Print Reading Mode Back to Calendar Return
  Regular   6.       
LAFCO
Meeting Date: 06/24/2021  
Information
SUBJECT
Authorize the Executive Officer to collaborate with the Center for Land-Based Learning (CLBL) and submit a Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program Planning Grant pre-proposal application to the California Department of Conservation (DOC)
RECOMMENDED ACTION
  1. Authorize the Executive Officer to submit a SALC Program Planning Grant pre-proposal to the CA Department of Conservation (DOC) by July 1;
  2. Direct staff to continue to work with the CLBL in finalizing a full application; and,
  3. Direct staff to return to the Commission to adopt a resolution approving the submittal of a SALC Program Planning Grant application to the CA DOC prior to submittal of full application.
FISCAL IMPACT
Planning grants will reimburse grantees and participating stakeholders for all direct costs, including staff costs incurred during the grant performance period and related to the project. The grant request can be up to $250,000. The application must include a minimum ten percent (10%) match funding with at least five percent (5%) of the requested grant amount a cash match and the balance may be in-kind.
 
CLBL is able to cover the 5% cash match (up to $12,500) and the remaining 5% (up to $12,500) will come from in-kind services, including staff time from LAFCo and/or stakeholders. LAFCo can also request administrative/staff funding through this grant to cover time spent implementing the goals and administration of the planning grant.
REASONS FOR RECOMMENDED ACTION
CLBL's Farm and Climate Program focuses on “nature-based solutions” to promote the role of agriculture in addressing the dual challenges of climate change and loss of biodiversity. It will implement and evaluate farming practices that provide the biggest "bang for the buck" for carbon sequestration and support farmers in addressing climate and other environmental goals. However, non-profits such as CLBL are not eligible applicants for the SALC Planning Grant. So CLBL reached out to Yolo LAFCo to serve as the applicant, pending the Commission’s support and approval in concept. This program proposal and goals fall right in line with Yolo LAFCo's mission and strategic planning goals.

As outlined in Government Code Section 56301, “Among the purposes of a commission are discouraging urban sprawl, preserving open-space and prime agricultural lands…” In addition, Yolo LAFCo's Project Policy 4.3 states:
"Agriculture is a vital and essential part of the Yolo County economy and environment. Agriculture shapes the way Yolo County residents and visitors view themselves and the quality of their lives. Accordingly, boundary changes for urban development should only be proposed, evaluated, and approved in a manner which, to the fullest extent feasible, is consistent with the continuing growth and vitality of agriculture within the county."

Pursuant to Section 56378(b), the Commission “may apply for or accept, or both, any financial assistance and grants-in-aid from public or private agencies or from the state or federal government or from a local government.” Therefore, LAFCo staff is seeking the Commission’s support in submitting the SALC Program Planning Grant pre-proposal and to continue working with CLBL staff on finalizing the full application. 

Agency Roles:
As the applicant, LAFCo would be responsible for submitting invoices and reports to the DOC and communicating important updates from DOC to CLBL staff:
  • Provide final review of the SALC Planning grant application and submit to DOC for consideration;
  • If awarded, enter into the grant agreement with DOC and an MOU with CLBL;
  • Serve an administrative role between the CLBL and DOC, including:
    • Collecting invoicing materials from CLBL to provide to DOC; and,
    • Collecting reports from CLBL to provide to DOC.
  • Support CLBL staff in carrying out the scope of work as outlined in the grant application; and,
  • Ensure CLBL staff is aware of information related to grant implementation.
CLBL will be responsible for carrying out the scope of work detailed, along with partners identified, in the grant application. CLBL can be expected to:
  • Draft the SALC Planning grant application and collect feedback from stakeholder organizations to strengthen the application;
  • Hire and manage staff and consultants necessary to carry out scope of work;
  • Provide office space, computer, supplies, and other supply needs for the work;
  • Manage grant reporting requirements and provide to LAFCo in a timely manner; and,
  • Manage much of the financial aspects of the grant (paying consultants, staff payroll, and purchasing supplies) and submitting detailed invoices and backup to LAFCo.
Grant Timeline:
• July 1, 2021 - pre-proposal due
• September 10, 2021 - full application due
• December 2021 - project awards
BACKGROUND
The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program is a component of the Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program that is administered by the California Department of Conservation (DOC) in conjunction with the Natural Resources Agency. It is a statewide program that supports California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals by making strategic investments to fund projects that protect agricultural lands that are at risk of conversion to non-agricultural uses through the purchase of agricultural conservation easements or development of agricultural land strategy plans.

The SALC Program provides two types of awards – Agricultural Conservation Planning Grants and Agricultural Conservation Acquisition Grants. This proposal would be for a planning grant to support the implementation of CLBL’s Farm and Climate Program. The Farm and Climate Program will raise awareness of the positive role of working lands in bringing about climate stability and increased biodiversity. This will lead to greater community support for agricultural lands conservation. 

Farm and Climate Program Proposal

Proposal Summary:  The Center for Land-Based Learning’s Farm and Climate Program seeks to optimize soil health, biodiversity, water quality and climate stability through whole-farm carbon planning, ecological monitoring, habitat restoration, and education at CLBL’s new Maples Farm Headquarters. This is a new program that builds synergies between CLBL’s existing education and training programs for new and existing farmers and high school students. Our aim is nothing less than to establish CLBL as a statewide hub for carbon farm planning and ecological monitoring in order to promote a deeper understanding of, and develop practical skills around, the role agriculture in reducing atmospheric carbon.
 
Statement of need:  Working lands are key to developing practical solutions to the climate crisis. Governor Newsom’s recent Executive Order N-82-20 specifically identifies working lands as critical to providing nature-based solutions to the dual challenges of climate change and protecting biodiversity in California. Federal, state, and local funding and cost share programs are increasingly integrating climate goals, soil carbon and GHG monitoring protocols, and other regulatory requirements to facilitate these new directives.
 
As with many efforts to support agricultural producers, the new focus on “nature-based solutions” raises the question of how best to support farmers to farm while encouraging participation in meeting climate and other environmental goals. Which farming practices provide the biggest “bang for the buck” for carbon sequestration? Which are economically feasible? What’s in it for the landowner when climate benefits may be invisible and difficult to measure in the short-term? Where will farmers find the time to integrate climate-friendly practices and data collection into their operations?
 
Why CLBL?  With its 2020 relocation to the 50-acre Maples Farm in Woodland, and deep ties to the agricultural community throughout California, CLBL is well-situated to serve as a habitat restoration and climate “hub” in Yolo County.  The Farm and Climate Program builds upon CLBL’s more than two decades of work with growers, learners, students, and our local communities. Specifically, by integrating climate health into the curricula of its California Farm Academy as well as its Youth Programs, CLBL will ensure that climate is a core consideration in land management decisions. CLBL’s new headquarters at Maples Farm includes 30 acres of working farmland that supports CLBL’s beginning farmer incubator and training programs. CLBL is currently implementing a suite of NRCS conservation practices at the farm that provide demonstration sites for the Farm and Climate Program. Finally, CLBL’s headquarters includes state-of-the-art teaching facilities with capabilities for both virtual and in-person learning. 
 
Program Goals:
  • Optimize soil health, biodiversity, habitat, water quality and carbon sequestration on working lands in California; and
  • Increase grower and community awareness of the positive role of working lands in bringing about climate stability and increased biodiversity.
Attachments
No file(s) attached.
Form Review
Inbox Reviewed By Date
Christine Crawford (Originator) Christine Crawford 06/16/2021 01:58 PM
Form Started By: Christine Crawford Started On: 06/14/2021 12:30 PM
Final Approval Date: 06/16/2021

    

Level double AA conformance, W3C WAI Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0

AgendaQuick ©2005 - 2024 Destiny Software Inc. All Rights Reserved.