Agenda

Return

C. 18

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Lewis T. Broschard III, Chief, Contra Costa Fire Protection District
Date:	April 4, 2023

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Contract with Sequoia Ecological Consulting, Inc.

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 04/04/2023

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor

ABSENT:

Ken Carlson, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Regina Rubier (925) 265-3055

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: April 4, 2023
Monica Nino, County Administrator

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

Acting as the governing body of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute a contract with Sequoia Ecological Consulting, Inc., in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000, for multiple environmental projects related to wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction, for the period of April 15, 2023 through April 14, 2026 with two one-year extension options to April 14, 2028. (CAL FIRE Grant and Measure X)

FISCAL IMPACT:

$490,000 of the Wildfire Mitigation and Fuel Reduction project is funded by a CAL FIRE California Climate Investments Fire Prevention Grant – Shaded Fuel Break with $950,000 funded by Measure X revenue. These amounts will be expended at rates outlined in the contract, not to exceed $1,500,000, with future funding for authorized work to be approved annually as part of the Fire District’s annual budget process.

BACKGROUND:

The Fire District is required to engage experts in the areas of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Compliance - Environmental Compliance and Cultural Resource Protection for certain wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction projects. Ecological and environmental consulting work will be performed through this agreement which will provide biologists to conduct training, monitor daily work activities, remedy treatments, and ensure compliance with all applicable habitat management/conservation plans and cultural resource protection Best Management Practices (BMPs).

In addition to the items listed above, the CEQA consultant will provide Fire District staff environmental training which includes written reference material to assist crews performing fuel reduction work with measures they can take to comply with the environmental Avoidance and Minimization Measures (AMMs), as well as CAL FIRE's Best Management Practices (BMPs).

A Notice of Exemption (NOE) will be used for work to be conducted on private lands. The private land portions of this project qualify for an NOE due to the lack of soil disturbance combined with treatment methods and prescription described above. In areas where an NOE is not permitted, the CAL FIRE Vegetation Treatment Program (VTP) will be utilized. To ensure the project is not delayed, the CEQA process will be divided into two phases. Phase I CEQA compliance will only include Rossmoor since the Golden Rain Foundation is a single land owner. Phase II CEQA compliance will be the remaining shaded fuel break since it involves multiple land owners and trusts.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

If the agreement is not approved, the Fire District will not meet the State regulations required for wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction and will not be able to proceed with the 194 acres covered by the CAL FIRE grant or any larger mitigation projects funded by Measure X.