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Approve the Solano County Park and Recreation Commission’s recommendation to award $10,000 in grant funds through June 30, 2025 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund to the Friends of Loma Vista, The Monarch Milkweed Project, Solano County Parks and Recreation, Suisun Resource Conservation District, and Vallejo Watershed Alliance for environmental education, conservation, and habitat restoration programs and projects; and Authorize the Director of Resource Management or designee to execute the grant contracts and any necessary modifications that fall within the grant award amount
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No __X_
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No __X_
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The Department of Resource Management recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the Solano County Park and Recreation Commission’s recommendation to award $10,000 in grant funds through June 30, 2025 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund (FWPF) to the Friends of Loma Vista, The Monarch Milkweed Project, Solano County Parks and Recreation, Suisun Resource Conservation District, and Vallejo Watershed Alliance, for environmental education, conservation, and habitat restoration programs and projects; and
2. Authorize the Director of Resource Management or designee to execute the grant contract and any necessary modifications that fall within the grant award amount.
SUMMARY:
The Board appropriated $10,000 for FY2023/24 from the FWPF to award grants to projects in Solano County that are consistent with Fish and Game Code, section 13103, and focused on improving fish and wildlife habitat, care for injured wildlife, or public education related to fish and wildlife conservation. After conducting public outreach regarding grant availability, eight project submissions were received, of which five were recommended by the Solano County Parks and Recreation Commission ad hoc FWPF Evaluation Committee (Committee) for funding. With approval of this recommendation for grant award by the Board, the Friends of Loma Vista, The Monarch Milkweed Project, Solano County Parks and Recreation, Suisun Resource Conservation District, and Vallejo Watershed Alliance will be required to sign individual grant contracts and will have until June 30, 2025 to complete their respective projects.
More details on the FWPF grant award implementation process and review of this grant opportunity is provided below.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The FWPF consists of funds received by the County from Fish and Game Code fines and accumulated interest. In the FY2023/24 Adopted Budget, $10,000 was appropriated to be disbursed as grant awards from the FWPF, with a staff recommendation to award the full $10,000. There is no impact to the General Fund. The cost of preparing the agenda item is nominal and absorbed by the Department’s FY2023/24 Working Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The Department of Resource Management administers the grant application process and grant awards are recommended by the Park and Recreation Commission, serving in its dual role as the Fish and Wildlife Commission. The current grant cycle began September 1, 2023, when staff distributed the FWPF grant application materials and email notices to previous grant applicants and other interested parties. Staff distributed a press release and made the grant application materials available on the County’s website. The Commission set the maximum allowable grant request at $2,500 per applicant. The application deadline was October 2, 2023 resulting in eight applications requesting a total of $19,485 in project funds.
To assist in evaluating applications, the Commission appointed an ad hoc FWPF Evaluation Committee consisting of Commissioners Michael Whited, Donta Kendrick, and subject matter expert Teri Luchini, Park Ranger for the City of Fairfield. The FWPF Evaluation Committee reviewed and scored applications based on criteria identified in the FWPF application materials. At its January 11, 2024 meeting, the Park and Recreation Commission received the award recommendations based on scoring (Attachment A) from the FWPF Evaluation Committee and recommended funding programs/projects with the following entities: the Friends of Loma Vista, The Monarch Milkweed Project, Solano County Parks and Recreation, Suisun Resource Conservation District, and Vallejo Watershed Alliance. In an effort to fund a variety of projects, the Committee determined that with only $10,000 appropriated and almost all applicants requesting the full $2,500 allowable, it would be more effective to fund portions of projects that were identified as scalable, meaning a major component of the project could be funded to assist the applicant in reaching their intended goals.
Projects recommended for funding would result in the following outcomes:
• Friends of Loma Vista will utilize funds to support environmental education programs for 450 students in Solano County with materials to propagate pollinators, and vegetables at the farm for future visitor education programs.
• The Monarch Milkweed Project will be able to utilize the funds to supply native milkweed plant stock, education materials, and the installation of a Monarch Waystation in Benicia.
• Solano County Parks will purchase materials to be used in a volunteer project to build and install six kestrel nesting boxes located throughout Lynch Canyon Open Space.
• Suisun Resource Conservation District will utilize the funds to print copies of their Vegetation Guide of the Suisun Marsh, which has been a guiding document for landowners, student education programs, and marsh visitors for several years.
• Vallejo Watershed Alliance will purchase replacement cleanup and maintenance tools and equipment for volunteer creek cleanup and maintenance events throughout Vallejo.
The previous two grant cycles resulted in very low application submissions, whereas FY2023/24 resulted in a very competitive cycle with well written and developed projects asking for more funds than appropriated. In the January 11, 2024 Parks and Recreation Commission meeting, members of the Committee noted the quality and quantity of the applications, commenting on the difficulty in making a recommendation for award because they found value in funding all of the programs and hoped to see non-awarded applications in future cycles. This is likely the result of a combination of a revitalized advertising plan, newly identified needs, and cyclical updates to existing programs that have received past funding through this grant program.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve the recommendation of the Park and Recreation Commission. This alternative is not recommended because the applications received extensive evaluation from the FWPF Evaluation Committee and are recommended by the Commission for meeting the criteria of the funding guidelines; without this funding opportunity these programs will not likely be funded at all.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Solano County Park and Recreation Commission recommended approval of the grant award at its scheduled, public meeting of January 11, 2024.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION