 (a postmark
of November 2nd, 2009, does NOT satisfy the submission deadline). Any applications that are
received after the due date or without an original signature will be automatically rejected. This
date is earlier than in previous years. The 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.
The Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund is entirely supported by fine
revenues resulting from violations of the Fish and Game Code and Title 14 of the California Code
of Regulations in Contra Costa County (County). Projects awarded from the Fund must benefit the
fish and wildlife resources of the County and must meet the requirements of Section 13103 of the
Fish and Game Code (attached). All applications that satisfy the requirements listed in the funding
application directions will be considered.
The Fish and Wildlife Committee strongly encourages applications related to improving habitat,
public education, and scientific research in the County. The Fish and Wildlife Committee
generally does not recommend funding for operating costs and overhead, such as benefits or
utilities. If an hourly rate is listed, costs need to be itemized separately (see grant guidelines for
more details).
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 2009/2010 grant cycle a total of $173,895.48 was awarded to 13 projects. The
awards ranged from $526 to $56,200. This year, the Fund has a balance of approximately
$150,000. Successful applicants may anticipate receiving funding awards by the spring of 2010.
Recipients must expend funds within a year of receiving funds from the Committee (i.e. spring of
2011) and applicants must submit a final project report at that time.
The 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 Michelle Luebke at 925-335-1315.
Please review and follow the instructions below. Plan your submission accordingly. In addition to the Application Cover
Page, submit the following information:
What Must Be Included in Your Proposal:
1) Description of the project for which funding is requested. Please include an explanation of:
how this project will benefit the fish and wildlife of Contra Costa County
how this project meets the requirements of Section 13103 of the Fish & Game Code (attached) which defines the
eligibility requirements for projects requesting funding from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. Indicate which
letter(s) of the Section 13103 is/are satisfied.
If your proposal is eligible under Section 13103 (d), (h), (i), or (m), send a copy of your proposal by October 12,
2009, to Mr. Chuck Armor at 707-944-5518 / PO Box 47, Yountville, CA 94599, from the CA Department of
Fish and Game for a letter of support. (This letter does not count toward your four page limit).
2) Project schedule - Funds need to be expended a year from the date you receive the funding (by Spring 2011).
3) Project budget (itemized). The Fish and Wildlife Committee generally does not recommend funding for operating costs
and overhead. Examples for these may include benefits such as health insurance, and operation costs such as electricity to
run an office. If an hourly rate is listed, overhead costs needs to be itemized separately. The Committee generally gives
preferences to funding material expenses (e.g. purchase of equipment).
4) Annual budget for the applying organization (NOT itemized).
5) Statement describing the applying organization, listing the Board of Directors and officers of the organization, and listing
all affiliated organizations.
6) Statement describing the qualifications of the sponsoring organization and participating individuals for completing the
project.
7) List of individuals responsible for performing project and of individuals responsible for overseeing project.
8) Statement describing the status of permit approvals necessary to perform project (if applicable).
Format:
Your proposal packet, including cover sheet and any attachments must not exceed four single-sided pages or two
double-sided pages, 8.5 by 11 inches in size. Do not use less than 11 point font. Do not have less than ½ inch
margins on your pages. If you are including a letter from the CA Department of Fish and Game to demonstrate
eligibility under Section 13103 (d), (h), (i) or (m) of the Fish and Game Code, this will not be counted as part of
your page limit.. Otherwise, if you submit more than four pages, your proposal will be automatically rejected.
Do not attach a cover letter, brochures, posters, publications, CDs, DVDs or large maps.
Do not use yellow-sticky paper (e.g. Post-ItTM) to express extra comments.
Your complete application packet including an original signature must arrive by 5:00 p.m. on Monday,
November 2, 2009 (Pacific Standard Time) to be considered for funding. (Please note: A postmark of
November 2nd does not satisfy the submission deadline. If submitted after the deadline, your proposal will
automatically be rejected). (This is earlier than in previous years, so please mark your calendars accordingly.)
Faxed applications will not be accepted.
Emailed applications will not be accepted.
Your complete application should be mailed/delivered to:
Contra Costa County Fish & Wildlife Committee
c/o Contra Costa County Dept. of Conservation and Development
651 Pine Street, North Wing, Fourth Floor
Martinez, CA 94553
Attn: Barbara Melton
Final Checklist Before You Submit Your Proposal:
Please note that your proposal will be automatically rejected if you provide more materials than required below:
Hand Signed Cover page (your proposal will be automatically rejected if you type your name in the signature
space, submit an electronic signature, or do not provide your signature).
3 pages or less on your project description (any extra attachments such as a map and an organization budget will
be counted as one of the three page limit.)
Letter from the CA Department of Fish and Game only if your project is under section Section 13103 (d), (h), (i),
or (m) of the Fish and Game Code. (This is NOT a part of the page limit listed above).
If you have questions regarding the Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund grant process, please
contact Michele Luebke: mlueb@cd.cccounty.us / (925) 335-1315.
13103. Expenditures from the fish and wildlife propagation fund of any
county may be made only for the following purposes:
(a) Public education relating to the scientific principles of fish and wildlife
conservation, consisting of supervised formal instruction carried out pursuant to a
planned curriculum and aids to education such as literature, audio and video
recordings, training models, and nature study facilities.
(b) Temporary emergency treatment and care of injured or orphaned wildlife.
(c) Temporary treatment and care of wildlife confiscated by the department as evidence.
(d) Breeding, raising, purchasing, or releasing fish or wildlife which are to be released
upon approval of the department pursuant to Sections 6400 and 6401 onto land or
into waters of local, state, or federal agencies or onto land or into waters open to the
public.
(e) Improvement of fish and wildlife habitat, including, but not limited to, construction
of fish screens, weirs, and ladders; drainage or other watershed improvements;
gravel and rock removal or placement; construction of irrigation and water
distribution systems; earthwork and grading; fencing; planting trees and other
vegetation management; and removal of barriers to the migration of fish and
wildlife.
(f) Construction, maintenance, and operation of public hatchery facilities.
(g) Purchase and maintain materials, supplies, or equipment for either the department's
ownership and use or the department's use in the normal performance of the
department's responsibilities.
(h) Predator control actions for the benefit of fish or wildlife following certification in
writing by the department that the proposed actions will significantly benefit a
particular wildlife species.
(i) Scientific fish and wildlife research conducted by institutions of higher learning,
qualified researchers, or governmental agencies, if approved by the department.
(j) Reasonable administrative costs, excluding the costs of audits required by Section
13104, for secretarial service, travel, and postage by the county fish and wildlife
commission when authorized by the county board of supervisors. For purposes of
this subdivision, "reasonable cost" means an amount which does not exceed 3
percent of the average amount received by the fund during the previous three-year
period, or three thousand dollars ($3,000) annually, whichever is greater, excluding
any funds carried over from a previous fiscal year.
(k) Contributions to a secret witness program for the purpose of facilitating enforcement
of this code and regulations adopted pursuant to this code.
(l) Costs incurred by the district attorney or city attorney in investigating and
prosecuting civil and criminal actions for violations of this code, as approved by the
department.
(m) Other expenditures, approved by the department, for the purpose of protecting,
conserving, propagating, and preserving fish and wildlife.
Contra Costa County Office Use Only:
2010-2011 Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund
Application Cover Page
Project title:
Organization/Individual applying:
(Organization type: please check one – government, non-profit, for-profit, other (explain)
Address:
Telephone: Fax:
E-mail:
Name and title of contact person:
One sentence summary of proposal:
Requested grant:
Proposal prepared by (name & title):
Signature (Typing your name does not count as a signature. If this section is empty, your proposal will not be considered):
________________________________________________ Signed on _______________
Department of Conservation and Development
Clear Form