[00:00:01]
SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND START.
[Roll Call]
UM, HELLO EVERYONE.WELCOME TO OUR UM, APRIL 22ND MEETING OF THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING.
UH, AND HAPPY EARTH DAY TO EVERYONE.
I HOPE YOU ALL WENT OUT AND DID SOMETHING FUN THIS WEEKEND.
UM, AND SO I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER AT 4:04 PM UM, MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE, UH, CALL THE ROLL? AND IF I MAY, UH, I JUST WANTED TO INTRODUCE JOSH HUBER.
UH, HE'S THE TEMPORARY, UH, EXECUTIVE OR, UH, LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT, UM, IN THE GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS TEAM.
SO THANKS JOSH FOR PITCHING IN.
LOPEZ, MAHA DEVAN MARSH, MENDOZA O BRINGER.
YOU ARE PARTICIPATING REMOTELY DUE TO, UM, UM, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE ASSEMBLY BILL IS, BUT YOU CAN HEAR MY VOICE.
I'M TRYING TO AVOID THE SPREADING OF CONTAGION BY NOT JOINING YOU TODAY AND COUGHING ON YOU.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S WHY I'M JOINING REMOTELY.
I'M BILL, UH, THE MEMBER IS REFERRING TO AB 20 24 49.
UM, AND SO OUR REGULAR ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT.
THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT OR PARK DISTRICT INTENDS TO HOLD MEETINGS THROUGH A HYBRID PLATFORM OF IN-PERSON AND REMOTE ATTENDANCE TO ALLOW MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO PARTICIPATE VIA REMOTE ATTENDANCE THROUGH THE PARK DISTRICT'S VIRTUAL PLATFORM.
THE PARK ADVISORY MEMBERS AND DESIGNATED STAFF WILL, WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS, PARTICIPATE IN PERSON AT THE PARK DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS, 29 50 PER ALTO OAKS COURT, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND OCCASIONALLY MEMBERS OF THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE MAY ATTEND REMOTELY PURSUANT TO THE BROWN ACT AS AMENDED BY AB 2, 4, 4 9.
WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING LIVE AUDIO AND VIDEO STREAMING.
MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT CAN DO SO, EITHER IN PERSON OR LIVE VIA ZOOM BY SUBMITTING AN EMAIL OR LEAVING A VOICEMAIL.
UM, THIS INFORMATION IS NOTED ON THE AGENDA.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS ABOUT MEETING PROCEDURES, WE WILL BEGIN.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NONE, I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR VICE CHAIR.
FOR THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, WE HUMBLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE ON THE UNSEATED LANDS OF THE LONEY PEOPLE AND THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT'S HEADQUARTERS IS LOCATED WITHIN THE HOING TERRITORY, WHICH IS THEIR TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND SHARED HOME.
SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THE LONEY PEOPLE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO LIVE IN RECIPROCITY WITH NATURE, UNDERSTANDING THE SEASONS AND CYCLES OF THE NATURAL WORLD, MANAGING RESOURCE, FUNDAMENTAL FOR SURVIVAL, AND IMPORTANT TO CULTURAL PRACTICES.
ALL WALL PASSING DOWN THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE.
WE HONOR WITH GRATITUDE THE LAND ITSELF, THE WILDLIFE LIVING IN THESE LANDS, AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE STEWARD IT SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND WHO CONTINUE TO REMAIN DEEPLY CONNECTED TO IT TODAY.
THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR ESPANIA.
UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM, UM, PAC MEMBER INGER, BUT UM, I NEED TO JUST CONFIRM AGAIN, ARE THERE MEMBERS PRESENT PARTICIPATING VIRTUALLY DUE TO AN EMERGENCY THAT WISH TO REQUEST THE BODY'S APPROVAL TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, PAC MEMBER OBRINGER HAS ALREADY DESCRIBED, UM, THE NATURE OF HER PARTICIPATION.
AND SO, UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION
[00:05:01]
TO, UH, APPROVE HER REMOTE ATTENDANCE.MOVE
UM, MR. CLARK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL CALL VOTE.
I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN PLEASE.
PARDON? CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN PLEASE? COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE VOTE FOR THE APPROVAL OF O RINGER'S REMOTE ATTENDANCE? CLAXTON? YES.
UH, UM, MEMBER ER'S, REMOTE ATTENDANCE IS APPROVED.
[Approval of Minutes]
OKAY.THE NEXT ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR UPDATES TO THOSE MINUTES? YES.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM LAST TIME AROUND.
COULD WE TAKE A VOTE AGAIN FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? CLAXTON? YES.
I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN AS I WAS.
I DID NOT ATTEND THE MEETING LAST TIME.
[Public Comments on Items Not on the Agenda]
WE CAN MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.FOR ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA, IS THERE ANYONE HERE IN PERSON WHO HAS, UM, PUBLIC COMMENTS THEY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE FOR ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA? SEEING NONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY REMOTE PARTICIPANTS, MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
WE HAVE ONE, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE ROOM, BUT SHE HAS NOT ASKED TO TALK.
SHE LET US KNOW AHEAD OF TIME, RIGHT? ERIC SAID NO.
OH, I WASN'T ON THAT EMAIL CHAIN THOUGH.
JUST NOW LET'S GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH, WITH THE MEETING AND WE'LL LET YOU KNOW IF THERE COME, ANYONE RAISE THEIR HAND FOR AN ACTUAL COMMENT.
SO THE, UM, THERE ARE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND WE'LL COME BACK TO THEM OR WE, OR WE DO NOT HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THE MOMENT.
SO WE HAVE THREE HANDS RAISED, BUT NO ONE ANSWERING THE, THE TEXT TO ASK IF THEY WOULD.
IS THERE, UM, INQUIRY, CAN YOU UN LET'S SEE.
I WONDER IF, UM, THIS IS AN ENGAGED ON THE SIDE WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY RESPOND.
[00:10:01]
COMMENT IN THE TEXT AT THE BOTTOM? MAYBE? IS THERE SOMEONE WHO'S TRYING TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT IN THE CHAT AT THE BOTTOM? I MEAN, OH, THERE'S, I SEE FRANCIS.OH, UH, I, I THINK SO FRANCIS IS A MEMBER OF THE PAC, BUT, UM, PARTICIPATING AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC TODAY? UM, YES, THAT'S CORRECT.
DID YOU HAVE A, A COMMENT THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE FRANCIS? NO.
OTHER, NO OTHER COMMENT OTHER THAN THAT.
JUST WANNA LET YOU ALL KNOW, KNOW.
OTHER COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC? DANISHA MARSH? I SEE, UM, ALSO A MEMBER OF THE PAC, BUT, UM, NOT, UM, OFFICIALLY PARTICIPATING REMOTELY, BUT, UM, SO I, SO I WAS OFFIC, UH, PARTICIPATING.
I SENT IN A EMAIL AND A LETTER THAT SAID THAT I WOULDN'T BE IN PERSON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS BECAUSE I HAD HEART SURGERY.
SO I'M NOT SURE, UM, WHY NO ONE KNOWS THAT OR WHATEVER, BUT, UM, OKAY.
I THINK MAYBE IT WAS APPROVED FOR A PREVIOUS MEETING AND WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS FOR THIS ONE AS WELL, BUT WE CAN, UM, BUT WE CAN TAKE A MOTION HERE AND VOTE ON YOUR REMOTE PARTICIPATION JUST AS WE DID FOR MEMBER OUR INGER.
AND I THINK THAT SHOULD BE FINE.
SO, UM, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THEN FOR, UM, SO MOVED.
UM, MR. CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE TAKE THE VOTE ON THAT ONE AS WELL? CLAXTON.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA? I THINK THERE WERE.
UM, AND FIRST OFF ON THE WEBINAR CHAT, UH, FROM MR. HUBER ASKING WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? UM, AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN, IT SAYS CHAT DISABLED.
SO THE, UH, QUESTION IS MUTE BECAUSE YOU YOU HAVE MUTED, UH, CHATS, UM, COMMENT ON, UH, TRAIL PLANNING AND, UH, TRAIL, UM, UM, APPROVALS.
UM, THERE IS A PUBLIC AGENCY, THE ALAMEDA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS AGENCY HAS PUT, UH, PUT OUT A NOTICE FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT REVIEW OR COMMENT PERIOD ENDING MAY 20TH FOR THE NILES CANYON TRAIL WESTERNMOST PORTION, WHICH INCLUDES THE SECRET SIDEWALK AND THE WESTERNMOST PART OF, UH, OF NILES CANYON BETWEEN NILES AND, UH, POLY MORRIS CANYON.
UM, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR COMMENTS FROM OTHER, UH, FROM OTHER AGENCIES, AND I HOPE THAT THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT WILL PARTICIPATE, WILL SUBMIT COMMENTS, WILL SUPPORT THE PROJECT, AND THIS PROJECT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, UNIQUELY IMPORTANT, UM, FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
ONE OF THEM IS THE SECRET SIDEWALK'S CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE TO, UH, FREMONT AND NILES.
ANOTHER ONE IS THE, UH, UNIQUE LACK OF PUBLIC, UM, UH, ACCESS, LACK OF PEDESTRIAN ACCESS BETWEEN FREMONT AND PLEASANTON.
THE HIGHWAY 84, NILES CANYON ROAD IS NOT OPEN TO PEDESTRIANS.
THERE IS NO WAY TO WALK FROM THE BAY AREA TO THE TRI-VALLEY, EXCEPT FOR, UH, GOING THROUGH I FIVE 80.
HIGHWAY 84 IS CLOSED TO PEDESTRIANS.
AND, UH, THIS, THIS, UH, WAS, YOU KNOW, TRAVESTY WAS PER PERPETRATED BY THE CALTRANS, UH, MANY YEARS AGO.
AND, UH, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO, UH, TO, UH, RIGHT THAT WRONG.
UM, AND THE PARK DISTRICT HAS MANY PROJECTS ONGOING.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE CALAVERAS RE RIDGE REGIONAL TRAIL, THE TASSAJARA CREEK TRAIL, MANY, MANY PROJECTS ARE OUT THERE, AND ALL OF THEM HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN WALK DOWN THE ROAD AS AN ALTERNATIVE.
THIS ONE, YOU CANNOT WALK DOWN THE ROAD.
[00:15:01]
UH, A VITAL CORRIDOR THAT HAS BEEN, UH, UM, BEEN, UH, USED HISTORICALLY FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AND, UH, AS OF TODAY NEEDS TO BE RESTORED.UM, UM, PAC MEMBER MARSH THERE.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I NEGLECTED TO, UM, TO ADDRESS ABOUT YOUR PARTICIPATION REMOTELY.
THE FIRST IS I NEED TO CONFIRM THAT THERE ARE NO INDIVIDUALS, OR IF THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS, 18 OR OLDER PRESENT IN THE ROOM WHERE YOU'RE PARTICIPATING FROM.
AND I THINK ALSO I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT, UM, THE REQUIREMENT IS THAT YOU HAVE YOUR CAMERA ON DURING PARTICIPATION.
IS THAT POSSIBLE? UM, I'M NOT SET UP IN THE RIGHT ROOM OR WHATEVER, AND SO IT'S NOT LETTING ME PUT ON MY CAMERA OR ANYTHING.
SO JOSH HAS TO MOVE ME OVER TO SOME OTHER ROOM.
SO I'M NOT SURE, UM, HOW THAT'S WORKING.
I UNDERSTAND HE'S WORKING ON IT, SO.
WE'LL TRY AND GET THAT WORKING THEN.
UM, SO MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT, UM, AGENDA ITEM ARE ACTION ITEMS. AND WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS TODAY.
[Informational Items]
TO INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. AND OUR FIRST SUB ITEM THERE IS WELCOMING DIRECTOR OLIVIA SAN WONG AS OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEMBER TODAY.PLEASE TELL US, UH, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO.
IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK, UH, HAVING BEEN ON THE PAC FOR SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS BEFORE I JOINED THE BOARD, SO NICE TO SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES AND SOME NEWER FACES.
THANKS SO MUCH TO EACH OF YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME AND BEING INVOLVED.
I KNOW THAT YOUR COMMENTS AND YOUR INPUT AND FEEDBACK AND GUIDANCE IS REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
UM, SO I WANTED TO MENTION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CELEBRATING OUR 90TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE THIS REALLY AWESOME NIFTY MUG THAT I THINK SOME OF YOU ALREADY DISCOVERED PRETTY QUICKLY.
IT'S INTERESTING HOW THAT, UM, INFORMATION SPREADS.
SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EACH OF YOU GOT ONE OF OUR MUGS.
AND, UM, I ALSO ASKED OUR A GM OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS TO SHARE A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE CELEBRATION THIS YEAR.
UH, PLEASURE TO SEE ALL OF YOU.
I KNOW I'VE MET SOME OF YOU, AND IF I HAVEN'T, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW ALL OF YOU.
UH, AGAIN, UH, ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, SUSAN SHU, UH, FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
UH, IT IS OUR 90TH ANNIVERSARY.
WE HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING ALL YEAR.
UH, CERTAINLY THE EVENT, OUR BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION COMING UP ON SATURDAY, MAY 11TH.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
IT WILL BE AT LAKE CHABOT REGIONAL PARK ON MAY 11TH.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME HEADLINERS GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ALPHABET ROCKERS, WHICH I HEAR IS A GREAT HIT WITH THE, WITH THE FAMILY CROWD.
UH, ALSO, UH, LION DANCE, UH, AND OTHER PERFORMERS, UH, INCLUDING THE BERKELEY HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ BAND, UH, AND REALLY, UH, THAT LOCAL FLAVOR AND A VERY DIVERSE, UH, GROUP OF PERFORMERS, UH, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO PUPPET SHOWS AND BUBBLES AND ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT PREPARED FOR ALL OF YOU, UH, AND FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
UM, PLEASE DO VISIT EB PARKS.ORG.
UH, IF YOU LOOK ON THE HOMEPAGE, YOU'LL SEE A PHOTO AT THE TOP.
AND IF YOU CAN CLICK OVER, YOU'LL SEE YET ANOTHER IMAGE, UH, RIGHT ON THE HOMEPAGE.
YOU CAN CLICK THROUGH TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PARK FEST, UH, CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF YOUR EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
YEAH, SO THE MUGS ARE OVER BY, UM, WHERE THE SNACKS, SNACKS ARE HERE IN THE BOARDROOM AT PROTO OAKS.
AND SO THEN THE OTHER ITEM I WANTED TO SHARE, UM, I GUESS I, MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, FRANCIS, WHO'S ONLINE, UH, HE AND I THIS PAST WEEKEND, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE ALAMEDA CREEK ALLIANCE TO GO VIEW THE NEW FISH LADDER AT THE BART WEIR NEAR THE, UM, FREMONT BART STATION.
AND, UM, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND CERTAINLY THINKING ABOUT THE ALAMEDA CREEK WATERSHED, THAT'S A PERSONAL PASSION AREA OF MINE.
AND IT'S A VERY LARGE WATERSHED AREA OVER OR ABOUT 700 SQUARE MILES.
IT STARTS, YOU KNOW, UH, AT MOUNT DIABLO, GOES OUT TO THE ALTAMONT PASS TO MOUNT HAMILTON AND ALL THAT WATER COMES FLOWING THROUGH, UH, PLEASANTON AND THEN SNO, AND THEN OUT NILES TO, UM, THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY.
AND SO WE HAVE HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT, THIS MIGHT BE MY FAVORITE HANDOUT.
UM, IT'S FROM 2004, SO IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CELEBRATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS HANDOUT, BUT, UH, WATERSHEDS DON'T TOTALLY CHANGE, BUT YOU'LL SEE IT'S A HUGE MAP OF THE ENTIRE WATERSHED.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE HERE IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE THEM.
UM, AND SO IT'S A GREAT, IT'S A GREAT HANDOUT THAT I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HERE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT.
[00:20:01]
THE OTHER PART OF THIS HANDOUT THAT I THINK IS REALLY, UM, FASCINATING, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THE WATERSHED AND THE WILDLIFE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BIODIVERSITY WITHIN THE WATERSHED, BUT THEN ALSO YOU'LL START TO SEE HERE ON THE BACK ALL OF THE DIFFERENT AGENCIES AND ENTITIES THAT WERE INVOLVED IN PUTTING THIS HANDOUT TOGETHER.AND I THINK IF THERE'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGH MY SEVEN AND A HALF YEARS ON THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND NOW THE PAST, UH, YEAR AND A HALF ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS THAT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS WORKS WITH SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND AGENCIES.
AND I THINK THAT THIS, UM, HANDOUTS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT.
SO I HAVE THAT FOR EACH OF YOU.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A COPY, I'LL PASS IT AROUND.
AND THEN, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE PREPARED, UH, FOR, UH, PRESENTATION.
SO I'M, I'M AVAILABLE FOR A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT THEN OTHERWISE I KNOW, UM, YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH OUT, UM, AFTER THE MEETING.
AND THEN, UH, YOU HAVE A PRETTY LONG AGENDA FOR TODAY.
SO IF THERE'S ANY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BASIC QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, I USED TO RIDE MY BIKE FROM NEWARK TO NILES CANYON TO GO FISHING IN THE CREEK BACK WHEN I WAS IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND, UH, I STILL REMEMBER, UH, OPENING DAY OF TROUT FISHING TROUT SEASON, THERE WERE WALL-TO-WALL FISHERMEN UP AND DOWN THE CREEK THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ELBOWING EACH OTHER AND GETTING IN, IN THING.
SO I I'M VERY GRATEFUL THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS TO SUBJECT THERE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD, UH, COMMENT THOUGH.
I, I, RIGHT NOW ALONG ALAMEDA CREEK FISHING IS ACTUALLY NOT ALLOWED.
UM, SO I KNOW HISTORICALLY THERE HAD BEEN ACCESS TO FISHING, BUT NEARBY AT SHIN POND AND QUARRY LAKES WITH A PERMIT, A FISHING PERMIT, UH, THERE IS FISHING AVAILABLE.
THAT WAS A REALLY, REALLY LONG TIME AGO,
ALL RIGHT, GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE.
I'LL BE AROUND FOR THE MEETING.
YOU BROUGHT ALL KINDS OF GOODIES TODAY.
UH, AND, UM, YEAH, THANKS SO MUCH FOR ATTENDING AND, UM, AND CHECKING OUT, UH, SORT OF STROLLING DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH YOUR OLD HAUNTS ON THE PAC
SO TODAY WE HAVE, UM, OH YES, MEMBER OVER.
UM, I WAS JUST WONDERING, UM, SO IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND A HALF, AND I WAS JUST WONDERING, UM, IF THE BOARD MEMBER COULD SHARE WITH US, YOU KNOW, I KNOW SHE'S STILL LEARNING THE ROPES, BUT IS ALSO, YOU KNOW, A VETERAN WITH THIS ORGANIZATION.
SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT'S SURPRISING OR, YOU KNOW, THAT SHE WANTED TO SHARE ABOUT, UM, ANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OR ANYTHING IN THE, IN THIS FIRST YEAR? ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED HER? I JUST WOULD BE CURIOUS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCE.
UM, I THINK THAT IN TERMS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS, UM, REALLY GETTING TO KNOW THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION, I, I THINK THIS ALSO WILL ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT'S SURPRISING.
I MEAN, ACROSS THE TWO COUNTIES, ALAMEDA AND CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, IT'S SUCH A LARGE AREA IN TERMS OF BOTH POPULATION AS WELL AS GEOGRAPHY.
YOU KNOW, ARGUABLY TWO OF THE MOST DIVERSE COUNTIES IN NOT JUST CALIFORNIA, BUT IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
SO REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW TO, YOU KNOW, BEST WORK ACROSS SUCH A LARGE AREA AND POPULATION AND DIVERSE POPULATION, I THINK HAS BEEN BOTH FEELING A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, BUT THEN ALSO MAYBE NOT A SURPRISE.
BUT I, I THINK THAT THAT CHALLENGE OF HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK ACROSS THE ENTIRE CONSTITUENCY, UM, I FIND THAT A TRAFFIC
I KNOW FOR ME, UM, SPECIFICALLY REPRESENTING WARD FIVE, I HAVE PARKS FROM STARTING AT COYOTE HILLS IN FREMONT, ALL THE WAY TO DELVAL AND EASTERN ALAMEDA COUNTY.
AND, UM, IT'S INTERESTING, ACTUALLY, TODAY'S THE YEAR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
LAST YEAR ON EARTH DAY, WHICH WAS ON A SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND, I DID MAKE AN EFFORT TO GO TO THE EARTH DAY CELEBRATION, UM, AT ALL THREE OF THE VISITOR CENTERS IN WARD FIVE.
SO THAT'S GONNA BE SUNOL, UM, REGIONAL COYOTE HILLS AND DEL VAL.
AND I FOUND MYSELF TRYING TO DRIVE FROM COYOTE HILLS TO DEL VAL ON A SATURDAY.
UM, AND IT TOOK ME A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD RECOMMEND DOING THAT AGAIN,
UM, AND, AND SO, SO THAT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE BEST REPRESENT BOTH OUR, UM, INDIVIDUAL WARDS AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT? YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY DO FEEL STRONGLY IT'S ONE PARK DISTRICT.
[00:25:01]
SO WHILE, YOU KNOW, A PLACE LIKE PINOLE OR EVEN OAKLEY MIGHT FEEL REALLY FAR TO ME IN REGARDS TO WHERE I LIVE, IT'S STILL PART OF EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ME TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN PINOLE, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OAKLEY, AND TO ALSO HELP BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THAT.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS MUCH OF A SURPRISE, BUT THEN SOMETIMES I, I CATCH MYSELF THINKING, OH, WELL YES, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT.
AND, UH, AND HERE, HERE IT COMES UP AGAIN.
SO, UM, I THINK CONTINUING TO DO THAT.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF SHARING THIS SPECIFIC HANDOUT TODAY, JUST ALL OF THE DIFFERENT INTER-AGENCY, UH, UH, COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION HAS BEEN, UM, I, I FEEL LIKE A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT.
CERTAINLY WHEN I LOOK AT ALL THE AGENCIES ON HERE, WE'VE HAD DIFFERENT LIAISON MEETINGS OR DIFFERENT INTERACTIONS, BUT THEN IT'S ALSO A SURPRISE TO ME SOMETIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN EACH AGENCY MAYBE DOESN'T ALWAYS WANT TO WORK WITH THE PARK DISTRICT.
IN FACT, I CAME FROM ONE OF THESE AGENCIES, ZONE SEVEN WATER AGENCY.
UH, I WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THERE RIGHT BEFORE I JOINED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
AND IT'S INTERESTING 'CAUSE THERE ARE SOME, UH, ISSUES THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH ZONE SEVEN ON AND, AND MAY, MAYBE IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, TRICKY THAN I HAD ANTICIPATED.
SO I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SURPRISE FOR ME.
AND THANKS AGAIN FOR, FOR BEING HERE WITH US TODAY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BOARD MEMBER SANAL? NO.
SO LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. SO WE HAVE TWO OF THEM.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS GONNA BE THE INFORMATIONAL UPDATE ON OUR GRANT PROGRAM.
AND THEN AFTER THAT WE'LL HAVE, UM, OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION EFFORTS AN UPDATE THERE AS WELL.
UH, MY NAME IS KATIE HORNBECK, THE GRANTS MANAGER FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
AND I'LL BE PROVIDING A OVERVIEW OF SOME OF OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2023.
AND THEN SORT OF BROADLY, UH, TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN GRANTS AND, UH, HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
SO BOTH THE GRANTS DEPARTMENT AND THE GENERAL MANAGER'S OFFICE, WE WORK COLLABORATIVELY, UM, IN PROMOTING, INFLUENCING, AND SECURING GRANT FUNDS ACROSS THE PARK DISTRICT.
WE'RE ACTIVE IN APPLYING FOR SECURING AND MANAGING THOSE GRANT CONTRACTS.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF WHAT, UM, ME AND MY STAFF DO, UH, IS, IS MANAGING THOSE GRANTS.
UH, WE GET PAID FOR THE PROJECTS THAT WE COMPLETE, NOT THE GRANTS WE'RE AWARDED.
SO IT'S CRITICAL THAT, UH, AS WE ARE AWARDED THESE FUNDS, WE ARE ACTUALLY GETTING THE WORK DONE.
SO, VERY BRIEFLY, I'LL WALK THROUGH THE GRANT PROCESS.
UM, THIS MAY BE FAMILIAR TO SOME OF YOU, BUT, SO I'LL KIND OF RUN THROUGH THIS.
UM, BUT IT STARTS AT THE VERY BEGINNING, UM, AT THE LEG LEGISLATIVE END.
SO THE GREAT TEAM IN GOVERNMENT LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, OUR BOARD, OUR GENERAL MANAGER, UM, THEY'RE WORKING AT THE POLICY LEVEL AND HELPING WHAT WE, WHAT I SORT OF LIKE TO CALL THE BUCKETS OF MONEY, UM, THEY'RE GONNA MAKE IT REIGN FOR US.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, PASSING BONDS OR PROPOSITIONS TO CREATE THOSE POTS OF MONEY.
UM, AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, THOSE, UH, THOSE DOLLARS GET PUMPED INTO VARIOUS AGENCIES ACROSS THE STATE OR IN FEDERAL AGENCIES, UM, THAT THOSE FUNDS MIGHT GO INTO EXISTING GRANT PROGRAMS OR MAYBE THEY'LL DECIDE TO CREATE NEW GRANT PROGRAMS. AND DEPENDING ON WHICH THAT IS, THEN THEY'LL CREATE GUIDELINES, THE SORT OF RULEMAKING, WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES, THE CRITERIA, WHO'S ELIGIBLE, WHAT IS IT THAT WE WANNA FUND, UM, AND SPENDS A LOT OF TIME THERE.
AND THEN FINALLY WE GET TO THE, UH, NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITY OR THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE AND MY TEAM JUMP IN, UM, AND DECIDE WHAT IS THE PROJECT THAT'S GONNA BEST MEET THE CRITERIA THAT WILL BE THE MOST COMPETITIVE.
ALL OF THESE PRO PROGRAMS ARE, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY, UM, OVERSUBSCRIBED, MEANING THEY'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REQUESTS AND THEY MAYBE ONLY HAVE $10 MILLION TO ALLOCATE.
SO WE REALLY WANNA PUT OUR BEST PROJECT FORWARD THAT'S GONNA CHECK AS MANY BOXES AS POSSIBLE.
'CAUSE IF YOU MISS A BOX, YOU LOSE A POINT OR TWO, YOU MIGHT IMMEDIATELY SORT OF GET KICKED OUTTA THAT TOP 10% OF WHAT WILL BE CONSIDERED.
SO FROM THE APPLICATION PHASE TO, UH, THE, THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF WHETHER OR NOT SOMETHING WAS AWARDED COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM THREE MONTHS TO OVER A YEAR.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE, UH, CONSIDERING WHAT PROJECTS WE WANNA SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR, WE KEEP THAT IN MIND.
SO IS THIS UM, A PROJECT YOU NEED MONEY FOR RIGHT NOW? OR IS THIS MONEY THAT CAN WAIT A YEAR, MAYBE EVEN TWO YEARS IF IT'S
[00:30:01]
FEDERAL MONEY? UM, AND WE, WE KEEP THAT IN CONSIDERATION OF WHAT MIGHT BE THE MOST READY IN TERMS OF THE GRANT TIMELINE, ONCE WE GET TO THE AWARDED, UH, THERE'S NORMALLY SEVERAL HOOPS WE HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH.ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK, UH, WORK PROGRAMS, WHAT ARE THE DELIVERABLES, HOW ARE WE GONNA SPEND THE MONEY? AND THAT COULD TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS, SOMETIMES UP TO A YEAR, DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE GRANT.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY WE GET TO THE PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PHASE.
SO ACTUALLY SPENDING THE MONEY AND DOING THE WORK AND ALL OF THAT RESTS WITH OUR AMAZING PROJECT MANAGERS AND TEAMS, UH, ACROSS THE DISTRICT WHO ARE REALLY SPENDING THE MONEY IN THE WAY THAT WE WANT THEM TO SPEND IN GETTING THOSE PROJECTS DONE.
AND AT, AT THE VERY END OF THAT, WE CAN STILL BE AUDITED UP TO THREE TO FIVE YEARS LATER.
SO THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, GRANTS ARE RISKY AT EVERY SINGLE STEP.
NOTHING IS EVER TRULY SECURED OR, OR FINALIZED.
SO WE AND MY TEAM, UM, ARE DILIGENT, MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE ARE REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT, WE ARE GOING RIGHT DOWN TO THE PENNY THAT WE'RE SPENDING IT THE WAY WE SAID WE WERE, THAT WE GAVE THEM THE DELIVERS, WE CHECKED THOSE BOXES SO WE CAN KEEP ALL OF THAT MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY.
UH, WHAT DO WE GET GRANT FUNDING FOR? UM, PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING.
UM, THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF FUNDING WE'VE GOTTEN RECENTLY OR IN THE LAST YEAR, COVERING FROM RESTORATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT, FUELS MANAGEMENT STUDIES, ACQUISITIONS, PROGRAMMING, UH, SOME OCCASIONALLY MAINTENANCE, BUT NOT AS OFTEN, UH, STORM DAMAGE, UH, FROM FEMA.
SO ACROSS, ACROSS ALL THE DIVISIONS, WE WILL, WE HAVE GOTTEN USUALLY SOME KIND OF GRANT FUNDING.
THAT SAID, THE MAJORITY OF OUR GRANT FUNDING IS GOING TOWARDS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS OR RESTORATION WORK.
ALRIGHT, HERE'S THE OVERVIEW FROM 2023.
SO IN 2023, UH, SUBMITTED 50 APPLICATIONS.
UM, THIS IS DEFINITELY AN UPTICK FROM PREVIOUS YEARS.
I LOOKED BACK THE LAST FIVE TO SIX AND SORT OF ON AVERAGE WE'RE PROBABLY BETWEEN 35 AND 40 APPLICATIONS.
THERE'S A BIG PUSH TO GET APPLICATIONS OUT LAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY TO STATE AGENCIES LIKE THE COASTAL CONSERVANCY AND THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD BECAUSE OF THE 30 BY 30, UM, STATEWIDE INITIATIVE AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WAS GETTING PUMPED INTO THOSE AGENCIES.
SO WE WANTED TO GET THOSE APPLICATIONS OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, FOR AWARDS ANNOUNCED, UH, THE 28, THAT'S FAIRLY, UM, UH, TYPICAL ON AVERAGE, NORMALLY HOVERING AROUND 25 EACH YEAR.
UM, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT FLUCTUATING OBVIOUSLY, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE GRANT AWARD IS, UH, A NO AWARD, UH, NOTIFICATION.
SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT PICKED UP FOR THE, FOR FUNDING IS 19.
UM, OCCASIONALLY, UM, MAYBE A FEW MONTHS AFTER OR A YEAR LATER THEY'LL SAY, HEY, SOMEBODY FELL THROUGH.
DO YOU, WOULD YOU STILL LIKE TO TAKE IT? AND WE SAY, YES, OF COURSE WE WOULD LOVE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY.
UM, AND THEN PAYMENTS RECEIVED, UH, 112.
SO, UH, WE HAVE ONE ACCOUNT TECHNICIAN WHO IS INCREDIBLE, WHO DOES ALL OF THIS INVOICING.
UM, AND SOME OF THEM ARE VERY EASY AND SOME OF 'EM ARE INCREDIBLY COMPLEX.
UM, AND I LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THIS, NOT JUST BECAUSE IT'S ONE PERSON, BUT BECAUSE ALL THESE GRANTS WE RECEIVE ARE REIMBURSEMENT BASED.
SO THE PARK DISTRICT IS PAYING ALL OF OUR CONTRACTORS AND CONSULTANTS TO DO THIS WORK, AND THEN WE NEED TO RECOUP THOSE COSTS THROUGH OUR GRANTS.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE GETTING, UM, THOSE REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS OUT AND THEN GETTING PAID IN A TIMELY REIMBURSED IN A TIMELY MATTER.
SO THE PARK DISTRICT BROUGHT IN ABOUT 26 MILLION LAST YEAR THROUGH GRANTS.
A FEW, UH, PROJECTS TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, THAT RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING LAST YEAR, UH, 1.5 MILLION FOR THE FERRY POINT PIER REMOVAL PROJECT THAT WAS PRIMARILY IN A GRANT FROM THE EPA, THEIR SAN FRANCISCO BAY WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FUND.
UH, WE WERE AWARDED 2.8 MILLION IN GRANT FUNDING FROM CAL FIRE, UH, FOR THE GRIZZLY PEAK STRATEGIC FUEL COLLABORATION PROJECT.
SO, UH, THIS IS A REALLY NEAT PROJECT, UH, THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY HEAR ABOUT IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION.
UM, WE HAD RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK FROM CAL FIRE THAT THEY WERE INTERESTED IN FUNDING A PROJECT THAT WOULD BE MORE COLLABORATIVE IN NATURE, REACHING ACROSS, LIKE WITH DIFFERENT, UM, AGENCIES.
AND SO OUR STAFF KIND OF PUT OUT A CALL AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE THINKING, WHO'S INTERESTED? AND WE'RE PARTNERING WITH, UH, UC, BERKELEY, THE CITY OF BERKELEY AND EAST BAY MUD TO DO WORK, UM, IN THE GRIZZLY PEAK AREA IN IN TILDEN.
SO OF THAT 2.8, THE PARK DISTRICT IS RECEIVING, WILL BE USING ABOUT 1.1 OF THAT, AND THEN THE REST BEING DISTRIBUTED TO THOSE OTHER AGENCIES.
UH, THE RESTORE WILDCAT CREEK PROJECT OUT AT BROOK ROAD IN TILDEN.
UM, THE 1.25 MILLION, THAT'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED.
UM, AND, UH, 500,000 FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, OR EXCUSE ME, STATE PARKS.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, 4.2 MILLION FOR THE MARTINEZ BAY TRAIL GAP CLOSURE PROJECT.
UH, THIS IS, UH, ACCU ACCUMULATION OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT GRANTS THAT SORT OF ALL CAME IN AT THE SAME TIME.
WE WENT FROM LIKE, NO FUNDING.
IT KEPT GETTING NO AWARD, NO AWARD, NO AWARD TO THREE OR FOUR ALL IN A ROW.
SO WE REALLY HOPE THIS IS SORT OF WHAT WILL LIKE, GET US ACROSS THE FINISH LINE AND CAN, UM, CAN SORT OF STRIKE WITH A IRON'S HOT
[00:35:01]
AND GIVE THAT THE MOMENTUM WE NEED.ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S MY VERY SPEEDY, UH, OVERVIEW OF GRANTS, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT BEFORE THAT, I JUST WANNA GIVE A COUPLE THANK YOUS.
ONE, UH, OR MENTIONED BEFORE TO THE, YOU KNOW, PART DISTRICT STAFF, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO GET THESE GRANT AWARD ANNOUNCEMENTS TO SAY, WE GOT 3 MILLION FOR THIS, OR 2.8 MILLION FOR THAT.
BUT IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER IF WE CAN'T GET THE WORK DONE.
AND WE HAVE SUCH A GREAT, UH, STAFF DISTRICT-WIDE, WHO CAN GET THE WORK DONE.
UM, AND THEN THE TWO STAFF THAT I HAVE WORK SO HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SPENDING THE MONEY THE WAY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO AND DOING THE FOLLOW UP AND THE REPORTING AND ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE NEED THAT, THAT REALLY MAKE US THE APPLICANT, THAT PE THAT THOSE AGENCIES CAN SAY, YES, YOU ARE DEPENDABLE, YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY.
THAT'S ALWAYS A QUESTION ON APPLICATIONS, IS WHAT'S YOUR HISTORY AND, AND WHAT'S YOUR CAPACITY? AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, PASS THAT WITH FLYING COLORS AND SO, OR WE'RE A RELIABLE, UH, PARTNER TO THEM.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, ON THIS LAST YEAR OR GRANTS IN GENERAL.
UM, AND SO FIRST WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM PAC MEMBERS IN THE ROOM AND THEN PAC MEMBERS, UM, JOINING US REMOTELY AND THEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
SO, UH, MEMBER HENRY, DID I SEE YOUR HAND? THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAD THREE QUESTIONS, UH, PRETTY SHORT, HOPEFULLY.
SO JUST CURIOUS HOW THIS COMPARES TO PRIOR YEARS IN TERMS OF DOLLARS THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO GET.
AND THEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT WE DON'T GET THE MONEY UNLESS THE PROJECT'S COMPLETED, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT PERCENTAGE ACTUALLY FALLS OUT AND DO YOU HAVE ANY PROJECTS NOW THAT ARE AT RISK OF NOT BEING FUNDED BECAUSE WE CAN'T COMPLETE 'EM? UM, OKAY, SO LET ME TRY TO ANSWER THE FIRST QUESTION.
UM, SO IT WAS HOW MUCH WE HAVE RECEIVED IN PRIOR YEARS, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, LARGER NUMBER OR SMALLER THAN AVERAGE? I'D SAY IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN NORMAL, BUT SORT OF AVERAGE.
UM, JUST GOING BACK THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR, YOU KNOW, COVID YEAR.
IT'S THINGS DEFINITELY SORT OF SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE BIT AS EVERYONE WAS TRANSITIONING FROM ALL PAPER TO DIGITAL AND THAT SORT OF PROCESS.
SO, UM, BUT ON, ON, ON THE WHOLE, WE ARE PRETTY CONSISTENT IN WHAT WE'RE RECEIVING YEAR TO YEAR.
AND THEN YOUR SECOND QUESTION WAS, UM, SO WE GET PAID FOR THE PROJECTS WE COMPLETE.
SO MY LIKE LITTLE CAVEAT THERE IS THAT, UM, WE WILL INVOICE ON A REGULAR BASIS QUARTERLY OR EVEN MONTHLY SOMETIMES.
AND SO WE WON'T GET THAT SORT OF FINAL RETENTION AT THE VERY END ONCE THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, SO THEY COULD CLAW IT BACK IF WE, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T DO THE RESTORATION LIKE WE SAID WE WOULD OR SOMETHING.
BUT THAT IS SO INCREDIBLY RARE AND ALMOST NEVER HAPPENS.
UM, AND THEN YOUR QUESTION WAS, ARE THERE ANY PROJECTS THAT ARE AT RISK FOR NOT GETTING, UH, DONE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDING? OR, OR, OKAY.
UM, WELL WE, PRIOR, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT GRANT, UH, EXCUSE ME, WHEN REQUEST FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES COME OUT, UH, OR FOR PROPOSALS, I'LL COMB THROUGH AND SEE WHAT ARE THEY REALLY LOOKING FOR AND THEN GO TALK TO STAFF AND SAY, WHAT'S IN YOUR PIPELINE? WHAT'S, WHAT'S READY AND WHAT NEEDS FUNDING AND WHAT'S THAT GAP? AND WE'LL STRATEGIZE TOGETHER ON, WELL THIS, THIS AGENCY WILL WANNA FUND THAT COMPONENT.
SO WE'LL ASK FOR THAT AND SORT OF PIECEMEAL IT TOGETHER.
SO, UM, STAFF WILL GO OUT TO BID FOR, UH, CONSTRUCTION ONCE WE'RE FULLY FUNDED OR REALLY, REALLY CLOSE TO IT.
DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, THANKS.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE DON'T, ONCE WE GET THE MONEY, WE'RE REALLY GOOD AT MAKING SURE WE DO THE PROJECT.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE MICROPHONES ARE A LOT MORE QUIET THAN OTHERS, SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING INTO THE MICROPHONE IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE HAPPEN TO HAVE ONE OF THE QUIET ONES.
UM, MEMBER DIETER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS AND THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE, UM, BEFORE THIS PROCESS EVEN STARTS, I'M SURE PARK DISTRICT STAFF LOOKS AT PROJECTS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.
BUT AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, IF YOU SEE A PROJECT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE MM-HMM.
AND THEN THE SECOND ONE IS ON ONE OF THE SLIDES, UM, YOU HAVE THE AMOUNT OF AWARDS THAT, THE AWARDS THAT WERE SECURED MM-HMM,
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU LISTED THE SPECIFIC PLACES OF WHAT, WHAT PROJECTS WERE DONE.
SO IT COULD BE JUST TERMINOLOGY.
[00:40:01]
ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY FROM THE FIRST SLIDE TO THE SECOND ONE.LET ME SHARE MY SCREEN AND SO I CAN MAKE SURE I'M TRACKING WITH YOU.
I'M LOOKING AT THE RIGHT THING.
UM, THE ONE THAT SAYS 2023 OVERVIEW AND THEN THE 2023 HIGHLIGHTS.
ALRIGHT, SO YOUR QUESTION IS, THERE'S, UH, A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN WHAT WAS NOTED IN THE OVERVIEW UNDER, UNDER WHAT COLUMN OR ROW UNDER, UM, UNDER AWARDS ANNOUNCED AND SECURED.
MM-HMM,
I DIDN'T LIST, UM, ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE ONES.
THIS WAS JUST SORT OF THE, THE HIGHLIGHTS SOME, UM, KEY OR SIGNIFICANT GRANT FUNDING AWARD THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR THAT WERE, UM, OF LIKE PARTICULAR NOTES.
SO THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST AT ALL.
SO THEN ABOUT THE, THE BOARD'S, UH, INVOLVEMENT IN THIS.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, THE BOARD EACH YEAR AND DIRECTOR SAN JUAN COULD JUMP IN AT ANY TIME.
UM, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE SEVERAL SESSIONS OVER THE YEAR THAT'S DISCUSSING WHAT THE PRIORITIES OF THE BOARD ARE, AND THAT'LL HELP INFLUENCE OR INFORM WHAT THE PRIORITIES OF, UM, DIFFERENT DIVISION'S, UM, WORK PLANS ARE.
SO THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WORK PLAN ALREADY HAS, UM, A FEW DOZEN PROJECTS IN THEIR PIPELINE AT VARIOUS STAGES.
UM, AND SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE TYPICALLY WHAT'S, UM, WHAT I'M LOOKING AT WHEN I'M APPLYING BECAUSE IT, THOSE ARE WHAT WE WOULD SAY, LIKE ARE THE MOST READY.
UM, THEY, THEY'RE EITHER CLOSE TO BREAKING GROUND OR THEY'RE CLOSE TO THE CLOSING THE FUNDING GAP.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY AT THE BOARD'S DIRECTION COULD SAY, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IS CRITICAL OR IMPORTANT OR PRIORITIZED.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD WANT, UM, THE STAFF TO DIRECT THEIR RESOURCES IN TIME.
AND THEN IN TURN, I'M LOOKING FOR THAT FUNDING.
SO THERE'S LOTS OF COMMUNICATION, UM, I THINK GOING IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
BUT I'M, BEFORE I SUBMIT AN APPLICATION, I'M REACHING OUT TO, UM, ALL THE DIVISIONS, THE DIFFERENT PROJECT MANAGERS SAYING WHAT ONE'S, WHAT THE UPDATE, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU NEED? HAS ANYTHING BEEN DELAYED? UM, AND THEY'RE GETTING THEIR DIRECTION FROM THEIR CHAIN OF COMMAND.
UM, DIRECTOR SAN JUAN, DO YOU WANNA ADD ANYTHING? SURE.
UM, SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER AREAS IN TERMS OF, UH, GRANTS.
I, I BELIEVE WE WOULD INCLUDE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE STATE LEGISLATOR AND THE FEDERAL, UH, MONEY THAT'S AWARDED IN THE BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS ALSO AS PART OF OUR GRANT PROGRAM.
SO I KNOW WE JUST CAME OUT WITH A REALLY BIG ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CONGRESSMAN SWALWELL ACTUALLY, WHO, UM, WAS ABLE TO, UH, AND MAYBE WE'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS TOO IN OUR SECOND INFORMATIONAL ITEM, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR WILDFIRE MITIGATION.
BUT CONGRESSMAN SWALWELL WAS ABLE TO SECURE, IT WAS AT 1.6 MILLION IN THE LATEST, UM, FEDERAL BILL FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION, 1.38, ONE POINT ONLINE.
SO A A AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, SOME OF WHAT WE DO IS WE DO, UM, GO AND MEET WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN WASHINGTON DC SO PEOPLE LIKE CONGRESSMAN ERIC SWALWELL, AS WELL AS, UM, GO TO SACRAMENTO AND MEET WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVES IN SACRAMENTO.
AND PART OF THAT EFFORT IS TO ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS WE'RE DOING AND TRYING TO ALIGN THAT WITH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT GRANT OPPORTUNITIES.
SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY EXCITING THOUGH THAT WE, WE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SECURE, YOU KNOW, FUNDING IN THAT, UM, THROUGH THAT ROUTE.
AND THEN, UM, COMING UP, I THINK IT'S JUNE, JULY, WE HAVE TWO BOARD WORKSHOPS.
THEY ARE OUR BOARD PRIORITIES WORKSHOPS.
SO WE'LL HAVE WORKSHOP ONE, WORKSHOP TWO, AND A LOT OF THAT WORKSHOP, I, I, I BELIEVE, UM, DOES FEED INTO THEN THE WORK OF THE GRANTS DEPARTMENT AND WHERE, UH, EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK STAFF WILL, UH, PRIORITIZE FOCUS AND TRYING TO ALIGN THOSE PRIORITIES WITH THE GRANTS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR AROUND THAT TIMEFRAME.
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD AREA I WANTED TO MENTION TOO IS SOMETIMES THERE MIGHT BE SOME GRANT OPPORTUNITIES IN PROJECTS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE AT THE PARK DISTRICT MAY CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE THE LEAD ON, AND THEN AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD ALSO KEEP MY EYE ON THAT PROJECT.
SO A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE IN WARD FIVE IS THE IRON HORSE TRAIL BRIDGE.
IT'S THE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE BRIDGE THAT'S GOING TO, THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY ALREADY UP OVER DUBLIN BOULEVARD CONNECTING, UM, PROVIDING A SAFER CONNECTION OF THE IRON HORSE TRAIL TO THE DUBLIN PLEASANTON BART STATION AND CITY OF DUBLIN
[00:45:01]
TOOK THE LEAD IN REGARDS TO, UM, THAT GRANT, GRANT FUNDING.A LOT OF IT CAME FROM EITHER, UM, THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE OR FROM THE ALAMEDA, THE A CTC, ALAMEDA COUNTY TRANSPORTATION, UM, COMMITTEE.
I, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SECOND SEAT IS.
FEEL FREE TO CORRECT ME OTHERWISE, BUT THAT'S A PRETTY LARGE, UM, PROJECT, REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE IRON HORSE TRAIL.
AND IT MAKES SENSE IN THAT CASE FOR CITY OF DUBLIN TO REALLY BE THE LEAD AGENCY ON THE BRIDGE, EVEN THOUGH IT IS, YOU KNOW, THE IRON HORSE TRAIL THAT, THAT IS, UH, MANAGED BY EAST BAY REGIONAL PARKS.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND YOU CORRECTLY, THEN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WOULD ACTUALLY LOBBY THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR CERTAIN IDEAS FOR GRANT FUNDING.
SO TO ANSWER THAT PART OF THE QUESTION, I THINK THAT THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, TO DO IF, IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC PROJECT THAT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THE BOARD IS AWARE OF.
MY BEST RECOMMENDATION IS A COMBINATION OF PUBLIC COMMENT DURING OUR BOARD MEETINGS, UM, WHICH ARE, YOU KNOW, EVERY FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH.
UM, AND THEN WE, WE HAVE EVERY MEETING THAT WE HAVE.
SO EVEN THESE WORKSHOPS THAT I MENTIONED, WE HAVE ONE THIS FRIDAY, ACTUALLY, HERE AT PAR OAKS, THERE'S ALWAYS A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD TO WEIGH IN.
SO EVEN WITH THE, UM, PRIORITIES WORKSHOP SESSION COMING UP, THAT WOULD ALSO BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, WEIGH IN AT PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND THEN WE ALSO DO RECEIVE EMAILS LEADING UP TO THESE MEETINGS.
AND SO I, I DO RECOMMEND ACTUALLY BOTH APPROACHES, BOTH SENDING AN EMAIL AND PUBLIC COMMENT.
'CAUSE IN THE EMAIL YOU CAN PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, MAYBE SOME DATA, MAYBE A PHOTOGRAPH, AND THEN DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, IT JUST REITERATES YOUR POINT.
UM, AND CERTAINLY FOR, UM, AND I THINK MAYBE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS TOTALLY APPLIES TO GRANTS, BUT I'M JUST THINKING OF THE, UM, WILDCAT FLOW TRAIL FOR THE MOUNTAIN BIKING TEAMS AT BERKELEY AND ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN REALLY, UH, GOOD IN REGARDS TO BEING INVOLVED DURING OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
AND I THINK THEY HAVE ALSO PARTICIPATED HERE AT THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD HERE AS WELL.
AND, UM, I, I THINK IT'S JUST A GOOD EXAMPLE OF MAKING SURE THAT THAT PROJECT, UH, STAYS TOP OF MIND AND GETS TO BE A PART OF THE MIX.
UM, MY QUESTION IS IF, COULD YOU GIVE A BALLPARK OR MAYBE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHERE OUR GRANT SOURCES ARE FROM? LIKE STATE, FEDERAL, WE HEARD SOME APPROPRIATIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, CONGRESS.
ARE THERE ANY PHILANTHROPIC GRANTS OR MAYBE OTHER CATEGORIES THAT I DIDN'T NEED? LIST? MM-HMM.
UH, BETWEEN 70 AND 80% OF OUR GRANT FUNDS ARE STATE, UM, FLUCTUATES A LITTLE BIT YEAR TO YEAR, BUT, SO THAT'S ROUGHLY THE BALLPARK ON AVERAGE.
UM, AND THEN AFTER THAT IT'S PROBABLY 10 TO 15% FEDERAL.
UM, A VERY SMALL PORTION OF OUR GRANTS ARE, UH, PRIVATE OR, UM, FROM A, YEAH, FROM A, SO LIKE THE NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION, WE GET A FEW GRANTS FROM THEM EVERY YEAR, BUT IT'S VERY SMALLER DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
UM, AND THEN A SMALL PORTION OF GRANTS COMING FROM LOCAL AGENCIES.
AND SO WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT, UM, LIKE A CTC OR, UH, CONTRA COSTA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
UM, SO AGAIN, AGAIN, UH, HEADLINE IS A MAJORITY OF OUR GRANTS ARE STATE FUNDING.
AND THAT'S COMING FROM, UH, CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION.
UH, IT'S A COASTAL CONSERVANCY, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD, CAL FIRE.
UM, THOSE WOULD BE THE BIG ONES THAT WE GET A LOT OF OUR FUNDING FROM.
AND THEN FEDERAL, UM, MOST OF OUR FEDERAL IS COMING FROM FEMA.
UM, AND THEN WE GET THE LAST COUPLE YEARS HAVE GOTTEN AT LEAST ONE GRANT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AS WELL.
UH, MY OTHER QUESTION IS, UH, DIRECTOR OR, UM, COMMITTEE MEMBER REED AND I GOT TO GO ON THE BOARD TOUR ON FRIDAY OUT TO, UM, THE PORT COSTA STAGING AREA, WHICH WAS THE SCENE OR THE, THE SITE OF THE SCENIC FIRE AND THE RECOVERY EFFORT THERE.
AND, UM, WE JUST BASICALLY GOT TO SEE A GRANT IN ACTION.
UM, OR IT'S A GRANT BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD, IF I HAVE THAT CORRECTLY.
UM, UH, BUT ESSENTIALLY AS THE, THE RECOVERING FROM THE FIRE, THEY KNEW THAT WHAT WAS EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC WAS THE EUCALYPTUS.
AND THERE WERE, UM, THEY'RE REPLANTING OAKS.
UM, THEY HAD A WHOLE LIKE, VERY THOROUGH, THOUGHTFUL PROCESS ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT.
THE OAK ACORNS ACTUALLY CAME FROM ANOTHER SITE WITHIN THE PARK DISTRICT JUST A FEW MILES AWAY.
UM, SO IT WAS JUST A REALLY FANTASTIC EXPERIENCE TO SEE, UM, THE, THE STEWARDSHIP
[00:50:01]
MM-HMM.AND WISH YOU THE BEST IN GETTING THOSE BECAUSE GREAT PROJECT.
UM, MY QUESTION IS PERHAPS A, A LITTLE MORE FOCUSED AND NARROWER, UH, HORIZON.
UH, YOU MENTIONED THE TRAIL GAP, TRAIL GAP CLOSURE FOR THE GEORGE MILLER TRAIL, UH, THAT'S VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART AND I WAS WONDERING A COUPLE OF THINGS ABOUT THAT.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT? UH, HOW FAR IT'S ADVANCING, WHAT KIND OF, UH, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE LOOK FOR IT LIKE FOR IT AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF FUNDING THAT IS ULTIMATELY GONNA BE NEEDED FOR IT? DO WE HAVE IN HAND? MM-HMM.
UM, SO THE, THAT PROJECT IS CURRENTLY STILL IN DESIGN.
UM, WE'RE WORKING TO GET TO A HUNDRED PERCENT DESIGN.
UM, THEIR, UH, DESIGN HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD, UM, WHICH JUST TAKES A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, SO WE SORT OF, FOR THE RAILROAD, THEY SORT OF SEE IT AS 0% DESIGN UNTIL THEY'VE APPROVED IT.
SO, UM, FOR US, WE PROBABLY'D SEE IT MORE AS LIKE WE'RE CLOSER TO MAYBE 60% DESIGN.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE NOT QUITE FULLY FUNDED, BUT, UM, ONCE WE GET TO FULL DESIGN, WE'LL HAVE AN UPDATED COST ESTIMATE AND WE'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE FUNDING DEFICIT IS.
BUT, UM, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, WITHOUT HAVING LOOKED AT THE BUDGET RECENTLY, WE'RE MAYBE ABOUT A MILLION, MILLION AND A HALF SHORT.
UM, THIS IS A SORT OF UNIQUE HOW BIG A TOTAL? OH, UM, I'D SAY ROUGHLY 8 MILLION.
UM, THIS PROJECT WILL ACTUALLY BE IMPLEMENTED BY THE CONTRA COSTA TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY.
UM, THEY APPLIED FOR A FEDERAL GRANT THAT THE PARK DISTRICT WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR.
UM, THEY HAD AN ENTIRE PACKAGE WITH SEVERAL PROJECTS, THIS BEING ONE OF THEM.
UM, THE, THE DRAWBACK IS THAT AS THE LEAD APPLICANT, THEY ARE REQUIRED TO IMPLEMENT THE PROJECT.
SO THEY'LL BE RUNNING POINT ON, UM, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS AND EVEN COMPLETING DESIGN.
WE'LL STILL BE AT THE TABLE SITTING DOWN AND LOOKING AT DESIGN AND APPROVING IT, BUT THEY'RE THE, THE LEAD ENTITY WHO WILL RUN THOSE BIDS AND, AND PAY THE BILLS ESSENTIALLY.
AND THEN WE WILL REIMBURSE THEM WITH OUR GRANT FUNDS.
UM, I THINK NEXT YEAR WOULD BE OPTIMISTIC IN SAYING CONSTRUCTION WOULD BREAK GROUND, BUT REALLY TRUE.
THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE VERY OPTIMISTIC
BUT, UM, I'M NOT THE TRAILS, UH, PROGRAM MANAGER, SO, UM, HOPEFULLY HE'S NOT GETTING MAD AT ME, UH, RIGHT NOW.
SO I WOULD THINK WE'RE PROBABLY MORE LIKELY LIKE TWO YEARS OUT.
BUT DEPENDS ON HOW QUICKLY THE RAILROAD WANTS TO MOVE.
HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
THE SHORTER MY TIMELINE IS FOR TRYING TO SEE THESE THINGS DONE,
I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.
SO LIKE TO SAY WHILE I'M STILL HERE,
YOU KNOW, THE EXAMPLE I USED EARLIER ABOUT THE IRON HORSE TRAIL BRIDGE, YOU KNOW, THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION TRAILS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY IS A PRIORITY HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT.
BUT IT'S TRUE, THERE'S MANY CASES WHERE WE MAY NOT BE THE LEAD AGENCY OR ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS, BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE INVOLVED.
'CAUSE WE, WE, WE DO SEE THAT IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE ACTIVE TRANSIT ACTS, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, AND HELPING PEOPLE GET TO PLACES LIKE A BART STATION OR TO THEIR JOBS OR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO DO AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION BESIDES AUTOMOBILES.
I KNOW SHE'S HAD HER HAND UP FOR A WHILE.
UM, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S FLEXIBILITY.
UM, I THINK MAYBE THIS QUESTION IS MORE FOR, UM, OUR BOARD OF BOARD DIRECTOR WHO'S HERE TODAY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS, I APPRECIATED YOUR COMMENT EARLIER WHERE YOU SAID YOU REPRESENT WARD FIVE, BUT YOU ALSO LOOK OUT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE WHOLE, UM, PARK DISTRICT.
AND SO CAN YOU TALK WITH US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT WORKS? YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, LET'S SAY THERE'S A PROJECT THAT A DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE FUNDING ALLOCATED TOWARD, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THERE'S LIMITED FUNDS.
WHAT IS THE PROCESS, UM, THAT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES ENGAGE IN AS WELL? IS IT, IS IT STRICTLY BASED ON, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDING AVAILABLE AND WHICHEVER AREA HAS THE GREATEST NEED OR, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING MORE POLITICAL THAT'S INVOLVED? I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE PROJECT.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT STAGES AS WELL IN TERMS OF, UM, IN TERMS OF WHERE THE, UH, WORK HAPPENED.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S THE COMMENT THAT,
[00:55:01]
UH, KATIE HAD MADE EARLIER IN HER PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW THERE IS A CONVERSATION WITH THE EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK STAFF MEMBER.YOU KNOW, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S URGENT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR? OR IS IT SOMETHING THAT CAN WAIT A FEW YEARS IN TERMS OF THE PROJECT AND TO ALIGN THAT WITH THE GRANTS TEAM'S, UM, WORK PLAN? I, I THINK IT'S VERY SIMILAR ON, AT THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR LEVEL.
YOU KNOW, EARLIER, I, I I I'LL SHARE, YOU KNOW, A PROJECT THAT I'M PERSONALLY REALLY TRYING TO WORK ON, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY IS SOMEWHAT EARLY STAGE.
AND I THINK ALL OF, MOST OF YOU, IF NOT ALL OF YOU, HAVE SOME LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT IN WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PUBLIC AGENCIES AND KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN REALLY SLOW AND THEN THEY CAN HAPPEN REALLY FAST DEPENDING ON WHEN THE MONEY'S AVAILABLE AND WHO'S TALKING TO WHO WHEN.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT I WAS KIND OF REFERENCING EARLIER, BUT DIDN'T REALLY GET INTO THE DETAILS, YOU KNOW, I'M REALLY, UM, HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LONG-TERM RELIABLE SOLUTION FOR WATER AT SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE.
AND I GUESS IN TERMS OF ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO THE EARLIER QUESTION AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, YOU KNOW, I DO FEEL A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET WATER IN SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE IN 2023.
I, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST HALF OF MY, UH, YOU KNOW, FIRST TERM HERE ON THE PARK DISTRICT BOARD, UM, BUT IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM RELIABLE SOLUTION.
AND I KNOW AT ZONE SEVEN, AND I, I KNOW WHEN I WAS ON THE ZONE SEVEN BOARD, I VOTED TO HELP FUND, UH, YOU KNOW, STARTING THAT PROJECT.
IT'S CALLED THE CHAIN OF LAKES PIPELINE TO HELP BRING WATER FROM LAKE DELVAL TO THE CHAIN OF LAKES AREA, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHAIN, CHAIN OF LAKES AREAS, ALL THE LAKES ALONG STANLEY BOULEVARD, WHICH SHADOW CLIFFS IS A PART OF.
AND I'D LOVE TO SEE A TURNOUT ON THIS PIPELINE INTO SHADOW CLIFFS LAKE.
AND, UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, COLLABORATE WITH MY PREVIOUS AGENCY ZONE SEVEN ON THIS.
AND MY POINT HERE IS THAT I, I, I WOULD, UH, CLASSIFY THIS PROJECT AS ONE WHERE I'M TRYING TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION, TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION, TRYING TO KEEP THIS TOP OF MIND FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, UH, IN THE CHAIN OF LAKES AREA OF THE TRI-VALLEY.
BUT IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD, I MIGHT MENTION IT WHEN I CAN, OR, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M HERE WITH YOU MENTIONING IT HERE, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I KNOW, UH, KATIE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS WORKING ON BECAUSE WE'RE NOT REALLY ANYWHERE, UH, CLOSE TO HAVING THIS, YOU KNOW, PROJECT PLAN IN PLACE OR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS TURNOUT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT POINT I MADE SOMETIMES HAPPEN.
THINGS HAPPEN REALLY SLOW UNTIL THEY HAPPEN REALLY FAST.
SO UNLESS THERE'S THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CATALYST MOMENT WHERE THIS, THIS THEN BECOMES SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING FAST, IT MIGHT STILL BE IN THIS, YOU KNOW, CONVERSATION TYPE OF PHASE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT HELPS ANSWER, BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
I GUESS TO THE OTHER POINT OF THAT, UH, IN TERMS OF THE RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, I, I TRY TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT I REPRESENT SO THAT I CAN BE ON TOP OF THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WHEN THINGS ARE MOVING FROM THAT HAPPENING SLOW TO HAPPENING FAST, I'VE GOT THAT BACKGROUND INFORMATION, I'M READY TO JUMP IN WITH, UM, THAT INFORMATION.
AND IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING MY COLLEAGUES, YOU KNOW, REALLY KIND OF GIVING THEM ALSO THAT BENEFIT IF THERE IS SOMETHING HAPPENING WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THEIR WARDS THAT THEY'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH, THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO ALSO START TO MOBILIZE AND, YOU KNOW, PUT SOME, UH, PRIORITIZATION AROUND.
SO I THINK IT'S A, IT'S A TEAM EFFORT ACROSS SO MANY DIFFERENT ENTITIES.
IT SEEMS TO ME THERE'S A, A A, I DON'T KNOW, I WOULD CALL IT AN OPPORTUNISTIC ELEMENT OF GRANTS WHERE THEY KIND OF POP UP THE AVAILABILITY OF THEM.
DO YOU HAVE A CAPABILITY TO QUICKLY, UH, ADDRESS SOMETHING WHEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT KIND OF POPS UP? MM-HMM.
SOMETIMES, UH, FOR THE MOST PART, THE, UH, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS OR THE NOTICE OF FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, MIGHT ONLY BE A 30 DAY WINDOW FOR AN APPLICATION.
IT'S USUALLY LIKE 60 OR 90, BUT THERE'S STILL A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME TO PUT TOGETHER A COMPETITIVE APPLICATION.
UM, THERE ARE ON OCCASION, UM, UH, WELL, JUST FOR EXAMPLE, LAST YEAR THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION BOARD REACHED OUT AND THEY SAID, HEY, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO USE OUR, UM, APPORTIONMENT FROM THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND.
DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT? THE APPLICATION IS DUE TOMORROW.
SO WE LUCKILY HAD A FEW THINGS THAT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN AN OPTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY REACH OUT TO PRO PROJECT MANAGER AND SUSS OUT WHAT DO WE NEED AND IS THIS THE RIGHT DOLLAR AMOUNT? IS THIS DOABLE? SO WE, WE ARE VERY FLEXIBLE, UM, AND CAN BE VERY NIMBLE.
I THINK PART OF THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M MEETING REGULARLY, WHETHER IT'S QUARTERLY OR MONTHLY, BIMONTHLY WITH THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, UM, ASKING
[01:00:01]
WHAT DO YOU NEED MONEY FOR? WHAT'S READY? WHAT'S IN THE PIPELINE? WHAT'S GOING ON? SO WHEN I DO GET THOSE CALLS OR SEE THAT EMAIL, IT'S UM, USUALLY PRETTY EASY TO QUICKLY MAKE A DETERMINATION OF, YES, WE DO HAVE A PROJECT FOR THAT, THAT'S GONNA FIT THE BILL.I DON'T SEE ANY MORE HANDS FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE UPDATE.
THERE'S SO MANY GREAT PROJECTS GOING ON.
UM, CAN I JUST, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, UH, I KNOW KATIE, THAT YOU'RE SEEING, UM, A LOT OF MORE REQUESTS FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT IN GRANT APPLICATIONS AND JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND THANK PAC MEMBERS FOR PROVIDING LETTERS OF SUPPORT.
UM, AND THEN ALSO COMING TO SITE VISITS, I THINK, I THINK POSSIBLY, UH, IGOR, UH, ATTENDED ONE OF THE SITE VISITS FOR THE MARTINEZ PROJECT, SO THAT'S ALSO VERY HELPFUL.
AND IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT, UH, TO SECURE GRANTS.
THEY, THE GRANT AGENTS JUST WANNA SEE THAT THERE'S COMMUNITY BUY-IN THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS ARE INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT, THEY WANT THIS PROJECT, THEY'VE, THEY'VE GIVEN INPUT ON DESIGN.
UH, AND FOR THE MOST PART, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN A SHIFT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
BEFORE IT COULD BE, WE WOULD GIVE A FEW LETTERS FROM, YOU KNOW, THE SENATOR OR A CONGRESS MEMBER BUT NOW AGENCIES ARE WANTING TO SEE THE NEIGHBOR, THE RESIDENT, THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY GROUPS AROUND THAT PROJECT AREA.
SO, UM, JUST TO DITTO, ERIC, THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE PROVIDED THOSE LETTERS OR HAVE REACHED OUT TO YOUR CONTACTS AND THE COMMUNITIES.
IT DOES GO A SIGNIFICANT, UM, WAY IN THESE PROJECTS.
SO WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY HERE, UM, AS OUR, AS REPRESENTING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PUBLIC.
SO THANKS SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE.
NEXT UP, WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON OUR, UH, WILDFIRE MITIGATION PROGRAM.
ISN'T THAT A COOL SCREENSAVER?
SECOND, SHOULD WE GET, IT'S RARE THAT WE TAKE A RESTROOM BREAK, I DON'T THINK
IT'S OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE.
EVERYBODY HEAR ME? DON'T USUALLY NEED THESE.
DON'T WANNA BLOW YOUR EARS OUT.
SO MY NAME'S EILEEN TYLEE, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO I HAVEN'T MET, UM, I AM THE FIRE CHIEF VPAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, AND WE'RE GONNA BE GIVING YOU A PRESENTATION ON, UM, ON THE INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE HAVE MET SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PARKS FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT AND FUELS REDUCTION.
I'M GONNA DO THE FIRST COUPLE OF SLIDES AND THEN I'M GONNA HAND IT OVER TO MY ASSISTANT CHIEF KARI HAYLEY.
THE TITLE IS LEADING THE WAY ON WILDFIRE, UM, PROTECTION WITH INNOVATION MODELS FOR FUELS MANAGEMENT.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE YOU BACK AND KIND OF GIVE YOU A, A BIT OF AN, AN OVERVIEW FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW KIND OF THE JOURNEY THAT, THAT WE'VE HAD HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT WITH REGARDS TO FUELS MANAGEMENT.
WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN DOING FUELS MANAGEMENT SINCE THE 1960S.
UM, SOMETIMES WITH GREAT EFFECT AND SOMETIMES WITH NOT SO GREAT EFFECT.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE GONE IN AND WE'VE DONE FUELS MANAGEMENT, UM, WE'VE LEARNED, AND THEN WE'VE COME BACK AND DONE BETTER.
SO, UM, IN 2010 PASSED THE, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, UH, PASSED, UM, A VOTE FOR A PLAN.
IT'S CALLED THE WILDFIRE HAZARD REDUCTION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN.
IT'S QUITE A MOUTHFUL, SO YOU MAY HEAR US CALL IT THE RUM.
UM, SO WHILE IMPLEMENTING THAT VERY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UM, THAT IT TOOK US EIGHT YEARS TO GET ENVIRONMENTAL PERMITTING ON, WE NOTICED IN 2020, UM, ACTUALLY OUR STAFF NOTICED THAT WE HAD, UM, AN ACCELERATED DECLINE OF A LOT OF TREES.
THEY WERE, UM, DEAD AND DYING AND IN LARGE, LARGE AREAS, LARGE GROUPS OF TREES, LOTS OF ACREAGE.
AND THEN IT WASN'T JUST A PARK DISTRICT PROBLEM, AND IT WASN'T JUST A REGIONAL PROBLEM, IT WAS A STATE PROBLEM THEY'VE EXPERIENCED, UM, LIKE EVENTS DOWN IN LAKE ARROWHEAD, WHICH YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN OF.
AND 20 YEARS LATER, THEY'RE STILL DOING FUELS MITIGATION DOWN THERE.
SO, UM, BECAUSE OF OUR DEDICATED STAFF THAT WERE BOOTS ON THE GROUND, UM, AND THAT WERE OUT THERE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THEM, THEY WERE WORKING IN, UH, THIS OBSERVATION WAS MADE, UH, THE ALARM WAS KIND OF SOUNDED, IF YOU WILL.
UH, AND SO THE DISTRICT STARTED TO, UM, REALLY KIND OF ANALYZE WHERE THE MOST AFFECTED AREAS WERE.
NOW WE HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THEM.
UM, IT'S IN SEVERAL OF OUR PARKS.
BUT REALLY THE MAJOR AREAS OF CONCERN THAT WE IDENTIFIED AS KIND OF THE BIGGEST CHUNKS, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, OR AN ANTHONY CHABOT AND TILDEN PARK.
[01:05:01]
DAB AND THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, FOR THOSE OF YOU, UM, WHO KNOW THE TERM WE USE IS WEI.SO IN 20 21, 20 22, UM, WE SOUNDED THE ALARM WITH GRANTS AND WE SOUNDED THE ALARM WITH GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
UM, TOOK THEM OUT, ACTUALLY GAVE THEM KIND OF A TOUR.
AND, UM, REALLY, WE ALL KIND OF BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS NOT JUST A FUELS MANAGEMENT ISSUE, UH, A RESOURCE ISSUE, BUT KIND OF A PUBLIC EMERGENCY.
UM, AND WE ALREADY HAD OUR, OUR PARK DISTRICT'S, UM, FUELS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN PLACE.
WE ALREADY HAVE OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE OUR OWN STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO SOUND THE ALARM, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WENT UP THE CHAIN, UM, TO SACRAMENTO, WE ENDED UP GIVING, GETTING SOME HELP AND THE WAY OF MONEY.
UM, SO IN 2023 IS WHERE PROBABLY OUR BIGGEST PUSH TOOK PLACE.
WE HAD 7.5 MILLION, UM, FOR THE ANTHONY CHABOT STATE FUNDED PROJECT, WHICH BEGAN IN MAY OF 2022.
UM, AND THAT WAS A BIG SUCCESS.
AND WHY A PILOT PROJECT WHEN WE'VE BEEN DOING FUELS MANAGEMENT FOR YEARS, BECAUSE, UM, WE WERE GOING TO USE A VERY, UM, INNOVATIVE WAY THAT WAS THAT BOTH SEQUESTERED CARBON, IT WAS THE MOST FINANCIALLY, UM, MOST PHY PHYSICALLY RESPONSIBLE, MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT IT WAS, UM, IT WAS A REACH.
SO, UH, I'LL AND KARI WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THAT IN, IN A FEW MINUTES.
UM, SO THE PILOT PROJECT WENT EXTREMELY WELL.
UM, AND THEN IN MAY OF 2022, WE COMPLETED 365 ACRES.
I'M SORRY, WE STARTED 365 ACRES.
IT WILL BE COMPLETED, UM, IN 2024.
UM, THE OTHER REALLY COOL THING THAT HAPPENED IS I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT THE RUM, THE WILDFIRE FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT COVERED A VERY LARGE AREA IN THE PARK DISTRICT, ABOUT 3000 ACRES DIRECTLY IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE.
ALL THE WAY FROM POINT PINOLA DOWN TO LAKE CHABOT.
BUT IT DIDN'T CAPTURE EVERYTHING THAT WE WANTED, AND IT CERTAINLY DID NOT CAPTURE, UM, SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE WE NOTICED THIS, THIS, UM, ACCELERATED DECLINE OF SOME OF OUR TREES.
SO STAFF WENT AND SOUGHT OUT WHAT'S CALLED THE CAL VTP, AND BASICALLY THAT'S A PERMITTING PROCESS THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA STATE FORESTRY BOARD, UM, WHERE THE EIR IS DONE UPFRONT.
IT TELLS US WHAT KIND OF WORK WE CAN DO WHERE, UM, AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THAT PERMIT.
SO, BACK TO THE WOOL RAMP, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, IF YOU LOOK, IT'S KIND OF WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED ALL THE WAY UP FROM POINT PINOLE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO LAKE CHABOT.
AND THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT COLORS THERE.
ONE IS MAINTENANCE AND ONE IS, UM, INITIAL ENTRY.
SO THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT IN THE RUM THAT WE HAD NOT EVER GONE INTO BEFORE AND SOME THAT WE HAD BEEN MAINTAINING.
AND HERE'S KIND OF A BREAKDOWN.
UM, IT'S PRIMARILY A VERY PROACTIVE FIRE PREVENTION, UM, MODE.
THERE'S 130 TREATMENT AREAS AND THEY VARIED IN SIZE FROM ONE ACRE TO 98 OR MORE.
UM, COVERS 3000 ACRES AND IT'S INVOLVES NINE REGIONAL PARKS, THE CAL VTP.
WHAT THAT DOES FOR US IS IT ALLOWS US THE ABILITY TO CAPTURE THOSE TREES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, THAT WE IDENTIFIED IN TILDEN PARK SPECIFICALLY, ALSO IN SOME OTHER AREAS.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO ADD ANOTHER 24 PLUS HUNDRED ACRES, UM, TO THE AREA THAT WE CAN MANAGE.
SO THAT'S KIND OF, THAT, THAT'S HUGE FOR US.
AND OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CAL DV, CAL VTP THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE DISTRICT SO THAT WE CAN BE, UM, VERY AGGRESSIVE IN, IN HOW WE DO FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK.
UM, AND SO RIGHT NOW WE COVER FIVE REGIONAL PARKS, BUT LIKE I SAID, WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND THAT YOUR SLIDE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA TALK ABOUT REAL QUICK BEFORE I INTRODUCE KARI, IS THAT, UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF TOOLS AND KARI WILL TOUCH ON THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN USING AS TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX.
ONE OF THEM IS A FUELS CREW, UM, THAT WE DEVELOPED.
WE WERE THE FIRST, I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT.
THAT'S WHY I'M TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRAG ABOUT IT.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF IN THE FIREFIGHTING WORLD THERE WAS, THERE'S A GROUP CALLED MOUNT, THE MOUNT TAM CREW THAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OR SEEN ON THE NEWS.
UM, THEREFORE ACROSS, OVER AT MOUNT, UM, TAM PIUS IN MARIN COUNTY, UH, WE HAVE THE DIABLOS.
IT'S A 16 PERSON CREW WITH TWO LIEUTENANTS, OR ONE LIEUTENANT, I'M SORRY, AND A CAPTAIN AND TWO LEADS.
UM, IT WAS A GREAT WAY FOR THE DISTRICT TO HAVE A, A BIG, A BEGINNER ENTRY LEVEL POSITION.
[01:10:01]
COULD COME IN AND TEACH PEOPLE THE KIND OF THE FINER POINTS OF DOING FUELS MITIGATION, NOT JUST A LO AND SCATTER.AND, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN COMING INTO AREAS LIKE THIS THAT YOU SEE IN THE BEFORE, UH, WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF GROUNDWORK, UM, MAYBE DIFFICULT FOR MACHINERY TO GET IN, WHICH IS ANOTHER TOOL WE USE IN THE TOOLBOX.
AND YOU SEE THE AFTER RESULTS.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST ONE OF THE TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX.
AND, AND KA WILL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHERS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, KARI HALEY, GOOD AFTERNOON.
PAC MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR OF SAN JUAN.
MY NAME'S KARI HALEY, ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF.
I'M IN CHARGE OF THE FUELS MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT FOR THE PARK DISTRICT.
THE PROJECT THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A PROJECT UP IN TILDEN PARK.
IT'S ACTUALLY ADJACENT FROM THE GOLF COURSE.
IT'S IN THE AREA THAT WE HAD A FIRE A COUPLE YEARS AGO CALLED THE AJAX FIRE.
IT'S ON ONE OF THOSE NIGHTS THAT AS FIREFIGHTERS, WE DON'T WANT A FIRE TO OCCUR.
UH, RESOURCES LOCALLY WERE, UH, SCATTERED, UH, DEPLOYED TO FIRES THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA.
AND WE BROKE A FIRE ON DISTRICT LAND, AND IT HAPPENED TO BE IN ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE WERE DOING FUELS WORK.
UH, AN AREA THAT WE HAVE A FUEL BREAK AND THAT WE'VE BEEN MAINTAINING.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS A CONTINUATION OF THAT FUEL BREAK.
IT'S, UH, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, ADJACENT FROM THE GOLF COURSE, KIND OF WHERE THE, THE, UH, THE ENTRANCE OF THE GOLF COURSE ACROSS THE STREET, ABOUT 200 FEET FROM SOME HOMES, UH, OF THE CITY OF BERKELEY.
AND SO THAT'S AN AREA THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING WORK, UH, FUNDED BY A PG E PG E GRANT AND THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUNDS.
BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BEFORE AND AFTER.
IT'S A PRETTY, UH, GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE'RE DOING UP IN THAT AREA.
LIKE I SAID, 200 FEET WITHIN HOMES.
AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER PICTURE, UH, FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE OF THAT PROJECT WHERE YOU CAN SEE THERE'S LOTS OF, UH, UH, DOWN TREES AND, UH, TREES THAT NEED TO BE LIMBED.
AND NOW THOSE TREES ARE LIMBED AND THE BENEFIT OF THAT WORK, NOT TRYING TO REMOVE ALL THE VEGETATION.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO REMOVE ALL THE FUEL.
THE GOAL IS TO MAKE IT SO THAT IF WE DO HAVE A FIRE, IT'S GONNA PRODUCE FLAME LANES THAT ARE LESS THAN SIX FEET.
THOSE ARE FLAME LANES AS FIREFIGHTERS THAT WE CAN SUPPRESS AND IDEALLY SUPPRESS QUICKLY.
AND SO THAT'S THE GOAL OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE TYPE OF WORK THAT YOU SEE HERE.
LET ME SHOW YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
THIS IS SOME ROADSIDE WORK THAT WE DID IN SIBLEY ROADSIDE WORK IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF FIRES START ON THE SIDE OF ROADS.
SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT REALIZE THAT WHEN CARS PULL OVER ON HOT DAYS, 'CAUSE THEY OVERHEATED OR THEY HAVE A HOT EXHAUST PIPE WITH A CADILLAC CONVERTER AND THAT TOUCHES A BLADE OF GRASS, THAT'S AN EASY WAY TO IGNITE A FIRE.
SO WE DO LOTS OF WORK ADJACENT TO ROADS SO THAT IF THAT DOES OCCUR, THE DISTRICT'S LAND IS, IS NOT GONNA BE PROBLEMATIC WITH, WITH A IGNITION LIKE THAT.
THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, NOT ONLY WERE WE TAKING CARE OF THE LIGHT FLASHY FUELS, BUT WE'RE ALSO, UH, REMOVING SOME OF THE DEAD TREES THAT WERE AFFECTED, UH, FROM THE TREE MORTALITY THAT'S AFFECTING MANY OF OUR PARKS.
EARLIER, CHIEF TYLEE SPOKE ABOUT OUR FUELS CREW.
LIKE SHE SAID, WE HAVE A 16 PERSON FUELS CREW, 12 MEMBERS, TWO FUEL LEADS, ONE LIEUTENANT AND ONE CAPTAIN.
AND ONE, THE BENEFITS OF THAT FUELS CREW IS IT CAN BE DEPLOYED WITHIN ONE HOUR.
WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES, OBVIOUSLY WE DO CONTRACTS, RFPS, WHICH TAKE A LONG TIME TO DEVELOP AND GET MOBILIZED.
WE HAVE TASK ORDERS, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT MORE NIMBLE PROCESS FOR US.
WE CAN, WHERE WE CAN GET CONTRACTORS OUT WITHIN A WEEK.
BUT WHEN WE HAVE OUR OWN EMPLOYEES, FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES AND A FUELS CREW THAT'S VERSATILE, WE CAN LITERALLY MOBILIZE THIS GROUP WITHIN AN HOUR.
AND THEY CAN DO, UH, WE CAN MOBILIZE 'EM FOR FUELS WORK, FOR INITIAL TREATMENT, FOR MAINTENANCE.
UH, AND WHERE THEY ARE A SPECIALTY IS THAT THERE'S AREAS WHERE MECHANICAL WORK IS NOT, UH, IDEAL BECAUSE THERE'S, UH, SENSITIVE ECOLOGICAL FEATURES IN THE AREA.
AND THAT'S WHERE HAVING A FUELS CREW IS BENEFICIAL.
AND BY HAVING A DISTRICT'S FUELS CREW, THEY'RE TRAINED AND PLANT ID AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CARE ABOUT AS A PARK DISTRICT.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS SOME OF THE WORK THAT OUR FUELS CREW PERFORMS. AND ON THAT LEFT PICTURE OF THE BEFORE, CAN'T REALLY SEE IT, BUT THERE'S A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT'S KIND OF HIDDEN THERE.
AND THAT IS A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT CALLED A GREEN CLIMBER.
AND IT CAN REMOVE BRUSH THAT'S PRETTY THICK AND IT'S A LITTLE REMOTE CONTROL DEVICE.
IT'S A GREAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
'CAUSE MANY TIMES THEY'RE WORKING
[01:15:01]
AND FUELS ARE NOT DESIRABLE.WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POISED OAK THAT CAN BE FIVE FEET TALL AND THEY'RE EXPECTED TO GO THROUGH WITH CHAINSAWS AND REMOVE THE POISON OAK.
WELL, WE NOW HAVE OTHER PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT CAN MAKE THAT WORK A LITTLE BIT SAFER AND EASIER FOR THEM BY HAVING THE GREEN CLIMBER DO THAT TYPE OF WORK AND USING THE FUELS CREW ONLY WHEN WE HAVE TO, WHEN IT COMES TO WORKING THOSE TYPE OF FUELS.
THAT'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THEIR WORK.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S LOTS OF DRY BRUSH IN THIS CANYON.
AND IF A FIRE WAS TO START IN THAT AREA, JUST IMAGINE SUMMER, LET'S SAY IT'S AROUND SEPTEMBER, EVERYTHING'S DRY AND BRITTLE, HOT AND FIRE WOULD IGNITE THAT FIRE WOULD BE EXTREMELY HAPPY AND IT'S GONNA BURN WELL.
WELL NOW ON THE RIGHT SIDE OR THE AFTER PITCHER, YOU SEE PILES OF BRUSH THERE.
AND RIGHT NOW OUR CREWS ARE BURNING THOSE PILES.
SO WE CREATE 'EM DURING, UH, EARLIER PARTS OF THE YEAR AND THEN DURING WINTER WE BURN THOSE PILES.
AND NOW IF A FIRE WAS TO START IN THIS CANYON, IT'S GONNA BE A FIRE THAT WE CAN MITIGATE WITH OUR SUPPRESSION RESOURCES.
AND THAT'S, UH, SOME OF THE MAIN GOALS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE HERE.
AND I WANTED TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON AS A PARK DISTRICT AND WHY WE ARE DOING, UM, WELL, YOU ALWAYS HEAR US TALKING ABOUT THE INNOVATIVE, UH, WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, WE HAVE A PROJECT OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT.
UH, WE SAID EARLIER WE STARTED WITH A PILOT PROJECT OF 80 ACRES AND WE DID ANOTHER PROJECT.
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN RIGHT NOW 365 ACRES FOR 7.5 MILLION OF THE EUCALYPTUS PLANTATION OUT THERE.
THIS PROJECT IS SO INNOVATIVE AND HAS GRABBED SO MUCH ATTENTION.
WE'VE LITERALLY DONE 40 TOURS WITH STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL ENTITIES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE WANTED TO COME OUT AND SEE THE WORK THAT THE DISTRICT IS DOING WHEN IT COMES TO FUELS MANAGEMENT, TREE THINNING AND BIOMASS PROCESSING, UH, UTILIZING THE CAR CARBONATOR OR CARBONIZE, WHICH HAS BEEN REBRANDED TO PROCESS BIOMASS.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
SO, UH, JUST REAL QUICK, I WANNA PAUSE THAT.
PREVIOUS FOOTAGE WAS TAKEN BY OUR PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
WE PUT TOGETHER A PIECE FOR THE MEDIA.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM CREDIT FOR THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY DO.
AND THE FOOTAGE THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE RIGHT NOW WAS TAKEN BY OUR GIS DEPARTMENT.
THEY HAVE A DRONE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO DEPLOY ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT AND TAKE FOOTAGE FROM THE AIR.
AND THIS FOOTAGE GIVES US THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE PROJECT, FIGURE OUT, UH, WHAT AREAS HAVE BEEN THIN TO OUR, OUR EXPECTATION, WHAT AREAS ARE HAVING SOME CHALLENGES WITH REGROWTH.
BUT ALSO IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR PRESENTATIONS LIKE THIS WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE PROJECT FROM THE AIR, UH, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE, THE BROWN SPOTS WITHIN THE TREES.
THOSE ARE AREAS THAT WERE THINNED.
AND PREVIOUS, PREVIOUS, BEFORE WE DID THIS WORK, IT WAS SO THICK THAT YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO WALK THROUGH THE STANDS OF TREES.
IT WOULD BE LIKE WALKING THROUGH A PICKETED FENCE.
AND SO NOW YOU CAN SEE THE, THE, UH, THE WORK AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S BEEN THINNED.
AND WE'RE DOING THAT WITH, WITH HUNDREDS OF ACRES OVER AT ANTHONY CHABOT.
UH, THE PROJECT THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, THAT'S 90% THROUGH, UH, OR COMPLETED THAT PROJECT WAS OR IS THE LARGEST FUELS MANAGEMENT PROJECT IN PARK DISTRICT HISTORY AND THE LARGEST IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
AND WE'RE JUST REALLY PROUD OF THE, THE TEAM IN EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING HERE.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE REUSING BIOCHAR.
AND SO SOME OF THE FUN FACTS, IF YOU LOOK HERE ON OUR PROJECT, YOU HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE TREE THINNING AND BIOCHAR AND CARBONIZE AND CARBON SEQUESTERING.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'M MOST PROUD ABOUT IS THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TO PROTECT THE COMMUNITIES OF CASTRO VALLEY AND OAKLAND.
PREVIOUSLY WE HAD HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF DEAD STANDING TREES, AND I KNOW WHEN PEOPLE WOULD HIKE THROUGH THESE PARKS, I WOULD GET PERSONALLY GET EMAILS OF PEOPLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DEAD STANDING TREES AND WHEN WE WERE GONNA DO WORK THERE TO MITIGATE THAT.
WE DID AN 80 ACRE PILOT PROJECT OF $2 MILLION.
WE'RE DOING A $7.5 MILLION PROJECT RIGHT NOW OF 365 ACRES.
AND WE ARE PLANNING TO DO MORE IN THE FUTURE OF HAW TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT LATER, A COUPLE SLIDES, UH, DOWN THE ROAD HERE.
[01:20:01]
UH, ONE OF THE INTERESTING FACTS, THE TONS OF BIOMASS THAT WE ARE PROCESSING, 12,775 TONS OF BIOMASS WE'RE ABLE TO PROCESS WITHIN A 24 HOUR PERIOD.SO FOR EXAMPLE, AIR QUALITY NORMALLY ONLY PERMITS, UH, BURNING DURING 10:00 AM AND 3:00 PM WE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HAVE ONE OF THE STRICTEST AIR DISTRICTS BECAUSE OF ALL THE POLLUTANTS IN THE AIR IN THE BAY AREA, THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WE'RE USING BURNS SO CLEAN THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET PERMITTED FOR 24 HOUR USE.
AND SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT AND WE WERE THE FIRST AGENCY TO GET THIS PERMITTED.
SO WHEN I SAY THAT WE'RE DOING COLLABORATIVE WORK WITH STATE, FEDERAL, AND LOCAL ENTITIES, UH, AND THE 40 TOURS THAT WE'VE DONE, WE'RE SHARING THE WORK WITH OTHER, UH, AGENCIES SO THAT THEY CAN DO THE SAME THING THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, PROCESS BIOMASS IN A CLEANER, A WAY THAT'S ALSO SAFER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE BIOCHAR WE'RE PRODUCING IS ABOUT 1,277 TONS.
THAT'S ABOUT A 10%, UH, BIOCHAR RESULT.
SO 9% OF THE BIOMASS IS REDUCED AND IT'S 10% REMAINING, WHICH IS THE BIOCHAR.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO REUTILIZE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE BIOCHAR ON DISTRICT LAND.
AND WHERE IS ALL THIS BIOCHAR GOING AND WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THE BIOCHAR? AND WHEN WE PRESENTED A WHILE AGO, WE DIDN'T HAVE THOSE ANSWERS YET BECAUSE THIS WAS SO NEW, THEY HAD NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
AND WE TRULY WERE JUST PAVING THE WAY AND TELLING OURSELVES WE WERE GONNA FIGURE IT OUT.
AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN THE, THE TEAM THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS, THE DISTRICT HAS, AND ALL THE ENTITIES AND RESOURCES, WE WERE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE BIOCHAR REUTILIZED ON PARK DISTRICT LAND.
UH, MOST OF IT WENT TO DENWOOD FARMS, UH, WHERE WE OPERATE A FULL-TIME FARM THERE.
AND SO IT'S GONNA GO FOR CROP NUTRIENTS THERE.
SOME OF IT'S GONE, IT HAS ENDED UP AT DIFFERENT PARKS.
ONE OF THE PROJECTS I'M MOST, MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS IN SUNOL.
THE PICTURE ON THE RIGHT IS WHERE THE TOP RIGHT IS WHERE THAT PROJECT IS.
UM, JUST A PICTURE OF THE PROJECT WHERE THE BIOCHAR IS BEING USED TO FILTER WATER FOR A WATER SYSTEM.
PICTURE ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT IS IN WILDCAT CANYON, WHERE WE HAD A LANDSLIDE FROM THE STORMS EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
AND BIOCHAR WAS MIXED WITH THE SOIL TO HELP, UH, REGENERATE THE, THE, UH, VEGETATION SO IT CAN GROW FASTER.
WE USED IT IN VARIOUS PROJECTS FOR RESTORATION WORK AND PLANTING DISTRICT WIDE.
SO ONE OF THE KEY POINTS I WOULD WANT ANYONE TO TAKE FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TOOK BIOMASS.
SO DEAD TREES WOULD TYPICALLY TRUCK IT TO SACRAMENTO TO, UH, CO-GENERATION FACILITIES AND IT WOULD BE BURNED AS ENERGY.
NOW WE'VE PROCESSED THE BIOMASS ON SITE, WE'VE CAPTURED CARBON.
WE'VE TAKEN AS MUCH AS 10 SEMI TRUCKS AND THE POLLUTANTS THAT THEY WOULD CAUSE OFF THE ROAD.
AND WE'VE RE-UTILIZED THE BIOCHAR FOR BENEFICIAL USES WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
AND FUNDING, UH, PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS CURIOUS ABOUT OUR FUNDING.
AND WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST, ROBUST GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND GRANTS TEAM HERE AT THE DISTRICT.
YOU SAW, UH, KATIE HORNBECK PRESENT EARLIER.
THAT NUMBER UP THERE OF 3.2 MILLION OF GENERAL FUNDS IS WHAT WE CALL OUR FLEXIBLE FUNDS, WHERE IT'S THE DISTRICT'S FUNDS THAT WE TYPICALLY DO WORK WITH.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE GRANTS WE WOULD BE OFFERING WITH ABOUT $3.2 MILLION OF FUNDS, BUT WE HAVE GRANTS AND WE HAVE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS WAS ABLE TO SECURE A $10 MILLION, UH, DIRECT FUNDING FOR US, UH, FOR TREE UH, TREE MORTALITY MITIGATION, AND ABOUT 4.5 MILLION OF THAT.
THOSE FUNDS ARE GONNA BE SPENT THIS YEAR AND MOST OF IT'S GOING TO ANTHONY CHABOT.
AND ABOUT 700,000 IS GONNA BE GOING TO TILDEN, WHERE WE'LL BE DOING A TREE MORTALITY PROJECT UTILIZING OUR NEWLY PERMITTED CALV TP UH, CALV TP PROJECT.
AND I WANNA SAY THE PROJECT'S ABOUT 52 ACRES AND IT'S GOING AFTER DEAD STANDING TREES IN THE BERKELEY HILLS OFF OF SOUTH SOUTH PARK DRIVE.
WE HAVE ABOUT 700,000 FROM MEASURE FF AND ANOTHER 2 MILLION THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM FEMA FUNDING.
THAT MONEY'S GOING TOWARDS, UH, CON CONTINUATION ACRES OVER IN ANTHONY CHABOT.
AND WE'LL BE COMING TO THE BOARD IN MAY TO
[01:25:01]
SEEK APPROVAL FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL FUNDS.AND THEN WE, UH, KATIE SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT THE GRIZZLY PEAK GRANT THAT WE DID COLLABORATIVELY WITH THE HILLS EMERGENCY FORUM, WHERE WE WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS, CITY OF BERKELEY, EAST BAY MUD AND UC, BERKELEY.
AND WE WERE THE LEAD AGENCY TO GO IN WITH A GRANT, UTILIZE OUR, UH, GRANTS TEAM TO, UH, APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
AND THEN THE DISTRICT IS THE ONE, UH, DISPERSING THE FUNDS AND, AND, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR COLLECTING THE, THE, THE REPORTS FROM THE OTHER AGENCIES.
BUT IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF THE COLLABORATIVE WORK THAT WE DO WITH, WITH OTHER AGENCIES.
TYPICALLY, WE WOULD DO WORK ON OUR LAND AND IF ANOTHER NEIGHBOR HAD FUNDS, THEY WOULD DO THE WORK ON THEIRS.
BUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, WE WERE ABLE TO TIE IT TOGETHER SO THAT NOT ONLY DID WE DO THE WORK ON OUR LAND, NEXT DOOR WAS EAST BAY MUD, AND AFTER THAT WAS CITY OF BERKELEY AND AROUND THE CORNER WAS UC, BERKELEY.
AND IT'S ONE CONTINUOUS FUEL BREAK IN THE BERKELEY HILLS.
ABOUT $1.1 MILLION IS GOING TO THE PARK DISTRICT, ROUGHLY ABOUT 450 IS GOING EAST BAY MUD.
THE SAME FOR UC, BERKELEY, AND REMAINING AS GOING TO CITY OF BERKELEY.
WE ALSO, SO IN GENERAL, IT'S ABOUT $12.9 MILLION JUST IN 2024 FOR FUELS MITIGATION JUST FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT DISTRICT-WIDE, JUST FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, ONLY 3.2, WELL, I SHOULDN'T SAY ONLY, BUT 3.2 MILLION WAS GENERAL FUNDS AND ARREST WAS WORK FROM GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS IN OUR GRANTS DEPARTMENT.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT $28.2 MILLION IN OUTSTANDING GRANTS AND DIRECT FUNDING AS, SO WHAT THAT IS, IS JUST APPLICATIONS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, WE GOT, UH, INFORMATION, UH, THIS WEEK THAT WORK THAT GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DID WITH REPRESENTATIVE SWALWELL, UH, FUNDING OF 1.4 MILLION IS GONNA SHOW UP.
AND SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE WHEN WE SAY 28.2 MILLION OF PENDING GRANT APPLICATIONS AT ANY MO ANY MOMENT THAT MONEY COULD ARRIVE, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL.
BUT WE ALWAYS ARE READY TO PUT THE MONEY TO WORK WHEN IT DOES SHOW UP.
AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE PREVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD TO SEEK APPROVAL FOR.
SO WE'RE NOT DONE WHEN WE DID THIS.
RFP AND ANTHONY CHABOT IS 666 ACRES SO FAR.
WE DID ANOTHER 365 OF, OF A, UH, THE CURRENT PROJECT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, THAT'S 90% COMPLETE.
AND WE'LL BE COMING BACK TO THE BOARD TO SEEK APPROVAL IN MAY FOR A $5 MILLION PROJECT OF THE LAST 221 ACRES OF THIS PARTICULAR RFP.
THE GOAL IS NOT ONLY TO THIN THE EUCALYPTUS PLANTATION OVER NANCY CHABOT, BUT TO MAINTAIN IT SO THAT IT'S, UH, FOREVER TAKEN CARE OF AND IT CAN BE TRULY ENJOYED FOR WHAT IT IS.
JUST BEAUTIFUL TREES AND, UH, ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE PROTECTION FOR THE DIFFERENT, UH, ENTITIES THAT ARE WITHIN ANTHONY CHABOT.
THAT'S THE END OF OUR PRESENTATION.
WE LOVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT ALL OF US HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS, UM, THIS ISSUE AS SORT OF THE TOP OF MIND THING THAT THEY'RE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE THAT LIVE, YOU KNOW, ADJACENT TO OUR REGIONAL PARKS.
UM, AND I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER HATS THAT I WEAR IS, UM, MANAGING ABOUT 25,000 ACRES OF UC, BERKELEY FIELD STATION AND EXPERIMENTAL FOREST IN THE SIERRA NEVADA.
AND, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF THE SAME PROBLEMS THERE, UM, WITH DEAD AND DYING TREES AND BUILT UP FUELS FOR, YOU KNOW, 150 YEARS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, THE WAY WE HANDLE IT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF MECHANICAL THINNING.
WE COME IN FIRST, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LOGGING AND MECHANICAL THINNING, BUT THEN WE COME IN LATER ON AFTER THAT WITH, UM, LOW INTENSITY UNDERSTORY BURNS PRESCRIBED FIRE.
AND I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE A ROLE FOR THAT HERE IN THE REGIONAL PARKS OR BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE WOOEY AND WE HAVE RECREATIONAL USERS OF THE PARKLANDS, UM, OR MAYBE THE AIR QUALITY ISSUES THAT YOU MENTIONED.
THAT'S, UM, MAYBE THOSE ARE CONSTRAINTS.
IS IT, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF USING PRESCRIBED FIRE OR IS IT, UM, JUST TOO LIMITING HERE? SO WE, UH, LEMME FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN, UM, I AM REBUILDING THE PROGRAM.
WE ARE RE REBUILDING THE PROGRAM.
UM, THE PARK DISTRICT HAS DONE PRESCRIBED BURNS FOR A VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
UH, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME WHERE THEY, THE IDEA ABOUT PRESCRIBED BURNS, UM, WAS NOT RECEIVED WELL BECAUSE FRANKLY, SOME HAD BEEN MISMANAGED, UH, NEW MEXICO OTHER PLACES AND,
[01:30:01]
UM, WITH SOME PRETTY CATASTROPHIC EVENTS.SO CALIFORNIA KIND OF AS A WHOLE PUT A LITTLE BIT OF A HOLD ON IT FOR A WHILE, UM, AND THEN CHANGED THE ACCREDITATION OR THE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR THAT.
SO WE PARTICIPATE IN PRESCRIBED BURNS, UM, ON A REGULAR BASIS WITH OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ADJACENT TO US THAT HAVE, UM, THE CERTIFICATIONS TO DO THAT.
WE NOW, AFTER THIS YEAR, HAVE COMPLETED SOME CERTIFICATIONS SO THAT WE CAN DO IT ON OUR OWN LANDS AND WE HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF DOING THAT.
YEAH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY EFFECTIVE AND, YOU KNOW, RETURNS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE ECOSYSTEMS TO, YOU KNOW, THE STATE THEY WERE 200 YEARS AGO.
UM, QUESTIONS FROM OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PAC? YES.
UM, SO I KIND OF HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP, AND I KNOW THAT YOU SAID FOR ANTHONY CHABOT, ONE OF THE NEXT STEPS WAS MAINTAINING, UM, UM, THIS TYPE OF PROCESS.
SO AS FAR AS YOU'RE CONTINUING TO THIN IN THE FUTURE, UM, I BROUGHT IN CHABOT EVERYTHING ELSE, AND I LOVE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING.
BUT DO WE GET TO A POINT WHERE, UM, THE MORTALITY, UH, STABILIZES AND WE'RE NOT HAVING THE SAME TYPE OF, UM, TREE DEATH.
UM, DO WE HAVE TO PLANT NEW VEGETATION? LIKE IS THERE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO TO MAINTAIN TREE HEALTH BESIDES THE THINNING AND UM, ALSO PREVENTING THAT KIND OF FIRE PRODUCTION? AND ARE WE RETHINKING WITH OUR DIFFERENT PARKS AND LANDSCAPES MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? SO I GUESS HOW IS THAT TREE MORTALITY ALSO SUPPOSED TO CONTINUE OR NOT CONTINUE OVER TIME? YEAH, WE, UM, SO IT'S TWOFOLD.
SO THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, HAS TWO BENEFITS.
SO WE HAVE A PRESCRIPTION THAT WE'RE ABLE TO WORK WITH WHEN IT COMES TO THE TREE MORTALITY, BUT ALSO OUR FUELS MITIGATION.
SO WHEN WE HAD IN 2020 DIFFERENT RESOURCES FROM SCIENTISTS TO FORESTERS COME OUT TO OBSERVE WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH OUR TREE HEALTH, THE SHORT VERSION OF THE PRESCRIPTION THAT WE'RE GIVEN TO TREAT THE TREE MORTALITY WAS TO THIN THE FOREST.
SO BY THINNING THE TREES, UH, IMAGINE THE ANALOGY OF STRAWS IN THE GROUND TREES OR STRAWS IN THE GROUND, TAKING UP RESOURCES.
THE LESS STRAWS YOU HAVE IN THE GROUND, THE MORE RESOURCES YOU HAVE FOR THE REMAINING STRAWS, OR ALL THE ANALOGY TREES THAT ARE REMAINING.
SO BY THINNING THESE TREES AND GETTING RID OF THE DEAD TREES, WE CHOOSE TO KEEP THE HEALTHY TREES AND IT GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SURVIVE.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE MORE RESOURCES NOW.
THEY'LL HAVE MORE SUNLIGHT, THEY'LL HAVE MORE WATER, UH, NUTRIENTS FROM THE SOIL.
AND THAT WAS BASED OFF FORESTERS AND SCIENTISTS WHO CAME OUT TO HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TREATMENT WOULD BE.
BUT IT ALSO HAS DUAL EFFECT, UH, UH, FIRE MITIGATION.
HAVING LESS TREES MEANS THAT WHEN A FIRE DOES BURN, INSTEAD OF IT BEING A CATASTROPHIC EVENT, IT MEANS THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN MANAGE AS FIREFIGHTERS AND SUPPRESS.
AND THEN YOUR LAST QUESTION WAS TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, I THINK OVERALL PLAN, UH, DISTRICTWIDE, BUT I KNOW THERE WAS A TOUR, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEKEND OVER AT CARINA SCENIC.
I COULD BE GETTING MY DATES, LIKE I SEE A HEAD SHAKING, BUT THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE.
SO IN SOME AREAS WE CAN, WE CAN THIN, UH, THE AREAS WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO AND ALLOW THE NATIVE TREES TO COME UP NATURALLY AND OTHER AREAS WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO PLANT THE TREES THAT WE WANT TO SEE THERE.
AND SO WHAT YOU SAW LAST, UH, WEEK ON YOUR TOUR IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE FUTURE OF THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE'RE WE'LL BE DOING.
IF, IF I COULD JUST ADD TO THAT TOO, KARI.
UH, WE ALSO WORKED PRETTY AGGRESSIVELY AT THE STATE LEVEL TO, UH, BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING FOR ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE VEGETATION MANAGEMENT.
SO THE IDEA THERE IS, AND THIS IS NOW A PROGRAM IN CAL FIRE, UH, IS TO REFOREST OR REPLANT WITH MORE DROUGHT TOLERANT AND FIRE RESILIENT VEGETATION SO THAT THE RISK OF THE FIRE OR THE RISK OF DIE OFF IS, UH, REDUCED.
MAYBE I'LL MOVE TO, UH, MEMBER OBRINGER REMOTELY.
UM, SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, I, I WAS TAKING NOTE OF THE DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WERE QUITE A FEW IN ALAMEDA COUNTY.
AND SO I WAS CURIOUS, WHAT KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS DO YOU HAVE WITH
[01:35:01]
THE CITIES OF ORINDA, MORAGA AND LAFAYETTE, SINCE I KNOW THAT THEY ALSO FACE, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR CHALLENGES WITH TRYING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS SOME OF THE OVERGROWTH AND SO FORTH.SO DO YOU HAVE SIMILAR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THEM REGARDING THE PARKS THAT ARE CLOSEST TO THOSE JURISDICTIONS? WE DO.
OUR, OUR AGENCIES WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER.
WE'RE ACTUALLY, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S HAPPENING TODAY IS MONDAY.
IT'S HAPPENING THIS WEDNESDAY.
WE HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WITH MOFD.
WE WE'RE GONNA BE DOING, UH, SOME FUELS REDUCTION WORK OVER IN TILDEN OFF OF NIMITZ TRAIL AND WHERE SOME OF THEIR RESOURCES AND, UH, OUR RESOURCES HAVE BEEN THINNING A EUCALYPTUS, UH, PLANTATION UP THERE.
AND THIS WEDNESDAY WE ARE GONNA HAVE A COLLABORATIVE PILE BURNING, UH, WITH THE UMIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ADDITION ALAMEDA COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT'S GONNA COME OUT FOR THAT PARTICULAR PROJECT.
BUT WHERE WE'RE UNIQUE IS THAT MOST AGENCIES JUST WORK WITH A ADJACENT NEIGHBOR.
WE ARE IN TWO DIFFERENT COUNTIES AND WE TOUCH EVERY SINGLE CITY.
SO WE HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEN I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
UM, SO I, I NOTICED YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BIOCHAR.
I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE ALSO ANY, UM, ANY TIMBER THAT'S PRODUCED THAT COULD BE REPROCESSED AND USED AS MASS TIMBER FOR CONSTRUCTION? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE LOOKED INTO AT ALL, OR ANYBODY'S EXPRESSED ANY INTEREST AS YOU'RE DOING THE THINNING? YEAH, I ACTUALLY RECEIVED AN EMAIL, UM, I THINK IT WAS LAST WEEK OR A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, BUT OF, UH, UH, SOMEBODY WHO WAS INTERESTED IN REPURPOSING, UH, SOME OF THE LUMBER TYPICALLY IN THE PAST, EUCALYPTUS TREES WERE NOT GOOD FOR THOSE PURPOSES, BUT THERE WAS, UH, A, A PERSON WHO WAS INTERESTED IN DOING THAT.
AND SO WHAT WE DID WAS WE PUT 'EM IN CONTACT WITH OUR FUELS TEAM TO EXPLORE THAT IDEAL MOW.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, SOMEBODY PLAYING SOME EUCALYPTUS LUMBER THAT'S AT ONE OF OUR SITES.
UH, AND LIKE I SAID IN THE PAST, I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE BELIEF THAT EUCALYPTUS WAS NOT GOOD WOOD FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
BUT SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE WITH DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND CUTTING IT FROM DIFFERENT PORTIONS OF THE WOOD, IT MIGHT HAVE SOME POSSIBILITIES.
THOSE ARE ALL MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR.
UM, MEMBER HENRY, DOES GRAZING FALL UNDERNEATH THIS, 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S IMPRESSIVE HOW THE SHEEP TOTALLY TEAR DOWN ALL THE GRASS IN AN AREA FASTER THAN A WORK CREW COULD DO.
BUT I'M ASSUMING THE DISTRICT GETS REVENUE OFF THAT.
SO IS, IS THE GRAZING A PIECE OF THIS, OR IS THAT MANAGED SEPARATELY? 'CAUSE IT'S REVENUE? UH, SO WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT GRAZINGS THAT WE DO AT THE DISTRICT.
THERE'S CATTLE GRAZING THAT'S OPERATED BY THE STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT.
AND THEN THERE'S THE GOATS AND SHEEP THAT I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO, WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S, UM, UNDER WHAT, WHAT I, WHAT I DO.
WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST, UH, I'M VERY PROUD OF OUR GOAT PROGRAM.
WE WORK WITH THREE DIFFERENT, UH, COMPANIES.
WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE TOUCHING 13 DIFFERENT PARKS WITH OUR GRAZING PROGRAM.
IMAGINE MANAGING AND MITIGATING THE FUELS FOR THE DISTRICT AND WHAT A CHALLENGE THAT IS AND HOW MANY DIFFERENT AREAS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE RESOURCES.
AND THE GOATS ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT PRETTY EFFECTIVELY AND ACTUALLY, AND AT A VERY COST EFFICIENT, UM, COST FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GREAT FOR THAT, THOSE PURPOSES.
I KNOW, UH, EVERYONE IS NOT ALWAYS A FAN OF THE, OF THE GOATS, BUT, UH, THEY DO HAVE VERY GOOD BENEFITS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, LOWERING THE FUELS, THE LIGHT FLASHY FUELS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE.
SO I'M WONDERING WHY THE, WHY THE, UH, CATTLE PROGRAM'S DIFFERENT AND CAN YOU PROBABLY GONNA MAKE SOMEBODY REALLY MAD? CAN YOU REPLACE THE CATTLE WITH THE SHEEP? 'CAUSE I MEAN, THE SHEEP ARE GREAT.
THE CATTLE, THEY BOTH DO A LOT OF DAMAGE ON THE TRAIL, BUT THE CATTLE DO WAY MORE DAMAGE.
AND THEN JUST AS WE'RE LOOKING TO REDUCE POLLUTION, JUST THE, THE SCAT FROM THE CATTLE, I MEAN, THE SHEEP ISN'T GREAT, BUT THE CATTLE'S EXPONENTIALLY WORSE.
AND AGAIN, THE TRAIL DAMAGE FROM THE CATTLE IS WAY MORE THAN THE SHEEP.
I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND, UM, IN BIOLOGY.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT GRAZERS REALLY.
UM, CATTLE WILL EAT, UM, THEIR, THEIR BROWSERS, THEY MOVE AROUND, THEY EAT A LOT.
UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT AS SELECTIVE.
GOATS ARE OBVIOUSLY AS WELL, NOT AS VERY SELECTIVE.
AND SO THERE ARE PLACES, UM, IN THE VASCO CAVES CORRIDOR WE'VE GOT WHERE WE'VE GOT SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN WITH REGARDS TO CERTAIN KIND OF PLANTS.
[01:40:01]
USE SHEEP FOR THAT SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE, UM, OF THE WAY THEY BROWSE, THEY DON'T BROWSE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE NUB.UM, THEY LEAVE SOMETHING BEHIND.
CATTLE ARE KIND OF THE SAME THING.
SO REALLY THREE DIFFERENT TOOLS.
UM, AND SHEEP HAVE A, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, GOATS HAVE GOT A VERY STRATIFIED GUT.
SO IF YOU ARE GRAZING AN AREA WHERE YOU'VE GOT KIND OF WHAT WE CALL THE NOXIOUS NET, THE INVASIVE PLANTS, UM, AND THE PLANT IS IN A SPECIFIC PHENOLOGY.
SO IT'S IN A, IT'S GROWN TO A CERTAIN STAGE WHERE IT'S ABOUT READY TO, TO DISPERSE OR IS ALREADY STARTING TO DISPERSE THE, UM, THE SEEDS OF THE PLANT.
YOU DON'T WANT, UM, THEY HAVE TO BE MANAGED AFTER THAT IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY, OTHERWISE YOU'RE SPREADING YOUR PROBLEM.
UM, GOATS, I MEAN, UH, CATTLE, IT, IT DOESN'T FUNCTION QUITE LIKE THAT.
UM, GOATS ARE VERY GOOD AT DOING THAT
UM, SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT TOOL.
UM, BUT THEY HAVE TO BE MANAGED BECAUSE THEY WILL SPREAD IT MUCH MORE READILY.
IN FACT, UH, THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ON THE NEW ISLAND, KONA, UM, I'M SORRY, ON, UM, HAWAII, THE BIG ISLAND, THEY USE GOATS TO HELP CREATE SOIL AND TO HELP ACTUALLY PLANT THINGS, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE SO EFFECTIVE AT IT
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK THE DISTRICT, UM, WILL EVER STOP USING THE THREE DIFFERENT, BUT IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THEY ALL THREE GRAZE DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE USED DIFFERENTLY.
UH, MEMBER FARMER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
UM, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERS AND, UM, I'M SURPRISED THAT THEY DUNNO A LOT ABOUT THE CARBONIZE AND THE INCREDIBLE WORK.
SO I'M CONNECTING THEM SOME REALLY GREAT VIDEOS ON YOUR YOUTUBE PAGE THAT EXPLAIN IT.
AND ALSO, UH, A REALLY GREAT PROJECT HAPPENING IN SIBLEY TO REPLACE EUCALYPTUS WITH REDWOODS, WHICH ARE THE BEST SPECIES FOR CAPTURING CARBON.
SO, UM, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THAT.
UH, I WANTED TO RAISE MAYBE A NICHE ISSUE.
WE'VE GONE ON THE GRAZING CONVERSATION, BUT, UM, I'VE HEARD FROM SOME DOG OWNERS THAT THEY ARE CONCERNED ALWAYS ABOUT FOXTAILS AND THE IMPACT FOR DOGS.
UM, AND THEY, UM, BASICALLY WERE ASSESSING THAT THE GOATS ARE NOT EATING THE FOXTAILS OR THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UM, SOMEHOW FERTILIZING AND CREATING MORE FOXTAILS AT OTHER PARTS OF THE YEAR.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SORT OF A CAUSATION CORRELATION ISSUE, BUT IF HE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ILLUMINATE WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE, THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
SO I'M A DOG MOM, THOSE ARE MY BABIES.
EVERY MORNING WHEN I COME TO WORK, I TELL 'EM I HAVE TO GO IN THEIR BISCUIT MONEY.
UM, THE FOXTAILS, I CAN SEE WHY THEY WOULD MAKE THAT, THAT CONNECTION.
FOXTAILS HAVE SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE IN VERY, VERY URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO IT, IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE GOATS.
AND IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING BECAUSE, UM, WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING UP THERE CALLED GOAT BARBED GRASS, BARBED GOAT GRASS, BARBED GOAT GRASS.
AND, UM, IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE, UM, THE OTHER THING THAT JUST WENT COMPLETELY OUTTA MY HEAD, FOXTAILS, BUT IT'S NOT.
UM, AND SO THEY WILL, YOU KNOW, UM, EVEN MEDUSA HEAD, WHICH IS ANOTHER INVASIVE PLANT, THOSE CAN ALL BE GRAZED.
BUT AGAIN, UM, WE DON'T JUST THROW GOATS AND SHEEP OUT THERE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
WE WATCH HOW THINGS ARE PROGRESSING IN A, IN ANY GIVEN AREA.
UM, AND IT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO USE THE RIGHT TOOL AT THE RIGHT TIME.
RIGHT? EVEN WHEN WE DO PRESCRIBE FIRE, WE HAVE TO PICK OUR TIMING, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S A RESOURCE BURN, BECAUSE THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE WANNA ENCOURAGE AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANNA ENCOURAGE.
SO THE TIMING HAS TO BE RIGHT FOR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
SO, UM, WHILE IT MAY BE TRUE THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES THAT THE, THE GOATS WON'T EAT, UH, FOXTAILS, THERE ARE, THERE ARE TIMES THAT THEY WILL, SO I GUESS THE CONNECTION IS NOT NECESSARILY A SOLID CONNECTION THAT THE GOATS ARE SPREADING.
UM, THE BARBED GOAT GRASS OR THE MEDUSA HEAD OR
THOSE ARE MORE THE THINGS OF THE DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN SPREADING THOSE PARTICULAR SEEDS ARE DESIGNED TO STICK TO YOUR CLOTHES, STICK TO THE DOGS FIRST, STICK TO THE GOATS, FIRST STICK, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE MADE TO TRAVEL
SO, UM, BUT, BUT, UM, THERE, THERE ARE ABSOLUTELY TIMES WHEN YOU CAN PUT, UM, GOAT GOATS AND SHEEP ON, UM, CERTAIN PLANTS THAT MAY NOT BE NORMALLY WHAT THEY'D GO AFTER.
AND THEY'LL EAT IT, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S NOT A LOT ELSE FOR THEM TO EAT.
[01:45:01]
YOU.I JUST HAD A QUESTION THAT, UH, GRIZZLY PEAK, UH, PROJECT WAS MENTIONED BOTH IN YOURS AND THE, UM, YEAH, THE GRANTS.
COULD YOU JUST DESCRIBE KIND OF SOME TOP, UH, TWO, THREE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING IN THIS FIRE BREAK? IS IT BECAUSE OF A FIRE, UH, A WILDFIRE RISK? AND HOW DO YOU DO IT?
SO IT'S, IT'S, YEAH, WE'RE THINNING TREES, UH, OFF OF, UH, SOUTH PARK AND GRIZZLY PEAK AREA.
BUT WHERE I WOULD SAY THIS PROJECT IS DIFFERENT IS USUALLY AGENCIES ARE GOT THEIR HANDS FULL OF THEIR OWN PROJECTS.
SO US WE, WE HAVE ALL THE LAND THAT WE'RE MANAGING, AND I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT EAST BAY MUD OR BERKELEY OR ANYBODY ELSE'S PROJECTS 'CAUSE WE HAVE OUR HANDS FULL WITH OUR OWN PROJECTS.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE HILLS EMERGENCY FORUM AND THE GROUP THAT WE'RE ALL PART OF, WE'RE ABLE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY AND GO, HEY, LET'S APPLY FOR THIS GRANT TOGETHER AND LET'S STRATEGICALLY PICK AREAS THAT TIE IN ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT, UH, AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY SO THAT WE CAN THIN ALL THESE AREAS TOGETHER.
SO IT'S NOT PATCHWORK WHERE THE PARK DISTRICT THAT THEIR PORTION, BUT MAYBE ANOTHER AGENCY HASN'T HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THEIR PORTION.
AND SO IT ALSO FORCES THE AGENCIES TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTED AREAS A PRIORITY.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AND, AND DO THAT.
AND IT WAS A HEAVY, UH, OR A BIG PROJECT FOR THE DISTRICT.
'CAUSE WE WERE THE LEAD AGENCY, SO WE HAD TO, WE WERE THE ONES THAT APPLIED FOR THE GRANTS AND UTILIZED OUR RESOURCES TO DO ALL THAT WORK.
AND FORTUNATELY FOR ALL THE AGENCIES, WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THAT GRANT AWARDED.
AND NOW WE HAVE, UH, DIFFERENT MEETINGS WHERE WE'RE COORDINATING HOW THE WORK IS BEING DONE, UH, QUARTERLY CHECKS WHERE WE'RE CHECKING IN WITH THE OTHER AGENCIES, MAKING SURE THAT THE PORTIONS ARE GOING AS EXPECTED.
AND, BUT IN SHORT, WE'RE THINNING TREES, UH, ADJACENT TO ROADS, UH, CREATING ONE CONTINUOUS FUEL BREAK BETWEEN CITY OF BERKELEY, EAST BAY MUD AND UC, BERKELEY.
SO IT'S, IT'S AN EXISTING FUEL BREAK THAT WE'RE JUST EXTENDING, UM, BECAUSE OF ITS TOPOGRAPHY.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT NICE AND THINNED OUT SO THAT WHEN IT HITS THAT RIDGE TOP, IT KEEPS THE FIRE ON THE GROUND.
IF WE CAN'T KEEP IT ON THE GROUND, WHICH IS WHAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO DO, AND IT GETS INTO THE FUEL, INTO THE CANOPY, IT CAN CAST EMBERS.
WHEN WE ARE OPERATIONALLY APPROACHING A FIRE FOR, UM, SUPPRESSION, WE LIKE TO DRAW A BOX AROUND IT.
KEEPING IT IN THE GROUND IS CRITICAL, CRITICAL TO THAT BECAUSE IF IT CAN CAST EMBERS, WE LOSE OUR BOX.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT AREA IS PICKED AND IT'S BEING EXTENDED, UM, THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
UM, I'VE GOT TO ADMIT, I'VE BEEN A, A FAN OF BIOCHAR FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
I FIRST LEARNED ABOUT IT, UH, IN CONNECTION WITH RICE FARMING, WHERE THEY WERE USING IT TO BURN THE RICE STRAW.
UM, AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS QUITE A BIT OF, UH, PROMOTION THAT NOT ONLY IS THIS A WAY TO GET RID OF THIS MATERIAL, BUT IT ALSO PRODUCES SOME USEFUL THINGS THAT CAN BE CAPTURED FROM THE EXHAUST AND USED OTHER FOR OTHER, OTHER PURPOSES.
AND THAT, UH, ALSO THE HEAT THAT'S GENERATED COULD BE USED TO PRODUCE ENERGY.
UM, SO I'M WONDERING, ARE THOSE ASPECTS BEING INCORPORATED OR LOOKED AT AS FAR AS BEING PART OF THE MECHANISM FOR ACTUALLY HAVING BIOCHAR HAPPEN? YOU BUILD LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY ARE YOU DOING ALL THIS GOOD STUFF FOR THE FOREST, OR COULD YOU COULD BE MAYBE CRANKING OUT SOME KILOWATTS AT THE SAME TIME.
UH, THE, THE FUTURE IS TRULY ENDLESS, BUT IF WE WERE TO STEP BACK WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT, IT TRULY WAS AND CONS, A CONCEPT, AN IDEA.
THERE WAS NO PROOF THAT WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
THE TEAM WAS TRULY JUST GOING FOR IT AND THEY MADE IT HAPPEN.
AND SO FOR ME, THAT MAKES IT, I'M JUST EVEN MORE PROUD OF THE GROUP THAT THEY FIGURED IT OUT.
IT'S ONE THING, TAKING AN IDEA THAT SOMEBODY ELSE ALREADY DID AND FALLING IT LIKE A TEMPLATE.
I THINK MOST OF US CAN DO THAT.
IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT THING WHEN YOU TRULY ARE PAVING THE WAY, DOING SOMETHING BRAND NEW AND FIGURING IT OUT.
AND SO WHAT WE DID AS A AGENCY IS WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS.
WE PUT IN THE RIGHT RESOURCES AND ALLOCATED PEOPLE SO WE COULD BE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, BUT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAY THE, THE USES OF DENWOOD AND WATER FILTRATION AND PLANT ENRICHMENT AND RESTORATION, NONE OF THAT HAD BEEN DONE,
[01:50:01]
UH, LITERALLY WITHIN THIS, THIS YEAR.AND SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY FIXATED ON WHAT WE JUST ACCOMPLISHED.
BUT YEAH, THE FUTURE IS, IS ENDLESS.
I, I, I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE WORK THAT THE WHOLE TEAM HAS WORKED ON TODAY, HOPEFULLY 10 YEARS FROM NOW, THERE'S CONTINUATION AND THEY'RE JUST BUILDING OFF THE, UH, SUCCESSES THAT THIS GROUP HAS HAD.
WELL, THIS, UH, TIMBER IS A RESOURCE AND GET EXTRACT AS MUCH BENEFICIAL USE OUT OF IT THAT WE, THAT WE CAN WOULD BE GOOD.
UM, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FUTURE LOOKS LIKE? I, I AM THINKING, WELL YOU'VE GOT THIS ONE BY ACHAR UNIT.
UH, UM, HOW COMPLICATE HOW UH, EXPENSIVE IS IT TO REPLICATE AND HAVE 12 OF THEM, UH, WORKING SOMEWHERE? WE, UH, CURRENTLY DO NOT OWN THE CAR CARBONIZE.
UH, THE COST OF THE CARBONIZE ABOUT $1 MILLION.
UH, WE FOR NOW HAVE FOUND IT MORE EFFICIENT AND COST EFFECTIVE TO CONTRACT, UH, THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
AND MAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST TIME WE EVER HAD SEEN IT AND USED IT.
SO THAT PILOT PROJECT I SPOKE ABOUT, WHICH WAS, UH, 80 ACRES, WE DID A PILOT.
'CAUSE WE TRULY DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WAS GONNA BE A SUCCESS.
WE WANTED TO BE VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH OUR, OUR TECHNIQUES THAT WE WERE UTILIZING.
AND THEN WE REALIZED IT WAS, IT WAS A WINNER AND WE DID THE 365 ACRE AND WE'RE GONNA DO ANOTHER 221 ACRE PROJECT IF IT, UH, GETS AWARDED.
BUT IT'S IN THE FUTURE HAS LOTS OF DIFFERENT POTENTIAL OPTIONS.
BUT FOR NOW, UH, CONTRACTING HAD BEEN THE BEST OPTION FOR US.
WE'RE NOT JUST USING, SO THE CARBONIZE ISN'T JUST THE NEWEST OR ISN'T JUST THE ONLY PIECE OF INNOVATIVE EQUIPMENT WE'RE USING.
UM, THE, WE HAD FOUR, FOUR CONTRACTORS THAT CAME TOGETHER TO FORM A CORPORATION.
THE THREE, AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
'CAUSE THE THREE CONTRACTORS UNDER FOLK FORESTRY, FOLK FORESTRY IS THE LEAD.
BUT THEN THERE'S A CENT FORESTRY AND THERE'S EARTH FOUNDRIES.
BUT THE PROJECT WAS SO LARGE THAT THREE LARGE CONTRACTORS HAD TO JOIN TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THIS WORK, AND THEY ALL BROUGHT A PIECE TO IT.
SO, UM, FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE OTHER SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENTS THAT ARE ON THESE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, ONE IS A PROTOTYPE FROM GERMANY WHERE THEY ACTUALLY FLEW OUT.
THE GERMAN ENGINEERS ACTUALLY FLEW OUT TO SEE HOW IT WAS WORKING AND MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE IT HAS, UM, A UNIQUE ABILITY TO NOT UPSET THE GROUND TOO MUCH WHEN IT'S ON THE GROUND.
UH, BUT IT ALSO NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE EUCALYPTUS MOST, I SHOULDN'T SAY MOST, A LOT OF, UM, HEAVY EQUIPMENT HAS A HARDER TIME OPERATING, UM, THROUGH, UM, CUTTING THROUGH EQUUS BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A DENSE AND HARD WOOD.
UM, SO THEY BLOW HYDRAULIC LINES.
SO, SO THESE FOLKS CAME OUT TO KIND OF FINE TUNE IT.
THEN THERE'S ANOTHER, UM, I THINK IF WE HAVE A ATOR, THE GRAPPLE ON IT THAT'S LIKE THE LARGEST IN THE STATE OR LARGEST IN THE NATION, SOMETHING CRAZY LIKE THAT.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS BUSY, JUST KIND OF, UM, TRYING TO STEER THIS AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
UM, THERE, IT'S ALSO A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS.
WE HAVE ICS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE, UM, THAT ARE RETIRED, UH, UM, BATTALION CHIEFS FROM OTHER FIRE AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN HIRED BY FALK.
UH, WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S WALKING AROUND THE PERIMETER AT ALL TIMES LOOKING FOR ANY KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, EMBER CAST OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, THERE IS, THERE ARE, UH, SAFETY TOURS THAT ARE DONE ANYTIME ANYBODY COMES OUT THERE.
UM, THERE'S, IT'S A LOT TO MANAGE.
IT WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR US TO MANAGE.
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MANAGE IT AT THIS POINT IN TIME AS EFFECTIVELY AND AS EFFICIENTLY AS AS THEY ARE.
IS THERE ANY, WHAT'S THE PROSPECT THEN OF HARNESSING THIS GROWTH OR PROMOTING THE POTENTIAL GROWTH THAT'S OUT THERE? WHAT'S THE LIMITATION? WE DON'T KNOW YET, BUT WE ARE DOING, THERE ARE SOME STUDIES THAT ARE BEING DONE.
WE ARE GATHERING AS MUCH DATA YEAH.
UM, WE HAD OUR, OUR BIOCHAR WAS EVALUATED.
WE'RE, UH, WE HAVE, UM, DIFFERENT PROJECTS WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE.
I WORK WITH UNIVERSITIES THAT TO HAVE, UH, PUBLISHED JOURNALS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BIOCHAR.
WE, PRIOR TO EVEN GETTING US STARTED, WE FORMED A BIOCHAR UTILIZATION COMMITTEE WITH DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT DISTRICT RESOURCES.
AND THE US FOREST SERVICE WITHIN, BEEN UTILIZING BIOCHAR FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEIR SOIL SCIENTISTS TO COME OUT AND KIND OF GIVE US A PRESENTATION OF THE WORK THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING, WHICH HELPED TO GIVE US INFORMATION SO THAT WE COULD, UH, KIND OF SPEED UP THIS TYPE OF WORK THAT WE WANTED TO DO.
BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING LOTS OF COLLABORATION WORK AND WORKING WITH OTHER AGENCIES WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.
LIKE, THERE'S JUST SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
IT'S
[01:55:01]
LOT HARDER TO GET FROM DREAMING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL AND MAKING IT HAPPEN.AND YOU'RE IN THE MIDST OF ALL THAT.
AND I GUESS, UH, ARE YOU FEELING LIKE YOU'RE GETTING SUFFICIENT ATTENTION AND SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO REALLY GO AS FAST AS YOU CAN? OR IS ANYTHING HOLDING YOU BACK? WELL, I WOULD'VE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE DIRECTOR SAN JUAN'S HERE, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND OUR GENERAL MANAGER, UM, IN ADDITION TO GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND
I MEAN, CARI AND I HAD TO GO IN, SIT DOWN AT THE GENERAL MANAGER WHO WAS FAIRLY NEW AND SAY, WE WANNA PUT A GREAT BIG BOX THAT BURNS SUPER, SUPER HOT.
OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUNCH OF DEAD TREES.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? YEAH, YEAH.
LIKE THAT IDEA WASN'T QUITE LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM, KARI, UH, I WAS ACTUALLY WATCHING HIM 'CAUSE NEY, HE'S MY PARTNER IN CRIME HERE, DISTRICT, HIS JAW DROPPED OPEN WHEN SHE SAID, OKAY.
AND WE WERE LIKE, OH, OH, OH GOD, NOW WE HAVE TO DO THIS.
BUT, UM, BUT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE.
THEY'VE ALL BEEN OUT THERE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TIMES TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, IT'S A LOT.
BUT IF, IF, YOU KNOW, KARI HAS MADE IT IN THE PRESENTATION, UM, IN, IN AN EFFORT TO BE, UM, EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT AND FOR BREVITY PURPOSES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE DID IT, UM, IT WAS DONE IN A VERY THOUGHTFUL YEAH.
IT HAD TO BE BECAUSE OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO.
SO, UM, WELL, AND THE RISKS INVOLVED TOO.
AND SO WHEN KARI IS TOUTING, UM, OUR TEAM OF WHICH HE IS PART OF, UM, HE'S ACTUALLY IN CHARGE OF, YOU KNOW, FUELS DEPARTMENT.
SO, UM, IT'S BEEN A HUGE TEAM EFFORT, NOT JUST INTERNAL, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT HIGHLY SUPPORTED BY THE BOARD, UM, AND BY GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS AND GRANTS.
OTHERWISE, NONE OF THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED.
AND, AND IT, IT JUST GOES TO THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP, THE, UM, GENERAL MANAGER, LANDR.
I REMEMBER HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH HER WHERE SHE, UH, BEFORE IT WAS A SUCCESS, SHE SAID, I REMEMBER EVEN IF IT DOESN'T WORK OUT, WE LEARN SOMETHING.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE THAT TYPE OF LEADERSHIP WANTING YOU TO BE INNOVATIVE, TAKE CHANCES AND, AND DO THIS TYPE OF WORK, IT MAKES IT, IT ENCOURAGED YOU TO DO THAT TYPE OF TYPE OF THING.
SO WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE NEXT LEVEL OR THE NEXT STEP NOW? OH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, SO YOU'RE STILL YEAH.
WE, UH, SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE TRULY IN THE TRENCHES WITH THE CURRENT WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND SO, UH, RIGHT NOW WE GOTTA LOOK UP OUT OF THE TRENCH AND SEE WHERE YOU'RE GO NEXT.
THE NEXT IT'S YOU'RE, UH, THE PROJECTS AND THE THINGS THAT WE SAID THAT WE'RE, WE'RE DOING, UH, THEY'RE, THIS IS SO NEW THAT FIVE, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, WE WILL TRULY SEE THE BENEFICIAL, UH, BENEFITS FROM IT.
ABILITY, WELL, I JUST WANT TO CHEER YOU ON
ABLE TO TWEAKS OF, UH, USE AND PRESCRIPTIONS AND THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS THAT WILL BE ESTABLISHED, BUT RIGHT NOW, WE TRULY WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING PHASE OF WHAT THE WORK WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
SO I, MY HE'S ONLY GOTTA MAKE IT HAPPEN THOUGH.
HE BEARS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY AND HE'S GREAT AT HIS JOB AND I APPRECIATE HIM EVERY DAY.
UM, BUT WE ARE HAVING, WE'RE STARTING TO HAVE, UM, I'M STARTING TO HAVE FIRE CHIEFS FROM FIRE CHIEFS FROM OREGON, WASHINGTON, UH, CANADA CALL US BECAUSE, UM, CLIMATE CHANGE IS AFFECTING THEM SOONER THAN WAS PREDICTED.
UM, AND SO THEY ARE WHAT TO DO, WHAT TO DO.
SO I HAVE LONG CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, WE'RE ALL NOT CREATED EQUAL.
EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT KIND OF ISSUES AND FUNCTIONS DIFFERENT WAYS, AND SOME OF THEM ARE PARK DISTRICTS, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE JUST FIRE CHIEFS IN MUNICIPALITY.
UM, WITH, I THINK WE'VE SET OURSELVES UP TO HAVE A GOOD PATH FORWARD, UM, WELL INTO THE FUTURE BECAUSE OF THE COLLABORATIONS THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, THE FACT THAT WE'RE LEADING THE WAY AND, AND GETTING PERMITS AND THINGS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN GOTTEN BEFORE.
SO HOPEFULLY IF SOME OTHER AGENCY THAT'S ONE OF OUR NEIGHBORING AGENCIES GOES TO, UM, YOU KNOW, AIR BAY AREA AIR QUALITY CONTROL AND, AND SAYS, HEY, CAN WE GET A PERMIT? IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR THEM BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
SO WE'RE SHARING ALL THE DATA AND THE INFORMATION, UM, WITH THE ACADEMIC WORLD, WITH OTHER FIRE ENTITIES, WITH NATIONAL FORESTERS GROUP.
ONCE WE'VE GOT KIND OF A GOOD GATHERING OF ALL THAT AND WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT, I THINK OUR PATH WILL BE FAIRLY CLEAR.
RIGHT NOW THOUGH, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST GOT OUR NOSE KIND OF DOWN TO THE GRINDSTONE AND, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THIS STUFF DONE.
UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT NOW WE'VE DONE IT.
AND WE CAN KIND OF HOLD ONTO THAT AND THEN MOVE FORWARD.
I'M SURE WE CAN COME UP WITH OTHERS.
AND, AND JUST TO, I KNOW, UH, ALL ANALOGIES DON'T LAND, BUT IF I WAS TO USE A SPORTS ANALOGY, LET'S SAY FOOTBALL, WE WE'RE, WE'RE NOWHERE NEAR THE END ZONE.
AND SO NO ONE'S DOING ANY TOUCHDOWN DANCES AND WE'RE, UH, WE TRULY ARE JUST TRYING TO GET THE BALL
[02:00:01]
YEAH.BEFORE WE START THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE AND END UP DROPPING THE BALL.
YOU KNOW, THE, I GUESS I, I, I LOVE THIS PROJECT, IF NOTHING ELSE, BECAUSE OF THE CHEMISTRY, UH, THIS, UH, PROCESS DOES NOT RELEASE CO2.
IT, IT BURNS THE HYDROGEN PART OF THE ORGANIC MOLECULE, BUT NOT THE CARBON PART.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND.
AND SO YOU CAN HAVE ALL THIS STUFF HAPPENING WITHOUT CONTRIBUTING TO GLOBAL WARMING.
WE JUST FOUND OUR SCIENCE GEEK OF THE GROUP.
ON A SERIOUS NOTE, THAT'LL GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, MENTION SOME OF THE TEAM MEMBERS THAT, UH, UH, PATRICK MCINTYRE IS THE CAPTAIN.
ONE OF THEM IS PABLO, WHO WAS THE PERSON THAT WE PUT ON THE BIOCHAR PORTION OF IT TO FIGURE IT OUT.
UH, HE HAS A WEALTH OF INFORMATION THAT YOU COULD, UH, TALK WITH HIM ABOUT.
UH, JEVON WAS ONE OF OUR, UH, IN-HOUSE FORESTERS, BUT SHE'S THE, THE PERSON RUNNING THE, THE PROJECT.
AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER TEAM MEMBER, UH, STEVE, YOU MENTIONED THE GOATS EARLIER, WHO RUNS THE GOATS PROGRAM.
AND OUR OTHER TEAM MEMBER, COLIN, HE'S THE ONE THAT'S BEEN DOING ALL THE WORK OVER IN, UH, TILTON PARK IN CLAREMONT CANYON.
AND WE HAVE A, ANOTHER CAPTAIN THAT RUNS OUR FUELS CREW, UH, NEVILLE AND, UH, THE LIEUTENANTS THERE.
BUT TRULY THE TEAM OF EXPERTS WE HAVE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE DOING ALL THE HARD WORK.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE CHIEFS, WE REPRESENT THEM AND WE'RE TRYING TO ASSURE ALL THEIR HARD WORK RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY TRULY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GETTING ALL THIS DONE.
WELL, MY, THIS MEMBER FLOWS WITH GLADNESS.
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT THIS TOPIC WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF ALSO WHAT'S, YOU KNOW, TOP NEWS STORIES RIGHT NOW.
AND I'M SURE ALL OF US LIVING HERE IN CALIFORNIA ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE, UM, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY INSURANCE SITUATION HERE IN OUR STATE.
AND, UM, I KNOW THERE ARE EFFORTS IN SACRAMENTO RIGHT NOW TO MAKE WORK LIKE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT COUNT TOWARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY REDUCING THAT INSURANCE, UH, RISK IN TERMS OF HOW THE INSURANCE COMPANIES ARE CALCULATING THEIR RISK MODELS.
AND, AND SO I THINK WE'RE REALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RIGHT HERE ON THIS LEADING EDGE IN REGARDS TO THINKING ABOUT HOW TO BEST MITIGATE RISK WITHIN OUR STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, REALLY FOR YOU AS THE P-A-C-I-I, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO, YOU KNOW, STAY ON TOP OF, UM, THIS ISSUE BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A REALLY BIG ISSUE AS PEOPLE ARE LOSING, YOU KNOW, PROPERTY INSURANCE AND, UH, INSURANCE PROVIDERS ARE LEADING THE STATE.
AND I, I, I FEEL VERY ENCOURAGED AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE PARK DISTRICT, BUT IT'S, WE STILL NEED TO CONNECT THAT TO THIS INSURANCE RISK.
AND I KNOW, UH, THERE HAD BEEN A COMMENT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORS WHO LIVE NEXT TO OUR PARK DISTRICT LANDS ALSO HAVING CONCERNS.
AND I, I, I THINK THIS REALLY, UM, BECAME A BIG ONE.
I, I, I KNOW IS UP ON THE PLEASANTON RIDGE, I THINK A WEEK AFTER THE MAUI WILDFIRES AND HEARD ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE ARE SOME HOMEOWNERS WHO LIVE, UH, NEXT TO EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT LAND UP ON PLEASANTON RIDGE.
AND AFTER THE MAUI FIRES, UH, NOT ONLY DID THEY GET, UM, PHONE CALLS THAT THEIR INSURANCE RATES HAD GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY, BUT ALSO CONCERNS BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ROADS ARE VERY WINDY AND NARROW AND CAN BE DIFFICULT TO LEAVE THEIR PROPERTIES, UM, IN THAT PARTICULAR PART OF, UH, THE DISTRICT.
AND SO I, I, I THINK PART OF OUR CHALLENGE IS HOW WE CAN BEST WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AND THINK ABOUT ALSO REDUCING, UM, THE RISK AND HOW IT'S HELPFUL TO THEM.
UM, AND THE ONLY OTHER POINT I WAS GONNA MAKE IS IT WAS EITHER SUMMER OF 2015 OR SUMMER OF 2016 WHEN I WAS HERE ON THE PAC.
AND WE HAD A MEETING I REMEMBER AT TILDEN, EEC, THE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER.
AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE WORK WE WERE DOING, UM, NEAR TILDEN IN REGARDS TO, UH, WILDFIRE MITIGATION AND REMOVING EUCALYPTUS TREES.
AND WE HAD A PRETTY LARGE CROWD THAT WERE IN ATTENDANCE THAT SUMMER THAT ACTUALLY WERE AGAINST THE PROJECT.
THEY DIDN'T WANT ANY OF THE TREES TO BE CUT DOWN.
AND, UH, WERE ADVOCATING, ADVOCATING TO KEEP THOSE TREES UP.
AND I THINK IT'S VERY INTERESTING 'CAUSE I BELIEVE IT WAS 20 17, 20 18 WERE THE FIRST YEARS, FIRST SUMMERS WHERE WE REALLY HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, WILDFIRES IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE SMOKE, UH, IMPACTED ALMOST EVERYONE IN THE BAY AREA.
AND I THINK THAT EACH OF US EXPERIENCING THAT, WHO WHO'VE LIVED HERE SINCE THEN, I, I THINK IT'S SHIFTED SOME OF THE PUBLIC OPINION.
AND I, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, I I, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANYBODY, UH, SPEAKING UP EITHER HERE AT THIS MEETING OR AT OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS AGAINST THESE PROJECTS, I THINK MOST OF THE PUBLIC IS RELATIVELY SUPPORTIVE OF
[02:05:01]
WILDFIRE MITIGATION.UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ALONG THOSE LINES, THAT'D BE HELPFUL TO HEAR.
KARI KARI SAYS, YOU KNOW, HIS, HIS FOOTBALL ANALOGY.
SO, UM, IT WAS 2018 AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS DRUG ME UP AS AN SME TO, UM, SACRAMENTO TO TESTIFY.
'CAUSE WE HAD 13 OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY DAYS ON THE PLANET IN THE BAY AREA.
AND MY ANALOGY IS NOT SPORTS, IT'S A ROCK CONCERT.
UM, WHERE FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE BAY AREA, THE FIRES WERE OUT THERE, RIGHT? THERE WAS THE RIM FIRE, THERE WAS THIS CEDAR FIRE, AND WE HAD THE NOSEBLEED SEATS, RIGHT.
AND, AND IT TOUCHED US, BUT IT WASN'T IN OUR FACE.
RIGHT? 2018, UM, YOU HAD THE, THE, UM, THE CAMPFIRE, YOU HAD THE COFFEE PARK FIRE, YOU HAD THE TUBS FIRE THAT WAS A LOT CLOSER TO US.
AND THEN IN 2020, WE HAD THE 2020 SIEGE LIGHTNING STRIKE SIEGE.
SO NOW WE'RE IN THE SECOND ROW, RIGHT? AND WE'RE GETTING TO SOME OF THE SWEAT OFF ROCKSTAR.
AND I THINK, UM, THEY TRULY STARTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT KIND OF TREE IT IS, IT'S ABOUT WHAT KIND OF FUEL IT IS.
AND SO WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO MITIGATE THAT? UM, AND, AND SO I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND NOW IT WAS THE SAME THING WITH THE PRESCRIBED FIRE.
WOULD YOU RATHER PUT A LITTLE FIRE ON THE GROUND WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE CERTIFIED TO DO A NICE BROADCAST BURN THAT BURNS OUT THE UNDERSTORY UNDER CONTROLLED, UNDER A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT? OR WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE THAT COMES AND ANNIHILATES EVERYTHING? SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN EDUCATION, AND I THINK WE ALL GOT ONE.
IF, IF I COULD YOU GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE IT'S PAY ME NOW OR PAY ME A LOT MORE LATER, AND IT'S A CLASSIC SITUATION, I THINK, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WILDFIRE, UH, HA HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT.
AND IN TERMS OF THE ISSUE OF NEIGHBORS AND WHATNOT, AND IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE A, I THINK A, A BIG EFFORT TO PRIORITIZE WHERE THE WORK IS GONNA GO ON IN THE FUTURE.
AND THE BOUNDARY OF THE PARKS TENDS TO BE THE URBAN, UH, UH, WILDLAND INTERFACE AND, UH, AND, AND OTHER AREAS.
I KNOW THEY FOCUS THE ATTENTION OF, UH, THE FOREST HEALTH EFFORTS, UH, IN THOSE, UH, INTERFACE AREAS, UH, TO REDUCE THE, THE THREAT, UH, TO, TO, TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE MORE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING 126,000 ACRES, AND I KNOW YOU HAVE DONE A LOT, BUT, UH, WHAT DO THE, THE, THE JOB IS VERY, VERY LARGE AND IT, IT'S, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A, A LOT OF EFFORT OVER A LONG TIME.
AND I'LL JUST ADD MY, MY FINAL POINT, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER AREA THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS REALLY BEEN WORKING ON IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOW TO ADD, UH, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY WORKERS TO, TO, TO OUR EFFORTS.
AND SO I KNOW, UM, I THINK SOME OF YOU MIGHT HAVE EVEN BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US FOR THE TOUR AT, UM, IN SAN RAMON, UH, THINKING ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS, AND FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN ERIC ON THIS, IF I KNOW WHEN WE GO TO SACRAMENTO, UM, IN THIS PAST JANUARY, WE, WE WENT TO THE CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS TO TALK ABOUT BRINGING, UM, SOME TEAMS HERE TO THE EAST BAY, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE BASED IN, IS IT VALLEJO? UM, SOLANO COUNTY.
AND, AND, AND SO WE, WE, WE ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OF THESE TEAMS CURRENTLY LOCATED HERE IN THE EAST BAY.
THEN I KNOW WE'RE, UM, LEAVING IN A FEW WEEKS TO GO TO WASHINGTON DC AND THERE'S BEEN AN EFFORT ACTUALLY BY THE, BY PRESIDENT BIDEN'S ADMINISTRATION IN REGARDS TO THE CLIMATE CORE AND AMERICORPS AND THAT PROGRAMMING.
AND WE WILL ALSO BE MEETING WITH THEM, UH, TO ADVOCATE, TO BRING IN, UM, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE JOBS AND, UM, TRAINING FOR, UH, YOUNGER PEOPLE TO, TO, TO GET INTO THIS FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK AND, AND REALLY HAVING, UM, THOSE GROUPS BASED HERE IN THE EAST BAY TO HELP US AT EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT, BUT THEN ALSO OUR NEIGHBORS.
SO WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, UC, BERKELEY, OR, UH, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF MORAGA, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE REALLY HOPEFUL TO HAVE THESE CREWS LOCATED HERE.
WE'LL GO TO, UM, MEMBER DIETER, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO TURN TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I SEE FRANCIS HAS HIS HAND UP.
I JUST HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION FROM SOMETHING YOU SAID EARLIER THAT THE GOATS AND SHEEP FALL UNDER THE FIRE DEPARTMENT'S PURVIEW, BUT THE CATTLE DO NOT, UM, IN TERMS OF FIRE PREVENTION, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN THAT THEY BECAME TOO, THAT CATTLE WOULDN'T FALL UNDER YOU GUYS? BEFORE MY TIME
SO WE'VE HAD A RANGE LAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THE PARK DISTRICT FOR A VERY, VERY, VERY LONG TIME.
DECADES AND DECADES AND DECADES.
AND, AND THE WAY THOSE CONTRACTS ARE MANAGED ARE QUITE DIFFERENT.
UM, THE, THE CATTLE AREN IS EXPENSIVE AS GOATS,
[02:10:01]
UM, AND, AND SHEEP.UM, AND THERE THERE ARE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN PULSE GRAZE GOATS AND SHEEP.
UM, BECAUSE I WAS, I, I WAS TELLING YOU THAT TIMING IS SUPER IMPORTANT, RIGHT? WE GOTTA GET 'EM IN THERE, HAVE THEM GRAZE THINGS DOWN AND GET 'EM OUT SOMETIMES IN THREE OR FOUR DAYS.
UM, AND SO STEWARDSHIP, OUR STEWARDSHIP DEPARTMENT HAS ALWAYS RUN OUR GRAZING PROGRAMS BECAUSE, UH, WE DON'T JUST GRAZE FOR FIRE MITIGATION.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER REASONS WHY THE CATTLE GRAZING GOES ON.
UM, AND SO THEY'VE MANAGED THAT FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AND THEN WHEN WE STARTED REALLY PICKING UP ON OUR FUELS MANAGEMENT WORK, WE STARTED USING GOATS.
UM, THERE WERE OTHER PLACES, IT WAS REALLY ONLY US AND THE OAKLAND ZOO
UM, AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE STARTED FIGURING OUT KIND OF HOW, UM, CHEAP, UN CRANKY AND WILLING THAT WORKFORCE WAS, UM, IT REALLY KIND OF TOOK OFF.
AND SO WE HAD MORE GOAT HERDERS.
OUR INITIAL GOAT HERD GROUPS WERE FROM WATSONVILLE, UM, SANTA CRUZ, UH, WAY UP NORTH IN THE MOUNTAINS.
UM, AND SO IT, IT COST A BIT TO GET THEM HERE.
UM, AND THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT WE END UP USING A LOT OF OUR GRANT MONEY THAT WE GET.
UH, FOR GOAT AND SHEEP, IT'S PRIMARILY GOATS.
WE ONLY USE SHEEP FOR REALLY, REALLY SENSITIVE AREAS BECAUSE, UM, THEY DO THEIR JOB REALLY WELL, AND THEY ONLY EAT CERTAIN THINGS, SO.
SO BASICALLY, UM, THE CATTLE IS UNDER STEWARDSHIP IS UNDER STEWARDSHIP BECAUSE IT COVERS A BROADER, UH, UMBRELLA FOR, UM, MORE THAN, UH, FIRE HAZARDS.
OKAY, FRANCIS, I SEE YOUR HAND IS UP.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
IT'S, UM, REALLY HARKENS BACK TO MY WORK AS A NATURALIST, ESPECIALLY DOING TOURS UP TO VASCO CAVES AND SEEING THE SHEEP UP THERE AND THE LONG HISTORY OF BASQUE, UM, SHEPHERDS BEING UP THERE AS WELL.
UM, BUT I ALSO LOVE SEEING ALL THE GOATS.
I I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL SEE THIS DURING, UH, EVENTS AND HIKES, BUT ANYTIME THE GOATS ARE OUT AND, AND PEOPLE ARE HIKING, IT'S ALWAYS A WONDERFUL PHOTO OPPORTUNITY.
BUT ALSO THE TANGIBLE BENEFITS OF GETTING RID OF YELLOW STAR THISTLE AND POISON OAK AND, AND MILK, THE MILK THISTLE THAT GROWS TO SIX FEET TALL IS SO BENEFICIAL.
UM, I WANNA BANK ON THE HISTORY OF THE PARK DISTRICT AND HOW WE HAVE HAD A LONG RUNNING, UM, UH, RELATIONSHIP WITH THE OHLONE PEOPLE AND HOW, UM, THAT'S BECOME SOMETHING THAT, UH, COULD BE A, A WAY TO BUILD ON THE FOUNDATION OF OUR RELATIONSHIP AND DO FIRE MITIGATION IN THE, IN THE FORM OF CULTURAL CEREMONIAL BURNING.
UM, THE AMMA MUTTIN HAVE DONE IT FOR A LONG TIME.
YOU ROCK TRIBE UP NORTH, ESPECIALLY IN COLLABORATION WITH, UH, CAL FIRE.
UM, AND WANTED TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY PROGRESS IN THAT REGARD, UH, MAYBE WITH SGO LAND TRUST, UH, OR MU MALONE, UH, FOUNDATION AS WELL.
YEAH, WE, WE CURRENTLY, UH, SO WE, WE DO GET ASKED THAT QUESTION, UH, PRETTY FREQUENTLY AND JUST GIMME AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE WORK WE JUST RECENTLY DID WITHIN THE LAST THREE WEEKS.
UH, WE HOSTED A CARX, UH, PRESCRIBED BURN CLASS, AND PART OF THAT CLASS IS THE, UH, THE COMPANY RUNNING IT WANTED TO HAVE A TRIBAL, UH, PERSON DO A PRESENTATION TO BE ABLE TO TEACH ABOUT CULTURAL RESOURCES.
AND SO WE WORK WITH OUR, UH, CULTURAL RESOURCE DEPARTMENT AND ARE ABLE TO GET A TRIBAL MEMBER TO REPRESENT AND SPEAK DURING THAT COURSE.
AND WE ALSO HAVE JUST REGULAR MEETINGS WHERE THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAPPEN.
UH, LIKE CHIEF SAID EARLIER, WE'RE STILL IN THE BUILDING PHASE OF OUR PRESCRIBED BURN PROGRAM, BUT AS WE'RE BUILDING THAT PROGRAM, WE ALREADY HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS OF WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIPS WE COULD HAVE WITH TRIBAL MEMBERS IN THE FUTURE.
WELL, UH, SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GREAT WORK AND REALLY IMPORTANT WORK.
IT'S, UH, WONDERFUL TO HEAR ABOUT IT AND LOOK FORWARD, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHERE A LOT OF THESE EXCITING NEW THINGS ARE GOING TOO.
OKAY, NEXT UP, WE HAVE A REPORT FROM THE CHAIR AND I DO NOT HAVE A REPORT, ANYTHING TO REPORT THIS WEEK, THIS MONTH.
[Announcements]
ANNOUNCEMENTS, ARE THERE ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM ANY OF THE PAC MEMBERS? YES, MEMBER TON.UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UM, A PROJECT OF THE, UM, CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO COMPLETE THE REFUGE.
IT'S, UH, WETLANDS, UH, PROTECTION.
AND, UM, WE'RE WORKING ON A PROJECT RIGHT NOW IN THE, UH, EAST BAY TO, UH, TRY TO CONVINCE
[02:15:01]
THE CITY OF NEWARK TO NOT GO THROUGH WITH SOME IDEAS THAT DEVELOPERS HAVE COME UP WITH SCHEMES,AND, UH, SO ONE QUESTION THAT CAME UP WAS, UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY, UH, PETITIONING AT, UH, THE NEWARK LIBRARY, UH, TALKING TO CITIZENS AS THEY WALK IN, AND ALSO THE REFUGE, UH, DON EDWARDS.
AND IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN, UM, HAVE SOME TEAMS AT THE, UM, COYOTE HILLS? HOW DO, HOW DO WE GET PERMISSION TO JUST HAVE A FEW, YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S USUALLY BEEN TWO OR THREE OF US JUST COLLECTING, LIKE IN THE PARKING LOT, AND WE WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT PART OF THE EAST BAY PARK DISTRICT.
WE'RE A VOLUNTEER GROUP WITH, SO YEAH, I'M NOT SURE WHO TO CONTACT ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHO TO ASK.
UH, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY RESERVATIONS OR OPERATIONS.
SO, UM, LISA GORGEN WHO WAS HERE EARLIER WOULD BE A GOOD FIR FIRST POINT OF CONTACT.
AND IF YOU GET A CHANCE TO LOOK AT CITIZENS COMMITTEE TO COMPLETE THE REFUGE ONLINE, YOU CAN SIGN THE PETITION.
IS THAT A HAND? THAT WAS A HAND.
UM, NEXT MONDAY, UH, THERE IS A TOUR OF THE KER CREEK RESTORATION SITE THAT WAS ORGANIZED BY THE CONTRA COSTA COUNTY RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT IN LISA DAMEL.
THERE ARE A FEW SPACES THAT'S STILL AVAILABLE.
MATT GROWL, I THINK IS GONNA BE GIVING THE TOUR, UH, I THINK IT'S LIKE NINE TO 1130.
SO IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS OF INTEREST, LET ME KNOW AND I CAN GET YOU, UH, LISA'S CONTACT INFORMATION AND YOU CAN MAKE YOUR ARRANGEMENT TO VISIT THAT REALLY PHENOMENAL PROJECT.
AND WHAT WAS THE DAY AND TIME ON THAT AGAIN? NEXT MONDAY, THE 29TH AT, UH, STARTING AT 9:00 AM OKAY.
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? OH, YEAH.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH FOLKS THAT, UM, THE CITY OF CONCORD IS GOING TO BE, WELL, IT'S NOT THE CITY OF CONCORD, BUT IN THE CITY OF CONCORD, I SHOULD SAY.
IT IS GOING TO BE OUR JUNETEENTH EVENT ON SUNDAY, JUNE 23RD.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO LET FOLKS KNOW ABOUT IT, UM, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE SPONSORING AGAIN.
UM, BUT, UH, WHAT I'VE DONE IS I'VE INVITED, UM, THE PARK DISTRICT, UH, EMPLOYEE, UH, BLACK COLLECTIVE, BLACK EMPLOYEE COLLECTIVE TO, UH, TABLE.
SO YULI PADMORE, I APPRECIATE HER BEING THERE AGAIN.
AND THERE WILL ALSO BE A FOCUS ON, UH, THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PORT CHICAGO EXPLOSION AND THE EFFORTS TO EXONERATE, UH, THE PORT CHICAGO 50.
SO, UM, JUST LETTING FOLKS KNOW TO SAVE THE DATE.
UM, I BELIEVE IT'S GONNA BE FROM 12 TO FOUR IN TO SAN PLAZA, WHICH IS RIGHT IN DOWNTOWN CONCORD, AND IT IS BARTLE.
YOU CAN GET TO THE PLAZA WITHIN TWO BLOCKS FROM THE DOWNTOWN CONCORD BIRTH STATION.
SO JUST WANTED TO INVITE FOLKS TO ATTEND.
IT IS VERY WELL RECEIVED LAST YEAR, AND THERE IS A PARK DISTRICT CONNECTION AS WELL.
AND JUNE 23RD YOU SAID, RIGHT? YES.
SO IT'S NOT ACTUALLY ON JUNETEENTH.
ANY YES, MEMBER S STARTOFF? I JUST HAVE A REPORT ON AN EVENT THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED, THAT IS ON SATURDAY.
UH, WE CELEBRATED JOHN MUIR'S BIRTHDAY AND BIRTHDAY AT THE JOHN MUIR NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN MARTINEZ.
UH, JOHN MUIR'S, UH, CHANNELER, IF YOU WILL.
UH, ANYWAY, IT WAS A GREAT EVENT AND, UH, I THINK I MENTIONED IT BEFORE IT HAPPENED.
YEAH, I'M SURE THERE WERE LOTS OF WONDERFUL EARTH DAY EVENTS THIS WEEKEND TOO, IN OTHER PLACES AS WELL.
ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? SEEING NONE THEN.
I WILL, UH, ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 6:23 PM HAPPY EARTH DAY, EVERYBODY, AND SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.