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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 11042003 - C103 TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Contra osta FROM: FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE DATE: November 4, 2003 County SUBJECT: APPROPRIATION OF FUNDS FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE PROPAGATION FUND TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT FISH AND WILDLIFE 10#163 SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S)& BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS ACCEPT recommendation of the Fish and Wildlife Committee regarding the awarding of a grant from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund; DIRECT the Auditor/Controller to release a total of $10,000 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund to the County Community Development Department for costs associated with the Contra Costa County Creek and Watershed Symposium and the Contra Costa County Watershed Atlas. FINANCIAL 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$100,000. State law defines how money in this fund may.be spent, but the Board of Supervisors is responsible for authorizing specific expenditures. The project recommended to receive funding is consistent with the expenditure criteria established by State Law. REASON FOR RECOMMENDATION/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 processthat enables comparative and efficient review of applications. CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: X YES SIGNATURE: b FWc.' ordon Becker V Chair, Fish &Wildlife Committee &,--'RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE _&:f-A0PROVE OTHER SIGNATURE(S).- ACTION OF B ON November 4 2003 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUS(ABSENT None) AYES: NOES: I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE AND ABSENT: ABSTAIN: CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. Contact: Kae Ono(925) 335-1230 cc: Community Development Department ATTESTED Novenber 4, 2003 County Administrator's Office JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF THE Clerk of the Board BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND Auditor-Controller COUNTY ADPJINISTRATOR JA 0 7; X-011" EPUTY Appropriation from Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund November 4, 2003 Page 2 of 2 The FWC developed a grant application packet(attached)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. The FWC sends out application packets in November and applications are due by December 31St of each year. Submitted applications are reviewed in January and February of each year and make a recommendation to the Board in April. There are, however, provisions to the grant process that allow the Committee to review project applications that are submitted out of its normal grant cycle. One of the provisions is to review applications if a project is a FWC initiated project. Another provision enables the Committee to review applications for projects that cannot be performed if grant review is delayed to match the annual review schedule. The Contra Costa County Community Development Department, on behalf of the Contra Costa Watershed Forum (CCWF), submitted a grant application and a request for expedited review for a project related to a creek and watershed conference planned for November 2003. The November conference is an outcome of an earlier creek and watershed symposium initiated by the FWC and held in the spring of 1999. More than three hundred people came to the symposium. In the fall of 1999, the CCWF was established under the guidance given by the County Board of Supervisors. This year, CCWF and the County are hosting the Second Quadrennial Creek and Watershed Symposium on November 12, 2003. At the Symposium,the CCWF and the County will release the Contra Costa Watershed Atlas, with more than one hundred color pages of maps and statistical information about creeks and watersheds in the County. To cover some of the printing cost of the Watershed Atlas and to cover distribution of the brochure announcing the Symposium, the Contra Costa Watershed Forum is asking a fund, in the amount of $10,000 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. On August 20, 2003, the Fish and Wildlife Committee agreed to expedited application review and approved the following recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding the application for funding from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund: 1) Appropriate$10,000 to the Second Quadrennial Creeks and Watershed Symposium project (check payable to: Contra Costa County Community Development Department, 651 Pine Street, NW 4th Floor, Martinez, CA 94553, attn: John Kopchik). [9 ayes/0 no] 2) Require three general commitments from all projects receiving funding from-the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund: a) return funds if the project is not performed; b) provide documentation and/or accounting for how funds were spent; and c) provide a brief summary report on the progress or results of the project by December 31, 2003. ATTACHMENTS: • Cover letter for funding application packets distributed by the Fish and Wildlife Committee • Criteria established by state law for expenditures from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund • Provisions established by FWC for reviewing. applications that are submitted out of its normal grant cycle • Cover sheets for the funding application received by the Fish and Wildlife Committee CommunityContra Dennis M.Barry,AICP Development Community Development Director Department. Costa County County Administration Building -- 651 Pine Street �. =_� ! �1� .ate 4th Floor, North Wing Martinez, California 94553-009501. = ' Phone: 925 ��,- .3� ��,�- ,•;� ( ) 335-1230 : C0U) DATE: November 5, 2002 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 Conunittee requests the submission of completed Funding Applications(attached)by December-3 1,2002. 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 summer of 2003. 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. The Fish and Wildlife Committee generally does not recommend funding b for operating costs and overhead. The Conunittec 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. Awardees will be asked to provide a summary of the outcomes of the project and an explanation of how awarded funds were spent. During the 2000/2001 grant cycle a total of$9955 was awarded to the following projects: Monarch Butterfly Rearing and Education Project (Carquinez Regional Environmental Education Center: $4405), Native Grass Revegetation Project (Mt. Diablo Audubon Society: $750) and Restoration San Francisco Estuary Steelhead and Salmon Study Project (Center for Ecosystem Management: $4800). 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 call Kae Ono at (925) 335-1230. Office Hours Monday- Friday:8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Office is closed the 1 st, 3rd& 5th Fridays of each month Appropriation from Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund October 27, 1998 Page 2 of 2 The Board approved these recommendations on May 18., 1998. However, to avoid unnecessary inflexibility in the grant process while maintaining the basic competitive review structure, on May 21, 1997 the FWC approved the following criteria for reviewing grant requests outside-the normal grant-review cycle: The majority of projects will be reviewed simultaneously once per year. Projects can be reviewed individually, outside the annual review cycle if; the project is a FWC-initiated project • delaying review of the project until the annual review cycle would cause substantial harm to the fish and wildlife resources of the County • the project cannot be performed at all unless funding is received from the Fish andWldlife Propagation Fund sooner than would be possible under the annual reviewcycle the project has substantial matching funds which will expire unless funding is received from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund sooner than would be possible under the annual review cycle On September 16, 1998, the Fish and Wildlife Committee reviewed a funding request submitted by the Golden West Women Flyfisher Foundation for $1400 to purchase equipment to sustain steelhead eggs rescued from*unsuitable waters. Historically, steelhead lived and spawned in many creeks in the County, but migration barriers and disturbance of natural channels now force steelhead to lay eggs in inhospitable sections of these creeks where successful reproduction is extremely unlikely. The Golden West organization proposed to rescue such eggs, store them in one of two newly acquired chiller units, place these units in the care of two middle school classrooms, and release the juvenile.fish back to County creeks. The FWC unanimously found that the project met the criteria for consideration outside the normal review schedule because if review were delayed until January 1, no opportunity would exist to provide funds in time to rescue steelhead during the 98/99 rainy season, The FWC unanimously approved the following recommendations to the Board of Supervisors regarding this grant application: 1) Appropriate $1400 to.the Golden West Women Flyfisher Foundation to support the steelhead rescue project'(check payable-to: Golden West Women Flyfisher Foundation, 3949 Edenvale Place, Oakland, CA 94553, attn: Annette M. Thompson). 2) Require that the Golden West Women Flyfisher Foundation release all rescued fish within Contra Costa County and that the two chiller units be maintained in separate classrooms in Contra Costa County 3) Require the following three general commitments from the applicant which have been required in the past of other g'rant recipients: a) return funds if the project is not performed; b) provide documentation and/or accounting for how funds were spent; and c) provide an annual or summary report on the pr 6gress,or results of the project, ATTACHMENTS: • Criteria established by state law for expenditures from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund • Grant application from Golden West Women Flyfisher Fouridation J:\Vjkopc\f&wbo$.o98 Contra Costa County Fish and Wildlife Propagatioii Fund FUNDING APPLICATION Project title: 2nd Ouadrenn is l Creeks and Watershed Sympo s ium Organization/individual applying: Contra Costa Watershed Forum c/o CCC Community i ty Development lopmen.t DFelephone:_925-335-1227 t. Address:- Pi nP S�r-p-p- Martinez, CA 94553 Fax: 925-335-12.99 Name and title of contact person: John Kopchik One sentence summary of proposal: We are applying for -$10 000 to fund a 'Count -wide symposium on the health of Contra -Costa's creeks and watersheds and to cover some nrintin costs of the Watershed Atlas that will be released there. Requested grant: $ 10,000 Proposal prep ed b e &title): AbbyFateman Planner and John Ko h�k Planner Signature: Date: =— In addition, this application form,please submit the following on a separate page(s): 1) Description of the project for which funding is requested. Please include an explanation of: X how this project will benefit the fish and wildlife of Contra Costa County X 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 2) Project schedule 3) Project budget 4) Annual budget for the applying organization 5) Statement describing the applying organization,listing.the Board of Directors and officers of the organization; and listing all affiliated organizations 5) 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) Contra Costa County Fish&wildlife Committee, c/o Kae Onb, 651 Pine Street, North wing, Fourth Floor, Martinez, CA 94553 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; drainawe. 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 131045 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. (1) 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.