COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS

DATE:

April 1, 2008

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 22, 2008

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

David G. Holland, Director of Parks

SUBJECT:

Acceptance of a $250,000 San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program Grant Award for the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Parking Lot Demonstration Project

RECOMMENDATION:

Adopt a Resolution 1) authorizing the County of San Mateo to accept a San Mateo Countywide Water Pollution Prevention Program grant award in the amount of $250,000 for a Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Parking Lot Demonstration Project; and 2) authorizing the Director, Department of Parks, as agent to conduct all negotiations, execute and submit all documents including, but not limited to agreements, payment requests and so on, which may be necessary for the completion of this project.

VISION ALIGNMENT:

Commitment: Preserve and provide people access to our natural environment.

Goals 14 and 15: Important natural resources are preserved and enhanced through environmental stewardship. Residents have nearby access to green space

This $250,000 grant award and the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Parking Lot Demonstration Project will contribute to the commitment and goals as the project will implement storm water pollution prevention site design and treatment as well as interpretive signs explaining the site design and treatment as part of the planned construction of a new parking lot and Visitor Center at the Reserve. This project makes the connection between controlling water pollution and protecting marine life.

BACKGROUND:

The City/County Association of Government (C/CAG)’s Vehicle Registration Fee Program (AB1546) authorized a $4 increase in the vehicle license fees in San Mateo County to provide funding for congestion management and water pollution prevention projects. Half of the fees collected are for water pollution prevention. Of these funds, half goes to municipalities for reimbursement of local vehicle-related stormwater pollution prevention projects and half to the countywide stormwater program for program-level projects addressing vehicle-related stormwater pollution.

The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Parking Lot Demonstration Project was selected to receive a $250,000 grant award as a countywide demonstration project and to be a used as a conceptual design demonstration project within the Sustainable Green Streets and Parking Lots Program’s new Stormwater Design Standards Guidebook.

DISCUSSION:

The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve is a narrow three-mile-long, 402-acre strip in Moss Beach with numerous unique coastal habitats. The Reserve’s habitats provide a species diversity greater than that of other similar habitats in central and northern California. The Reserve is designated as both a “State Marine Park” and an “Area of Special Biological Significance” (ASBS) by the State of California to protect the over 439 unique marine plant and animal species that have been found there.

The Reserve provides important educational and interpretive opportunities for people of all ages. Annually, the Reserve hosts over 23,000 students from Grade 3 through college from over 100 schools, as well as over 110,000 visitors. Because of this high visitation and the adjacent sensitive riparian habitat by San Vicente Creek, this location was selected as a demonstration project site. The future Visitor Center will be supported by this project.

The Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Parking Lot Demonstration Project will help achieve two important priorities prominently listed in the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve’s Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Master Plan (Brady/LSA, 2002), the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve Resource Assessment Plan (Tenera Environmental, 2004), and the Conceptual Plan for Interpretation at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (Acorn Group, 2004). The Project will: 1) complete the design and 2) implement the Visitor Center Parking Lot as well as educate visitors about the importance of preventing stormwater pollution.

FISCAL IMPACT:

There will be no impact to the General Fund. The project will be undertaken in FY 2008-2009 and will be budgeted in FY 2008-09.