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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04102007 - C.43 Contra TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Costa ��_. rTq�°���`�� County FROM: Dennis M. Barry, AICP Community Development Director Maurice Shiu Public Works Director DATE: April 10, 2007 SUBJECT: Grant application to the California Coastal Conservancy to fund a proposed assessment of historical ecological conditions in the County SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATION AUTHORIZE the Community Development Director or his designee to submit a grant application to the California Coastal Conservancy requesting $150,000 to fund an assessment of historical ecological conditions in the County in partnership with Contra Costa Watershed Forum and the San Francisco Estuary Institute; and AUTHORIZE the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to submit a letter of support for the proposal. FISCAL IMPACT No impact to general Fund. If approved, the grant request would bring a total of $150,000 from the California Costal Conservancy to fund an assessment of historical ecological conditions in the County ("project"or"proposed project"). The California Department of Fish and Game has committed $40,000 to the project. The Flood Control District has indicated that it may be able provide up to $100,000 in local matching funds if such contribution is approved as mitigation for Flood Control activities by state or federal regulatory agencies (the grant application does not bind Flood Control to provide these matching funds). Funds would be used to pay for professional staff time at the San Francisco Estuary Institute ("SFEI") and at the County Community Development Department("CDD"),with SFEI providing the scientific expertise and the CDD providing the Geographic Information System ("GIS") and public involvement components. Within the existing capacity and budget of the Water Agency, staff from the Community Development Department would also provide some project management services in kind as part of the local match. Staff from SFEI, CDD and the Public Works Department are pursuing other funding sources as well. The first phase of the project involves data collection countywide and data analysis in east County and is estimated to cost$390,000. Data analysis in centr nd west County would be pursued in subsequent phases and would require additional fund* g. A CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: x YES SIGNATURE. RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMIT*E / APPROVE OTHER - SIGNATURE(S . r ACTION OF BO ON (DRi L- 1 a. APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED 40THER VOTE OF SUPE VISORS I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE UNANIMOUS (ABSENT ) AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TAKEN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE ABSENT: ABSTAIN: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN. y� Contact: Abigail Fateman (CDD) (925) 335-1272 ATTESTED JOHN CULLEN, CLERK dF cc: Community Development Department (CDD) BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Public Works Department, Attn: Mitch Avalon AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BY 0C , DEPUTY Report on Grant Application to the Coastal Conservancy April 10, 2007 Page 2 of 3 BACKGROUND/REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATIONS The Contra Costa Watershed Forum (CCWF) is a broad partnership of public agencies and private organizations concerned with creek and watershed issues. The Forum has successfully worked with a wide range of stakeholders in the County to coordinate activities, educate stakeholders, and spearhead innovative projects. The Contra Costa County Watershed Atlas, the Volunteer Creek Monitoring Program, the Data From the Creeks publication, the quadrennial countywide Creek and Watershed Symposium, the more frequent regional symposia on creeks and watersheds, the countywide Creek Signage Program,the CCWF website and the bi- monthly open public meetings of the CCWF are some of the significant past projects and on-going endeavors of the CCWF. The Contra Costa Watershed Forum is staffed by the Community Development Department in partnership with the Public Works Department. On behalf of the Forum, staff continually seeks outside funding to support CCWF programs and projects. Following a presentation to the CCWF in July 2006 by SFEI on the recently completed assessment of historical ecological conditions in the Santa Clara Valley, the CCWF created a subcommittee to explore performing a similar assessment in Contra Costa County. The Santa Clara effort yielded a number of fascinating results and the CCWF was eager to see if similar work could be performed here. For instance, the Santa Clara study determined that, prior to European settlement, most of the creeks and streams that originated in the hills around the Santa Clara Valley did not actually flow to the Bay as they do today. Rather, these creeks emptied into small lakes and lagunas at the valley edge. The Santa Clara study also provided strong evidence that pre-settlement riparian conditions on major creeks consisted of scrubby sycamore vegetation along multiple braided channels rather than cottonwood woodland along a single channel, the typical condition today and generally the paradigm for restoration efforts. The study also provided information on the historical location of wetlands and oak savanna. Such information has significant value for understanding how creek and watershed systems have changed and can help guide efforts to restore creek and watershed functions. The CCWF has discussed performing a similar project in Contra Costa County at the subcommittee and full committee level and has determined that it wishes to pursue the historical ecology assessment as the next major CCWF project in lieu of creating a 2007 updated version of the Watershed Atlas (as had been intended previously). The proposed Historical Ecology project is an attractive focus for Forum participants for a number of reasons, including the recognized need for better information on historical conditions to better inform future restoration, the opportunity to participate in a hands-on capacity in the research by collecting local sources of information and connecting the experts to those in the community with the most historical knowledge, and the potential that this historical information will capture the imagination and interest of the public and foster greater awareness of creek and watershed issues. The completed project would provide direct benefits to the County, including new GIS data layers (such as digital versions of the earliest available aerial photos for the County (typically from the 1940s) that can be overlain with other layers in the County's GIS), baseline information and analysis useful for flood protection and integrated water management(e.g., useful for locating sites for County projects that provide the most cost effective and sustainable mitigation and infiltration opportunities), and baseline information on landscape trends and trajectories that will help guide conservation and restoration efforts in which the County is involved. The proposed grant application would be countywide in scope but would also include an east County focus. At the county scale, the project would collect baseline historical data resources (including historic aerial photos, Spanish rancho maps and other geographic information from the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley, early public land surveys and an array of other sources that SFEI has found useful and available for other investigations) and produce an initial public outreach document for the County for release at the planned third quadrennial Contra Costa County Creek and Watershed Symposium in November 2007. For eastern Contra Costa County, the project will carry out more detailed data collection, mapping, analysis, and reporting. Report on Grant Application to the Coastal Conservancy .April 10, 2007 Page 3 of 3 Information on historical ecology will have the most immediate benefit in East County where the most undeveloped land remains and where data can be used to inform conservation and water management actions associated with a number of on- going initiatives, including flood control facilities planning and the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Communities Conservation Plan. The proposed project includes an east County focus for the detailed analysis component because SFEI has indicated that it is not feasible to conduct such a detailed analysis countywide. However, the intention is to extend such analysis to other areas of the County in the future and the countywide data collection that is part of this initial project will support those future phases. Staff recommends that the Board authorize the grant application and submit a letter of support to the Coastal Conservancy. Staff are simultaneously pursuing letters of support from interested stakeholder groups and from members of the State Legislature who represent portions of the County as the Coastal Conservancy requests such letters as part of the application. Staff have submitted a pre-proposal to the Coastal Conservancy staff and this proposal was favorably received and is expected to be transmitted to the Conservancy Board at its meeting in May. Attachments: • Grant application to the Coastal Conservancy • Recommended letter of support A>>' San Francisco Bay Area Coastal Conservancy Program Conservancy GRANT APPLICATION APPLICANT INFORMATION Applicant name (organization) Contra Costa County Community Development Department Address 651 Pine Street, North Wing. 4"' Floor Martinez. CA 94553 Contact name John Kopchik Telephone (925) 335-1227_Fax (925) 335-1299_E-mail jkopc(&cd.cccountZus Signature Date For nonprofit organizations. Federal Tax ID# 94-6000509 PROJECT INFORMATION Project title Historical Ecologv: Conservation and Restoration Planning Project location: Cities: All cities in the Countv, emphasis on eastern CCC. including Cities of Pittsburg. Clanton. Brentwood and Oakley County: Contra Costa Count_ Street Cross street Proposed starting date: May 2007 Estimated completion date: April 2009 Acreage (if relevant): 456,473 acres (county)_ Trail Length (if relevant-miles or linear feet) N/A Stream Miles (if relevant-miles or linear feet) N/A Latitude (e. g. 38.337094)_38.02 N Longitude (e.g. 122.589652)_-122.13_W Conaressional District(s) 7. 10. 11 State Senate District(s)_7 Assembly District_11. 14, 15 San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Grant Application Information, Form,and Exhibits Project Elements Check one or more, if applicable. ( ) San Francisco Bay Trail or connections ( ) Bay Area Ridge Trail or connections ( ) California Coastal Trail or connections ( ) Trail connections between population centers and public facilities ( ) Recreational facilities. ( ) Acquisition of land for recreation/education ( ) Acquisition of land for habitat protection or restoration ( ) Acquisition to protect agricultural land ( ) Watershed protection () Restoration or enhancement of natural habitats or connecting corridors ( x ) Education projects or facilities ( x ) Other Study to inform conservation and restoration actions associated with the East Contra Costa County Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Communities Conservation Plan and CCC Flood Control District Plans in Marsh Creek and Walnut Creek Watersheds and other local activities. San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Grant Application Information, Form,and Exhibits Funding Request Funding amount requested: _$1 X0,000 Month and Year funding needed to start project: May.2007 Matching funds (not including in-kind): $ 40.000 Source: CA Dept of Fish and Game_ Expected commitment date: March 2007 $ 100.000 Source: USBR, CVPIA Funds Expected commitment date: April 2007 $ 100.000 Source: CCC Flood Control District_ Expected commitment date: April 2007 $ Source Expected commitment date: $ Source Expected commitment date: $ Source Expected commitment date: TOTAL PROJECT COST:_$390,000 Matching funds: In-kind In-kind contributions include volunteer time and materials, bargain sales, and land donations. Please describe and estimate value, and differentiate between expected in-kind contributions and contributions (work or other types of contributions) already obtained/completed. Contra Costa Watershed Forum: Volunteer Time. equivalent to $20.000 Contra Costa County Community Development: Staff time, equivalent to $ 0.000 San Francisco Bqy,Area Conservancy Program Grant Application Information, Form,and Exhibits Preliminary Budget In the budget matrix below. list the major tasks of the proposed project and indicate the estimated cost of each. These tasks should correlate with the activities you will list on the following page under"Timeline" (in some cases, several tasks listed here may logically be grouped as one activity in the timeline matrix). Show the source of funding for each task.A simplified.example is provided. Preliminary Budget Task Task Applicant's Coastal Other Total Cost Number Funding Conservancy Matching Funds 1 Historical Data In-kind 25,000 35.000 60.000 Collection (countywide) 2 Data In-kind 25.000 95.000 120,000 Compilation/ Georectification (countywide) 3 GIS Synthesis In 50,000 25,000 75,000 (E. County) 4 Analysis In-kind 25,000 35.000 60.000 (E. County) 5 Reporting In-kind 25.000 50.000 75,000 Total In-kind 150.000 240.000 390.00 equivalent of 70.000 4 San Francisco Bqy Area Conservancy Program Grant Application Information, Form, and Exhibits Timeline Please list (1) all significant and pertinent project milestones related to project for which funds are being requested (for example. California Environmental Quality Act compliance, obtaining of permits, appraisal preparation and other land acquisition documents, commencement of construction, and project completion), (2) expected dates for reaching or completing those steps, and (3) any factors that could influence the timely implementation of the project. Timeline ACTIVITY COMPLETION FACTORS THAT COULD INFLUENCE DATE (assuming TIMELY IMPLEMENTATION May 1 start) Historical Data Collection (Countywide) Primary phase of data acquisition and bibliographic database October 2007 development Data Compilation/ Geo rectification (Countywide) Georeference early aerial ima-ery, and historical maps March 2008 CIS Synthesis (E. County) Create GIS coverages of historical October 2008 landscape Analysis (E. County) Assess and illustrate historical ecological and hydrogeomorphic January 2009 patterns and changes Reporting Public outreach document displaying preliminary work November 2007 (Countywide) Final Report(E. County) April 2009 1 5 San Francisco Bq),Area Conservanq Program Grant Application Information, Form, and Erhihits• Project Description: Historical Ecologv: Conservation and Restoration Planning in Contra Costa County. Contra Costa County and the Contra Costa Watershed Forum are partnering with the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI)to conduct an historical ecology assessment of natural resources in Contra Costa County, CA. With limited money for restoration and conservation, concerned stakeholders want to use financial resources efficiently and effectively. A strong understanding of the historical distribution of habitats and their controlling factors provides a critical basis for understanding current conditions and the potential for future restoration. The project will synthesize the abundant localhistorical data resources to create a practical understanding of terrestrial, fluvial, riparian, and wetland resources prior to significant Euro-American modification. The tools and understanding developed through the project will help identify valuable habitat remnants, prioritize restoration opportunities and strategies, and recognize landscape trends and trajectories. This information is not currently available to the region and represents a significant data gap for restoration design and conservation plans. Tile proposed project is the first phase of a countywide effort, with benefits to both the full County and the East Contra Costa County focus area. At the county scale, we will establish baseline historical data resources(focusing on regional-scale documents) and produce an initial public outreach document for the county for release at the Contra Costa County Creek and Watershed Symposium. For Eastern Contra Costa County, we will carry out more detailed data collection, mapping, analysis, and reporting. Information on historical ecology will have the most immediate benefit in East County. where opportunities for acquisition and restoration are not as constrained. .Detailed assessments for the central and western regions of the county could follow seamlessly in subsequent funding and project cycles, benefiting from the already-established tools and dataset. A five step process has been well tested by SFEi in other areas and is proposed to assess the historical ecological conditions of Contra Costa County. We also expect to develop some new approaches to address the array of terrestrial habitats and lar�_e study area. This may include a strategic combination of more detailed and general mapping, depending on available data and the extent of change. 1) Data Collection and Database Creation: research primary source data. This can come from a variety of sources including Mexican Rancho maps from the 1840s and 1850s, aerial photos and other records from historical societies,city/county archives. This step also produces a database tracking historical references. 2) Data Compilation: georeferencing of historical maps and photographs, compilation of high-value textual data, fluvial and faunal information 3)GIS Synthesis-- interpretation and synthesis of diverse data into GIS layers 4) Data Analysis--analyze and describe historical landscape patterns. compare historical data with present day conditions, identify trends and opportunities 5) Reporting, Technology Transfer, and Presentation --distribution of final products through a well- illustrated general audience report, GIS tools, and public presentation. Project products will include a number of valuable georeferenced data sets and GIS lavers that can be used by local groups involved in conservation, and a widely applicable report applying historical ecology findings to local conservation. Tile report will be well desi-ned to support current conservation activities and concerns based on Contra Costa County's local experience and SFEI's regional expertise. Topics of particular interest will include historical stream alignments(particularly interesting for Marsh and Kellogg Creek which have been diverted and are restoration targets for the NCCP). riparian characteristics (e.g. sycamore alluvial woodland versus dense riparian canopy), perennial ponds and wetlands(CA red-leoged frofa), and potential shifts in chaparral/scrub habitat (Alameda whipsnakej. 6 San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program Grant Application In formation, Form,and Exhibits ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS These questions will help us evaluate the consistency of proposals with Bay Program goals (see goal summary on page one of Grant Application Information. Exhibit A, and Exhibit B). Attach a separate page if necessary, but please keep responses brief. 1. Describe how the project is supported by, consistent with, or in conflict with any applicable local or regional plans. identify the pertinent plan(s). This proposal, Historical Ecologv: Conservation and Restoration Plannin7, is directly consistent with the significant natural resource planning efforts underway throughout Contra Costa County. It will inform a range of conservation actions taken in Contra Costa County as well as provide historical and ecological context for existing and future planning efforts. The historical ecology assessment will allow local plans to be more ecologically informed, providing specific guidance to future restoration and management activities as part of the East Contra Costa County HCP/NCCP, several watershed plans, flood protection, integrated water management, and stream and wetland restoration efforts. In particular, the project is designed to support several important and active efforts: East Contra Costa Countv Habitat Conservation Plan/Natural Communities Conservation Plan (HCP/NCCCP): The adoption process for the HCP/NCCP is currently underway. The HCP/NCCP has been adopted by Contra Costa County, East Bay Regional Park District, and the Cities of Brentwood. Clayton and Oakley. The City of Pittsburg, California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will consider it in the upcoming weeks (March/April 2007). The Plan calls for the expenditure of up to $350 million to acquire and conserve approximately 30,000 acres in eastern Contra Costa County for 28 rare, threatened and endangered species. The money will fund acquisition, restoration and management of.the HCP/NCCP preserve system. Species include: CA red-legged frog, CA tiger salamander, San Joaquin kit fox and Alameda whipsnake. Watershed Plans: Marsh Creek, Kirker Creek, and Mount Diablo Creek (including the Concord Naval Weapon Station reuse planning). Flood Control District Plans: Is consistent with and will aid the planning and implementation of District activities for Marsh Creek (Zone 1 Plans) and Walnut Creek (Zone 3B Plan). 2. What public agencies, non-profit organizations, and other entities and individuals support the project and why? With Contra Costa County and the San Francisco Estuary Institute taking the lead in this project, the following organizations within the region have expressed interest in participating, providing support and/or collaborating throughout the study. These organizations include: CCC Community Development Dept. Contra Costa Watershed Forum CCC Flood Control and Water Natural Heritage Institute Conservation District San Francisco Estuary Institute 7 San Francisco Bati-Area Conservancy Program Grant Application Information, Form,and Exhibits These organizations all have a vested interest in protecting and managing the natural resources in Contra Costa County. The data developed though the historical ecology research will inform a range of efforts, from open space acquisition, to identifying historic locations of habitat characteristics, to ecoloo ically sensitive flood control activities to design and implementation of habitat restoration strategies. The data development countywide will create a resource for stakeholders throuohout the county, and the detailed analysis of data in eastern region of the county will have immediate application in informing the expenditure of time and money related to the implementation of the.HCP/NCCP. 3. Describe the regional significance of the project with respect to recreation and natural resources and how the project serves a regional constituency. Does it involve multiple jurisdictions? Describe enhancement or protection of listed species, high priority habitat and connecting corridors, agricultural lands,watersheds, or trails. Both the countywide and East County-specific components of the project serve a regional constituency. The countywide component would address all of unincorporated Contra Costa County as well as the 19 cities. The East County component would address about one third of the County land area. Further information on the regional significance is provided below. The Contra Costa Watershed Forum has identified the Historical Ecology study as a primary focus for collaboration in the coming years. The Contra Costa Watershed Forum is a countywide partnership of watershed groups, government agencies and other interested groups and citizens that coordinate on creek and watershed issues and pursue joint projects related to maintaining creek and watershed health, as that goal is broadly defined to encompass a variety of perspectives. The Contra Costa County Watershed Atlas, the Contra Costa County Volunteer Creek Monitoring Program. the countywide Creek and Watershed Signage effort, and periodic public workshops and symposia are some of the Forum's past joint projects. The Forum had considered developing an updated Watershed Atlas as its next big collaborative effort, but determined instead to pursue Historical Ecology. The Historical Ecology effort is an attractive focus for the Forum for a number of reasons. including the recognized need for better information on historical conditions to better inform future restoration, the general public interest in the history of our area and the potential that this information will foster greater awareness of creek and watershed issues and the opportunity to participate in a hands-on capacity in the research by collecting local sources of information and connecting the experts to those in the community with the most historical knowledge. V The east County component of the project will have direct utility for the implementation of the HCP/NCCP. The HCP/NCCP has been developed over the last 5 years through a collaborative regional process involving a wide range of agencies and organizations with often divergent views on conservation. Agencies and organizations who have been active in the development of the East Contra Costa County HCP/NCCP include: CA Dept. of Fish and Game CCC Citizens Land Alliance CA Native Plant Society CCC Flood Control Cities of Brentwood, Clayton, Oakley and Contra Costa Water District Pittsburg East Bay Rei(yional Park District Contra Costa Council Home Builders Assoc. of N. Contra Costa County California CCC Farm Bureau Greenbelt Alliance 8 San Francisco BqF Area Consernancy Prograin Grant Application Information, Form,and Exhibits Mt. Diablo Audubon U.S. Environmental Protection Save Mount Diablo Agency Sierra Club U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service If approved. the HCP/NCCP will provide a strong regional structure for habitat protection and restoration that would put the Historical Ecologv information to significant and substantial use. The Historical Ecology information would also provide important information for regional flood control activities, in particular in the Marsh and Walnut Creek watersheds. With respect to regional resources, the study will identify the historical alignments of creeks. the natural pattern of riparian habitat types. locations of former seasonal and perennial wetlands, and how these and other landscape characteristics have changed through time. By providing detailed documentation of the pre-modification distribution of habitat, the study will enable recognition of new opportunities and more accurate prioritization in local conservation. The project will help identify opportunities for habitat acquisition and preservation. restore habitats for targeted species, design restoration projects supported by existing natural processes, and manage conservation lands. Such information will have immediate application in east Contra Costa County where there is an HCP/NCCP. This assessment will create a tool to be used through the implementation (30 years) of the HCP/NCCP and the management of the lands in perpetuity. 4. What project opportunities or benefits could be lost and why if the project is not implemented in the near future? Timeliness for Restoration: There is substantial interest and support to complete this project as soon as possible, so that the information and analysis can be used to inform conservation. management and restoration in Contra Costa County. particularly through the HCP/NCCP. Outreach: There is a high level of local interest in carrying out this project as the next significant activity of the Contra Costa Watershed Forum. Forum participants are eager to release the public outreach document displaying preliminary work on the project at the November 2007 Contra Costa County Creek and Watershed Symposium. This is a large countywide event that typically draws approximately 300 attendees. Timely project initiation will take advantage of this social capital and stimulate growing engagement and watershed restoration. Funding: A significant delay in the initiation of work on this assessment and planning risks the loss of matching funds that have been pledged to this project. 5. Describe any innovative components of the project and how the innovation meets the goals of the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy Program. Historical Ecology is a relatively new field and is becoming a valuable tool for conservation efforts in the region. SFEI is among the leaders nationally in developing innovative approaches to synthesize and interpret historical data and make them available to natural resource managers. This project will build on SFEI's previous experience to directly guide natural habitat conservation and acquisition efforts for a relatively large area. providing an important model for open space strategies. 9 Sun Francisco Bah Area Conservancy Program Grant Application Information, Form,and Exhibits The project will extend our regional understanding of historical landscape change into an understudied but significant part of the Bay Area. The methods and findings for these drier. terrestrial East Countv habitats will be relevant to much of the East Bay and Solano County. Similarly. while a strong understanding of watershed change is being developed in Santa Clara County and the North Bay. Central Bay watersheds are less well understood. These kinds of detailed, multi-habitat. regional historical ecology analyses are increasingly being carried out to guide conservation. For example., historical analyses carried out by SFEI are currently being used to guide species recovery plans in Santa Clara County as part of the Santa Clara Valley HCP/NCCP and acquisition efforts by The Nature Conservancy on the upper Pajaro River. SFEI's assessment of historical wetlands around the Bay was the foundation for the Bayland Ecosystem Habitat Goals Project, which has guided acquisition and conservation in the region for the past seven years. 6. Is the project related to any previous or proposed Coastal Conservancy projects? If so, which ones and how are they related? The Coastal Conservancy has contributed funding to a number of land preservation projects in the County. The historical ecology project may generate information that helps guide the restoration and management on one of these properties 7. Applicants proposing construction projects are urged to consider using the California Conservation Corps. if your project involves construction, please indicate whether you have contacted the Corps regarding your project and the results of that contact. This proposal does not request funds for a construction. 8. Projects that involve acquisition of property must involve a willing seller. If your project includes property acquisition, please describe the status and expected conclusion of landowner negotiations. This proposal does not involve the acquisition of property. The assessment can be used to inform acquisition through the HCP/NCCP. All acquisition made through the HCP/NCCP must involve a willing seller. 10