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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWildlife Conservation Board, June 4th 2013 Minutes • STATE OF CALIFORNIA-NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY EDMUND G. BROWN JR.,Governor CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD 1807 13TH STREET,SUITE 103 SACRAMENTO,CALIFORNIA 95811 BOARD(916)445-8448 OF$UPERVLSOR$ FAX(916)323-0280 www.wcb.ca.00v OCT 1 1014 2 State of California V 9e LIJ J Natural Resources Agency cAurts California Department of Fish and Wildlife WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD Minutes June 4, 2013 ITEM NO. PAGE NO. 1. Roll Call 1 2. Funding Status — Informational 4 *3. Proposed Consent Calendar ((Items 3-12)) 9 *4. Approval of Minutes – November 29, 2012, January 24, 2013, 9 and March 11, 2013 *5. Recovery of Funds 9 *6. Hughes Ranch Wetland Enhancement 14 Butte County *7. Sardella Ranch Conservation Easement 17 Tuolumne County *8. San Joaquin River Parkway, Sycamore Island, 21 North Channel Crossing Construction, Augmentation II Madera County *9. Yucca Loma Road, Yates Road and Green Tree Boulevard 26 Transportation Project, Parkland Conversion San Bernardino County *10. Quiota Creek Fish Passage, Phase II 30 Santa Barbara County 11. San Diego County MSCP/HCPLA 2009 (Kemerko) 34 San Diego County 12. Southern California Coastal Wetland Change Analysis 38 Various Counties 13. Upper Shasta River Flow Enhancement Planning 41 Siskiyou County 14. Ten Mile River (Perry-Smith Ranch), 46 Mendocino County 15. Davis Ranch Riparian and Hedgerow Restoration 52 Colusa County 16. Garden Bar Preserve 57 Nevada County *Consent Calendar V 6C 441fla /14,t4 soca June 4th, 2013 WCB Board Meeting Minutes ITEM NO. PAGE NO. 17. Royal Gorge 62 Placer and Nevada Counties 18. El Dorado Ranch 68 El Dorado and Amador Counties 19. Sears Point Wetland Restoration 73 Sonoma County 20. Wilmar Ranch, Diablo Range Oak Woodland 78 Conservation Easement Monterey County 21. Rancho Vierra Oak Woodland Conservation Easement 83 Monterey County 22. Bufford Ranch Conservation Easement, 87 Kern County 23. Arrastre Canyon 92 Los Angeles County 24. San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Eradication 98 Various Counties 25. Statewide Strategic Planning for Invasive Plants 103 Statewide 26. Strategic Plan Update 108 Program Statement 112 ii STATE OF CALIFORNIA-NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY EDMUND G. BROWN JR.,Governor CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD 1807 13TH STREET, SUITE 103 SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA 95811 (916)445-8448 FAx(916) 323-0280 www.wcb.ca.00v WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD June 4, 2013 The Wildlife Conservation Board met on Tuesday, June 4, 2013, at the Legislative Office Building, 1020 N Street, Room 100, in Sacramento, California. Mr. Charlton H. Bonham, Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Chairman of the Wildlife Conservation Board, called the meeting to order at 2:05 P.M. Mr. John Donnelly, Executive Director of the Wildlife Conservation Board, performed the roll call. The following Board members/staff were present at this meeting: Chairman Charlton H. Bonham; Ms. Karen Finn, Program Budget Manager, Department of Finance; Mr. Michael Sutton , President of the CA Fish and Game Commission; Mr. John Donnelly, Executive Director of the Wildlife Conservation Board; Ms. Natalya Kulagina, Mr. Donnelly's Assistant; Senator Fuller; Ms. Rachelle Caouette, Senator Fuller's representative; Ms. Katharine Moore, Senator Pavley's representative; Ms. Diane Colborn, Assembly Member Rendon's representative; Assembly Member Gordon; and Ms. Erin Baum, Assembly Member Williams' representative. 1. Roll Call WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERS Charlton H. Bonham, Chair Director, Department of Fish and Wildlife Ana Matosantos, Member Director, Department of Finance Vice, Karen Finn Michael Sutton, Member President, Fish and Game Commission June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes JOINT LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY COMMITTEE Senator Jean Fuller Vice, Rachelle Caouette Senator Fran Pavley Vice, Katharine Moore Assembly Member Richard Gordon Assembly Member Anthony Rendon Vice, Diane Colborn Assembly Member Das Williams Vice, Erin Baum EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR John P. Donnelly 2 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Wildlife Conservation Board Staff Present: John P. Donnelly, Executive Director Elizabeth Hubert, Public Land Management Specialist IV Dave Means, Assistant Executive Director Jasen Yee, Associate Land Agent Peter Perrine, Assistant Executive Director Chad Fien, Public Land Management Specialist IV Cynthia Alameda, Budget and Fiscal Officer Lloyd Warble, Staff Services Analyst Scott McFarlin, Public Land Management Specialist IV Brian Gibson, Senior Land Agent Natalya Kulagina, Executive Assistant Celestial Baumback, Staff Services Analyst Dawn Otiz-Drown, Grant Coordinator John Walsh, Associate Land Agent Liz Yokoyama, Senior Land Agent Erin Ingenthron, Office Technician(Typing) Colin Mills, Staff Counsel Teri Muzik, Senior Land Agent Nancy Templeton, Chief Counsel Candice Marg, Associate Land Agent Others present: John Thomson, Department of Fish and Wildlife Kathy Neuburger, Truckee Donner Land Trust Lisa Wolfe, Department of Fish and Wildlife Perry Norris, Truckee Donner Land Trust Brian Cary, Department of Fish and Wildlife Ann Chadwick, Truckee Donner Land Trust Eric Haney, Department of Fish and Wildlife Doug Johnson, CA Invasive Plant Council Tina Bartlett, Department of Fish and Wildlife Valerie Caligari, Audubon CA Marlyce Myers, The Nature Conservancy S. Craig Tucker, Karuk Tribe E. J. Remson, The Nature Conservancy Liz Diamond, Dokken Engineering Jason Pelletier, The Nature Conservancy Rebecca Neves, Dokken Engineering Shane McCoin, Ellison Scheider LLC. Marshall Cook, Ellison Scheider LLC. Lucy Blake, Northern Sierra Partnership Bill Oudegeest, Donner Summit Tasha Newman, Conservation Strategy Group Ed Bubnis, Donner Summit David Africa, Royal Gorge Kathy Bubnis, Donner Summit Julie Africa, Royal Gorge Linda Cashion, Donner Summit Diane Kirkham, Serene Lake Prop. Owner Assoc . Jim Hoelter, Donner Summit Jennifer Evans, Serene Lake Prop. Owner Assoc. Kathy Bubnis, Donner Summit Wade Freedle, Serene Lake Prop. Owner Assoc. Michael Beck, Endangered Habitats Conservancy 3 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Chairman Bonham reported that the second item in the agenda is funding status. Mr. Donnelly went on to explain that we represent our funding status as informational item and added that he would be happy to answer any questions about this item. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. 2. Funding Status— Informational The following funding status depicts Capital Outlay appropriations by year of appropriation and by fund source and fund number. (a) 2012-13 Wildlife Restoration Fund, (0447) Budget Act $1,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -979,500.00 Unallocated Balance $20,500.00 (b) 2012-13 Habitat Conservation Fund, (0262) Budget Act $20,663,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -35,000.00 Unallocated Balance $20,628,000.00 (c) 2011-12 Habitat Conservation Fund, (0262) Budget Act $20,663,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -3,812,213.00 Unallocated Balance $16,850,787.00 (d) 2010-11 Habitat Conservation Fund, (0262) Budget Act $20,668,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -14,692,833.00 Unallocated Balance $5,975,167.00 (e) 2008-09 Habitat Conservation Fund, (0262) (2012-13 Reappropriation) Budget Act $20,668,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -15,644,079.00 Unallocated Balance $5,023,921.00 (f) 2007-08 Habitat Conservation Fund, (0262) (2011-12 Reappropriation) Budget Act $20,674,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -16,775,217.05 Unallocated Balance $3,898,782.95 4 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes (g) 2006-07 Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Fund, (0005) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act $15,224,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -13,769,102.00 Unallocated Balance $1,454,898.00 (h) 1999-00 Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Fund, (0005) Continuously Appropriated [Sec. 5096.350 (a)(1), (2), (4) & (7)] $36,100,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -29,763,847.45 Unallocated Balance $6,336,152.55 (i) 2004-05 California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund, (6029) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act (San Joaquin River Conservancy Projects) $11,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -6,730,752.94 Unallocated Balance $4,269,247.06 (j) 2001-02 California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund, (6029) Continuously Appropriated (Section 5096.650) $273,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -231,060,129.24 Unallocated Balance $41,939,870.76 (k) 2003-04 Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002, (6031) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act (Section 79568) $32,500,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -21,681,299.35 Unallocated Balance $10,818,700.65 5 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes (I) 2002-03 Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002, (6031) Continuously Appropriated (Sections 79565 and 79572), including Chapter 81, Statutes of 2005 $814,350,000.00 2003-04 Budget Act Transfer to HCF from Section 79565 -21,000,000.00 2004-05 Budget Act Transfer to HCF from Section 79565 -21,000,000.00 2005-06 Budget Act Transfer to HCF from Section 79565 -4,000,000.00 2005-06 Budget Act Transfer to HCF from Section 79572 -3,100,000.00 2006-07 Budget Act Transfer to HCF from Section 79572 -17,688,000.00 2007-08 Budget Act Transfer to HCF from Section 79572 -5,150,000.00 2008-09 Budget Act Transfer to HCF from Section 79572 -1,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -677,285,412.08 Unallocated Balance $64,126,587.92 (m) 2010-11 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051) Budget Act (San Joaquin River Conservancy Projects) $3,380,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -0.00 Unallocated Balance $3,380,000.00 (n) 2007-08 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act (San Joaquin River Conservancy Projects) $10,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -2,866,000.00 Unallocated Balance $7,134,000.00 (o) 2009-10 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051) Chapter 2, Statutes of 2009 (SB 8) $24,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -5,082,901.00 Unallocated Balance $18,917,099.00 (p) 2008-09 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051), (2011-12 Reappropriation) Budget Act (NCCP Section 75055(c)) $25,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -7,898,798.50 Unallocated Balance $17,101,201.50 6 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes (q) 2007-08 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act (NCCP Section 75055(c)) $25,000,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -22,878,270.00 Unallocated Balance $2,121,730.00 (r) 2007-08 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 , (6051) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act (Section 75055(d)(1)) $14,293,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -13,010,422.00 Unallocated Balance $1,282,578.00 (s) 2007-08 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act (Section 75055(d)(2)) $14,293,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -12,793,437.48 Unallocated Balance $1,499,562.52 (t) 2007-08 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051) (2010-11 Reappropriation) Budget Act (Section 75055(d)(4)) $4,762,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -2,393,156.54 Unallocated Balance $2,368,843.46 (u) 2006-07 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, (6051) Continuously Appropriated (Section 75055a) $164,700,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -82,816,655.50 Unallocated Balance $81,883,344.50 Continuously Appropriated (Section 75055(b)) $123,525,000.00 Previous Board Allocations -84,894,482.03 Unallocated Balance $38,630,517.97 7 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes RECAP OF FUND BALANCES Wildlife Restoration Fund (a) $20,500.00 Habitat Conservation Fund (b), (c), (d), (e)and (f) $52,376,657.95 Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Fund (g) and (h) $7,791,050.55 California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Bond Fund (i) and (j) $46,209,117.82 Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (k) and (I) $74,945,288.57 Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (m), (n), (o), (p), (q), (r),(s), (t) and (u) $174,318,876.95 TOTAL —ALL FUNDS $355,661,491.84 RECAP OF NATURAL HERITAGE PRESERVATION TAX CREDIT ACT OF 2000 Chapter 113, Statutes of 2000 and Chapter 715, Statutes of 2004 Tax credits awarded through June 30, 2008 $48,598,734.00 Chapter 220, Statutes of 2009 (effective January 1, 2010) Tax credits awarded $0.00 SUMMARY OF BOND CASH The following summary provides the status of the up-front general obligation bond sale proceeds that the Wildlife Conservation Board has received since the spring of 2009. Authorized GO Expenditures Encumbrances Cash Balances Bond Fund Bond Proceeds through through Includes 05/01/13 05/01/13 Encumbrances Proposition 12 $12,621,973.31 $8,173,822.35 $185,421.00 $4,262,729.96 Proposition 40 $91,808,942.78 $61,854,017.50 $16,934,064.98 $13,020,860.30 Proposition 50 $127,970,436.60 $57,269,660.18 $35,730,202.35 $34,970,574.07 Proposition 84 $293,413,688.65 $198,189,485.86 $25,263,636.12 $69,960,566.67 Proposition 1E $65,710,238.22 $37,480,363.94 $10,334,122.20 $17,895,752.08 Grand Totals $591,525,279.56 $362,967,349.83 $88,447,446.65 $140,110,483.08 8 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *3. Proposed Consent Calendar (Items 3-12) As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve Consent Calendar Items 3-12 as proposed in the individual agenda explanations. Motion carried *4. Approval of Minutes — November 29, 2012; January 24 and March 11 of 2013. Mr. Sutton pointed out that Assembly Member Ben Hueso's name needs to be corrected on the Roll Call section of the March 11, 2013 Board meeting Minutes (his name was listed as "Jared Hueso" instead of "Ben Hueso"). The name was corrected. As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve the Minutes of the November 29, 2012; January 24 and March 11 of 2013 meetings. Motion carried. *5. Recovery of Funds The following projects previously authorized by the Board are now completed, and some have balances of funds that can be recovered and returned to their respective funds. It is recommended that the following totals be recovered and that the projects be closed. $1,059,209.71 to the General Fund $23,916.00 to the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Fund $106,426.00 to the Habitat Conservation Fund $5,485.66 to the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Fund $25.62 to the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 $40,100.00 to the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 9 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes GENERAL FUND Feather River Wildlife Area, Riparian Habitat Restoration, Nelson Slough Unit, Phase I, Sutter County Allocated $1,311,000.00 Expended -251,790.29 Balance for Recovery $1,059,209.71 Total General Fund $1,059,209.71 SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR, AND COASTAL PROTECTION BOND FUND Crestridge Preserve, South Crest, San Diego County Allocated $181,500.00 Expended -157,584.00 Balance for Recovery $23,916.00 Total Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean $23,916.00 Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Fund HABITAT CONSERVATION FUND Angeles Linkage (Nominn), Los Angeles County Allocated $2,480,000.00 Expended -2,477,574.00 Balance for Recovery $2,426.00 Goleta Slough Ecological Reserve Restoration, San Benito County Allocated $42,000.00 Expended -42,000.00 Balance for Recovery $0.00 Goleta Slough Ecological Reserve Restoration, Augmentation and Change of Scope, Santa Barbara County Allocated $300,000.00 Expended -300,000.00 Balance for Recovery $0.00 Millard Canyon, Los Angeles County Allocated $480,200.00 Expended -376,200.00 Balance for Recovery $104,000.00 10 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Total Habitat Conservation Fund $106,426.00 CALIFORNIA CLEAN WATER, CLEAN AIR, SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, AND COASTAL PROTECTION FUND East Sacramento County Blue Oak Legacy Area, Expansion 2, Sacramento County Allocated $2,713,514.00 Expended -2,713,468.34 Balance for Recovery $45.66 Pillar Point Bluff Complex, San Mateo County Allocated $3,010,000.00 Expended -3,004,560.00 Balance for Recovery $5,440.00 Total California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe $5,485.66 Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Fund WATER SECURITY, CLEAN DRINKING WATER, COASTAL AND BEACH PROTECTION FUND OF 2002 Eden Landing Ecological Reserve Wetland Restoration Final Design, Alameda County Allocated $304,000.00 Expended -303,974.38 Balance for Recovery $25.62 Goleta Slough Ecological Reserve Restoration, San Benito County Allocated $861,312.00 Expended -861,312.00 Balance for Recovery $0.00 Goleta Slough Ecological Reserve Restoration, Augmentation and Change of Scope, Santa Barbara County Allocated $66,000.00 Expended -66,000.00 Balance for Recovery $0.00 Total Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal $25.62 and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 11 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes SAFE DRINKING WATER, WATER QUALITY AND SUPPLY, FLOOD CONTROL, RIVER AND COASTAL PROTECTION FUND OF 2006 California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project, Statewide County Allocated $400,000.00 Expended -400,000.00 Balance for Recovery $0.00 Crestridge Preserve, South Crest, Expansion 3, San Diego County Allocated $250,000.00 Expended -242,106.00 Balance for Recovery $7,894.00 Indio Trails, Riverside County Allocated $1,010,000.00 Expended -1,008,425.00 Balance for Recovery $1,575.00 Oak Woodlands Conservation Easement, Barboni, Marin County Allocated $610,000.00 Expended -602,000.00 Balance for Recovery $8,000.00 San Joaquin Multi-Species Conservation Plan (2008) -Affinito, Contra Costa County Allocated $1,010,750.00 Expended -1,008,861.00 Balance for Recovery $1,889.00 San Joaquin Multi-Species Conservation Plan (2010) -Vaquero Farms Central, Contra Costa County Allocated $235,000.00 Expended -232,000.00 Balance for Recovery $3,000.00 Sierra Crest Conservation Easement, Phase III, Sierra County Allocated $2,420,000.00 Expended -2,420,000.00 Balance for Recovery $0.00 12 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Star Creek Ranch, Santa Cruz/Santa Clara County Allocated $2,510,000.00 Expended -2,507,353.00 Balance for Recovery $2,647.00 Upper Mission Creek/ Big Morongo Canyon Conservation Area, Expansion 5 (Holtz), Riverside County Allocated $5,000.00 Expended -0.00 Balance for Recovery $5,000.00 Upper Mission Creek/ Big Morongo Canyon Conservation Area, Expansion 6, (Palmwood), Riverside County Allocated $2,012,000.00 Expended -2,001,905.00 Balance for Recovery $10,095.00 Total Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and $40,100.00 Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve the Recovery of Funds for the projects listed on pages 7 through 11 of the agenda and close the project accounts. Recovery totals include $1,059,209.71 to the General Fund; $23,916.00 to the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond Fund; $106,426.00 to the Habitat Conservation Fund; $147,878.58 to the Wildlife Restoration Fund; $5,485.66 to the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Fund; $25.62 to the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002; and $40,100.00 to the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006. Motion carried. 13 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *6. Hughes Ranch Wetland Enhancement $315,000.00 Butte County This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the California Waterfowl Association (CWA) for a cooperative project with the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to enhance 369± acres of wetland habitat on privately owned property, located 2 miles southwest of the town of Honcut in Butte County. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The project is located in the American Basin, which lies within the Sacramento Valley, east of the Sacramento and Feather rivers and west of the Sierra Nevada foothills from Oroville in the north to the American River in the south. It encompasses about 860 square miles dominated by private lands. Historically, water from the American, Yuba, Feather, Sacramento and Bear rivers flooded this area. This basin includes the District 10 and Honcut Creek areas, which represent a large block of privately owned wetlands intermixed with agricultural lands, mainly rice fields. The project area is located in the southeastern boundary of the Honcut Creek area and is 369± acres, all protected in perpetuity through conservation easements. Approximately 160 acres are protected under a Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) conservation easement and 209 acres are under a NRCS easement. Within the easement boundaries, there are approximately 85 acres of riparian habitat and 190 acres of wetlands that have been restored. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The project area was recently surveyed and the survey showed that most of the wetland units at Hughes Ranch had too much topographic variation, some in excess of 2.5 feet. Since most water has to be pumped from deep wells in order to irrigate the wetland units, the large amount of elevation change within the managed wetland units creates a highly inefficient system that is costly and unproductive. The project will reduce the extreme topography and improve water delivery, making the use of supplemental water from wells more affordable and efficient. The riparian area will be expanded by restoring a historic slough channel through an existing leveled field and by setting back roads away from the creeks. The historic slough channel will be filled with water using a large water control structure that was part of the original restoration in 1996. Due to improper design, this structure failed soon after installation. It will be repaired as part of this project to include a properly sized spillway that will handle the large pulses of water that come down Wyman Creek that will send water through the restored slough channel and then back into Honcut Creek. These changes will result in 14 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes over 35 acres of new riparian habitat along Wyandotte Creek, Wyman Ravine and Honcut Creek. WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Inland Wetland Conservation Program and meets the program's goal of assisting the Central Valley Joint Venture's mission to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands and associated habitats. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The project area will be managed by the landowner in a way that will maximize the diversity of wildlife under direct supervision of NRCS and CWA biologists and as allowed under the terms of the WCB and NRCS conservation easement documents. Monitoring of plant response to water and cover management practices is the responsibility of the landowner, but technical assistance and periodic habitat reviews will be performed by NRCS, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and CWA biologists. If at any time during the 25-year life of the project, the landowner does not manage and maintain the project improvements, the Grant Agreement requires the CWA to refund to the State of California an amortized amount of funds based on the number of years left on the project life. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Cost NRCS WCB Water Control Structures $121,455 $56,455 $65,000 Earthmoving $251,189 $86,189 $165,000 Tree, Shrub, Ground Cover Establishment $65,250 $30,250 $35,000 Project Management $74,570 $52,570 $22,000 Contingency $50,536 $22,536 $28,000 Total Project Costs $563,000 $248,000 $315,000 FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Section 2786(d)(Proposition 1E), Inland Wetlands Conservation Program. This funding allows for the acquisition, enhancement or restoration of wetlands within a floodplain or flood corridor in the Central Valley, and is consistent with the objective of this project. 15 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION This project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15304, Class 4, as a minor alteration to land and Section 15302, Class 2, as a replacement or reconstruction of an existing structure). Subject to approval by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. The CDFW has reviewed this proposal and recommends it for funding by the WCB. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $315,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(d)(Proposition 1E), Inland Wetlands Conservation Program; authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $315,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(d)(Proposition 1E), Inland Wetlands Conservation Program; authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 16 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *7. Sardella Ranch Conservation Easement $520,000.00 Tuolumne County This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the California Rangeland Trust (CRT) to assist with the acquisition of a conservation easement (Easement) over 523± acres of land to preserve, protect and sustain the rangeland, grazing land, grassland, working landscapes, wildlife habitat, and watersheds in Tuolumne County. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) is located off Wards Ferry Road, 7 miles southeast of the town of Sonora, within the Tuolumne River watershed, in the Sierra Nevada foothills region. To the east and south of the Property are protected lands owned by the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Stanislaus National Forest is located just east of the Property in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The Sierra Nevada foothills region contains oak woodlands, riparian corridors and grasslands with a gradual increase to mixed conifer forests in the higher elevations. These areas provide habitat and wildlife corridors between the foothills and the Sierra Nevada Mountains for deer herds and a variety of other large mammals. The major land uses are agricultural and rural residential, comprised mostly of ranches, which over the last 50 years have been fragmented and undergone conversion into smaller ranchette-type developments. These developments currently represent the major threat to wildlife and habitat in the area. The proposed project will keep the large acreage of the Property intact and eliminate the possibility of habitat fragmentation from subdivision into smaller developed areas. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property is comprised of 523± acres of varied vegetation. The majority of the Property contains grassland, oak savannah, and oak woodland. The Property is square shaped, typical rolling Sierra Nevada foothills, varying from nearly level to gently rolling hills consisting of unusual rock formations. Elevations range from 1,700 feet to 1,900 feet. Vegetation types found on the Property include approximately 152 acres of blue oak and valley oak savannah, 225 acres of blue oak/interior live oak woodland, 104 acres of foothill chaparral and 42 acres of riparian corridor. Additionally, the Property's tributaries and creeks provide a well-developed foothill riparian ecosystem that supports a mature riparian forest consisting of oaks, alders, cottonwoods, and willows. The Rough and Ready Creek, a perennial stream fed by springs, runs through the Property and into Don Pedro Reservoir, which is a damned section of the Tuolumne River. The Property has additional water 17 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes sources for livestock and wildlife which include two ponds, six springs, and several seasonal intermittent streams. There are two vernal pools on the Property and five water wells. The Rough and Ready Creek supports the native California Species of Special Concern San Joaquin roach fish; the two vernal pools identified on the Property have associated Vernal Pool Fairy Shrimp; and the elderberry shrubs provide habitat support for the federally threatened valley elderberry longhorn beetle. The Property also provides an important part of the foothills wildlife migration corridor, as well as a reliable habitat, sanctuary and breeding area for deer, wild turkeys, quail, dove, geese, ducks, raptors, bear, mountain lion, bobcat, rabbit, and squirrels. Additionally, the water sources attract many egrets, Canada geese, and ducks of all types. The Property is also rich in historic and prehistoric values and contains many artifacts reflecting a Native American history, including numerous Indian bed rock mortars from the local Miwok tribe and remnants of their dwelling sites are located throughout. Artifacts from the active gold rush days include a concrete storage reservoir built for spring water, remnants of a Chinese labor camp and old stage coach roads can also be found across the Property. Currently, the Property is leased for cattle grazing from November through May with approximately 65-70 cow/calf pairs of Angus-Hereford cross breed. Improvements include an approximately 3,188 square foot home installed on a permanent foundation which provides full-time lodging for the landowners and an approximately 1,904 square foot rental home. Infrastructure includes fencing, stock ponds, wells, corrals, barn, chicken coop, carport, tack room, and dirt roads. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant for this project is being considered under the Wildlife Conservation Board's (WCB) Rangeland, Grazing Land and Grassland Protection Program (Program). Grant proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by WCB staff based on established criteria. The Program provides funding for the acquisition of conservation easements on private properties for the protection of rangeland, grazing land and grasslands. The Program seeks to prevent the conversion of rangeland, grazing land and grassland to nonagricultural uses, protect the long term sustainability of livestock grazing and ensure continued wildlife, water quality, watershed and open-space benefits to the State of California from livestock grazing. The project has been reviewed under the WCB's Rangeland, Grazing Land and Grassland Program and has been recommended for approval. 18 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS When establishing a new agricultural conservation easement, CRT works closely with the landowner to address the protection of a property's natural habitat and agricultural resources. The purpose of the Easement is to ensure that both the agricultural and wildlife habitat values are recognized and conserved in balance with one another. CRT will prepare an initial baseline assessment of the existing development and the agricultural and natural resources on the Property, and will provide this report to WCB prior to disbursement of grant funds. CRT will receive an endowment of$76,153.00 from the Property owner. After the Easement is recorded, CRT will monitor the Property at least once a year to ensure the Easement terms are being honored. Under the terms of the grant agreement, WCB can accompany CRT on these monitoring visits. CRT will provide a written report documenting the visit and will note any significant changes to the resources or compliance issues CRT identifies. If necessary, corrective action will be recommended and noted in the report. CRT will provide a copy of the report to WCB in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement. TERMS The Easement has been appraised as having a fair market value of$510,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). The Property owner has agreed to sell the Easement for $510,000.00. The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant to CRT provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can require specific performance of the grant agreement by CRT or require CRT to convey its interest in the Easement to WCB or, at the election of WCB, another entity or organization authorized by California law to acquire and hold conservation easements and that is willing and financially able to assume all of the obligations and responsibilities of CRT. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for this project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board grant $510,000.00 Other Project-Related Costs 10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $520,000.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. 19 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding source, Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(1), which allows for the protection of grazing land pursuant to the California Rangeland, Grazing Land and Grassland Protection Act (Public Resources Code Section 10330, et seq.). ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION The acquisition has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 13525, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $520,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(1) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $520,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(1) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 20 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *8. San Joaquin River Parkway, Sycamore Island $127,000.00 North Channel Crossing Construction, Augmentation II Madera County This proposal was to consider the allocation for an augmentation to a previously approved grant to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to construct a steel arch culvert crossing at the North Channel of Sycamore Island, located in the San Joaquin River Parkway in Madera County two miles downstream of the State Highway 41 bridge. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The Parkway is defined in State Legislation as approximately 5,900 acres on both sides of a twenty-two mile long reach of the San Joaquin River between Friant Dam in the east and State Route 99 to the west, in Fresno and Madera counties. The San Joaquin River Conservancy (SJRC) was created in 1992 to preserve and enhance the San Joaquin River's extraordinary biological diversity, protect its valued cultural and natural resources and provide educational and recreational opportunities to the local communities. The SJRC's mission includes both public access and habitat restoration within the Parkway. The proposed project is within the 347± acre Sycamore Island Fishing Access site, acquired by the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) in 2004, and located within the Parkway, approximately two miles west of Highway 41, north of the San Joaquin River and south of Avenue 7%. When it was still privately owned, the Sycamore Island's six large ponds supported a privately-operated, fee-based public fishing and camping area. This former gravel mining area had been used by local anglers since the early 1960s for fishing for bass and other warm water fish. At the time of the public acquisition of the property in 2005, the area was closed pending the implementation of public safety and environmental protection improvements. The San Joaquin River Parkway Trust re-opened the facility on an interim basis once these improvements were implemented. Currently, the SJRC has taken over management of the site and collects user fees to cover the costs of waste management, sanitation, area oversight, and visitor information. In 2006, the WCB and the SJRC approved funding to make improvements necessary to protect the environment and public health and safety while continuing to accommodate public fishing access. Improvements consisted of signage, eight picnic tables, a restroom and re-grading of the entrance road. In June 2011, the WCB and the SJRC approved funding for DWR to review bridge alternatives, complete design, and secure environmental compliance and permitting. 21 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT DESCRIPTION Sycamore Island is a public fishing and recreation site owned by the SJRC and operated seasonally by a concessionaire. The North Channel of the San Joaquin River bisects the 350-acre site. An undersized, poorly constructed, and badly eroding pipe culvert is the only crossing on the channel, with a compacted gravel surface not much wider than a vehicle. The pipe is perched above the flow line, blocking fish passage in the channel. The crossing is essential for public land management and emergency response access to one-half of the site and the entire river frontage. In September 2011, after evaluating three alternatives in detail, the SJRC Board selected the steel plate arch culvert design with a proposed cost of$361,000.00 for construction. This alternative met all functional criteria and had the lowest cost. At that time, engineered plans were preliminary (5% level design). The WCB approved funding this alternative at its December 2011 Board meeting. In August 2012, WCB approved $94,000.00 additional funding to meet the engineer's estimate of$455,000.00. Permits, plans and specifications are now nearly 100% complete and have been submitted to DWR's Department of Engineering (DWR-DOE), providing final review and fiscal control for DWR projects. DWR is proceeding toward construction in 2013; however, several factors have increased the actual cost to date and estimated future costs. DWR revisited the design and, while achieving significant savings in the most recent construction plans, the estimated construction costs are now $127,000.00 more than previously budgeted. The following factors result in increased actual costs: Unanticipated geotechnical exploration, testing, oversight, and a geotechnical report were required by DWR-DOE. However, it should be noted that without geotechnical data, the design might have been over- engineered to insure against the uncertainty of the underlying foundation for the bridge. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Streambed Alteration Agreement resulted in additional mitigation requirements. In-lieu mitigation fees may be required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for impacts to waters of the United States. SJRC staff and DWR are requesting reconsideration of the mitigation requirement based on the beneficial impacts of the project on waters of the U.S. 22 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Development and implementation of a Labor Compliance Program, a specific prevailing wage-related management and reporting requirement for DWR when working with Proposition 84 funds from any source, has been implemented. A re-evaluation by the DWR-DOE of the project based on current construction costs experienced by DWR and other public works projects resulted in a potential cost increase. Upon receiving the new estimate, DWR redesigned several elements to reduce the excavation and eliminate imported gravel and cobble base to minimize cost increases. DWR has nearly completed the working drawings and specifications (95% level design), and prepared a final engineer's estimate. WCB PROGRAM The WCB's Public Access Program provides the basis for WCB's ability to provide public access statewide. In addition, funds were allocated to the WCB within the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650 (b)(5) which provides for the construction of river parkway projects identified by the SJRC and is consistent with the objectives of this project. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The channel is a side channel of the San Joaquin River, it is degraded and of particular importance in the restoration of the river for salmonids, as identified in DWR's San Joaquin River Restoration Plan (SJRRP). DWR has the particular expertise and data to determine the modified flows, channel configuration, and bridge design needed to meet the SJRRP objectives. Under the earlier grant DWR has already performed the preliminary design and will be completing the final design and permitting. Once constructed, it is expected that the crossing will provide safe access to the southern half of Sycamore Island and the San Joaquin River for recreation, patrolling, monitoring, and emergency responses, with little or no annual maintenance. 23 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Project Task Original Grant Grant Augmentation Grant Augmentation Agreement 2011 2012 2013 State Operations $87,035 $66,000 $43,500 Engineering and $31,800 $0 $43,000 Environmental Oversight Construction-Materials, $231,500 $28,000 $40,500 Labor and Equipment Reporting and As-Built $10,665 $0 $0 Surveys and Drawings TOTAL $361,000 $94,000 $127,000 TOTAL $582,000 The project includes costs for project management and operations oversight, construction labor and materials for the development of a structural steel plate arch culvert, including road surfacing, guardrails, geofabric, and cobble riprap. FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Bond Act of 2002 (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(b)(5), which allows for acquisition, development, rehabilitation, restoration and protection of land and water resources located within the boundaries of the SJRC, and is consistent with the objectives of this project. STATE RECOMMENDATION The proposed project is included among the high priority projects recommended by the Interagency Project Development Committee, whose role is to evaluate projects to be considered by the SJRC Board. The project augmentation was accepted and approved by the SJRC Board on March 20, 2013. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $127,000.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650 (b)(5); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. 24 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $127,000.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650 (b)(5); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 25 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *9. Yucca Loma Road, Yates Road and Green Tree Boulevard $5,000.00 Transportation Project, Parkland Conversion San Bernardino County This proposal was to consider the exchange of 7± acres owned by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) for 7± acres to be acquired in fee by the Town of Apple Valley (Town) and the County of San Bernardino (County), and the sale of a 20,700± s.f., temporary construction easement to allow the Town and the County to widen Yates Road and build a new bridge over the Mojave River, as part of the larger Yucca Loma Road/Yates Road/Green Tree Boulevard Transportation Project(Project) that will connect the Town with the City of Victorville (City). LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The 7± acres of CDFW lands (Property) currently serves as a portion of the County's Mojave Narrows Regional Park (Park) that is encumbered under a cooperative agreement between the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB)/CDFW and San Bernardino County Parks Department and is located north of Yates Road in unincorporated San Bernardino County, in between the Town and City (the cooperative agreement is a nominal value 50 year recorded agreement that was entered into in 1968 as method of securing the State's interest in the property to ensure the public use requirements of the Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF), used to fund the acquisition, are maintained). Park access is restricted by the Mojave River on the east, which flows north as a subsurface river 10 months out of the year, and the BNSF railroad track on the west. Public access to the park is from Park Road via Yates Road and Ridgecrest Road, located at the southern boundary of the Park. Existing and adjacent terrain consists of native vegetation, desert scrub and chaparral, with some undulations, typical of the high desert region. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Project is designed to provide a new east to west connection between the Town, the County, and the City. The Project proposes a new bridge to be built over the Mojave River, connecting Yucca Loma Road with Yates Road and widening of Yates Road from two to four lanes. Implementation of this Project requires fee acquisition of the Property that is currently managed by San Bernardino County Parks Department and make up a portion the Park, and the sale of a 20,700 s.f,18-month term, temporary construction easement (TCE), over CDFW lands in the same location, both located north of Yates Road. The Park, including the Property and TCE area, were purchased, in part, with LWCF funding. In compliance with Section 6(f) of the LWCF Act, any conversion of protected parkland must be replaced with parkland of equal or greater value. Under the proposed project, CDFW will accept 7± acres of parkland property (the 26 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Replacement Property) in exchange for the Property, with the approval of California State Parks, Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS) and National Park Service (NPS), as part of the Section 6(f) parkland conversion process as described in the LWCF manual. Because the TCE area does not result in a permanent conversion of land, replacement under LWCF is not required for the TCE area. At the conclusion of construction, the TCE area will be revegetated and restored similar to its preconstruction condition. The Replacement Property is located directly adjacent to the Park and will function as part of the Park, holding the same aesthetic and recreational significance as the Property, which is being replaced at over a 1:1 ratio. In addition, the Replacement Property has been appraised at a value that is more than 10 times the value of the converted State parcel portions. The Replacement Property will remain under the administration of the LWCF grant and, as per the original funding agreement titled "Mojave Wildlife Area Acquisition" dated October 4, 1968, will be incorporated into the cooperative agreement. County Parks will continue to operate and maintain the Park and the Replacement Property as a county park, and CDFW will remain the underlying fee owner for the State. TERMS The Property and the TCE have been appraised as having a fair market value of $17,600.00. Specifically, the Property has an appraised fair market value of $11,600.00, and the TCE has an appraised fair market value of$6,000.00. The Replacement Property has an appraised fair market value of $186,200.00. The appraisals have been reviewed by Department of General Services (DGS) and WCB staff and approved by the DGS. For the Replacement Property, the County will serve as the land agent, and the Town will bear the upfront costs of the purchases and will be reimbursed by the County as part of an interagency agreement between those two local agencies. The Town and County will work with WCB to finalize and approve documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions, and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established to acquire the Replacement Property and exchange it for the Property. Because the fair market value of the Replacement Property exceeds the fair market value of the Property, no additional monetary compensation will be provided to the State for the Property. The $6,000.00 for the TCE will be disbursed to WCB at the close of escrow. Staff will review and approve all purchase and related title and escrow documents prior to exchange and sale of the TCE. 27 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT FUNDING It is estimated that an allocation of $5,000.00 will be needed to cover project- related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $5,000.00 The local agencies will bear the cost of all environmental assessments, appraisal, survey, escrow and title insurance costs related to the acquisition of the Replacement Property, exchange for the Property and the acquisition and conveyance of the TCE. The WCB may also seek reimbursement for the above DGS appraisal review costs. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION Prior to detection of the use of LWCF funding in the purchase of the State parcels, the Project had achieved full environmental clearance under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) through the Project's Mitigated Negative Declaration and Section 4(f) Evaluation with Finding of No Significant Impact (Final Environmental Document). Since then, the Project has undergone additional environmental clearance and revalidation of the final environmental document to address the LWCF parkland conversion process and has updated the Section 4(f) de minimus finding to include a Section 6(f) evaluation. Technical studies, including visual, biological, cultural, and hazardous waste studies that were included in the Final Environmental Document have now also been updated and approved to include the replacement parcels. As part of the environmental clearance and Project permitting, the Project also includes the development of a 17± acre mitigated restoration site in the Park that will be constructed and monitored by the Town. The restoration area improvements will include replanting of over 8,000 native vegetative plants and development of improved habitat. The lead agency of the project for CEQA purposes is the Town. The Project has been reviewed by the Town pursuant to provisions of CEQA and NEPA, resulting in a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Section 4(f) Evaluation with Finding of No Significant Impact (Final Environmental Document). In addition, as part of the LWCF conversion, in conjunction with OGALS and NPS, the final environmental document has been revalidated with an update to the Section 4(f) de minimus finding to include Section 6(f) evaluation. Staff considered the Mitigated Negative Declaration and has prepared proposed, written findings documenting WCB's compliance with CEQA. Subject to approval of this proposal by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Determination will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. 28 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board adopt the written findings and approve this project as proposed; allocate $5,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b) to cover internal project-related expenses; accept reimbursement of the $6,000.00 for the sale of the Temporary Construction Easement; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements as necessary to accomplish this land exchange and sale; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board adopt the written findings and approve this project as proposed; allocate $5,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b) to cover internal project-related expenses; accept reimbursement of the $6,000.00 for the sale of the Temporary Construction Easement; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements as necessary to accomplish this land exchange and sale; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 29 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *10. Quiota Creek Fish Passage, Phase II $150,000.00 Santa Barbara County This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board (COMB) for a cooperative project with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to replace a low-water Arizona crossing with an arched culvert at Refugio Road Crossing #1 of Quiota Creek in southern Santa Barbara County. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The project is located approximately four miles south of Highway 246 on Refugio Road. The nearest town is Santa Ynez, located approximately five miles north of the project site. Refugio Road is a county road, open to the public and maintained by the County of Santa Barbara (County). Quiota Creek is a tributary to the Lower Santa Ynez River (LSYR) below Lake Cachuma and is located in an area zoned for agriculture. Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) funded a similar project at crossing #7 in 2012, which was completed successfully. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The LSYR watershed has been identified by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as a Core 1 watershed for the southern California steelhead, a species listed as endangered by NMFS. A Core 1 classification means the stream would support significant populations of steelhead if any barriers to migration were removed. Quiota Creek is a major tributary of the LSYR and the quality of the riparian corridor in this creek is high. Initial fish passage and hydrologic analyses for the Quiota Creek drainage were completed by COMB through a stakeholder driven and community based watershed planning effort. The Quiota Creek Watershed Fish Passage Enhancement Plan (Plan) identified nine crossings of Quiota Creek by Refugio Road, each of which was a partial barrier to steelhead migration during at least some flow regimes. The Plan generated the supporting documentation that determined the type of fix for each crossing as well as prioritization of construction for each of the nine crossings. The Plan utilized CDFW criteria to prioritize each crossing by barrier severity with the objective of producing a guidance document for a long-term stream restoration and road safety effort that is currently underway. The three highest priority crossings, Crossing 2, 6 and 7, have been replaced with arch culverts that allow passage under all flow regimes. The objective of this project is to improve steelhead passage at Crossing 1. The project proposes to remove the passage impediment at Crossing 1 and replace it with a 60-foot bottomless-arched culvert, similar to those at Crossings 2, 6 and 7, with one in- stream riffle installed below the culvert for grade control. The structures are 30 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes designed to enable full fish passage while meeting County road safety standards and flood conveyance criteria. The stream length affected by the project will be approximately 100 feet with a project area of less than 0.2 acres. The project area will be re-vegetated with native plants and seeds that have been approved by CDFW. Specific de-watering, fish relocation, erosion control, road access, maintenance and monitoring, and re-vegetation plans have been approved by CDFW and NMFS. The planning process undertaken to develop these projects created stakeholder and landowner collaboration for all the proposed projects. Hence, there is a high level of support for the project among regulators, public representatives, the County, landowners, and the community. In addition, the completed projects have shown immediate ecological improvements, with spawning and over- summer rearing of steelhead/rainbow trout the following years. When all projects are completed, more than four miles of restored steelhead habitat will be useable by these fish in all years and at all flow rates. WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program and meets the program's goal of providing for native fisheries restoration and in-stream restoration projects including removal of fish passage barriers and other obstructions. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS COMB has conducted a long-term steelhead/rainbow trout monitoring program throughout the LSYR watershed since 1993. This includes snorkel surveys, migrant trapping, water quality and flow monitoring. COMB is well positioned to track facility performance of the project over the short- and long-term. Monitoring and maintenance plans have been approved by NMFS and CDFW for this project. COMB staff will perform all of the tasks outlined in those plans and will be responsible for annual performance reports which will be distributed to all parties of interest. In order to assess the overall effectiveness of this project in terms of fish passage, snorkel surveys will be conducted three times a year at the end of the spring, summer, and fall. Monthly surveys of steelhead spawning nests (redds) will be conducted below, within, and above the project site during the steelhead spawning season (January-May). Long-term management and maintenance will be performed by the County for the road, guardrails, and arched culvert while COMB will be responsible for maintaining the instream elements. COMB's maintenance tasks will be funded through the annual COMB budget. 31 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes If at any time during the life of the project, COMB or the County does not manage and maintain the project improvements, the Grant Agreement requires COMB to refund to the State of California an amortized amount of funds based on the number of years left on the project life. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Item WCB CDFW COMB TOTALS Construction $150,000 $471,516 $50,000 $671,516 Project Management $0 $0 $68,474 $68,474 Project Administration $0 $0 $14,621 $14,621 Project Design, Permitting $0 $49,625 $28,998 $78,623 TOTAL: $150,000 $521,141 $162,093 $833,234 FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(e/f) (Proposition 1E) which provides funding for the acquisition, restoration or enhancement of riparian habitat and aquatic habitat for spawning and rearing of anadromous salmonids and trout resources to protect or enhance a flood protection corridor or bypass and is consistent with the objectives of this project. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION The CDFW has reviewed this proposal and recommends it for funding by the WCB. All permit applications have been submitted and it is anticipated that they will all be obtained in May. COMB, as lead agency, prepared an EIR/EIS for the project pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Staff considered the EIR and has prepared proposed, written findings documenting WCB's compliance with CEQA. Subject to approval of this proposal by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Determination will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board adopt the written findings and approve this project as proposed; allocate $150,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(e/f) (Proposition 1 E); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. 32 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board adopt the written findings and approve this project as proposed; allocate $150,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(e/f) (Proposition 1E); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 33 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *11. San Diego County MSCP/HCPLA 2009 (Kemerko) $578,750.00 San Diego County This proposal was to consider the acceptance of two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Habitat Conservation Planning Land Acquisition grants and the approval to subgrant these federal funds to the Endangered Habitats Conservancy (EHC), as well as to consider a Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) grant to the EHC, all to acquire 132± acres of land for the protection of core areas of habitat that will benefit threatened and endangered species found on the property, secure key regional wildlife linkages and enhance the existing San Diego County Multiple Species Conservation Plan (MSCP), a joint Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan. This is a cooperative project with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the USFWS and the WCB. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) fronts upon Mountain View Road near the common dividing line between the communities of Crest and Harbison Canyon and is situated within the Metro-Lakeside-Jamul segment of the MSCP. Two large, recently conserved properties adjoin the Property making its protection strategically significant in terms of linkages within the Harbison Canyon planning unit within the MSCP, in unincorporated San Diego County. The area surrounding the proposed acquisition is a significant biological area located near the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) and the Crestridge Ecological Reserve (Reserve). It is also a key linkage area among the Refuge, the Reserve, the Lakeside archipelago (a series of mountain top habitat areas protected and funded in part by the WCB primarily for the benefit of bird species) and the El Monte Valley open space areas. Since approximately 1996, the WCB has funded multiple acquisitions that comprise the nearly 3000± acre Reserve, which is currently managed by the EHC. Most of the surrounding land uses include residential subdivision, with larger estate developments and intermittent commercial development along the major thoroughfares. Not protecting this strategically located property and allowing further development and encroachment would result in a fragmented landscape that would preclude connectivity between already protected areas. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The County of San Diego has adopted the MSCP, which is a comprehensive, long-term habitat conservation plan that addresses the needs of multiple species and the preservation of natural vegetation communities in San Diego County. The MSCP addresses the potential impacts of urban growth, natural habitat loss and species endangerment and creates a plan to mitigate for the potential loss of 34 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes covered species and their habitat due to the direct impacts of future development of both public and private lands within the MSCP area. The proposed acquisition will increase the protected block of biologically diverse habitat, augmenting habitat corridors essential for the movement of southern mule deer, an MSCP target species and surrogate for wildlife corridor function. Like the nearby Reserve, this Property contains a variety of landscapes and habitats, including coastal sage scrub habitat for the coastal California gnatcatcher, and habitat for over 50 other sensitive and protected species. MSCP target species found or expected on site include mountain lion, orange- throated whiptail, San Diego horned lizard, Cooper's hawk, and the California gnatcatcher. WCB PROGRAM The proposed subgrants and grant for this project are being considered under the WCB's Land Acquisition Program. The acquisition program is administered pursuant to the Board's original enabling legislation, "The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947" (Fish and Game Section 1300, et seq.) and enables the WCB to pursue acquisitions on behalf of the CDFW and accept federal grant funds to facilitate acquisitions or subgrant these federal funds to assist with acquisitions of properties. The project has been reviewed and approved by the CDFW under its Natural Community Conservation Plan program, substantiating the biological values of the property and recommending it for funding. The USFWS grants proposed for this project have also been reviewed and approved by CDFW as a participant in the USFWS Land Acquisition grant selection and review process. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The EHC will fund biological monitoring and adaptive management activities on the Property as an integral component of the Reserve management and monitoring annual work plan. EHC's management team will conduct annual MSCP plant and animal target species, invasive species, and rare plant surveys and monitoring. Additionally, due to the strategic location of the Property, wildlife corridor monitoring will be performed to assess and inform the regional reserve functionality of the Property. EHC estimates that its annual cost to monitor and manage the Property will be between $15,000.00 and $20,000.00. Immediate management needs include fencing and signage, focused survey and treatment of at least two highly invasive plant species (stinkwort and fountain grass), as well as minor restoration of degraded and eroded areas. EHC estimates its cost to carry out these initial management activities will be approximately $20,000.00. Compatible and future public use opportunities that may be considered for the Property include hiking, photography and bird watching. 35 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes TERMS The Property has been appraised as having a fair market value of$1,625,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS) and the USFWS. The property owner has agreed to sell the property for $1,625,000.00. The USFWS funds require a non-federal match that is proposed to be provided by a WCB grant from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(c). The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant and the USFWS subgrants to the EHC provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can require the landowner to encumber the property with a conservation easement in favor of WCB or another approved holder and seek reimbursement of funds. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $ 568,750.00 WCB — subgrant of USFWS funds 287,000.00 WCB — subgrant of USFWS funds 769,250.00 TOTAL purchase price $1,625,000.00 Other Project-Related Costs $10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $578,750.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project- related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. The grantee will fund all appraisal, escrow and title insurance costs. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the proposed funding source, the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(c), that allows for the acquisition and protection of habitat that assists in the establishment of Natural Community Conservation Plans. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION The acquisition has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15304, Class 4, as a minor alteration to land, Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation 36 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes purposes, and Section 15325, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $578,750.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(c); approve the acceptance of the USFWS Habitat Conservation Planning Land Acquisition grants in the amount of $287,000.00 and $769,250.00 and the subgrant of these funds; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $578,750.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(c); approve the acceptance of the USFWS Habitat Conservation Planning Land Acquisition grants in the amount of$287,000.00 and $769,250.00 and the subgrant of these funds; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 37 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes *12. Southern California Coastal Wetland Change Analysis $70,000.00 Various Counties This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority for a cooperative project with the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to provide an initial estimate of change in extent and composition of Southern California's coastal wetlands in Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The Southern California Coastal Wetland Change Analysis encompasses wetlands on the Southern California coast from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to the United States border with Mexico. This region includes Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The goal of this project is provide an initial estimate of change in extent and composition of southern California's coastal wetlands between circa 1850 and 2005. The analysis will be based on a comparison of wetlands mapped on the historical U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey topographic maps created between 1850 and 1880 with the contemporary FWS National Wetlands Inventory maps. Knowledge of the changes in the extent and distribution of coastal wetlands should be an important component of restoration and conservation planning. Along with other information, this knowledge can help inform decisions about the composition and structure of restoration projects at both the site-specific and regional scales. Previous work in southern California provided a foundation for long-term change analysis by acquiring, digitizing, and analyzing coastal wetlands based on the historic maps. This project would build upon past efforts by augmenting historical analysis and comparing historical and contemporary coastal wetland mapping. The scope of work covers the acquisition of 25 additional historic maps to complete basic documentation of the southern California coast, compare them to contemporary wetlands mapping, and analyze the habitat changes that have occurred along the southern California coast. The goal is to provide an initial estimate of change in coastal wetlands between the mid-19th century and today. WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program and meets the program's goal of providing for the restoration of wetlands that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Inland Wetland Conservation Program such as coastal, tidal, or fresh water habitats. 38 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS This project does not involve construction or on-the ground activities. All work consists of analysis of historical and contemporary information on coastal wetlands. The project team has over ten years' experience working together on similar projects and an established record of successfully completing similar projects. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Item WCB SCC FWS TOTALS Acquire T-sheets and $10,000 $62,750 $30,000 $102,750 assess wetland extent Assess change $35,000 $11,250 - $ 46,250 Produce report $25,000 - - $ 25,000 TOTAL: $70,000 $74,000 $30,000 $174,000 FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b), which provides funding for the development of scientific data, habitat mapping and other research information necessary to determine the priorities for restoration and acquisition statewide and is consistent with the objectives of this project. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, Section 15061(b)(3)) because this project, which involves assessing historical data and producing a report on such information, does not have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Subject to approval of this proposal by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. The CDFW has reviewed this proposal and recommends it for funding by the WCB. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $70,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. 39 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes As one of the consent items heard at the beginning of the meeting, it was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $70,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 40 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 13. Upper Shasta River Flow Enhancement Planning $275,000.00 Siskiyou County This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the Montague Water Conservation District for water conservation and instream flow enhancement planning, feasibility studies, and permitting related to water diversions below Dwinnell Reservoir, located between the cities of Montague and Weed in Siskiyou County. Mr. Peter Perrine of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The Montague Water Conservation District (District) owns water rights and conveyance easements for diversion of flows from the Shasta River and is the largest irrigation district in the Shasta River watershed, providing water to approximately 19,500 acres of agricultural land in Shasta Valley. The District's water delivery system begins as a single canal that extends north 35 miles from Dwinnell Dam, located south and east of the town of Montague, in Siskiyou County. The District operates almost entirely from winter storage held in Dwinnell Reservoir (a.k.a. Lake Shastina). An additional diversion located at Parks Creek west of 1-5 about four miles upstream of Dwinnell Reservoir provides additional irrigation water in years of high flows. The Dwinnell Dam Cross Canal shunts seepage and water released from the dam into the Shasta River. PROJECT DESCRIPTION It is estimated that 26-30% of the water released from Dwinnell Reservoir is lost to seepage in the main canal, with 80-90% of that being lost in one 8-mile stretch. The reduction of these seepage losses from the District's main canal system has been identified as a way to provide improved fishery flows in the Parks Creek and Shasta River. It has been proposed that the water lost to seepage could be captured and released to improve instream flows for salmon. In addition, the District is looking to identify ways to modify its operations to minimize impacts to salmonids through the installation of fish screens, reoperation of water storage and release, and improvements to fish passage. All these actions require project-specific environmental documentation, resource surveys, permitting, and development of preliminary habitat conceptual designs, all of which will be completed with this project. WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program and meets the program's goal of providing for native fisheries restoration, threatened and endangered species habitats, and in-stream 41 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes restoration projects including removal of fish passage barriers and other obstructions. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS Based on the results of the project, the District proposes to implement water conservation and salmonid habitat enhancement activities potentially including modifications to existing facilities and,operations. These activities will occur in coordination with State and federal resource agencies, other local agencies and stakeholders to develop a plan for assuring long-term flows beneficial to salmonids. PROJECT FUNDING Project funding will pay for the first phase of the project, which includes environmental documentation, resource survey, and preliminary designs for project elements including the Parks Creek fish screen,`main canal lining, modified operations, and instream habitat enhancement as outlined below: WCB Grant MWCD Total Biological Surveys and Reporting $45,630 $54,430 $100,060 Cultural Surveys and Reporting $7,365 $7,365 Habitat Enhancement Evaluation $106,524 $34,000 $140,524 Environmental Permitting $117,540 $2,220 $119,760 Project Management $5,306 $16,985 $22,291 Total $275,000 115,000 $390,000 FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(e/f) (Proposition 1E), which allows for the acquisition, restoration or enhancement of riparian habitat and aquatic habitat for spawning and rearing of anadromous salmonids and trout resources to protect or enhance a flood protection corridor or bypass and is consistent with the objectives of this project. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has reviewed this project and recommends it for funding by the WCB. The project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, Section 15262 as feasibility and planning studies for possible future actions). STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $275,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(e/f) (Proposition 1E), authorize staff to 42 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. Perrine introduced Ms. Shane Conway McCoin, from Ellison, Schneider & Harris L.L.P., representing the Montague Water Conservation District, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. Ms. Finn asked if these studies will result in an eventual project. Mr. Perrine responded these feasibility studies will eventually result into a project or even a number of projects. Mr. Perrine added that WCB may or may not be involved in that because there are other funding sources. Chairman Bonham commented that he has personally spent an amount of time in the area and is appreciative that the District is seeking to find ways to improve this section of the river. Chairman Bonham commented that on the page number 37 of the agenda, under Management Objectives and Needs section, it says that the District proposes to implement water conservation and salmonid habitat enhancement activities and these activities will occur in coordination with State and federal resource agencies, other agencies and stakeholders. Chairman Bonham asked if the District is working with tribal communities' representatives. Ms. McCoin responded that as a part of the process, there will be an environmental review and permitting, and tribes have a role in that process. Ms. McCoin went on to explain that the District had been sued by the Karuk tribe and settlement negotiations are in process right now. Ms. McCoin added that through the environmental review and permitting process, they hope to work with the Karuk tribe and other groups as well. Ms. McCoin said that the District also is involved with its neighbors through several different collaborative processes, and cited as example that there is a group of landowners working together to come up with water management strategies. Chairman Bonham thanked Ms. McCoin for her comments. Mr. Tucker, representing the Karuk tribe, stated the Karuk tribe is the largest tribe in California with four thousand members who are middle Klamath people with keen interest of what is going on in Shasta. Mr. Tucker said that the proposal for this agenda item outlines very well the importance of this watershed to salmon. Mr. Tucker said that he supports lining the canal to conserve water but is concerned about what we do with the water might be saved —will it go for additional agricultural uses or for fish. Mr. Tucker pointed out that up to 14,000 acre-feet of water is diverted to the Shasta River from Parks Creek and this project describes putting screens in this diversion. Mr. Tucker said that he believes that the solution here is not screening the creek but getting rid of the diversion. Mr. Tucker stated that the amount of water that could be saved by lining the canal is roughly equal to the amount of water diverted from Parks 43 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Creek. Mr. Tucker said that the best spawning habitat for coho salmon is the reach of Parks Creek above the confluence with the Shasta River, which is dewatered by the diversion. Mr. Tucker also stated that the District should consult with the tribes early on in the planning process. Mr. Tucker concluded that the habitat enhancement objectives described in this proposal are good, but to make it great, more needs to be done to make Parks Creek hospitable for fish. Chairman Bonham thanked Mr. Tucker for his comments. Mr. Sutton commented that when we fund a planning process, that process develops a number of alternatives and asked if this is envisioned in this proposal. Mr. Perrine responded that this is exactly what is envisioned in this proposal. Chairman Bonham acknowledged the presence of Assembly Member Gordon who joined the meeting at that moment. Ms. Finn asked if the WCB has control over the scope. Mr. Perrine responded that per his understanding, the scope will evaluate any and all the possible solutions. Ms. McCoin added that the District would protect the in-stream flows, and the grant agreement stated as such. The details need to be worked out within a management plan, which will be developed as part of the project. Parks Creek diversion is one of two the District maintains. The amount of water that can be conserved will be determined by the study. Where the water savings come from, whether by reducing diversions from Parks Creek, the Shasta River, or both, will also be determined by the study. The District is currently using the Parks Creek diversion, and it has been proposed for a screen, so the District wants to continue with planning for that screen, with the details to be determined by the study. Mr. Sutton commented that the WCB is funding more than 2/3 of this project and added that the Scott and Shasta Rivers in particular deserve some special attention due to the damage done by hydraulic mining that had taken a place in the 1920s. Ms. Finn commented that the motion for this project should be amended to require the insertion of language regarding the inclusion of all alternatives and the disposition of conserved water, as discussed, into the Grant Agreement. Mr. Perrine commented that if we don't have this language in the Grant Agreement, we can certainly add it. Chairman Bonham commented that only difference of opinion he hears from the public testimony is as to whether the diversion of the Parks Creek will stay or go, and asked if it would be fair to ask the District to confirm that this is the issue and that the diversion will remain a part of their infrastructure. Ms. McCoin 44 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes responded that this is fair, and that the District does retain ownership of the diversion but will not be opposed to using the study to evaluate alternatives to maintaining that diversion. It was moved by Mr. Sutton that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $275,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(elf) (Proposition 1E); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project and such agreements will assure that a) the planning process will include all alternatives and b) the planning process will identify legal instruments to protect any conserved water in perpetuity; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 45 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 14. Ten Mile River (Perry-Smith Ranch) $3,510,000.00 Mendocino County This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to acquire a conservation easement (Easement) on 872± acres of native forest, including large areas of redwood, Douglas-fir, grand fir in the upland zones, and mature red alder forests within the riparian zone, along Ten Mile River to enhance the protection and conservation of the property's natural resources, preserve wildlife area linkages, protect habitat for numerous wildlife species, reduce soil erosion and sustain water quality. Mr. Jasen Yee of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) is located along the estuary of the Ten Mile River in northern Mendocino County, at the confluence of the South and Middle forks of the Ten Mile River, approximately 10 miles north of the town of Fort Bragg and directly north-east of MacKerricher State Park. Specifically, the Property is located at 28761 North Highway 1, Fort Bragg, CA 95437. Elevations of the Property range from sea level to around 850 feet, allowing for spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. Conservation of the Ten Mile River watershed has been the subject of significant inter-organizational coordination, planning and protection as one of the most important fisheries watersheds along the northern coast of California. The watershed and its estuarine wetlands have been prioritized for protection in planning efforts led by the Mendocino Land Trust, The Conservation Fund and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The Conservation Fund has recently purchased the adjacent Smith-Vest Ranch with assistance from the State Coastal Conservancy, and plans to protect it long-term via a conservation easement. TNC plans to hold and monitor the Easement and coordinate any future science and planning activity related to the management of the property. TNC also intends to collaborate with the Hawthorne Timber Company to coordinate watershed-wide monitoring activities and to pursue joint restoration projects when appropriate. Taken together, these projects will permanently protect the coastal portion of the watershed that is the most threatened by development. This zone serves as the critical linkage and transition zone between the Pacific Ocean and MacKerricher State Park to the west and the upper watershed and salmonid spawning grounds and expansive forests to the east. The Ten Mile River and its associated estuary have been specifically mentioned as high priorities in several recovery plans for threatened and endangered species, including the State and Federal Central California Coast Coho Salmon, 46 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Evolutionary Significant Unit, Recovery Plan (Draft, 2008) and the Recovery Plan for the Tidewater Goby (USFWS, 2005). Just offshore under the jurisdiction of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) Marine Region are the Marine Protected Areas known as the Ten Mile Beach State Marine Conservation Area, and within the estuary of Ten Mile River is the Ten Mile Estuary Marine Conservation Area. The watershed contains one of the healthiest remaining populations of Central California Coast Coho salmon in Mendocino County and the estuary harbors one of the largest populations of tidewater goby in northern California. In addition, Chinook salmon and steelhead trout also spawn and rear in the watershed. One important factor of the Ten Mile River watershed is that the entire watershed is essentially intact with no significant fish barriers. Protecting the Ten Mile River watershed represents one of the best remaining opportunities to preserve and maintain an entire intact fisheries habitat and watershed along the northern California coast. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property is irregularly shaped and consists of seven assessor parcels totaling 872± acres. The Property, Ten Mile River and other smaller streams on the Property are threatened by degradation through intensive logging, or possible conversion to other non- forest or habitat supporting uses. The proposed Easement acquisition will address these threats through permanent protection and stewardship by TNC. Over 500 acres of the Property consist of coastal forest including low-elevation riparian forests dominated by red alder and upland forests comprised of grand fir, redwood and Douglas-fir. The Property also includes 300 acres of grassland and scrub zones that contain rare coastal prairie and northern coastal scrub habitats, as well as more than 40 acres of coastal wetlands most of which are of regionally declining wetland types. The Property has been used for both timber production and grazing for over a century, and includes residences and outbuildings for the Perry and Smith families. The forest zones of the Property have been managed using selection- based silvicultural techniques since the mid-1980s and are beginning to reflect multiple age classes and natural structure after having been harvested intensively in the early and mid-1900s. Long-term grazing in the grasslands and floodplains of the Property has removed much of the riparian vegetation, but the current landowners have implemented fencing and revegetation projects that have begun to remedy some of these historical impacts. The Easement will help conserve under protected forest habitat types such as grand fir and red alder forest that are found on the Property and the species they support such as rare Northern spotted owl. Protection of this Property will contribute to the region's economic stability by ensuring that the area remains a working forest into the future. These objectives are aligned with the Forest Conservation Program principles as the project will maintain the structural and 47 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes ecological integrity of a portion of native California forest habitat as well as ensure that the forest will remain working into the future and contribute to the landowners' and region's economic viability. If this project is not completed the likely consequence will be future development and possible conversion of the area's valuable forest habitat. The Easement will also help to conserve the ecological integrity of the low elevation forest and riverine habitat in the Ten Mile River watershed, providing habitat for a number of important and rare fish species including the Central California Coast Coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout and tidewater goby. Forest zones on the Perry-Smith Ranch provide nesting habitat for threatened northern spotted owls. Other conservation targets to be protected via the project include North Coast riparian forest and scrub, southern torrent salamanders, tailed frogs, red tree vole, mountain lions and wet/montane meadows. There is also a possibility Roosevelt elk may occasionally utilize the watershed and so benefit from the protection of the Property. Ten special status plant species and one special status lichen species occur on the Property or in the immediate vicinity. Of these, the leafy-stemmed miterwort and Lyngbye's sedge are most likely to be associated with wetland habitats and benefit from wetland protection on the Property. These species will benefit from proposed efforts to remove constraints to upslope migration of wetlands in response to sea level rise. Depending on presence and location, up to six coastal prairie species will benefit from grazing management planning for habitat enhancement on the Property. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant for this project is being considered under the WCB's Forest Conservation Program (Program). Grant proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by WCB staff based on established criteria approved by the Board on November 17, 2007, and utilizing a peer review process involving biological and forestry expertise, including the CDFW. The Program seeks to promote the • ecological integrity and economic stability of California's diverse native forests through conserving, preserving and restoring productive managed forest lands, forest reserve areas, redwood forests and other forest types, including the conservation of water resources and natural habitats for native fish and wildlife and plants found on these lands. One of the primary objectives of the Program is the protection and conservation of working forests and productive managed forest lands. Selected projects promote the restoration and/or maintenance of the ecological integrity and economic stability of the property in the context of the surrounding landscape and regional economy. 48 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS TNC will be responsible for monitoring and managing the Easement according to the terms of the "Deed of Conservation Easement" with the Property owners. Allowable uses include one existing (1) single family residence within specified residential zones; construction of another single family residence or expansion of the existing structure by up to 50% of the existing building footprint; construction of up to two (2) communications towers within specified tower zones with the approval of the Easement holder; grazing of livestock in accordance with a plan prepared by the landowners and approved by the Easement holder; and harvesting, removal of timber, and other forest management activities in accordance with the Timber Management Plan developed for the Property. The sustained timber harvesting will provide revenues to assist in the management of the Property. Prior to disbursement of funds, a baseline report of the Property's resource values will have been completed by TNC and approved by the WCB. The baseline report will be the basis from which TNC will conduct future monitoring for compliance with the terms of the Easement. The Easement does not convey a general right of access to the public, but allows access to both TNC and WCB for monitoring purposes. TERMS The Property owners have agreed to sell the Easement to TNC for $3,850,000.00, its appraised fair market value as approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). DGS reviewed the appraisal, as well as the review provided by an independent reviewer and registered professional forester (RPF) of the timber valuation. Under terms of the grant, WCB staff is responsible for review of all acquisition-related documents prior to disbursement of grant funds. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can seek specific performance of the grant or require the grantee to transfer the Easement to WCB or another qualified holder. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $3,500,000.00 The Nature Conservancy $ 350,000.00 TOTAL Purchase Price $3,850,000.00 Other Project-Related Costs $ 10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $3,510,000.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project- related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review and independent 49 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes timber appraisal review. The grantee will fund all appraisal, escrow and title insurance costs. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding source, Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(a), which allows for forest conservation and protection projects in order to promote the ecological integrity and economic stability of California's diverse native forests through forest conservation, preservation and restoration of productive managed forest lands, forest reserve areas, redwood forests and other forest types, including the conservation of water resources and natural habitats for native fish, wildlife and plants found on these lands. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION The acquisition has been reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of lands for fish and wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 15325, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in lands to preserve open space and habitat. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $3,510,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(a) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. Yee introduced Mr. Jason Pelletier, North Coast Senior Project Director of The Nature Conservancy, and Margaret Perry and Cary Dorn, the landowners, who were in the audience and available to answer questions. Ms. Finn commented that allowable uses will include construction of up to two communication towers, and asked if these are going to be commercial or public use towers. Mr. Pelletier from The Nature Conservancy responded that the construction of the towers is underway and added that these towers will be powered by renewable energy and will be used by both the property and public. Mr. Sutton recalled that we just finished the nation's largest network of marine reserves and many of them are adjacent to important natural areas on land. 50 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Mr. Sutton commented that this project contributes to reef conservation, and this is the kind of projects he likes to see. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any additional questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $3,510,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(a) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 51 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 15. Davis Ranch Riparian and Hedgerow Restoration $220,000.00 Colusa County Board member Sutton stated that as the Executive Director of Audubon California, he needs to recuse himself on this item. This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the National Audubon Society (Audubon) for a cooperative project with a private landowner, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Center for Land-based Learning (CLBL) to restore a 3± mile corridor of riparian habitat, located on privately-owned property adjacent to the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge approximately seven miles southeast of the City of Colusa in Colusa County. Ms. Elizabeth Hubert from the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The 5,300-acre Davis Home Ranch is located seven miles southeast of the City of Colusa just west of Meridian on Sycamore Slough Road. The property lies adjacent to the eastern boundary of the FWS's Colusa National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). Surrounding properties are primarily private agricultural lands, with a duck hunting club and the Refuge to the west. The property is bordered by Highway 45 to the northeast and Sycamore Slough Road to the south. The Ranch is adjacent to the Sacramento River on the east. An approximately 1-mile portion of Sycamore Slough runs through the southeast portion of the Ranch. Sycamore Slough historically was a major tributary of the Sacramento River, supporting a riparian corridor through the valley before returning to the Sacramento River 26 miles southeast of the Ranch. Water from the Sacramento River that enters Sycamore Slough is now regulated and diverted for rice production during the summer, eliminating the natural hydrology of the system. Much of the historic channel of Sycamore Slough south of the ranch has been converted to agriculture, with only a few remnant riparian patches of the slough still remaining. The Davis Home Ranch (DHR), owned by the Sycamore Family Trust, has been in the same family ownership for 150 years. The Ranch currently is farmed for rice, walnut orchards, and row crops. Audubon has completed four previous habitat restoration projects on the Ranch. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The overall project, which includes the four previously completed habitat restoration projects on the ranch, is designed to restore an uninterrupted wildlife corridor from the Sacramento River to the Refuge. Audubon and the Sycamore Family Trust will implement the current project in three phases over the course of 52 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes three restoration seasons. These phases are the Sacramento River Intake, the Sycamore Slough Extension, and the River-Refuge Corridor. Sacramento River Intake: This phase includes both riparian vegetation and upland alkali vegetation on poor agricultural soil that is currently unfarmed. It will be seeded with native grasses and planted with container stock to provide riparian habitat. The irrigation will be tied into the neighboring walnut orchard. Sycamore Slough Extension: This phase adds 3.6± acres to the 2011 Audubon restoration project by extending the riparian habitat along the modified channel of Sycamore Slough. Work includes bank sloping and will use only on-site fill materials. The area will be drill seeded with a native grass mix, and planted with multiple lines of trees, shrubs, vines and forbs from container stock. River-Refuge Corridor: This phase creates 3± miles of riparian habitat along a ditch that connects existing restoration projects, remnant riparian habitat, and the Sacramento River with the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge. This corridor will follow the northern side of Tule Road, the main access road from Highway 45 to the Colusa Refuge. The access road will be reshaped, which will allow for a 30- foot-wide corridor of riparian vegetation. The area will be reseeded with appropriate riparian species, and irrigation water will be pumped from the adjacent rice field water supply. These changes will result in a total of 18± acres with new hedgerow and riparian habitat, and provide a total of 4.5± miles of uninterrupted habitat connecting the Sacramento River to the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to restoration of native habitat and wildlife corridors, the project will improve water quality and decrease erosion by establishing native grasses, sedges, and rushes along working waterways. The project will increase habitat for both overwintering populations of resident bird species, and breeding populations of migratory species. Proposed restoration activities along Sycamore Slough are a continuation of a long-term working partnership between Audubon, Sycamore Family Trust, USFWS Partners for Wildlife Program, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, the CLBL educational programs, Unilever Corporation/ Morningstar Farms, TogetherGreen (a partnership between Toyota and Audubon), and staff of the Colusa County RCD. The proposed project will complement ongoing compatible projects at the Ranch conducted through the Migratory Bird Partnership by Audubon, The Nature Conservancy, and Blue Point (formerly, PRBO) Conservation Science. 53 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Ecological Restoration on Agricultural Lands Program and meets the Program's goal of assisting landowners in developing sustainable wildlife-friendly practices on agricultural property that can co-exist with ongoing operations. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS This project will be located on portions of the Davis Home Ranch (DHR) property, and management of this project will be incorporated into wildlife-friendly agricultural practices at the Ranch. Audubon will provide technical assistance to landowners through the 25-year grant period. Landowners will be responsible for implementing habitat management activities pursuant to terms of the grant and habitat management plan to ensure the successful establishment and maintenance of riparian habitat. The management plan conforms to several regional plans, including the Northern Sacramento Valley Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (IRWMP), the Colusa County 2030 General Plan, and the Colusa Basin Watershed Management Plan, all of which support the integration of restoration projects on working farmland. This project will also contribute to goals in these plans, including improved water quality, invasive weed control and mitigating the effects of climate change. If at any time during the 25-year life of the project Audubon does not manage and maintain the project improvements, the Grant Agreement requires that it refund to the State of California an amortized amount of funds based on the number of years left on the project life. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Contributors Task Descriptions FWS DHR CLBL Audubon WCB Total Project planning, management $0 $0 $0 $8,609 $26,526 $35,135 Site preparation $1,298 $0 $0 $0 $6,004 $7,302 Earthwork $0 $150,000 $0 $0 $25,000 $175,000 Establish native plants $17,628 $0 $0 $0 $81,549 $99,177 Install irrigation system $6,074 $0 $0 $0 $28,096 $34,170 Site maintenance $0 $10,000 $0 $0 $0 $10,000 Education program $0 $0 $11,250 $0 $42,000 $53,250 Contingency $0 $0 $0 $0 $10,825 $10,825 Total $25,000 $160,000 $11,250 $8,609 $220,000 $424,859 54 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will also provide in-kind services consisting of engineering design for project earthwork. FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(4). This funding allows for projects to assist farmers in integrating agricultural activities with ecosystem restoration and wildlife protection, and is consistent with the objectives of this project. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION This project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) under Class 4 of the Categorical Exemptions, California Code of Regulations, Title 4, Section 15304, as a minor alteration to land. Subject to approval by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife has reviewed this proposal and recommends it for funding by the WCB. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $220,000.00 from Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(4); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Ms. Hubert introduced Ms. Valerie Calegari, Project Director from Audubon California, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. Chairman Bonham asked if this project consists of three phases or is it one- phase project. Ms. Hubert responded that this project consists of three phases. Ms. Finn asked if a part of this project is a restoration of hedgerows that were put in place two years ago. Ms. Hubert responded that this project will create new hedgerow acreage. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any addition questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. 55 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $220,000.00 from Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(4); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried with 2-0 vote with Board member Sutton abstaining. 56 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 16. Garden Bar Preserve $1,452,000.00 Nevada County This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT) to acquire fee title to 652± acres of land in Nevada County (Property) for the purposes of protecting habitat linkages and corridors, riparian, riverine and oak woodland habitat, threatened and endangered species habitat, as well as to enhance watershed and flood corridors. The protection of the Property will help complete the connectivity of 6,000± acres of wildlife corridor including six miles of the Bear River. Mr. Brian Gibson of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES This privately owned Property is located west of Highway 49, east of the 12,000± acre California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)-owned Spenceville Wildlife Area, and north of the Bear River, approximately 10 miles northwest of the City of Auburn, in Nevada County. The Property is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills with elevations that vary from about 350 to 1,200 feet above mean sea level, with rolling to steep hilly terrain. The general vegetation in the area is mixed oak woodlands, interspersed with chaparral, grasslands, conifers and riparian corridors running through the many streams that exist within this foothill region. Located within the CDFW-approved Spenceville Wildlife Conceptual Area Protection Plan (CAPP), the Property lies at the center of a much larger area of conserved lands, including over 2,000± acres of fee and conservation easements located south of the Property. These Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB)-funded lands, also within the CAPP, are owned by Placer Land Trust. On the north side of the Property, BYLT holds conservation easements on the 495± acre Wild Rock Ranch as well as the 1,060± acre Quail Ranch. These foothill regions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains were historically held mostly as large agricultural ranches, but are now undergoing conversion and fragmentation into smaller ranchette and rural residential type subdivisions. The foothills provide important habitat corridors for large mammals including deer herds that migrate across these areas and are threatened by habitat fragmentation and conversion. Protection of the Bear River corridor also provides wildlife with the ability to adapt to potential climate change impacts by providing a habitat corridor and linkage of varying elevation leading from the Sacramento valley floor into the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 57 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT DESCRIPTION The major contiguous block of the Property is 636± acres and consists of four legal parcels. There is also a non-contiguous remnant piece consisting of 15.6± acres of river-front land located approximately one mile to the east of the larger property. The area between these two non-contiguous sections includes public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The Property is zoned Agriculture 40 which allows for a forty acre'minimum parcel size. There are no improvements except rough internal ranch roads, fencing and gates. The topography varies from slightly rolling to steep slopes and is characterized by a variety of features including perennial and ephemeral streams, drainages and steep rocky outcroppings. The tallest peak offers an impressive view of the Sacramento Valley and Coast Range to the west, the Bear River Canyon to the north and the Sierra Crest to the east. In addition to two miles of Bear River frontage, the Property contains over two miles of ephemeral and perennial drainages, including Little Wolf Creek, all flowing naturally to the Bear River unobstructed by dams, culverts, bridges or other artificial constrictions. The acquisition of this Property would complete the protection of six river miles along the Bear River allowing the creation of a conservation corridor for east-west species migration from the valley floor to the Sierra. California's oak and riparian woodlands are well known for their abundant wildlife and the Property is no exception. The Bear River, intermittent streams, multiple plant communities, and special habitat features (e.g. rock outcrops) combine to provide habitat for almost the entire suite of potential wildlife species that could occur in foothill oak woodlands including the California threatened black rail, western skink, southern alligator lizard, sharp tailed snake, Cooper's hawk, California quail, western screech-owl, acorn woodpecker, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, raccoon, skunk and black-tailed deer. According to CDFW, the Property provides deer habitat for the Camp Beale Herd of the Mother Lode Deer Management Unit, and may be part of the winter range for the migratory Blue Canyon deer herd. The riparian areas on the property also provide important habitat for a wide range of terrestrial and aquatic species, while also contributing to water quality by filtering excessive nutrients and other pollutants before the water reaches the stream. The California State butterfly, the dog-face butterfly, has the largest nesting areas documented in the State along the floodplain of the Bear River. 58 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant is being considered under the WCB's Land Acquisition Program. The Land Acquisition Program is administered pursuant to the Board's original enabling legislation, "The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947" (Fish and Game Section 1300, et seq.) authorizing the WCB to acquire real property or rights in real property on behalf of the CDFW, grant funds to other governmental entities or nonprofit organizations to acquire real property or rights in real property and accept federal grant funds to facilitate acquisitions or subgrant these federal funds to assist with acquisitions of properties. Under the program the WCB provides funds to facilitate the acquisition of lands and interests in land that can successfully sustain or be restored to support wildlife and, when practicable, provide for suitable wildlife-oriented recreation opportunities. These activities are carried out in conjunction with the CDFW, which evaluates the biological values of property through development of a Land Acquisition Evaluation (LAE)/Conceptual Area Protection Plan (CAPP). The LAE/CAPP is then submitted to CDFW's Regional Operations Committee (ROC) for review and, if approved, later transmitted to the WCB with a recommendation to fund. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The Property will be owned and managed by BYLT which will provide resource stewardship and monitoring. BYLT has secured $68,075.00 from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Proposition 84 Grant Program to complete a Management Plan and a Riparian Restoration Project Design for Garden Bar Preserve (contingent upon acquisition of the land) with associated environmental review and permits. Once the Management Plan is complete, BYLT plans to begin to raise funds for potential future restoration activities. To date, BYLT has already raised approximately $48,000.00 in stewardship endowment funds through a variety of public fundraisers and donor development activities. In the past, the Property had been grazed and BYLT plans to lease the land for cattle grazing on an annual basis to help control vegetation and maintain resource values. BYLT will use the lease income to perform ongoing management and maintenance of the Property. Long term, BYLT hopes to make available future limited public access opportunities. TERMS The Property has been appraised as having a fair market value of $1,442,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). The Property owner has agreed to sell the Property for the approved appraised fair market value. The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant to BYLT provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the 59 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can require the grantee to encumber the Property with a conservation easement in favor of the State or another entity approved by the State and seek reimbursement of funds. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $1,442,000.00 Total $1,442,000.00 Other Project-Related Costs $ 10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $1,452,000.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project- related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding sources, California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a), and Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(b/c)(Proposition 1 E), which allow for the acquisition of habitat to protect wildlife corridors and linkages, significant natural habitat areas, protection of fully protected species, watersheds and flood protection corridors. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND STATE RECOMMENDATION The project has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 15325, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space, habitat and allow continued agricultural use. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $1,200,000.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a) and $252,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(b/c)(Proposition 1 E) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to 60 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. Gibson introduced Mr. Joe Byrne, President of the Bear Yuba Land Trust, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. Ms. Finn asked to provide more information about Bear Yuba Land Trust. Mr. Joe Byrne, the President of Bear Yuba Land Trust (Trust), responded that the Trust has been around for 21 years, and since last year it encompasses Sierra County, as well as Nevada County. Ms. Finn commented that the Trust has raised approximately $48,000 in stewardship endowment funds and asked for an estimate of the actual amount necessary to manage the property. Mr. Byrne commented that they have also received a $75,000 grant from Sierra Nevada Conservancy toward the management plan for this property. Mr. Byrne went on to explain that they would • like to build that stewardship fund up to $150,000 and that is being done through private donations. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any additional questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Mr. Sutton that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $1,200,000.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a) and $252,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(b/c)(Proposition 1E) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 61 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 17. Royal Gorge $3,010,000.00 Placer and Nevada Counties Chairman Bonham acknowledged the presence of Ms. Erin Baum, Assembly Member William's representative, who joined the meeting at this moment. Mr. Donnelly reported that several letters of support for this project were received from the following people: Mr. Tom Quinn, Forest Supervisor, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest; Ms. Patricia Malberg, President, Donner Summit Area Association; Mr. Jeff Darlington, Executive Director, Placer Land Trust; Mr. Edward C. (Ted) Beedy, Ph.D., President, North Fork Association; Mr.Tom Mooers, Executive Director, Sierra Watch; Mr. Kenneth F. Hall, President, Serene Lakes Property Owners Association; Mr. Byron Lee, Chairman, Palisades Board; and Ms. Nancy Bechtle, Chair, Sugar Bowl Corporation. This proposal was to consider the allocation of a grant to the Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT) for a cooperative project with Placer County, Northern Sierra Partnership, the Trust For Public Land, and private donations to acquire, in fee, two separate properties totaling 2,520± acres to help preserve alpine forests and meadows, wildlife corridors, habitat linkages, and continue to provide wildlife oriented public use opportunities. Mr. John Walsh of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) is located approximately ten miles west of the town of Truckee, in the Donner Summit area, within Nevada and Placer counties and covers 2,520± acres which straddle the Sierra Crest at Donner Summit and act as a bridge between existing and proposed wilderness areas of Granite Chief and Castle Peak. Donner Summit's scenic and ecological richness have drawn generations of admirers from all over the world and made it one of the most iconic destinations in the entire Sierra Nevada. Resource values and outdoor amenities include lush mountain meadows, alpine forests, crystal clear streams, and abundant outdoor features including hiking, camping, fishing, and skiing. Surrounding development includes the Serene Lakes community which consists of Serene Lakes and Ice Lakes residential subdivisions and nearby Ice Lakes Lodge. The Property is also adjacent to the Royal Gorge Cross Country Resort which is known as the largest cross country ski facility in North America. The Property falls within the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Sierra Valley—Truckee Conceptual Area Protection Plan (CAPP). The objectives within the CAPP are to protect wetland, wet meadow, riparian, bitterbrush and sagebrush habitats for the Loyalton-Truckee deer herd as well as for many other wildlife species. The population of the interstate Loyalton- 62 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Truckee deer herd has declined over the last twenty years. One of the primary threats to the viability of this deer herd is habitat conversion and fragmentation from residential or industrial development and highway construction. It is imperative to protect summer ranges and important migration corridors within the CAPP area. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property contains two non-contiguous areas. The Upper Gregory Creek portion is 351± acres and is located on the north side of Interstate 80 and west of the upper Donner Lake interchange in Nevada County. Upper Gregory Creek is irregular in shape and the topography ranges from moderate to steep in a northwest direction leading away from Interstate 80. A seasonal creek flows through the Property. The Property also encompasses a portion of a ridge which provides very panoramic views of the surrounding area, including Donner Lake and Donner Summit. The Royal Gorge portion consists of 2,169± acres and surrounds the Serene Lakes subdivision near Donner Summit. It forms an irregular "C" shape around the Serene Lakes subdivision. Much of the Property exhibits moderately to steeply sloping topography. Portions of the Property enjoy views of the surrounding mountains. The Property is unimproved with the exception of several dirt roads and portions of cross country ski trails which pass through the Property in conjunction with the operation of the Royal Gorge cross country ski area. In 2005, this area was proposed for a 950-unit subdivision and represents one of the major threats to resource values of the Property. The Property contains a variety of habitat types and is a top priority for biodiversity conservation in the Sierra Nevada and provides an extremely large, complex mixture of high quality Sierran habitat. It includes wet meadow, fresh water emergent wetland, riverine, and lascustrine habitat types, as well as red fir, lodgepole pine, and mixed conifer forest. The Property supports wildlife species including black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, coyote, and various bird species and is summer range for the Loyalton-Truckee deer herd. Several special status species may occur on the Property including willow flycatcher, wolverine, mountain yellow-legged frog, and Pacific fisher. Conservation of this Property will protect a valuable landscape from development, maintain habitat corridors, preserve unprecedented views and keep it available for a variety of outdoor recreation activities popular to the Truckee-Tahoe Area. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant for this project is being made under the Wildlife Conservation Board's (WCB) Land Acquisition Program (Program). The Program is administered pursuant to the Board's original enabling legislation, "The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947" (Fish and Game Code Section 1300, et seq.) 63 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes authorizing the WCB to acquire real property or rights in real property on behalf of CDFW, grant funds to other governmental entities or nonprofit organizations to acquire real property or rights in real property and accept federal grant funds to facilitate acquisitions or subgrant these federal funds to assist with the acquisitions of properties. Under the Program the WCB provides funds to facilitate the acquisition of lands and interests in land that can successfully sustain or be restored to support wildlife and, when practicable, provide for suitable wildlife oriented recreation opportunities. These activities are carried out in conjunction with CDFW, which evaluates the biological values of property through development of a Land Acquisition Evaluation (LAE)/Conceptual Area Protection Plan (CAPP). The LAE/CAPP is then submitted to CDFW's Regional Operations Committee (ROC) for review and, if approved, later transmitted to the WCB with a recommendation to fund. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS TDLT will own and manage the Property. In the winter, the established cross country ski trails on the Property will be leased to Sugar Bowl Ski Corporation, which will operate the Royal Gorge Nordic ski area. In the summer, TDLT will manage the Property for non-motorized public use. There is an existing network of trails which the use of by the public will continue after acquisition. In the future, TDLT may pursue opportunities to improve the existing trail system by adding new trails, dedicated trail heads and signage, both directional and interpretive. Partners on this project include CDFW on forestry and wildlife habitat management, the U.S. Forest Service in helping mange the resources and trail network, Placer County also will assist on trail management, Sugar Bowl Ski Corp. on cross-country skiing, and various homeowner associations in the area. TDLT currently manages over 15,000 acres and has experience in building and maintaining trails (over 25 miles), habitat restoration, forestry, and managing public access compatible with the natural resources. Due to the success of its recent fundraising, TDLT has the financial resources to responsibly manage the Property and improve the wildlife habitat and resource values. This includes an annual stewardship budget for Royal Gorge ranging between $200,000 and $400,000 annually, for the next five years. For future management, TDLT will have an endowment of at least one million dollars, the interest of which will generate sufficient funds for annual management in perpetuity. TDLT also expects to receive additional public funds for forestry management, meadow restoration, and recreation. TERMS The Property has been appraised as having a fair market value of$9,150,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). 64 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes In December of 2012, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) who is assisting the TDLT in this purchase, exercised their option (that expired in 2012) and acquired the Property for its fair market value. The funding for this transaction was as follows: Bridge Loan $3,000,000.00 Northern Sierra Partnership funds 1,000,000.00 Placer County trail funds 300,000.00 Private Donations 4,850,000.00 Total Purchase Price $9,150,000.00 To complete the transfer and acquisition of the property, WCB will provide a grant to the TDLT to acquire the property from TPL to pay off the bridge loan, thereby guaranteeing the perpetual protection of the Property. The terms and conditions of the grant between WCB and the TDLT provide that staff of the WCB will review and approve all title documents, appraisals, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, WCB can require the grantee to encumber the Property with a conservation easement in favor of the State or another entity approved by the State and seek reimbursement of funds. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $3,000,000.00 Other Project-Related Costs $ 10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $3,010,000.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project- related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding source, California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a), which allows for the acquisition of corridors linking separate habitat areas to prevent habitat fragmentation, and to protect significant natural landscapes and ecosystems and other significant habitat areas. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The acquisition has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for 65 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 15325, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space and existing natural conditions, including plant or animal habitats. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $3,010,000.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a) for the grant and to cover internal project- related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. Walsh introduced Ms. Tina Bartlett, Regional Manager from Region 2, California Department of Fish and Wildlife; Mr. Dave Sutton, Northern California Director of the Trust for Public Land; Ms. Lucy Blake, President of the Northern Sierra Partnership; Mr. Perry Norris, Executive Director of the Truckee Donner Land Trust; and Mr. Bill Oudegeest, Donner Summit resident and local historian, who were in the audience and available to answer questions. Mr. Perry Norris introduced himself before the Board and spoke in support of this agenda item. Mr. Norris said that for the Truckee Donner Land Trust this has been a project with 20 years in the making and the name of the Trust comes from this property name —Donner Summit. Mr. Norris went on to explain that the Trust has had many successful projects with the Wildlife Conservation Board, with this project being the biggest accomplishment. Mr. Norris pointed out that this is an exemplary project showing a great coordination between public and private sectors. Mr. Norris thanked the Wildlife Conservation Board for considering this project. Ms. Jennifer Montgomery, Fifth District Supervisor from the Placer County Board of Supervisors, spoke in support of this agenda item. Ms. Montgomery said that she is here today on behalf of Placer County to advocate for this project. Ms. Montgomery stated that we need to acquire this piece of property to make it available to the public. Ms. Montgomery said that Placer County is one of the funding partners in this project and they also helped to develop and maintain trails and projects on this piece of property. Ms. Montgomery urged the Wildlife Conservation Board to approve this project. Mr. Bill Oudegeest introduced himself before the Board and spoke in support of this agenda item. Mr. Oudegeest said that he is a part of little community of Donner Summit and when the possibility of conserving this land became clear, this community raised about $3.8 million for that purpose. Mr. Oudegeest stated 66 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes that Donner Summit offers endless recreational possibilities — skiing, kayaking, road biking, mount biking and such. Mr. Oudegeest added that this is a great project and thanked the Board for considering this project. Ms. Finn commented that today is her grandmother's 100 birthday and her relatives came over through the Donner Summit. Ms. Finn said that it would be an honor for her to make a motion on this project. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any additional question or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $3,010,000.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 67 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 18. El Dorado Ranch $3,000,000.00 El Dorado and Amador Counties Mr. Donnelly reported that two letters of support for this project were received from the following people: Mr. William S. Haigh, Field Manager, United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Mother Lode Field Office; and Ms. Susan Britting, Conservation Chair, California Native Plant Society,.El Dorado Chapter. This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to The American River Conservancy (ARC) for a cooperative project with the California Natural Resources Agency to acquire in fee 1,059± acres of land for the protection and preservation of riparian and woodland habitat that includes native fisheries and oak woodlands; and to provide potential future wildlife oriented public use opportunities on land fronting the Cosumnes River. Ms. Elizabeth Yokoyama of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property/Ranch) is located east of Highway 49 approximately four miles south of the town of El Dorado and 35 miles east of Sacramento. The northern portion of the Property is situated in southwestern El Dorado County and the southern portion of the Property is located in northwestern Amador County. The Ranch also lies in proximity to a nearby corridor of protected properties located along the Cosumnes River that are owned by ARC, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW; Pine Hill Ecological Preserve & Hope Valley Wildlife Area), U.S. Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service. The Property is also located within the Upper Cosumnes River Basin Conceptual Area Protection Plan, which helps guide efforts to preserve an intact landscape scale ecosystem running the entire 80 mile length of the Cosumnes River, and protect the foothill belt of the Cosumnes watershed that supports intact blue oak woodlands and a number of sensitive wildlife species. The Cosumnes River is one of the last undammed rivers flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains into the greater Central Valley. The river harbors runs of steelhead and salmon and provides habitat for otters, beavers, and the rare giant garter snake. The river and riparian corridor support numerous species including deer, mountain lion and coyotes along with numerous migratory song birds and waterfowl. The Property currently remains in its natural and undeveloped state. The surrounding neighborhood is comprised of open land with single-family homes situated on large lots or acreages to the south, west and east of the Property. The area primarily supports livestock grazing activities and is noted for its scenic 68 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes beauty consisting of rolling hills, riverfront properties and open space appeal. These attributes along with the Property's close proximity to the greater Sacramento metropolitan area, make the Property appealing for more intensive development. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property is comprised of two irregularly shaped north and south non- contiguous parcels containing a total of 12 legal parcels that are zoned for agricultural use. The northern parcel is located in El Dorado County and contains 963± acres. The southern parcel is located in Amador County and contains 96± acres, for a combined total of 1,059± acres. The Property is characterized by a slightly sloping to rolling typography, covered with chaparral, sage, oak woodlands, grasslands, riparian vegetation and riverine habitat areas along the Cosumnes River. The acquisition of the Property will help expand the protection of the Cosumnes River from its headwaters to the confluence with the Mokelumne River, as an ecologically and hydrologically intact river system, and expand the protection of significant riparian habitats beneficial to a number of native fishes, including salmonids, and other endemic mammals, birds and insects. The acquisition will also expand the protection of upland habitats, and help maintain wildlife corridors extending from the downstream protected areas of the Cosumnes River up into the higher foothill areas and higher up into the El Dorado National Forest. Projects such as this one also help provide protection against the effects of climate change by providing varying elevations for species to move between in order to better adapt to temperature variations. The Property is also potentially suitable for future development of public access uses and facilities, such as a parking lot and recreational trail access point from Highway 49. The Property supports multiple plant and animal species such as the Nissenan manzanita, blue oak woodland, deer, mountain lion, bald eagle and Northern goshawk along with a number of rare and sensitive species including riverine habitat for the State and federally threatened Chinook salmon, the California threatened central valley steelhead, federally endangered Chinook salmon, steelhead, the State endangered bald eagle, the State threatened red-legged frog and other rare species including the foothill yellow legged frog and the northwestern pond turtle. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant is being considered under the Wildlife Conservation Board's (WCB) Land Acquisition Program. The Land Acquisition Program is administered pursuant to the Board's original enabling legislation, "The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947" (Fish and Game Section 1300, et seq.) authorizing the WCB to acquire real property or rights in real property on behalf of the 69 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes CDFW, grant funds to other governmental entities or nonprofit organizations to acquire real property or rights in real property and accept federal grant funds to facilitate acquisitions or subgrant these federal funds to assist with acquisitions of properties. Under the program the WCB provides funds to facilitate the acquisition of lands and interests in land that can successfully sustain or be restored to support wildlife and, when practicable, provide for suitable wildlife- oriented recreation opportunities. These activities are carried out in conjunction with the CDFW, which evaluates the biological values of property through development of a Land Acquisition Evaluation (LAE)/Conceptual Area Protection Plan (CAPP). The LAE/CAPP is then submitted to CDFW's Regional Operations Committee (ROC) for review and, if approved, later transmitted to the WCB with a recommendation to fund. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The Property will be owned, managed and monitored by the ARC, a tax exempt California nonprofit public benefit corporation qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The ARC, which has been in existence for over 20 years, manages a number of properties in the area for habitat preservation and provides public use opportunities, relying on a combination of employees, volunteers, partners and members to support this effort. The acquisition of the Property will provide an opportunity for ARC to protect and preserve the Property's open space and natural resource values, and potentially afford recreational opportunities to the public such as fishing, boating, hiking, photography and biking. TERMS The property has been appraised as having a fair market value of$4,800,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). The Property owner has agreed to sell the Property for the approved appraised fair market value. The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. Under the terms of the WCB grant agreement, ARC will be required to hold the Property in a manner consistent with the purposes of the Agreement. The Property cannot be sold, transferred, exchanged or otherwise conveyed without WCB approval. In the event of default, WCB may require the ARC to convey a conservation easement over the Property in favor of the State or another entity or organization authorized by California law to acquire and hold the conservation easement that is willing and financially capable. 70 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $3,000,000.00 California Natural Resources Agency $1,800,000.00 TOTAL Purchase Price $4,800,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $3,000,000.00 The cost of the appraisal and DGS Appraisal Review was completed and covered by the California Natural Resources Agency and the ARC. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the proposed funding sources: the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a) that provides funding for the acquisition, development, rehabilitation, restoration and protection of habitat to promote the recovery of threatened and endangered species and to provide corridors linking separate habitat areas to prevent habitat fragmentation, and to protect significant natural landscapes and ecosystems and other significant habitat areas and allows for the development of public access facilities for hunting, fishing and other wildlife compatible recreational activities; and the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air and Coastal Protection Bond Fund (Proposition 12), Public Resources Code Section 5096.350(a)(2) that provides funding for the acquisition or restoration of riparian habitat and watershed conservation programs. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The acquisition has been reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and under Section 15325, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve existing natural conditions, including plant and animal habitat, and open space for park purposes. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $2,034,517.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a) and $965,483.00 from the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air and Coastal Protection Bond Fund (Proposition 12), Public Resources Code Section 5096.350(a)(2) for the grant; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this 71 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Ms. Yokoyama introduced Mr. Alan Ehrgott, Executive Director of the American River Conservancy, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any questions about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $2,034,517.00 from the California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks and Coastal Protection Fund (Proposition 40), Public Resources Code Section 5096.650(a) and $965,483.00 from the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air and Coastal Protection Bond Fund (Proposition 12), Public Resources Code Section 5096.350(a)(2) for the grant; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. • 72 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 19. Sears Point Wetland Restoration $5,000,000.00 Sonoma County Mr. Donnelly commented that this project was originally Tony Chappell's project. Mr. Donnelly went on to explain that Tony Chappelle has been with the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB/Board) for almost twelve years and decided to go work for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Mr. Donnelly acknowledged that Mr. Chappelle has completed 57 public access projects, helped to restore 15,700 acres of riparian habitat, and the Board allocated for his projects $68 million and Mr. Chappelle leveraged another $71 million. Mr. Donnelly stated that Tony will be missed and thanked Mr. Chappelle for all his work with WCB. This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to Sonoma Land Trust (Trust) for a cooperative project with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the U.S. Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the California Department of Water Resources, and the State Coastal Conservancy to restore 955± acres of tidal marsh, located five miles east of the City of Novato on the Trust's Sears Point property in Sonoma County. Mr. Peter Perrine of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES In 2005 the Trust, with funding approved by Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) in 2004, acquired the 2,327-acre Sears Point property, a vital link along the northern San Pablo Bay shoreline connecting nearly five miles of protected and restored tidal marsh habitat from the Petaluma River to Tolay Creek. Unique among shoreline conservation properties, Sears Point extends deep into the adjacent uplands reaching elevations of nearly 400 feet. Some nine miles of riparian corridors traverse its grasslands, willow groves, and broad plains of seasonal wetlands to connect the upland areas to the San Pablo Bay. Slated for casino development prior to the Trust's acquisition, Sears Point now is protected in perpetuity offering an unparalleled opportunity for landscape-scale restoration of multiple habitats in the San Pablo Bay. Over the next several years, the Trust will restore seasonal wetlands, riparian corridors, and upland grasslands on the property, as well as construct 2.5 miles of the Bay Trail for public use. This project will restore approximately 955 of those acres to tidal wetlands between Tolay Creek and the previously restored Sonoma Baylands tidal marsh. The Sears Point property sits within a patchwork of thousands of acres of protected and restored lands. One of the lessons learned from these prior restoration projects is that sediment is critical to their timely success. Fortunately, northern San Pablo Bay is rich in sediment, which is key to raising subsided land elevations high enough to support marsh vegetation, and these processes will continue well into the future to match projected sea level rise. The 73 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes rural character of this regional shoreline means that there is little in the way of human construction to create barriers to large-scale restoration. Collectively, these factors present an opportunity to restore not only the individual pieces of the land and water but also the processes that join the two. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Since the late 1800s, nearly 85% of the San Francisco Bay's tidal wetlands have been lost to agricultural, industrial, and other development. Much of the conversion in the North Bay was for agriculture. Former tidal marshes were diked, drained, and plowed for crops. After more than a century of farming, these diked baylands have subsided below sea level. In many cases, remaining tidal wetlands are small, fragmented, and vulnerable to invasive species, pollutants and climate change. Recent assessments predict up to a five-foot rise in sea level by the end of this century. Immediate restoration of tidal marshes surrounding the San Francisco Bay is a critical adaptation measure that will benefit wildlife, people, and infrastructure. The Trust will restore approximately 955 acres of tidal marsh in the diked agricultural baylands located south of the railroad track and scheduled for transfer to either the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFW) or the FWS following completion of restoration activities. The following restoration activities will be implemented over approximately three years. The Trust will dismantle and/or demolish farm/hunting club buildings and remove utility poles, eucalyptus trees, and other minor infrastructure within the new tidal basin. The Trust will work closely with PG&E on relocating existing power poles and lines, which serve neighboring properties and will power the new stormwater pumps. The Trust will construct a 2.5-mile flood protection levee using spoils from the excavation of up to 6 miles of new tidal channels. Unlike traditional steep-sided levees, this "habitat" levee will have a very gradual outboard (bayside) slope to provide flood refuge to endangered species such as the California clapper rail and salt marsh harvest mouse, enable marsh vegetation to migrate up the levee with rising sea level, and reduce erosion from wind waves. (Note: The final levee design will depend on available funding. As a contingency, the levee could be built to a steeper slope, but one that will provide more habitat than most existing levees surrounding the San Francisco Bay.) The Trust will excavate up to 6 miles of tidal channels and will use excavated materials to construct topographic features including marsh mounds, sidecast ridges, and counter-levee mounds (in addition to the flood protection levee). These features are designed to minimize erosive wave energy, maximize 74 June 4, 2013,Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes sedimentation, and provide early colonization sites for vegetation, all of which will lead to more rapid marsh development. To prevent flooding of the railroad, Highway 37 and neighboring parcels by stormwater runoff, the Trust will construct two new stormwater pumps and pump stations, two sump ponds, and access road/berm on the north side of the railroad tracks and a raised road surface at Reclamation Road. These features will be located north of the new flood control levee and are an essential component of the tidal marsh restoration. The FWS will operate and maintain the pumps. The Project conforms with the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission's San Francisco Bay Plan, the San Francisco Estuary Project Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, the San Francisco Estuary Baylands Ecosystem Goals Project, and the California Climate Adaptation Strategy. WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program and meets the program's goal of providing for restoration of wetlands that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Inland Wetland Conservation Program such as coastal, tidal habitats and threatened and endangered species habitats. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS Upon completion of the restoration, it is expected that fee interest in the restored tidal marsh will be transferred to the CDFW, which will manage it as part of the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area, Tolay Creek Unit. Although a formal agreement has yet to be reached, levee maintenance and operation of the stormwater pumps are expected to be the responsibility of the FWS. As a condition of the pending permits, the Trust anticipates significant biological and physical monitoring will be required by State, federal, and regional regulatory agencies for up to fifteen years to assess project effectiveness. Activities will likely include monitoring of birds, mammals, fish, vegetation, water quality, and sediment. The Trust is responsible for the monitoring. If at any time during the 25-year life of the project, the landowner does not manage and maintain the project improvements, the Grant Agreement requires the Trust to refund to the State of California an amortized amount of funds based on the number of years left on the project life. 75 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Item WCB Other Funders TOTALS Construction $3,855,000 $6,243,891 $10,098,891 Monitoring $400,000 $0 $400,000 Construction Management $90,000 $441,982 $531,982 Project Management $135,000 $336,887 $471,887 Project Administration $268,800 $268,681 $537,481 Contingencies $251,200 $0 $251,200 TOTAL: $5,000,000 $7,291,441 $12,291,441 Other funders and the amounts of their contributions are as follows: USFWS $992,000 USEPA $941,941 DWR $1,232,500 SCC $965,000 USACE $800,000 FHA $2,250,000 NFWF $110,000 Total $7,291,441 FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(c), which provides funding for the acquisition, protection and restoration of coastal wetlands, upland areas adjacent to coastal wetlands and coastal watershed lands within the San Francisco Bay Area and is consistent with the objectives of this project. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The CDFW has reviewed this proposal and recommends it for funding by the WCB. The permit application process is well underway with the USFWS Biological Opinion completed. All other permits are anticipated by July 15. The CDFW, as lead agency, prepared a ER for the project pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Staff considered the EIR and has prepared proposed, written findings documenting WCB's compliance with CEQA. Subject to approval of this proposal by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Determination will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. 76 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board adopt the written findings and approve this project as proposed; allocate $5,000,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(c); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. Perrine introduced Mr. Julian Meisler, Baylands Program Manager from the Sonoma Land Trust, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. Chairman Bonham asked who owns the railroad. Mr. Meisler responded that the railroad is owned by the Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit. Chairman Bonham asked if the area is elevated. Mr. Meisler replied that it is elevated, and some portions are below sea level. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any additional questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board adopt the written findings and approve this project as proposed; allocate $5,000,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(c); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 77 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 20. Wilmar Ranch, Diablo Range Oak Woodland $275,000.00 Conservation Easement Monterey County Mr. Donnelly reported that a letter of support was received for this project from Mr. Mike Novo, Director, Monterey County Resource Management Agency, Planning Department. This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the California Rangeland Trust (CRT) to acquire a conservation easement (Easement) over 2,114± acres of land for the protection preservation of oak woodlands, oak savannahs, native plants and wildlife habitat, watersheds and agricultural open space in Monterey County. Ms. Elizabeth Yokoyama of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) is located in the southern portion of the Diablo Range which runs down the western side of the San Joaquin Valley separating the San Joaquin Valley from the Salinas River valley and watershed. More specifically, the Property is located on Deer Valley Road near the intersection of Cross County Road and Deer Valley Road, approximately 17 miles northeast of the San Miguel, a small quaint town located off Highway 101 in the Salinas River valley, in Monterey County. The Property is situated in an agricultural area characterized by large land holdings. The Property and its surrounding properties are comprised of large tracts of land used primarily for livestock grazing or dry land grain farming with hilly to mountainous terrain. In addition, the area has a reputation as a prime hunting location for deer, wild pig and wild turkey, and many area ranches also operate as fee hunting clubs. The Property lies adjacent to other properties protected with CRT-held conservation easements that include the 10,884± acre Deer Valley Ranch and the 480± acre Harden conservation easements. Other nearby protected lands include the 17,000± acre Varian Ranch and the 11,000± acre Kester Ranch, CRT-held conservation easements funded in part by the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), as well as a number of smaller parcels of land owned and managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Together these properties help provide one of the only protected corridors that link the San Joaquin Valley to the east, across the Diablo Range into the Salinas Valley to the west. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property is an irregularly shaped site characterized by level to sloping to steep typography, with gentle to rolling grasslands, scattered oak trees and 78 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes vegetation rising up in places to deeper hilly vegetated areas and oak woodland outcroppings. There are several water features that include wells, springs and seasonal ponds (including one large seasonal pond called Big Lagoon) on site. The Property is also located within an Agricultural Preserve District, but is not subject to a Williamson Act Contract. Historically, the Property has been used for livestock grazing and recreational purposes. Improvements include an old habitable cabin called Doc's Cabin or the Nibecker Cabin, an attractive, rustic cabin that was built as a hunting/recreational retreat. Other ranch improvements include fencing, water wells, older corrals, water tanks and power distribution lines. The primary habitat areas within the Property include grasslands, and both interior live oak and coastal live oak woodlands. In an effort to protect oak woodlands properties in the area, Monterey County has implemented an oak woodlands management plan titled "Monterey County Voluntary Oak Woodland Stewardship Guidelines". This plan's primary objective is to protect existing oak woodlands from development and maintain or improve conditions of existing oak woodlands. The proposed Easement will complement the plan's practices and guidelines and impose additional restrictions to conserve the Property and protect its native oak woodlands. The Property also serves as habitat for numerous wildlife species that include deer, bobcat, mountain lion, coyote, wild pig, wild turkey and raptors. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant for this project is being considered under the WCB's Oak Woodlands Conservation Program (Program). Grant proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by WCB staff based on established criteria, and must be located within a county that has adopted an Oak Woodlands countywide management plan; such plan was adopted by the County of Monterey in September 2009. The Program is designed to assist local efforts achieve oak woodland protection. Importantly, this Program also provides a mechanism to bring ranchers and conservationists together in a manner that allows both to achieve sustainable ranch and farming operations and healthy oak woodlands. The project has been reviewed under the Program and recommended for approval. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The Easement will be held and monitored by CRT, which holds similar conservations easements throughout the State. CRT works closely with the landowner to tailor its easements to fit the landowner's individual situation. The Easement objectives will include the protection of existing oak woodlands while promoting the economic sustainability of the Property's ranching operations. CRT will prepare an initial baseline assessment of the existing agricultural and 79 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes natural resources on the Property and provide this report to WCB prior to disbursement of grant funds. Furthermore, the County of Monterey's Voluntary Oak Woodland Stewardship Guidelines will also be utilized by CRT as a means to preserve and protect the oak woodlands. CRT is receiving an endowment or $45,000.00 from the Property owner for purposes of monitoring the Easement. After the Easement is recorded,CRT will monitor the Property at least once a year to ensure the Easement terms are being honored. Under the terms of the grant agreement, WCB can accompany CRT on these monitoring visits. CRT will provide a written report documenting the visit and will note any significant changes to the resources or compliance issues CRT identifies. If necessary, corrective action will be recommended and noted in the report. CRT will provide a copy of the report to WCB in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement. TERMS The Property consists of two tracts of land, tract A and tract B. Tract A is 1,281 acres and tract B is 833 acres for a combined total of 2,114 acres. CRT owns a 1/3 interest in tract A that was obtained through a donation. CRT now proposes to protect the entire Property with a conservation easement. In order to complete the transaction, CRT will sell its 1/3 interest in the Property to the current landowner and use the value from the sale of its 1/3 interest combined with the grant from the WCB to complete the purchase of the Easement. The Property owner has agreed to sell the Easement for $650,000.00. The Easement over the entire 2,114 acres has been appraised as having a fair market value of$650,000.00, with independent values for tracts A and B equaling $380,000.00 and $270,000.00, respectively. This appraisal also concluded a fair market value for CRT's 1/3 interest in tract A of$385,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant to the CRT provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can seek specific performance of the grant agreement; or require CRT to transfer the Easement to WCB or another entity or organization authorized by California law to acquire and hold conservation easements and that is willing and financially able to assume all the obligations and responsibilities of CRT. 80 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $265,000.00 CRT 385,000.00 TOTAL Purchase Price $650,000.00 Other Project Related Costs 10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $275,000.00 It is estimated that the additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project related administrative costs, including the DGS appraisal review. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding source, Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(2), which allows for the preservation of oak woodlands pursuant to the Oak Woodlands Conservation Act of 2001 (Public Resources Code Section 10330, et seq.). ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The project has been reviewed pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 15325, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space and existing natural conditions, including plant or animal habitats, and as an acquisition to allow continued agricultural use of the area. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $275,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(2) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Ms. Yokoyama introduced Mr. Marshall Cook, Transaction Director of the California Rangeland Trust, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. 81 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes It was moved by Mr. Sutton that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $275,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(2) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 82 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 21. Rancho Vierra Oak Woodland Conservation Easement $660,000.00 Monterey County This proposal was to consider the allocation of a grant to Big Sur Land Trust (BSLT) to assist with the acquisition of a conservation easement (Easement) over 964± acres of land in Monterey County to preserve, protect and sustain its native oak woodland habitat, grazing land, grassland, working landscapes, wildlife habitat, and watersheds. Ms. Candice Marg of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) is located at Old Stage Road, approximately 42 miles southeast of the City of San Jose and 6 miles northeast of the City of Salinas in the northern foothills of the Gabilan Mountain Range. The northern portions of the Gabilan Range provide an important habitat linkage and wildlife corridor between the Santa Cruz and Hamilton mountain ranges to the north and the Sierra Madre, Santa Lucia and Southern Diablo mountain ranges to the south and west, providing connectivity for a number of large mammals, including mountain lion, elk, deer, badger and bobcat. This region also encompasses the Gabilan Creek watershed. This watershed supports a healthy steelhead population, and is also one of the most impacted watersheds in the area due to the large amount of agricultural and urban uses found along its lower reaches, as it passes by the town of Salinas and out toward the Monterey Bay. Approximately 1 mile to the east of the Property is Colinas Ranch, a 1,000-acre ranch protected by a conservation easement held by BSLT and donated by the same property owner. Gabilan Ranch, located 4 miles to the southeast of the Property, is an 11,000-acre ranch also protected by a conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy and purchased with funding from Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB). The Gabilan Ranch property was the location of a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) program that reintroduced Tule elk in 1983. It now supports an estimated heard of over 200 animals. Additionally, Fremont Peak State Park is located 4 miles to the east of the Property. Threats to the habitat in the area include outward expansion of the City of Salinas, one of the largest cities in Monterey County. Other threats includes fragmentation of large ranches into smaller ranchette type developments, popular in the Gabilan Range and Monterey area, along with conversion of agricultural grazing land into more intensive, non-wildlife friendly agricultural uses such as vineyards, row crops and orchards. Under the terms of the Easement, these types of conversion would be precluded on the Property in perpetuity. 83 • June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property is comprised of 964 acres± and is rectangular in shape with varied topography. Habitat types include an assemblage of oak woodlands, grasslands, coastal sage scrub, riparian woodlands, and perennial streams. Nearly two miles of creek frontage on the perennial Gabilan Creek runs along the southwesterly border of the Property. Elevations on the Property range from 300 feet to 1,113 feet. Specifically, the Easement will help protect over 400 acres of coast live oak woodlands, a habitat corridor within the northern portions of the Gabilan mountains utilized by a variety of species, including Tule elk, American badger and mountain lion, and a riverine and riparian corridor along Gabilan Creek that supports steelhead spawning runs. The project will also help protect annual and native perennial grasslands which support livestock grazing and a number of bird species known in the area which include the white-tailed kite, California horned lark, golden eagle, northern harriet and the burrowing owl. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant for this project is being considered under the WCB's Oak Woodland Preservation Program (Program). Grant proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by WCB staff based on established criteria, and must be located within a county that has adopted an Oak Woodlands countywide conservation plan (Plan). The County of Monterey adopted its Plan in September of 2009. The Program is designed to help local efforts to support the protection of native oak woodlands as well as bring local ranchers and conservationists together in a manner that allows both to achieve sustainable ranch and farming operations and protect healthy oak woodlands. The project has been reviewed under the WCB's Oak Woodland Conservation Program and has been recommended for approval. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS BSLT has worked closely with the landowner to develop an Easement that allows for the protection of the Property's natural resources and allows for the continuation of livestock grazing. The grazing helps manage and control invasive weeds and plants and help improve foraging areas for wildlife species found on the Property. The Easement will help ensure that both the agricultural and wildlife habitat values are recognized, managed and conserved in balance with one another. BSLT will prepare an initial baseline assessment of the existing agricultural and natural resources on the Property prior to WCB disbursement of grant funds. BSLT expects to receive an endowment of$10,000.00 from the Property owner and, after the Easement is recorded, BSLT will monitor the Property at least once a year to ensure the Easement terms are being honored and will prepare a 84 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes written report documenting the visit and noting any significant changes to the resources or any compliance issues BSLT identifies. Under the terms of the grant agreement, WCB staff can accompany BSLT on these monitoring visits. If necessary, corrective action will be recommended and noted in the report. BSLT will provide a copy of the report to WCB in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement. TERMS The Easement has been appraised as having a fair market value of $1,190,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). The Property owner has agreed to sell the Easement for $1,000,000.00. A third party contributor, the Packard Foundation, is providing $350,000.00 towards the purchase of the Easement. The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant to the BSLT provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can require specific performance of the grant agreement or require the grantee to convey its interest in the Easement to WCB or, at the election of WCB, another entity or organization authorized by California law to acquire and hold conservation easements and that is willing and financially able to assume all of the obligations and responsibilities of the grantee. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for this project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $650,000.00 Land Owner Donation $190,000.00 Packard Foundation $350,000.00 TOTAL Purchase Price $1,190,000.00 Other Project-Related Costs $10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $ 660,000.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding source, Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood 85 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(2), which allows for the preservation of oak woodlands pursuant to the Oak Woodlands Conservation Act of 2001 (Public Resources Code Section 10330, et seq.). ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The acquisition has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 13525, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $660,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(2) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Ms. Marg introduced Ms. Joanne Deavers, Program Manager from Big Sur Land Trust, and Dr. Ronald and Mrs. Linda Stoney, the landowners, who were in the audience and available to answer questions. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $660,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(2) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 86 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 22. Bufford Ranch Conservation Easement $570,000.00 Kern County This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the California Rangeland Trust (CRT) to assist with the acquisition of a conservation easement (Easement) over 575± acres of land in north central Kern County to preserve, protect and sustain its rangeland, grazing land, grassland, working landscapes, wildlife habitat, cultural values and watersheds. Ms. Teri Muzik of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) is located approximately 12 miles south of Lake Isabella and 50 miles east of Bakersfield on the north side of Walker Basin. The Walker Basin is a unique upper alpine basin in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountain range which contains a number of rare and sensitive alpine-dependent species. Adjoining the Property to the north are lands managed by the United States Bureau of Land Management. These areas are also linked and surrounded by U.S. National Forest lands. In the northwest portion of Walker Basin is a 150 acre parcel that the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) acquired for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) in 2003 to provide habitat protection for the rare primrose sphinx moth. Near the southern portion of Walker Basin is the Parker Ranch, a 9,500-acre conservation easement funded by WCB in 2007. Next to the Parker Ranch and further south and west is the 15,000-acre Rudnick Ranch. This property, funded by WCB in 2011, is held by The Nature Conservancy. These properties help support a protected wildlife corridor and linkage from the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains into the Tehachapi Mountain range and the 62,000-acre Tejon Ranch conservation project that the WCB funded in 2010. Other property uses in the area of the Property include residential development, cattle grazing, small game hunting, archeological sites and wildlife habitat. Unfortunately, portions of the Walker Basin have been subdivided and approved for development into small residential tracts, threatening and fragmenting the habitat values on areas within the basin. The Property is bordered on the south and west by partially built out residential subdivision lots as small as 2.5 acres. The proposed Easement would preclude any future development on the Property. Further development in the area would encroach on good pasture and grazing land, as well as create a demand for additional domestic wells that would draw down the water table, impacting streams within the basin. The Property itself is within the Thompson Creek watershed of the Middle Kern/Upper Tehachapi-Grapevine hydrologic unit. Thompson Creek, a perennial stream, and two intermittent streams flow through the Property through Walker Basin and on into the Kern River. 87 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property is comprised of 575+/- acres of varied vegetation. The majority of the Property is an open savannah of blue oak and Canyon live oak with areas of California juniper, buckbrush and gooseberry. The northeastern portion of the Property, about 30% of the overall area, is mostly steep to very steep with significant rock outcrop. Elevations range from 3,600 to 4,900 feet. There are approximately 15 springs on the Property. Annual grasses, forbs and scattered native perennial bunchgrasses, including purple needlegrass and blue wildrye are found on the Property. The Property encompasses six different ecosystem types. Vegetation types are approximately 280 acres of blue oak/foothill pine woodland, 100 acres of pinyon- juniper, 80 acres of montane riparian, including wet meadows, 65 acres of annual/perennial grassland, 25 acres of chaparral, and 25 acres of desert sub- shrub and associated riparian corridors. Stands of perennial grasslands, riparian drainage channels and small mountain wetlands are unique habitats that would be protected by this project. Special-status species that have been identified on the Property include the Alkali Mariposa lily and the coast horned lizard. The Property provides a key foothills wildlife migration corridor as well as a reliable habitat, sanctuary and breeding area for many species including deer, bear, mountain lion, bobcat, coyotes, ducks, squirrels, raptors, skunk, raccoon, quail and badger. The Property has been found to contain many artifacts that reflect a long prehistoric and Native American history, including human remains dating back 4,000 years and dart points that may be roughly 7,500 years old. The landowners have been working with the California State University at Bakersfield Biology/Archeology Department by allowing scientific exploration on the Property on an annual basis. In 2006, a cultural resource assessment was conducted that found artifacts dating back 3,200 years. One of the archeological sites found on the Property is believed to be eligible for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The Property was also active during the gold rush era and many mining artifacts have been collected on the Property. Improvements on the Property include a 1,200 s.f. double wide mobile home installed on a permanent foundation which provides part-time lodging for the landowners. There is also a 500 — 600 s.f. cabin built in the 1950s. Infrastructure includes fencing, stock ponds, wells, corrals and dirt roads. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant for this project is being considered under the WCB's Rangeland, Grazing Land and Grassland Protection Program (Program). Grant proposals are evaluated and selected for funding by WCB staff based on 88 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes established criteria. The Program provides funding for the acquisition of conservation easements on private properties for the protection of rangeland, grazing land and grasslands. The Program seeks to prevent the conversion of rangeland, grazing land and grassland to nonagricultural uses, protect the long term sustainability of livestock grazing and ensure continued wildlife, water quality, watershed and open-space benefits to the State of California from livestock grazing. The project has been reviewed under the Program and has been recommended for approval. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS When establishing a new agricultural conservation easement, CRT works closely with the landowner to address the protection of a property's natural habitat and agricultural resources. The purpose of the Easement is to ensure that both the agricultural and wildlife habitat values are recognized and conserved in balance with one another. CRT will prepare an initial baseline assessment of the existing development and the agricultural and natural resources on the Property and provide this report to WCB prior to disbursement of grant funds. After the Easement is recorded, CRT will monitor the Property at least once a year to ensure the Easement terms are being honored. Under the terms of the grant agreement, WCB can accompany CRT on these monitoring visits. CRT will provide a written report documenting the visit and will note any significant changes to the resources or compliance issues CRT identifies. If necessary, corrective action will be recommended and noted in the report. CRT will provide a copy of the report to WCB in accordance with the terms of the grant agreement. While the Easement does not convey a general right of access to the public, the landowners have been working with the California State University at Bakersfield to document the historical artifacts found on the Property. The landowners have also contemplated possibly conducting archeological explorations and nature hikes in the future as a way of sharing the important historic and biological resources protected on the Property. TERMS The Easement has been appraised as having a fair market value of$560,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS). The Property owner has agreed to sell the Easement for $560,000.00. The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant to CRT provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can require specific performance of the grant 89 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes agreement or require CRT to convey its interest in the Easement to WCB or, at the election of WCB, another entity or organization authorized by California law to acquire and hold conservation easements and that is willing and financially able to assume all of the obligations and responsibilities of CRT. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for this project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $560,000.00 Other Project-Related Costs $ 10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $570,000.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding source, Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(1), which allows for the protection of grazing land pursuant to the California Rangeland, Grazing Land and Grassland Protection Act (Public Resources Code Section 10330, et seq.). ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The acquisition has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 13525, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $570,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(1) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Ms. Muzik introduced Mr. Marshall Cook, Transaction Director of the California Rangeland Trust, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. 90 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Chairman Bonham asked if there were any questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $570,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(d)(1) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 91 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 23. Arrastre Canyon $260,000.00 Los Angeles County Mr. Donnelly reported that several letters of support were received for this project from the following people: Maggie and Jerry Happ of Valencia, CA; Ms. Lise Meyers of Santa Clarita, CA; Ms. Dianne Erskine-Hellrigel of Newhall, CA; Mr. Ed Benson of Valencia, CA; Mr. Craig Olwert of Stevenson Ranch, CA; Ms. Linda Castro of Granada Hills, CA; Mr. Dave Pulsifer of Canyon Country, CA; Ms. Heidi Webber of Canyon Country, CA; Mr. Matthew Nelson of Santa Clarita, CA; and Ms. Sylvia Altamirano of Valencia, CA. This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to acquire fee title to 286± acres of primarily undeveloped land to protect habitat for threatened and endangered species, and maintain habitat connectivity with the upper Santa Clara River floodplain and watershed in Arrastre Canyon, a tributary to the Santa Clara River located just south of the. community of Acton in Los Angeles County. Additionally, this proposal is to consider the acceptance of funds from the U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration Fund (NRDAR), a.k.a. "ARCO Funds", to assist in the funding of the project and approval to apply these funds to the project, as well as the acceptance of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Land Acquisition grant and approval to subgrant these federal funds to TNC. Mr. John Walsh of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES The subject property (Property) is located in the upper watershed area of the Santa Clara River, just south of State Route 14, near the community of Acton, and approximately 10 miles south of the City of Palmdale, in Los Angeles County. Arrastre Canyon and the Property run north to south from the Santa Clara River floodplain area into the northern boundary of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Angeles National Forest. The general terrain is fairly steep incised canyons, with sparse native chaparral, arid desert areas to the east, and with riparian corridors found in canyon floors, leading down into the flatter floodplain areas of the Santa Clara River valley, which flows west toward the Pacific Ocean. Surrounding land uses are primarily rural and equestrian with suburban home development sites which represent the major threat to habitat conversion in the area. The location of Arrastre Canyon is the convergence point between the coastal plain and the San Gabriel Mountains and Coast Range including the Santa Monica Mountains. The subject area provides for an important wildlife linkage which connects core habitats within the Angeles National Forest and the San Gabriel Mountains and the upper Santa Clara River corridor. Connectivity in this 92 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes area is important for the dispersal of threatened and endangered species, as well as a refuge from wildfires that frequent this geographical area. The Property is a California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) regional priority and listed within CDFW's Upper Santa Clara River Conceptual Area Protection Plan (CAPP). The upper watershed areas of the Santa Clara River are also important for conservation in order to keep sediment and maintain water quality to the lower portions of the Santa Clara River that support one of the more important and viable steelhead populations in southern California. PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Property is irregular in shape and the general terrain is level to sloped creek bottom with hilly topography. It is generally arid desert land with native chaparral. The year-round Arrastre Creek flowing through the Property provides some riparian habitat. Vegetation on the Property consists of transitional desert flora, including desert buckwheat and California juniper. Chaparral habitats include chamise and ceanothus. Vegetation along Arrastre Canyon Creek includes southern cottonwood willow and southern riparian scrub. The Property provides a key role in adapting to climate change. Anticipated shifts in distributions of vegetative communities and associated habitats resulting from climate change, species will need a range of large core habitat areas connected by landscape-level linkages to support movement and habitat fluctuations. It is important to continue the acquisition of linkages and corridors between major core habitat areas to allow for range shifts and migration of species. Acquisition of the Property will assist in completing an important linkage within a wildlife corridor that allows access to large areas of core habitat in areas of elevations up to over 10,000 feet. The Property provides habitat for a number of rare, threatened, and endangered species including the State and federally endangered unarmored threespine stickleback and southwestern willow flycatcher, the federally endangered Arroyo toad, the federally threatened California red-legged frog and Santa Ana sucker, and California species of special concern such as the two-striped garter snake and southwestern pond turtle. WCB PROGRAM The proposed grant for this project is being made under the Wildlife Conservation Board's (WCB) Land Acquisition Program (Program). The Program is administered pursuant to the Board's original enabling legislation, "The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947" (Fish and Game Code Section 1300, et seq.) authorizing the WCB to acquire real property, or rights in real property, on behalf of CDFW, grant funds to other governmental entities or nonprofit organizations to acquire real property or rights in real property and accept federal grant funds to facilitate acquisitions or subgrant these federal funds to assist with the 93 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes acquisitions of properties. Under the Program the WCB provides funds to facilitate the acquisition of lands and interests in land that can successfully sustain or be restored to support wildlife and, when practicable, provide for suitable wildlife oriented recreation opportunities. These activities are carried out in conjunction with CDFW, which evaluates the biological values of property through development of a Land Acquisition Evaluation/Conceptual Area Protection Plan (LAE/CAPP). The LAE/CAPP is then submitted to CDFW's Regional Operations Committee (ROC) for review and, if approved, later transmitted to the WCB with a recommendation to fund. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) grant proposed for and accepted for this project has also been reviewed and approved by CDFW as a participant in the USFWS Land Acquisition Grant selection and review process MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The Properties will be managed and owned by TNC who will provide resource stewardship and monitoring. TNC is a non-profit organization that currently manages 143 properties and 122 conservation easements in California and many more nationwide. The Property has potential for possible future wildlife oriented public use such as birding and hiking. TERMS The Property has been appraised as having a fair market value of $1,290,000.00. The appraisal has been reviewed by WCB staff and reviewed and approved by the Department of General Services (DGS) and USFWS. The Property owner has agreed to sell the Property for $950,000.00. The USFWS grant requires a non-federal match that is being provided by the ARCO funds and the proposed WCB grant to TNC. The terms and conditions of the proposed WCB grant to TNC and the subgrant of USFWS grant funds to TNC provide that staff of the WCB must review and approve all title documents, appraisals, preliminary title reports, documents for purchase and sale, escrow instructions and instruments of conveyance prior to disbursement of funds directly into the escrow account established for the acquisition. In the event of a breach of the grant terms, the WCB can require the grantee to encumber the Property with a conservation easement in favor of the State or another entity approved by the State and seek reimbursement of funds. PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Wildlife Conservation Board $250,000.00 ARCO Mitigation Fund (NRDAR) $350,000.00 USFWS Section 6 grant $350,000.00 Total Purchase Price $950,000.00 94 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Other Project-Related Costs $ 10,000.00 TOTAL WCB ALLOCATION $260,000.00 It is estimated that an additional $10,000.00 will be needed to cover project- related administrative costs, including DGS appraisal review. FUNDING SOURCE The purposes of this project are consistent with the authorized uses of the proposed funding sources, Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(b/c) (Proposition 1E), and Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(a), which allow for the acquisition of habitat to protect rare, endangered, threatened or fully protected species within coastal floodplain and watershed lands in southern California. In addition to WCB's allocation, the WCB will be accepting $350,000.00 from the Arco Mitigation Fund, established based on natural resource damages resulting from the 1994 Arco oil pipeline rupture. These settlement funds have been deposited in the Department of the Interior Natural Resource Damage and Restoration Fund (NRDAR Fund). Once these funds are disbursed from the NRDAR Fund to the WCB, they become State funds for the purposes of a non- federal cost share match. On October 5, 2007, the Governor designated the Secretary of Resources as California's Natural Resource Trustee and representative authorized to act on behalf of the public as trustee for natural resources within the purview of the Natural Resources Agency. Funds in the NRDAR are to be disbursed to a State entity that has been delegated Trustee authority for purposes of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA) and/or the Comprehensive, Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). In order for WCB to access these funds, on November 29, 2012, the California Secretary for Natural Resources delegated to WCB the authority to act as trustee for natural resources for purposes of implementing restoration alternatives identified in Restoration Plans developed pursuant to the OPA and /or the CERCLA. The Arco settlement funds are administered by the Santa Clara River Trustee Council (SCR TC), comprised of representatives of USFWS and CDFW, tasked with utilizing Arco settlement funds maintained in the NRDAR fund for restoration of natural resources in the Santa Clara River watershed area that were injured as a result of the 1994 Arco oil pipeline rupture. In January 2003, the SCR TC completed a Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment to direct the use of the ARCO funds and identified land acquisition and habitat restoration projects in the Santa Clara River watershed area as the preferred alternatives. 95 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The project has been reviewed for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements and is proposed as exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15313, Class 13, as an acquisition of land for wildlife conservation purposes, and Section 15325, Class 25, as a transfer of an ownership interest in land to preserve open space and habitat, including plant or animal habitats. Subject to authorization by the WCB, a Notice of Exemption will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $125,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(b/c) (Proposition 1E), and $135,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(a) for the grant and to cover internal project-related expenses; accept the delegation of natural resource trustee authority from the Natural Resources Agency authorizing the Wildlife Conservation Board to act on behalf of the public as a trustee for natural resources pursuant to Section 107 (f) (2) (B) of CERCLA,and Section 1006 (b) (3) of OPA, for the purposes of implementing Restoration Plans; approve acceptance of$350,000.00 from the Natural Resource Damage and Restoration Fund (including administrative costs) and apply those funds to the project for purposes of implementing the Restoration Plan resulting from the SCR TC Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment; accept the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Land Acquisition grant in the amount of $350,000.00 and authorize the subgrant of these funds to The Nature Conservancy; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. Walsh introduced Ms. Lisa Wolfe, Staff Counsel from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Mr. E.J. Remson, Senior Project Manager from The Nature Conservancy, who were in the audience and available to answer questions. Chairman Bonham acknowledged the presence of Senator Jean Fuller who joined the meeting at this moment. Chairman Bonham commented that a portion of the funding arrangement for this project is for fixing natural resource damages and asked if this funding will come from federal funds. Mr. Walsh confirmed that this is correct. Chairman Bonham asked to confirm that in order to make this financing work, the WCB will have to accept designation as a trustee. Mr. Walsh confirmed that this is correct. Chairman Bonham asked if it is going to be a permanent designation as a 96 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Trustee or if it is just for this particular project. Mr. Walsh responded that the designation is permanent. Mr. Sutton asked if we need a separate motion to approve the grant, and another motion to accept the delegation of natural resource trustee authority from the Natural Resources Agency authorizing the Wildlife Conservation Board to act on behalf of the public as a trustee for natural resources. Chairman Bonham responded that one motion will cover the Staff Recommendations for this project. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any additional questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Mr. Sutton that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $125,000.00 from the Habitat Conservation Fund (Proposition 117), Fish and Game Code Section 2786(b/c) (Proposition 1E), and $135,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(a) for the grant and to cover internal project- related expenses; accept the delegation of natural resource trustee authority from the Natural Resources Agency authorizing the Wildlife Conservation Board to act on behalf of the public as a trustee for natural resources pursuant to Section 107 (f) (2) (B) of CERCLA, and Section 1006 (b) (3) of OPA, for the purposes of implementing Restoration Plans; approve acceptance of$350,000.00 from the Natural Resource Damage and Restoration Fund (including administrative costs) and apply those funds to the project for purposes of implementing the Restoration Plan resulting from the SCR TC Restoration Plan/Environmental Assessment; accept the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Land Acquisition grant in the amount of$350,000.00 and authorize the subgrant of these funds to The Nature Conservancy; authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 97 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 24. San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Eradication $1,500,000.00 Various Counties This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to the California State Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) for a project to eradicate approximately 20 acres of the invasive plant Spartina and enhance approximately 80 acres of tidal wetlands at various locations around the San Francisco Bay in all nine Bay Area counties. Mr. Peter Perrine from the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES Initiated in 2000 by the Conservancy and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the Invasive Spartina Project (ISP) has been implemented in all intertidal marshes and mudflats of the San Francisco Estuary, all of which is potential habitat for the highly invasive non-native species and hybrids of Spartina, a grass in the family Poaceae. The total project area comprises approximately 25,000 acres of tidal wetland and 20,000 acres of mudflat throughout all sections of the San Francisco Bay estuary. More than half of the area invaded by non-native Spartina was formerly-diked tidal marsh that was restored to tidal marsh as part of habitat restoration programs by State, federal, and local groups. These infant marshes were quickly dominated by aggressive non-native Spartina, precluding establishment of native vegetation and thwarting progress towards restoration goals. Many of these restoration projects were funded in part by the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB). The other areas hardest hit by the Spartina invasion were the open mudflats along the East and South Bay shorelines where large monocultural meadows of Spartina established, and the tidal sloughs and channels (including flood control channels) of the Central and South Bay which became filled and blocked by the grass. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Introduced to San Francisco Bay in the 70's and 80's by well-meaning restorationists, invasive Spartina covers mudflats, and hybridizes with native Spartina creating in some cases an even more invasive hybrid that impairs tidal wetland function and negatively impacts fish and wildlife populations. Since its inception in 2000, the ISP has reduced the net area of invasive Spartina from 800 acres in 2005 to less than 40 acres in 2012 (96% in seven years), and the project continues on a trajectory towards confirmed region-wide (and statewide) eradication within the next decade. After the removal of large areas of invasive Spartina, many newly restored marshes, particularly in the East Bay, were left with little remaining vegetation and with the natural supply of native Spartina foliosa (an important component of 98 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes San Francisco marshes) having been pushed out or hybridized out of existence by the non-native species. A particular concern in this regard was that an endangered marsh bird, the California clapper rail, began to use the invasive Spartina grass for near-term refuge and nesting, and the sudden removal of the invasive Spartina may have caused additional stress on the population. Thus, in 2011, the Conservancy initiated a second critical phase of the Invasive Spartina Project, which was to reintroduce native vegetation (including native Spartina foliosa, and marsh gumplant Grindelia stricta) into marshes where it is needed, and particularly, to rapidly create and enhance habitat to support the California clapper rail. This new restoration and enhancement program component occurs in the marsh areas most impacted by invasive Spartina and in areas where the greatest benefit for California clapper rails can be realized. The ultimate goal of the Invasive Spartina Project is to eradicate non-native Spartina from the San Francisco Estuary to preserve the native wetland ecosystem and the fish and wildlife that depend on it. The next steps in achieving this end goal of total eradication are expected to be accomplished in this next term of the project (2013-2015) through the following actions: 1. Complete two seasons of Spartina treatment at 171 treatment sub-areas, further reducing the remaining area of non-native Spartina at those sites by 50%, and achieving "zero detection" at up to 100 additional sub-areas. 2. Install and monitor 100,000 native tidal marsh plants within 30-35 targeted sites according to detailed plans developed by the ISP. The revegetation program is designed to rapidly provide foraging, nesting, and high tide refugia habitat for California clapper rails, and reintroduce native Spartina foliosa to areas where it has been extirpated. 3. Construct 18 additional high tide refuge islands at 14 sites, and plant them with native vegetation. The islands are designed at a suitable elevation to provide critical refuge to California clapper rails and other wildlife during very high tide events. Artificial floating islands were installed at the 14 sites in 2012 by U.S. Geologic Survey with Conservancy funding. Depending on the monitoring results of clapper rail use of the 2013 islands, and 2013 clapper rail monitoring numbers at a variety of sites, the floating islands may also be installed again in 2014 and 2015. 4. Continue to work with the ISP Technical Advisory Committee to adaptively plan revegetation and restoration enhancements to best benefit California clapper rails. 5. Reinitiate treatment using a phased approach developed in coordination with FWS at most of 11 sub-areas where treatment has been temporarily suspended to protect California clapper rails, and get these areas back on the path to eradication. 99 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 6. Continue to search for and map any new or expanded populations of non- native Spartina within the San Francisco Bay and its tributaries and on the immediate outer coast, and assure that found populations are immediately treated and removed. 7. Continue programmatic compliance with State and federal laws by conducting annual surveys of California clapper rails at 146 sites (ESA Section 7), and collecting and analyzing water samples for residual herbicides (CWA Section 401 and California Water Code). 8. Continue to share information about Spartina mapping and treatment, revegetation, and refuge island construction with WCB, the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, regional stakeholders, and scientists working in the San Francisco Bay marshes and mud-flats. The project is consistent with the goals and objectives of the FWS Draft Recovery Plan for Tidal Marsh Ecosystems of Northern and Central California, FWS Coastal Program, Restoring the Estuary: the Implementation Strategy for the San Francisco Bay Joint Venture, the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, the California State Wildlife Action Plan, the California Coastal Conservancy's Strategic Plan, the Baylands Ecosystem Habitat Goals Report, the San Francisco Estuary Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan, and the Audubon Important Bird Areas Program. WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program and meets the program's goal of providing for restoration of wetlands that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Inland Wetland Conservation Program such as coastal, tidal, or fresh water habitats. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS The ISP is committed to the permanent eradication of invasive Spartina in the San Francisco Estuary and is on a trajectory to do so in the next 10 years. The Conservancy, FWS, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and other partners are developing a long-term management plan over the next two years, which will include long-term maintenance methods and annual costs. Methods will include training landowning partners and regional agencies to monitor sites for new infestations of hybrids, training in treatment, and training in protocols for field work that are appropriate for sensitive species habitat. The San Francisco Bay Joint Venture and its partners will be critical in helping to develop and implement this maintenance plan over the long-term. Multiple local, State, and federal agencies are currently involved in and support the project, and will continue to monitor and treat invasive Spartina. 100 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROJECT FUNDING The proposed funding breakdown for the project is as follows: Item WCB Conservancy TOTALS Project Management and Administration - $ 523,484 $ 523,484 Control Program $250,000 $ 370,880 $ 620,880 Monitoring Program $1,000,000 $ 727,942 $1,727,942 Restoration Program $250,000 $ 190,300 $ 440,300 Administration - $ 77,394 $ 77,394 TOTAL: $1,500,000 $1,890,000 $3,390,000 FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(c), which provides funding for the acquisition, protection and restoration of coastal wetlands, upland areas adjacent to coastal wetlands and coastal watershed lands within the San Francisco Bay Area and is consistent with the objectives of this project. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The CDFW has reviewed this proposal and recommends it for funding by the WCB. Work for 2013 has been fully permitted. Work in 2014 will require either an amendment to the existing USFWS Biological Opinion or a new Biological Opinion. The Conservancy, as lead agency, prepared an EIR/EIS for the project pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Staff considered the EIR and has prepared proposed, written findings documenting WCB's compliance with CEQA. Subject to approval of this proposal by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Determination will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $1,500,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(c); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. Perrine introduced Ms. Marilyn Latta, Project Manager from the State Coastal Conservancy, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. 101 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Chairman Bonham asked if the full eradication is possible. Mr. Perrine responded that the full eradication is possible and it should be completed by 2019. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any additional questions or comments about this agenda item. There were none. It was moved by Mr. Sutton that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $1,500,000.00 from the Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002 (Proposition 50), Water Code Section 79572(c); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 102 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 25. Statewide Strategic Planning for Invasive Plants $273,000.00 Statewide This proposal was to consider the allocation for a grant to California Invasive Plant Council (Cal-IPC) for a cooperative project with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative (CLCC) to enhance habitats and ecosystem function over the long term by identifying, scoping, and prioritizing invasive plant eradication projects that will have the greatest sustainable benefits to wildlife throughout the State. Mr. Scott McFarlin of the Wildlife Conservation Board briefly described the project and its location. LOCATION AND SURROUNDING USES Invasive plants have a significant impact on ecosystem health and wildlife habitat throughout California. Climate change will bring additional impacts as plant and animal communities adjust to new conditions. Though the problem is massive in scale, targeted action can have important conservation benefits. The most cost effective way to reduce the impact of invasive plants is to act in a coordinated fashion at the landscape scale, and employ an "early detection and rapid response" approach that addresses new invasive infestations before they spread. The proposed project will use a statewide mapping database of invasive plant distribution (CalWeedMapper) and the extensive network of land managers throughout California (organized into regional Weed Management Areas) to select high-priority invasive plant eradication projects that will have the greatest benefit to wildlife. This project leverages support from the USFS and the CLCC to build decision- support tools that enable regional prioritization. CalWeedMapper is an online atlas that aggregates data for 200 invasive plant species in the State and includes projections for how climate change will affect the suitable range of invasive plant species. WHIPPET is a tool developed at UC Davis with California Department of Food and Agriculture and the USFS for prioritizing individual populations of invasive plants for eradication, and online and desktop versions of the tool are in production for broader use in the near future. PROJECT DESCRIPTION This project is designed to enhance habitats and ecosystem function by prioritizing and planning high-priority invasive plant eradication projects. These projects will be cost-effective projects that prevent high-impact invasive plants from moving into new areas. Using new tools for prioritization and planning, Cal- IPC will work with partners throughout the State to develop regional priority lists of eradication, control, and surveillance targets, and to provide shovel-ready project specifications for top projects. There are four areas of work within this project: (1) support for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), (2) identification of regional priorities, (3) 103 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes development of project specifications, and (4) decision-support, each of which is described in more detail below. Cal-IPC will develop a list of key invasive plant projects that can be included in the SWAP. Plants targeted for control will be selected for vegetation communities in each ecoregion, with strategies designed to reduce stresses and produce desired outcomes. Experts in each region will be engaged to determine which projects will have the most benefit and be the most feasible to implement successfully. Regional priorities will be established through a multitude of ways. Cal-IPC will produce a list prioritizing target species for eradication and surveillance in regions across the State. Cal-IPC will also partner with a network of participants in county-based Weed Management Areas (WMAs), which are organized into 18 multi-county regions throughout the State. Working with WMA partners in each region, Cal-IPC will use the CalWeedMapper decision-support tool to identify species in the region that are appropriate targets for eradication, based on current distribution, potential for future spread, conservation impact, and feasibility of eradication. Specific projects will be identified and screened against a set of criteria to gauge factors such as level of impact and certainty of long-term success. Cal-IPC will work with regional partners to develop specifications for the top-rated projects so that they are ready for implementation. Cal-IPC will scope at least six top projects targeting regional priority species and produce specifications for these projects so they are ready for funding and implementation. Project selection will be based on a transparent screening process that gauges conservation benefit, difficulty of eradication, permitting needs, capacity of local partners, commitment toward long-term monitoring, and overall likelihood of success. Project specifications will identify appropriate local entities that need to be involved for implementation, lay out work plans with timelines and budgets, and provide metrics for gauging project benefits. These projects may vary in scale, but they are intended to achieve landscape-level benefits by stopping the spread of invasive plant species into new regions. Any potential projects identified through this process would be reviewed for environmental compliance by the agency desiring to complete the work, prior to implementation. Finally, this project will strengthen decision support tools that are vital to setting regional strategy. With over 200 invasive plant species in California, a complex distribution mosaic across the landscapem, the shifts underway due to a changing climate and the diversity of conservation targets, these tools are essential for setting and tracking effective strategies that make the best use of available conservation resources. 104 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes WCB PROGRAM The proposed project will be funded through the Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Program and meets the program's goal of providing for restoration for any of the following habitats: wetlands that fall outside the jurisdiction of the Inland Wetland Conservation Program such as coastal, tidal, or fresh water habitats; coastal scrub; grasslands; and threatened and endangered species habitats. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS This project's objectives are to enhance habitats and ecosystem function over the long term. This will be achieved by identifying, prioritizing, and scoping invasive plant eradication projects that will have the greatest sustainable benefits to wildlife. These eradication projects will be evaluated using a detailed set of criteria, including factors relevant to WCB funding. This project will support regional coordination on implementing projects, and will help WCB and other potential funders evaluate projects that will have the greatest chance to provide long-term benefits. PROJECT FUNDING A table showing the partnership funding breakdown, by simplified budget line item. FUNDING SOURCES Task CA LCC USFS Cal-IPC WCB TOTALS SWAP Support $10,000 $0 $0 $58,502 $68,502 Regional Priority List $30,000 $15,000 $14,400 $27,102 $86,502 Scoping Projects $15,000 $15,000 $14,400 $76,353 $120,753 Complete Online Version $5,000 $40,000 $0 $57,753 $102,753 Project Admin $14,000 $17,000 $0 $53,290 $84,290 TOTALS ' $74,000 $87,000 $28,800 $273,000 $462,800 Project costs will be for the development of specifications for at least six high- priority invasive plant management projects that are ready for implementation; a list of top-priority target species for eradication and surveillance for each region of the State; a list of top invasive plant management projects for inclusion in the revised Wildlife Action Plan; and upgraded versions of the CalWeedMapper and WHIPPET decision support tools. FUNDING SOURCE The proposed funding source for this project is the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 105 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b), which can be used for the development of scientific data, habitat mapping and other research information necessary to determine the priorities for restoration and acquisition statewide. ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE The CDFW has reviewed this proposal and recommends it for funding by the WCB. The project is statutorily exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the State CEQA Guidelines (California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, Section 15262) as feasibility and planning studies for possible future actions. Subject to approval of this proposal by the WCB, the appropriate Notice of Determination will be filed with the State Clearinghouse. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommended that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $273,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Mr. McFarlin introduced Mr. Doug Johnson, Executive Director from California Invasive Plant Council, who was in the audience and available to answer questions. Mr. Sutton said that he wants to make sure that our funding for this kind of work does not conflict with our funding for restoration of hedgerows and farm and range lands and asked how it is balanced in this particular project. Mr. Johnson responded that the regional weed management areas mentioned in this project are bodies that include a range of stakeholders and together they collaborate to set priorities based on conservation outcome, feasibility to whether it is actually eradicable, and this is exactly what this project is aiming for. Ms. Finn asked if this project would allocate funds for other projects, or is it just putting together this structure for prioritization. Mr. Johnson responded that the structure for prioritization is already there and the main goal is to define high priority projects that meet regional landscape level goals, and this project does not fund any of these projects. Ms. Finn asked, as these projects are identified, if the next step would be to find funding for these projects. Mr. Johnson responded that this is correct. 106 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Chairman Bonham commented that this project will identify high priority projects, and then there would be a strategic plan in place. Chairman Bonham commented that strategic planning is usually done first and asked how it is going to work in this particular project. Mr. Johnson responded that there is a regional process using the mapping and distribution data through a number of stakeholders to identify regional priorities; then running that through a number of filters to decide what is feasible, what is the scale of the project, etc. and all that helps come down to what are the top-priority projects that are ready to go. Chairman Bonham asked if the result of this project will produce a tool and a process that will help to advise us on the most important projects that will control invasive species. Mr. Johnson responded that this is correct. Chairman Bonham asked if there were any additional questions or comments about this item. There were none. It was moved by Ms. Finn that the Wildlife Conservation Board approve this project as proposed; allocate $273,000.00 from the Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006 (Proposition 84), Public Resources Code Section 75055(b); authorize staff to enter into appropriate agreements necessary to accomplish this project; and authorize staff and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to proceed substantially as planned. Motion carried. 107 • June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes 26. Strategic Plan Update Informational Mr. Donnelly reported that on March 15, 2013, the Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) received the necessary approval from the Department of General Services to fully execute the consulting services contract with MIG, Inc. (MIG). On April 16th MIG staff and the WCB Project Team held a Kickoff Meeting to address project objectives and desired outcomes, identify key issues for the strategic plan, identify relevant background documents, discuss public outreach and confirm the project schedule and key deliverable dates. Based on the April 16th meeting with the WCB Project Team, MIG completed a draft work plan for the WCB Strategic Plan. On May 20th the WCB and MIG held a follow up meeting via conference call to discuss proposed revisions to the draft work plan; following the meeting, MIG subsequently finalized the WCB Strategic Work Plan. WCB Strategic Work Plan Summary: Deliverable Target Date (Completion) Task 1:Complete Work Plan-MIG will develop a comprehensive Draft and Final Work work plan and supporting documentation to cover budgets, Plan Completed schedules, reporting,and cost tracking. Task 2:Prepare Section 1,Current Program-MIG will review the relevant background material provided by the WCB,with a focus on Draft Strategic Plan, the history of WCB programs, relevant background information on Section 1-Current June 15, 2013 conservation planning in California(high level), and information Operations regarding WCB policies and procedures. Task 3:Prepare Section 2,Future Operations-MIG will conduct 12 individual interviews with partner agencies,and other state and federal agency staff who commonly work with the WCB to identify key issues,priorities and perceived needs,as well as key Draft Strategic Plan opportunities for achieving conservation,fiscal and operation goals Framework and August 15, 2013 in the future. In additional an all-day offsite meeting with the WCB Section 2-Future and identified DFW staff will be held to engage all staff in Operations developing core values,vision,mission,goals,objectives and strategy areas,as well as identify actions to achieve the plan's vision, and identify the highest priorities. Task 4:Complete Section 3,Accountability and Monitoring-Based on the draft Strategic Goals and implementation actions, MIG will facilitate a strategy session with the WCB Project Team to identify Draft Strategic Plan, organization-wide performance measures for the Strategic Plan that Section 3- October 15,2013 quantify the benefits of WCB-funded projects,ensure the Accountability and accountability of the WCB and grantees to the public and the Monitoring legislature and provide data for mandated and elective monitoring and reporting. 108 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Task 5:Assemble Sections into a Draft Strategic Plan-Based on consolidated comments received on the draft plan sections developed to date MIG will develop an Administrative Draft Strategic Plan.The Strategic Plan will unfold as a story conveying where the WCB is today,where it wants to be in the future,and Administrative Draft how it intends to get there. Following receipt of comments, MIG will Strategic Plan November 1,2013 revise the administrative draft and then present the Draft Plan at the WCB November,2013 meeting. MIG will make changes to the administrative draft based on comments provided by WCB and provide a Draft Plan suitable for public review and posting on the WCB website. Deliverable Target Date (Completion) Task 6:Circulate the Draft Strategic Plan for Public Comment- Concurrent with posting the Draft Strategic Plan on the WCB website, MIG will post an online comments form to encourage public input on the Draft Plan. MIG will organize and facilitate three public meetings(northern, central,and southern California)to review the Draft Plan. Geographic areas where the three meetings Revised Draft Final March 1,2014 will be held include:the Redding area, Fresno or Modesto,and Strategic Plan either the Los Angeles or San Diego area.The meetings will have two parts: 1)a drop-in open house where residents can review displays and make comments about the Draft Plan;and 2)a facilitated meeting to include both large and small group discussions,depending on attendance. Task 7: Produce and Present a Draft Final Strategic Plan- MIG will meet with the WCB Board to review and obtain input on the Revised Draft Final Strategic Plan. MIG will summarize comments received and based on comments provided by the WCB, MIG will Final Strategic Plan March 31,2014 produce the Final Strategic Plan in an electronic format compatible with WCB software plus a print-ready pdf file. The Final Strategic Plan will be presented at a special WCB Board Meeting. Chairman Bonham commented that in order to solicit the Board members input, we would have to schedule a meeting. Ms. Finn commented that such meeting would require a public notice. Mr. Donnelly responded that it is one alternative, and the other alternative would be to recommend that Board members, each individually, are interviewed as stakeholders by the contractor. Chairman Bonham commented that he would prefer to have a meeting and having an ability to look at the draft product and then discuss and edit it. Senator Fuller commented that the more the Board members are involved in this process, the better. Senator Fuller suggested that having a workshop kind of meeting with Board members and Legislative Advisory Committee members would be the most beneficial way to get everyone's input. 109 • June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Ms. Finn asked if a workshop kind of meeting with Board members only would require a public notice. Ms. Nancy Templeton, Staff Counsel of the Wildlife Conservation Board, responded that such meeting would require a public notice. Mr. Sutton commented that a strategic plan is important because it gives context to all individual grants showing that the Board is not just a supplemental funding source to other State agencies. Mr. Sutton added that it is important to keep the Board members involved in the strategic planning process; otherwise, we might end up with a draft that we don't like and we will have to send the contractor back to re-write it and it is not a good use of State funds. Mr. Sutton commented that the best way to solicit Board members input would be through individual interviews with them plus having a workshop meeting. Chairman Bonham asked if it would be possible after each section of the administrative plan is completed to draft, to schedule workshops to get Board members, as well as Legislative Advisory Committee members, feedback on the draft of this completed section. Mr. Donnelly responded that it is doable. With that, Chairman Bonham commented that we would have three workshops along the way before we get the released first administrative draft. Mr. Donnelly commented that all these workshops will require a public notice, and in this case we will notice the meeting based on the majority of the Board members available on that date, and everyone is welcome to attend. Mr. Sutton commented that the Board is a part of California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Board's strategic plan needs to be consistent with the Department's strategic plan. Mr. Sutton asked if the WCB staff can provide the Board members with electronic version of Board meeting materials instead of paper. Ms. Finn seconded this request and mentioned the State Coastal Conservancy as an example. Mr. Donnelly responded that we will look into that. 110 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 4:15 P.M. Respectfully submitted, llrin Donnelly Executive Director 111 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes PROGRAM STATEMENT At the close of the meeting on June 4, 2013, the amount allocated to projects since the Wildlife Conservation Board's inception in 1947 totaled $2,485,791,858.76. This total includes funds reimbursed by the Federal Government under the Accelerated Public Works Program completed in 1966, the Land and Water Conservation Fund Program, the Anadromous Fish Act Program, the Sport Fish Restoration Act Program, the Pittman-Robertson Program, and the Estuarine Sanctuary Program. The statement includes projects completed under the 1964 State Beach, Park, Recreational and Historical Facilities Bond Act, the 1970 Recreation and Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Bond Fund, the Bagley Conservation Fund, the State Beach, Park, Recreational and Historical Facilities Bond Act of 1974, the General Fund, the Energy Resources Fund, the Environmental License Plate Fund, the State, Urban and Coastal Park Bond Act of 1976, the 1984 Parklands Fund, the 1984 Fish and Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Bond Act, the California Wildlife, Coastal and Park Land Conservation Act of 1988, Cigarette and Tobacco Products Surtax Fund of 1988, California Wildlife Protection Act of 1990, the Safe, Clean, Reliable Water Supply Act of 1996, the Natural Resources Infrastructure Fund, the Harbors and Watercraft Revolving Fund, Forest Resources Improvement Fund, the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air, and Coastal Protection Bond, Safe Drinking Water, Clean Water, Watershed Protection, and Flood Protection Fund, California Clean Water, Clean Air, Safe Neighborhood Parks, and Coastal Protection Fund, Water Security, Clean Drinking Water, Coastal and Beach Protection Fund of 2002, Safe Drinking Water, Water Quality and Supply, Flood Control, River and Coastal Protection Fund of 2006, and the Wildlife Restoration Fund. In addition to projects completed with the above funding sources, this statement includes tax credits awarded under the Natural Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Act. The tax credits are not reflected in the total amount allocated to projects. A. Fish Hatchery and Stocking Projects $18,414,719.06 B. Fish Habitat Preservation, Development & Improvement 45,884,717.50 Reservoir Construction or Improvement 5,605,699.00 Stream Clearance and Improvement 32,108,906.86 Stream Flow Maintenance Dams 542,719.86 Marine Habitat 3,191,619.07 Fish Screens, Ladders and Weir Projects 4,435,772.71 C. Fishing Access Projects 58,584,786.38 Coastal and Bay 5,524,134.53 River and Aqueduct Access 21,244,175.38 Lake and Reservoir Access 10,813,623.43 Piers 21,002,853.04 D. Game Farm Projects 146,894.49 E. Wildlife Habitat Acquisition, Development and Improvement 2,282,252,450.33 112 June 4, 2013, Wildlife Conservation Board Meeting Minutes Wildlife Areas (General) 428,238,446.03 Miscellaneous Wildlife Habitat Development 34,393,575.88 Wildlife Areas/Ecological Reserves, (Threatened, Endangered or Unique Habitat) 783,289,860.89 Land Conservation Area 14,361,940.18 Inland Wetlands Conser. Grants & Easements 27,052,966.69 Riparian Habitat Conser. Grants & Easements 84,087,315.53 Other Wildlife Habitat Grants 910,828,345.13 F. Hunting Access Projects 1,366,898.57 G. Miscellaneous Projects (including leases) 37,152,374.61 H. Special Project Allocations 1,892,496.37 I. Miscellaneous Public Access Projects 39,561,463.38 State Owned 2,291,884.42 Grants 37,269,578.96 J. Sales and/or exchanges 535,058.07 K. Natural Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Act (tax credits awarded) .. (48,598,734.00) Statutory plans (0.00) Corridors, wetlands, wildlife habitat, streams and riparian habitat (6,234,658.00) Agricultural lands (13,775,640.07) Water and water rights (0.00) State and local parks, open space and archaeological resources (28,588,435.93) Total Allocated to Projects $2,485,791,858.76 113