City Council Memorandum
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL DATE: MARCH 7, 2023 FROM: PARKS, RECREATION, AND COMMUNITY SERVICES WARDS: 1, 3, & 7
DEPARTMENT
SUBJECT: A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN APPLICATION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $5 MILLION FOR FUNDING FROM THE FY 2022/23 WILDFIRE PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION ISSUE:
Adoption of a Resolution authorizing an application for funding in an amount not to exceed $5 million from the fiscal year 2022-23 Wildfire Prevention Grants Program offered by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
RECOMMENDATION:
That the City Council adopt a Resolution (Attachment – A) to approve a funding application of up to $5 million for the fiscal year 2022-23 Wildfire Prevention Grant Program offered by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
DISCUSSION:
On January 9, 2023, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) announced the availability of the 2022-23 Urban and Community Forestry Program Grant, which provides funding for wildfire prevention projects and activities in and near wildfire-threatened communities that focus on increasing the protection of people, structures, and communities. Funded activities include Hazardous Fuels Reduction, Wildfire Prevention Planning, and Wildfire Prevention Education, emphasizing public health and safety while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department, in partnership with the City Fire Marshall, is proposing a primary project to perform fire prevention in the 86-acre “Boy Scout Camp” site with Cal Fire Grant funding by removing all targeted invasive species, including but not limited to, Tamarisk, Arundo, and Eucalyptus overgrowth in the Fairmount Boy Scout Camp area at Fairmount Park in conjunction with a Lake or Streambed Alteration Permit for the Santa Ana River Riparian Restoration, Recreation and Protection Project. See the primary project site map presented in Attachment – B.
If funding is available, staff will identify additional areas along the span of the Santa Ana River under the municipal span of influence for abatement efforts. The team will return to the City Council post-award with a complete list of activities. As part of the application process, an approved Resolution is required before the application will be accepted. The maximum Grant award is $5 million with no match requirement.
Activities planned in conjunction with this Grant application are consistent with the City’s approved Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, adopted in 2018 and currently being updated. Work contemplated under this grant application are also generally consistent with the Santa Ana River Working Group Final Report adopted by the City Council on February 1, 2022.
Parks, Recreation, and Community Services is partnering with the Fire Department and Police Department’s Public Safety Engagement Team in coordinating these efforts with other staff. Staff is working to finalize an agreement with a grant writer from the City’s approved panel to assist with the application process at the cost of approximately $10,000. This Grant is due for submission by no later than March 15, 2023.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This item supports Strategic Priority 4 – Environmental Stewardship and Goal 4.5 - Maintain and conserve 30% of Riverside’s natural lands in green space, including, but not limited to, agricultural lands and urban forests to protect and restore Riverside’s rich biodiversity and accelerate the natural removal of carbon, furthering our community’s climate resilience.
This item aligns with each of the Cross-Cutting Threads as follows:
Community Trust – Management of the City’s urban wildland interface benefits all city residents, businesses, and visitors by helping to remove gaseous air pollutants and sequestering carbon.
Equity – Approval of this action (and subsequent grant award) will benefit all who live in or travel through the City.
Fiscal Responsibility – Maintaining City owned landscapes and their infrastructure supports Parks, Recreation, and Community Services’ efforts to minimize inefficiencies and maximize reliability.
Innovation – Parks, Recreation, and Community Services’ is focused on implementing the newest technologies that allow us to maximize our sustainability efforts.
Sustainability & Resiliency – Parks, Recreation, and Community Services values the need for sustainability and resiliency with fulfilling the current operational needs by utilizing resources, such as applying for available grants, that will provide the tools needed for long-term planning and guidance to benefit future generations by having advanced technologies, policies, and procedures in place to help in the advancement of the urban forest.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If awarded, the ultimate fiscal impact of this report is approximately $5 million, or the actual award amount. If successful and after receiving a grant award, the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department will return to City Council to appropriate the grant award and establish project accounts.
Prepared by: Pamela Galera, Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Director Certified as to
availability of funds: Edward Enriquez, Interim Assistant City Manager, Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer
Approved by: Kris Martinez, Assistant City Manager
Approved as to form: Phaedra A. Norton, City Attorney
Attachment: A – Resolution
B - Map
Attachment – B
Primary Project Area Map
CalFire Grant Resolution ● Page 2