Agenda

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C.178

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE
Date:	September 13, 2016

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Authorization to Release Funds from the County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund to Update and Print the "Wildlife in Your Backyard" Brochure

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 09/13/2016

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Mary N. Piepho, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:	Julie DiMaggio Enea (925) 335-1077
cc:	DCD IOC Staff

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: September 13, 2016
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

1. APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fish and Wildlife Committee to print and distribute 5,000 updated "Wildlife in Your Backyard" brochures.

2. AUTHORIZE and REQUEST the Auditor-Controller to release an amount not to exceed $1,400 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund for costs associated with the update and distribution of the brochures.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No impact to the General Fund. A portion of the fines collected from violations of fish and game regulations in the County is deposited in the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund (Fund). State law defines how money in this fund may be spent. The Board of Supervisors is responsible for authorizing specific expenditures. The recommended expenditure is for the purpose of education and outreach on wildlife protection issues, which is consistent with the criteria for expenditures established by the State Law.

BACKGROUND:

On August 22, Supervisor Gioia approved, on behalf of the IOC (Supervisor Andersen was absent), the request of the County Fish and Wildlife Committee (FWC) to expend up to $1,400 from the Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund (Fund) to print and distribute 5,000 updated "Wildlife in Your Backyard" brochures. The "Wildlife in Your Backyard" brochure was first developed by the Fish and Wildlife Committee in 2004 to inform residents in the County how to manage wildlife in urban settings. Many homes are located near natural areas and open space. This proximity creates an opportunity for negative human/wildlife interactions. For example, some County residents have encounters with raccoons living in their attics or deer eating their flowers and vegetables from their backyards. Residents often contact the County Fish and Wildlife Committee, County Animal Services Department or Lindsay Wildlife Experience for information on how to handle these situations. The Committee concluded that it was very important to create a brochure that people can bring home or access online to refer to when they encounter situations with wildlife. The FWC decided to update the 2004 brochure. The Committee worked for several months on the revisions which include reformatted easy-to-read text and the addition of several photos of wild animals. Most of the text remains the same, although some content and contact numbers have been updated. The draft revised brochure, attached, is 16 pages long and stapled in the middle (8.5 by 5.5 inches finished). On January 20, 2016, the FWC approved the final text and recommended expenditure of up to $1,400 to print and distribute 5,000 copies of the brochure.

Upon approval, the brochure will be posted on the FWC web page and distributed throughout the County in public places, when and where permission is granted, including County Animal Services, East Bay Municipal Utility District's visitor center at their reservoir, at local or regional parks, and Lindsey Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek. The FWC also plans to send the brochures to real estate agents and homeowners that are located near natural areas or open space.