Coastal Conservancy Public Meeting in Morro Bay – December 06

Douglas Bosco (Public Member), Chair
Sara Ramirez Giroux (Public Member)
Ann Notthoff (Public Member)
John Laird, Secretary for Natural Resources; Bryan Cash (Designated)
Dayna Bochco, Coastal Commission Chair; Susan Hansch (Designated)
Michael Cohen, Director, Department of Finance; Karen Finn (Designated)

Senate Representatives
Benjamin Allen (District 26)
Anthony Cannella (District 12)
Jerry Hill (District 13)

Assembly Representatives
Mark Stone (District 29)
Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (District 80)
Monique Limón (District 37)

Sam Schuchat, Executive Officer
Amy Roach, Chief Counsel

AGENDA

DATE: December 06, 2018
TIME: 9:00 A.M
LOCATION: Inn at Morro Bay
60 State Park Road, Morro Bay Room
Morro Bay, CA 93442

1. ROLL CALL

2. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of the Conservancy’s September 6, 2018 public meeting.

3. CONSENT ITEMS

A. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $950,000 received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and $930,000 received from the Ocean Protection Council to augment the Conservancy’s February 2, 2017 and March 22, 2018 authorizations to The Wildlands Conservancy for the Eel River Estuary and Centerville Slough Enhancement Project.

B. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $150,000 in grant funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the Redwood Community Action Agency to remove invasive dense-flowered cordgrass (Spartina densiflora) in the Mad River Estuary and the Eureka Slough Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and adoption of a finding that the project is within the scope of the previously certified “Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Report for the Humboldt Bay Regional Spartina Eradication Plan” (FEIR), and the FEIR adequately describes and evaluates the project for purposes of the California Environmental Quality Act.

C. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $397,000 to the City of Eureka to augment a previously authorized grant to construct tidal wetlands restoration and public access improvements in and adjacent to the Elk River Estuary on Humboldt Bay, within the City of Eureka.

D. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $200,000 received from the California Department of Water Resources to augment the Conservancy’s September 6, 2018 authorization of $320,000 to Sustainable Conservation to advance the adoption of programmatic permits for aquatic habitat restoration and water quality improvement projects.

E. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $50,000 to the Morro Coast Audubon Society for public access improvements and habitat restoration on their East Sweet Springs property on the south Morro Bay shoreline, San Luis Obispo County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

F. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $75,000 to the County of San Luis Obispo for reconstruction of a beach accessway, including a stairway, in the town of Cayucos.

G. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up $118,000 to Sonoma State University and the Friends of the Sea Otter to implement two separate projects to aid in recovery of the southern sea otter.

H. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $200,000 to the Los Angeles Maritime Institute to augment a Conservancy grant authorized on October 5, 2006 to restore the tall ship Swift of Ipswich for use as a waterfront attraction and a sailing classroom in Los Angeles County.

I. Consideration and possible authorization to: (1) disburse up to $600,000 for executive project management to support the South Bay Salt Pond (SBSP) Restoration Project for approximately three years, (2) disburse up to $360,000 to the Aquatic Science Center for website maintenance and adaptive management activities to support the SBSP Restoration Project for approximately two years, and (3) disburse up to $180,000 to the Consensus and Collaboration Program of Sacramento State University to conduct outreach about the SBSP Restoration Project for approximately two years.

4. EXECUTIVE OFFICER REPORT

A. Consideration and possible Conservancy adoption of Proposition 68 Grant Guidelines

• Addendum: Proposition 68 Grant Guidelines

B. Research on Need for Beach Wheelchair Grants

C. Barriers to Coastal Access for Non-Profit Organizations (PowerPoint updated as of 12/4/18)

D. Resolution of Appreciation for Conservancy Member Karen Finn

E. Resolution of Appreciation for South Coast Regional Program Manager Joan Cardellino

CENTRAL COAST

5. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $400,000 to the Bay Foundation of Morro Bay for restoration of a floodplain along a one-half mile reach of lower Chorro Creek in San Luis Obispo County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

• Addendum: Chorro Creek Restoration

6. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to the Trust for Public Land to acquire the 283 acre Toro Creek Ranch located between Morro Bay and Cayucos, San Luis Obispo County.

7. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,000,000 to the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) for acquisition of the 320-acre Gazos Creek Property located near Butano State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains of San Mateo County for conservation purposes, which will facilitate POST’s acquisition of a conservation easement over the 607-acre Valencia Creek Property in the Santa Cruz Mountains of Santa Cruz County for purposes of conservation and preservation of working timber lands.

8. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $202,785 to the Resource Conservation District of San Mateo County to undertake preliminary planning for the Pescadero Marsh Restoration and Resiliency Project in San Mateo County.

SOUTH COAST

9. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,500,000 to the Maritime Museum Association of San Diego to prepare plans and specifications, environmental analyses and permit applications for the construction of an entrance building and redesigned exhibition space at the San Diego Maritime Museum in the City of San Diego.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY

10. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $490,000 to the East Bay Regional Park District to restore habitat and improve water quality by restoring a culverted section of Alder Creek, a tributary of Upper San Leandro Creek, in the Robert Sibley Volcanic Regional Preserve in Contra Costa County, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

11. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $5,700,000 to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to place dredged sediment from Redwood City Harbor at the Cullinan Ranch, Montezuma and Hamilton-Bel Marin Keys wetland restoration sites on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay in Solano and Marin counties, and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.

12. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse Pacific Gas & Electric Company and PG&E Corporation funds of up to: (1) $100,000 for planning and environmental review activities for wharf and piling removal for the Terminal Four Wharf Removal Project, and (2) $300,000 for subtidal habitat restoration and monitoring for the San Francisco Bay Creosote Removal and Pacific Herring Restoration Project, each near Point San Pablo, Contra Costa County.

13. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $1,200,000 for native oyster restoration implementation and monitoring activities for the San Francisco Bay Living Shorelines Project at Giant Marsh in the Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in City of Richmond, Contra Costa County.

NORTH COAST

14. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $430,750 to the Friends of the Dunes to conduct Phase II of a coastal dune vulnerability and adaptation assessment along 32 miles of coastline in Humboldt County to test adaptation strategies at demonstration sites, develop an empirical model of dune response to sea level rise, and develop recommendations for adaptation strategies in the project area.

STATEWIDE

15. Consideration and possible authorization to disburse up to $3,800,000 to 12 nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and a tribal government for Climate Ready projects that facilitate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and address the effects of climate change on coastal resources and communities.

16. CLOSED SESSION

A. To confer regarding Lent, et al. v. California Coastal Commission; State Coastal Conservancy, Real Party in Interest, L.A. County Superior Court, Case No. BS167531. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(2)(A).

B. To confer regarding Bordessa v. Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, Sonoma County Superior Court, Case No. SCV-256943. The session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(2)(A).

C. To confer regarding Pappas, et al. v. State of California, et al. Santa Barbara County Superior Court, Case No. 1417388. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to Government Code Section 11126(e)(2)(A).

17. CONSERVANCY MEMBER COMMENTS

18. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS

19. ADJOURNMENT

CONSERVANCY TOUR INFORMATION:

On Wednesday, December 5, 2018, the Conservancy will tour project sites in and around the City of Morro Bay in San Luis County. The tour will commence at 1:30 pm at the Chevron Estero Marine Terminal property before proceeding to the Chorro Creek Restoration site. The tour will conclude along the Morro Bay waterfront with a guided demonstration of the Coastal Conservancy’s new Coastal Trail web app.  Members of the public are welcome but must provide their own transportation.

Note: Agenda items may be taken out of sequence at the discretion of the Conservancy. At any time during the meeting, but prior to the adjournment of the open session of the meeting, the Conservancy may recess or adjourn to closed session to consider personnel matters, prices and terms of real estate transactions, and possible and pending litigation. Session will be closed to the public pursuant to attorney-client privilege and statutory authorization under Government Code Sections 11126(a), (c) (7), and (e).

Any person who has a disability and requires reasonable accommodation to participate in this public meeting should contact Taylor Samuelson no later than five days prior to meeting.
Questions about the meeting or agenda can be directed to Taylor Samuelson at
(510) 286-4182 or at the Conservancy:
1550 Clay Street, 10th Floor
Oakland, CA 94612