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Approve the recommendation of the Solano County Park and Recreation Commission to award one grant totaling $2,500 to the Napa-Solano Audubon from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund; and Authorize the Director of Resource Management or designee to execute the grant contract 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 approve the recommendation of the Solano County Park and Recreation Commission to award one grant totaling $2,500 to the Napa-Solano Audubon from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund (FWPF); and 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:
For FY2016/17, the Board appropriated $15,000 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. One grant application was submitted from the Napa-Solano Audubon for Tricolored Blackbird Breeding Colony Survey. After evaluating the application, the Solano County Park and Recreation Commission has recommended funding the project for a total of $2,500 (Attachment A). The recommended grant recipient is a non-profit organization conducting the project within Solano County. The project monitoring identified breeding sites to document bird numbers, reproduction rate, and changes in breeding related behavior, in keeping with the purposes of the grant program. With approval of this grant award, the grantee will be required to sign a grant contract and will have until May 31, 2018 to complete the project.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The FWPF consists of funds received by the County from Fish and Game Code fines and accumulated interest. In the FY2016/17 Adopted Budget, $15,000 was appropriated to be disbursed as grant awards from the FWPF. The recommended awards total $2,500, leaving a remainder of $12,500 unused from this appropriation, which will be re-budgeted for use in future annual FWPF grant cycles. There is no impact to the General Fund.
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 October 21, 2016, when Staff distributed the FWPF grant application materials and e-mail notices to previous grant applicants and other prospective applicants. Staff also placed advertisements in local newspapers and made the grant application materials available on the County’s website. The Commission set the maximum allowable grant request at $2,500. The application deadline was November 4, 2016, and one application was received. To assist in evaluating the applications, the Commission appointed an ad hoc, FWPF Evaluation Committee consisting of Commissioner Terry Riddle, Commissioner Steve Hermsmeyer, and subject matter expert John Takekawa, a Director of Bird Conservation with National Audubon Society. Staff distributed copies of the application to the FWPF Evaluation Committee members and Park and Recreation Commissioners for their individual review and evaluation.
The FWPF Evaluation Committee reviewed the application and scored it based on criteria in the FWPF application materials. At its March 9, 2017 meeting, the Park and Recreation Commission received the scoring recommendations from the FWPF Evaluation Committee, and recommended one funding award totaling $2,500 (listed in Attachment A).
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board may choose not to approve the recommendation of the Park and Recreation Commission. This alternative is not recommended because the applications were objectively and thoroughly evaluated by the Commission and FWPF Evaluation Committee, and the projects recommended for funding are eligible and consistent with the funding guidelines.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Solano County Park and Recreation Commission recommended approval of the grant award at its scheduled public meeting of March 9, 2017.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION