AB 1168, signed by the Governor in October 1999, established the Noxious Weed Management Account and authorized the expenditure of state funds for local weed control/eradication projects. In order to be eligible for AB1168 funding, local groups must establish a weed management area with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between participating agencies/organizations and must submit an annual Weed Management Plan to the state for approval. California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will only disburse grant monies through a County Agricultural Commissioner's office. The Agricultural Commissioner must administer the grant, even if the monies are "passed through" to other agencies for specific weed projects. Up to ten percent of the funding can be utilized to cover the Agricultural Commissioner's costs of administering the grant.
In December 2001, the Board approved the San Mateo County Weed Management Area Memorandum of Understanding. The San Mateo County Weed Management Area MOU is between the County of San Mateo, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Department of Parks and Recreation, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission-Water Department, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), San Mateo County Farm Bureau, Friends of Edgewood Natural Preserve, San Fransquito Creek Watershed Council, Pescadero Conservation Alliance, Peninsula Open Space Trust, California Native Plant Society, the University of California Cooperative Extension and San Mateo County Resource Conservation District. The MOU contains a provision allowing additional parties to become part of the WMA.
The Board has authorized the Agricultural Commissioner to sign state Standard Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding for various programs and services that do not exceed $50,000 per agreement. The Agricultural Commissioner has received a state contract (#01-0564) in the amount of $47,500 from CDFA, which provides revenue for Weed Management Area projects during FY 2001-02 through FY 2003-04. This Weed Management Area revenue is not part of the Division's FY 2001-02 budget .The Agricultural Commissioner is authorized to sign this contract; however, the Board of Supervisors must approve Appropriation Transfer Requests involving unanticipated state revenue. |
CDFA funding is available in the form of a three-year contract between CDFA and the Agricultural Commissioner for FY 2001-02 through 2003-04. The contract provides $47,500 for San Mateo County Integrated Weed Management Plan Projects by WMA participants. The proposed Appropriation Transfer Request (ATR) covers the funds to be expended and reimbursed by CDFA during FY 2001-02. The Division is requesting that $16,730 of unanticipated state revenue be appropriated in Contract Special Program Services (Org. 35220/Account 5856) for the current fiscal year. This revenue represents $15,209 for Integrated Weed Management Plan Projects and $1,521 for Agricultural Commissioner administrative cost reimbursement. The remaining portion of the contract ($30,770) will fund weed projects to be completed over the next two years. These funds will be included in the Division's FY 2002-03 and 2003-04 budgets.
Each funded project is summarized in the state contract and includes a project timeframe. Projects will include education and outreach, mapping and inventory of noxious weeds, and control of several target invasive plant species including gorse, yellow starthistle, french broom and eucalyptus. Some projects will extend into more than one fiscal year. The project that will be initiated in FY 2001-02 involves Countywide weed mapping and inventory using a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. State funds will cover the cost of hiring a consultant to coordinate and implement this project with WMA participants.
County Counsel has reviewed the Weed Management Area state contract. |
