2022 State Coastal Conservancy Request for Qualifications and Information

The State Coastal Conservancy (“Conservancy”) acts to preserve, restore, and enhance California’s coastal and marine resources, enhance their resilience to climate change, and to expand public access to the coast.

The Conservancy annually updates a list of environmental, engineering, architectural, landscape architectural, construction project management, and the other consulting service providers.  This year, we also invite individuals, firms, non-profits, and community groups involved with community engagement, tribal engagement, community-based restoration, traditional ecological knowledge, and other justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion topics to submit their information.

The list is used in two ways: to identify consulting firms and individuals with appropriate qualifications for Conservancy consultant needs; and to help us make connections with local organizations and individuals engaged with coastal issues and communities in our jurisdiction.

We welcome individuals, consultants, firms, and community groups to submit their qualifications and/or organizational information through this brief online form.  This submission form replaces previous years’ RFQ form.

We encourage submittals by August 31, though they will be accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

More information can be found in the complete RFQI here.

The Conservancy has developed working relationships with a number of public and private entities through its work on coastal and watershed restoration efforts over the past 45 years. Advancing environmental protection and climate adaptation work requires diverse collaborations of public and private agencies, Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations, landowners, and community members. We aim to foster collaboration between these groups to develop creative solutions to complex coastal issues.  We hope this list will increase our awareness of the many groups, organizations, and individuals that should be involved in the development and implementation of our projects.

All information received will be kept on file for at least one year from the date of this request.  Conservancy staff will use this information in soliciting services, as needed, for upcoming Conservancy projects.  We will also use this information in efforts to increase local community connections with our projects and in providing resources to share with grantees and other partners.

State certified Small Businesses (“SB” including small business, minority and women-owned businesses) and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (“DVBE”) are encouraged to submit.    The Conservancy encourages all potential contractors to proactively engage with potential SB and DVBE subcontractors.

More information can be found in the complete RFQI here.

We are soliciting consultants with experience and expertise in:

1. Surveying and mapping;
2. Construction project management;
3. Civil and hydrological engineering;
4. Habitat restoration design, permitting, construction, and monitoring; with a focus on designing for integrated habitats and multiple benefits; including specific expertise and project experience in specific habitat types and mixes of habitat palettes- marine, estuarine, riparian, upland, and watershed areas
5. Natural and nature-based shoreline protection design; including experimental techniques and work in less common habitat types such as rocky intertidal areas and oyster beds;
6. Wildfire risk reduction and management
7. Landscape architecture; with a focus on native and environmentally oriented designs,
8. Trail planning, design, and engineering;
9. Water quality assessment;
10. Geotechnical and geomorphic assessment;
11. Structural analyses;
12. Pre-project feasibility analyses;
13. Economic analyses;
14. Hazardous or toxic substance investigations;
15. Wetland, creek, watershed, intertidal and subtidal assessments;
16. Archaeological studies;
17. Environmental documentation and assessment under the California Environmental Quality Act and other environmental laws and regulation;
18. Climate change issues such as urban heat island effect, species migrations, seasonal coastal and fluvial flooding, and sea-level rise;
19. Botanical studies;
20. Agricultural studies;
21. Soil analyses;
22. Carbon analyses;
23. Biological investigations;
24. Natural resource permitting;
25. Site and land use planning;
26. Sea-level rise, marsh migration, and coastal erosion modeling;
27. Environmental monitoring;
28. Graphic design for interpretive signs; and
29. Other program-related environmental services, such as appraisals for resource conservation purposes.

The Conservancy also seeks to identify individuals, firms, and community groups providing these services:

1. Community engagement planning and implementation
2. Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion (JEDI) training and resources
3. Community engagement evaluation
4. Community-focused media and storytelling
5. Community-based restoration
6. Community-inclusive design planning
7. Local labor development and training
8. Traditional Ecological Knowledge

To submit your qualifications and/or or organizational information, fill out the online form located here and linked at https://scc.ca.gov/public-meetings/ under the Public Notices header.

More information can be found in the complete RFQI here.

Please email taylor.samuelson (at) scc.ca.gov with any questions.

REQUEST FOR SERVICES (RFS): Community Engagement for the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project

The California State Coastal Conservancy requests the services of an expert in participatory community engagement to develop and implement robust community engagement for the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project (Project), located in the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve in the City of Los Angeles.

This RFS is being released for a second time in order to allow more time for responding.

The Contractor will develop and implement community  participation that is representative of the diversity and demographics of the Los Angeles County regarding the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project. The Conservancy and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (the landowner and project lead) aim to understand the concerns, experience, and priorities of the Los Angeles residents to implement the Ballona Wetland Restoration Project in a way that is inclusive and accessible to respective visitors.

The Conservancy is seeking a Contractor with strong experience in underserved community engagement and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work to develop and implement a community engagement process for the Project. Please see the complete request for services for the proposed scope of services.

To apply, you will need to include qualifications, project approach, project team, resume, examples of relevant projects, and three references. More information on how to apply is available in the Request for Services.

Request for Services

Submittals must be received by 5:00 pm on August 5^th , 2022.

An electronic copy (in PDF format; less than 20 Mb in size) of the submittal should be emailed to Emely Lopez, the Project Manager at the State Coastal Conservancy, emely.lopez@scc.ca.gov 

An acknowledgment that the Conservancy has received the submittal will be sent by email. If your submittal is not acknowledged by August 6, please call Emely Lopez at (510) 286-0470.

Job Posting: Administrative Deputy Executive Officer

“Love the California Coast, the environment, supervising people, and public agency management? This might be the job for you!”

The State Coastal Conservancy is seeking an experienced leader to join our Executive Management team as the Administrative Deputy Executive Officer, CEA, range A.

The State Coastal Conservancy is headquartered in Oakland, CA.

Reporting to the Executive Officer, the Administrative Deputy Executive Officer is delegated the authority for implementing and managing the State Coastal Conservancy’s overall administrative operations. The Administrative Deputy exercises independent decision-making in developing, managing, and providing direction and oversight for key agency-wide services including Budgets, Accounting, Contracts, Procurement, Information Technology, Business Services, and Human Resources. The Administrative Deputy develops agency-wide administrative policy and implements and enforces statewide administrative laws, rules, and policies in these areas. As a key member of the Executive Team, the Administrative Deputy advises the Board, Executive Officer, Deputy Executive Officer, Management Team, and other staff on administrative matters. The position requires flexible work hours and some travel.

The position requires the ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines. The selected candidate is required to have broad knowledge of various laws, rules, policies, and procedures in multi-disciplined administrative areas; work cooperatively with others; respond to emergency demands on short notice; exercise a high degree of initiative, independence of action and originality; demonstrate tact and a high degree of good independent judgment; communicate effectively; easily adapt to changing priorities; supervise a team of direct reports and indirect staff; be dependable; and have excellent time management skills.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

To learn more about the position and how to apply, visit the Cal Careers posting here. 

Job Posting: Budget Analyst

Love the California coast and the environment and working to support diversity and inclusion?  This might be the job for you!”

The position is located in Oakland, CA.

Under the general direction of the Staff Services Manager II, the incumbent works as part of the Budget Unit, and in coordination with other administrative units, project staff, and Federal/State/local entities.  Under the guidance of the Budget Lead, this position will assist with the preparation and administration of the annual budget for the State Coastal Conservancy, along with other budget, financial, or administrative related tasks.

We are willing to fill this position at the Associate Governmental Program Analyst (AGPA) or at the Staff Service Analyst (SSA). To see more details about the AGPA or SSA job functions, please see attached duty statements.

The State Coastal Conservancy values diversity at all levels of the organization and is committed to fostering an environment in which employees from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and personal experiences are welcomed and can thrive. We believe the diversity of our employees and their unique ideas inspire innovative solutions to further our mission of protecting and enhancing California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations.

If you are not currently on the eligibility lists, please take the online exam that you are applying to: for the AGPA list, please take the online exam at:  https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/JOBSGEN/9PB04.PDF; for the Staff Services Analyst exam:  https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/JOBSGEN/7PB34.PDF; Staff Services Analyst LEAP exam: https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/JOBSGEN/7PB15.PDF

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

To learn more and apply, please visit the Cal Careers Page.

Job Posting: Contracts & Procurement Analyst

Love the California coast and the environment and working with contracts and grant agreements?  This might be the job for you!

The position is located in Oakland, CA.

Under the general supervision of the Contracts and Procurement Manager, the incumbent is responsible for all phases of Contract and Grant Agreement document preparation process. Duties require accuracy and understanding of the State and Conservancy’s Contract processes. Duties are technical and analytical in nature and carried out with a high degree of independence.

Primary responsibility includes preparing new agreements and amendments from electronic model agreements using Track Changes to coordinate edits from legal staff, project staff and others in the review process.  Edit data from electronic documents, ensure all edits are incorporated correctly, proofread, and print out onto appropriate paper.  Ensure all executed agreements and amendments are accurately registered to the State Contract Procurement Registration System (SCPRS) and ensure that all executed SCC new agreements and amendments are processed in the Fi$Cal system. Secure the vendor’s supplier ID by using the std 204.  Create contract shells and Purchase Orders to fully encumber the funds in Fi$Cal to pay invoices. Ensure all SCC new agreements and amendments are accurately entered onto the Database, Tracking Log, and onto the paper version Drawdown Sheet.  Oversee the accuracy of Contracts information in the SCC’s Project Database to ensure the accounting of all executed and closed agreements are reflected accurately.

Serves as back-up to process SCC invoices from grantees and contractors.  Work with project staff, contractors, grantees, and the Conservancy’s Accounting Unit to get invoices processed for payment. Complete the invoice process which includes review of grant/contract agreements to ensure conditions precedent to payment have been met, the reimbursement requests are substantiated by appropriate back up documentation, that appropriate funding payments are made according to encumbrances, and reimbursable invoices are copied to the grants manager. Work with project staff and grantees/contractors to resolve invoice problems internally, if possible, or prepare and process Invoice Dispute, when necessary.  Enter invoice payments into SCC Project Database, ensuring electronic records match hard copy drawdown sheets in agreement file.  Receive invoices into Fi$Cal before forwarding to Accounting Unit for further processing.

Serves as back-up for preparing SFBRA agreements.  Ensure all edits are incorporated correctly, proofread, and finalize agreements.  Prepare and send out for DocuSign from electronic model agreements using Track Changes to coordinate edits from legal staff, project staff, and others in the review process.  Edit data from electronic documents, ensuring all edits are incorporated correctly, proofread, and print out onto appropriate paper.  Responsible for ensuring that all executed agreements and amendments are accurately logged.  Back-up for processing SFBRA invoices from grantees and contractors.  Work with both SCC and MTC project staff, contractors, and grantees to get SFBRA invoices processed in a timely manner.  Prepare extensions, augmentation, and other amendments, as requested.  Maintain active agreements, as necessary.

May be asked to fill in for other staff as back up, for cross training purposes.  This includes performing mail duties and assisting with board meetings, when required. May contribute and participate in JEDI related meetings. Update the Contracts and Procurement manual, when required and as needed.  Assist with audit requests.  Includes gathering information, responding to auditors, and reporting back to management, as required. Assist with preparation of the annual Contracting Reports to DGS. Perform special projects as required and requested.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

More information on the position and how to apply can be found on the CalCareers Website.

Press Release: SCC and City of Pacific Grove Celebrate Opening of Point Pinos Coastal Trail

Newest segment of the California Coastal Trail open to the public

PACIFIC GROVE, May 20, 2022 – Today, the City of Pacific Grove celebrated the formal opening of the Point Pinos Coastal Tail with a ribbon-cutting event attended by state and local officials and community leaders.  This newest segment of the state’s California Coastal Trail completes the 4 mile stretch of trail along Pacific Grove’s coastline and links to Coastal Trail segments to the north and south of the city.

“We are thrilled to have partnered with the Coastal Conservancy and other state and regional funding partners to move this trail project from vision to reality,” said Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Peake, “It is a culmination of efforts over 24 years by City Councils, Committees, Staff and Funding Agencies.  Without their continued support and efforts, it would not have been possible. Pacific Grove is already a world-class visitor destination, as positioned on the spectacular rocky coast of the Monterey Peninsula. This trail provides unimpeded access and views to the Pacific Ocean and Monterey Bay and links to coastal trails in Asilomar State Beach. This new coastal trail is easily accessible by car with nearby parking, hotel, and dining venues and downtown a few minutes away.  Visitors will not be disappointed.”

“Congratulations to the City of Pacific Grove for completing their spectacular Coastal Trail.” Said Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer of the State Coastal Conservancy, “Now residents and visitors can enjoy walking and biking not only the 4 miles within the City but also the 30-plus additional miles that connect to the cities of Monterey, Sand City, and Marina to the north and Carmel to the south. Pacific Grove has demonstrated to other coastal communities how to design and build trails to be resilient to climate change – by locating their trail and parking lots away the most vulnerable coastal areas and having a long-term plan to move the trail inland over time.”

The new trail improves the visitor experience and enhances safety and accessibility by locating the trail seaward of the parking areas to provide unobstructed ocean views. Beach access pathways direct visitors to designated access points and away from sensitive dune habitat. Buses and recreational vehicles can park in designated lots at either end of the trail, and accessible parking spaces are available at several locations.

Recognizing the threat sea level rise poses, the trail and parking are located outside of the projected 30-year erosion zone.  The impacts of storm surge and coastal erosion will be buffered by the 2.5 acres of restored dune habitat that was part of this project. In anticipation of future climate impacts beyond 2050, the City has developed a plan to relocate the trail inland and convert Ocean View Boulevard to a public two-way bike path when rising seas make it unsuitable as a roadway.

The project was funded by the City of Pacific Grove, the California State Coastal Conservancy, Air Resources Bord, California Natural Resources Agency, and Transportation Agency for Monterey County.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

More about the project can be found here: https://www.cityofpacificgrove.org/pointpinostrail

The Coastal Conservancy is a state agency, established in 1976, to protect and improve natural lands and waterways, to help people get to and enjoy the outdoors, and to sustain local economies along California’s coast. The Conservancy is a non-regulatory agency that supports projects to protect coastal resources and increase opportunities for the public to enjoy the coast.

Since its founding, the Conservancy has:

• Funded 4,000 projects along the California coastline and in the San Francisco Bay.
• Protected 390,000 acres of coastal lands through acquisition of fee title and conservation easements.
• Restored 33,000 acres of habitat.
• Built 200 new coastal accessway and 210 miles of new trails.
• Put $1.8 billion to work for conservation projects, and leveraged far more from federal, local government, and private sources.

RFQ: *Updated deadline* Consultant Services for Environmental Documentation And Permitting Of Forest Resilience Implementation Projects

*** DEADLINE UPDATED TO JUNE 20***

The State Coastal Conservancy is hiring a technical assistance contractor who specializes in environmental documentation, permitting, and project development for wildfire resiliency activities in California. The contractor will develop environmental documentation and permitting under the guidance of Conservancy staff for project partners who are looking to implement wildfire resilience projects in the Conservancy’s jurisdiction.

The deadline for responses is June 13, 2022 June 20, 2022.

The Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience Program offers funding to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to implement projects that improve ecological health of natural lands and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. The Conservancy has identified a need for technical assistance to help local partners with the environmental documentation required to implement projects. This Request for Qualifications is intended to identify and contract with a consultant who can perform these services for project proponents under the Conservancy’s guidance.

The objective of all implementation projects is wildfire resiliency. Specific projects may include shaded fuel breaks, forest health measures, prescribed and cultural burns, mechanical and manual treatments, forest thinning, native plant restoration to improve wildfire resilience, prescribed herbivory (including infrastructure improvements) and other actions designed to improve the overall resiliency to wildfire. The Conservancy seeks to bring a consultant with broad environmental documentation and permitting experience under contract to help prepare shovel ready projects for project partners.

More information can be found in the full Request for Qualifications here.

Please email questions and submittals to: wildfire.resilience@scc.ca.gov

Press Release: Coastal Conservancy Awards over $28m in Grants

This week, the Board of the California State Coastal Conservancy awarded over $28.3 million in grants for coastal access, protect, restoration and climate resilience.  Included in the authorizations were $11.5 million for the acquisition of 384 acres at the Banning Ranch property in the Newport Beach. The acquisition of Banning Ranch is an extremely rare opportunity to enhance coastal resources damaged by decades of oil production and create new multi-benefit public parkland within this highly developed coastal region. Public ownership of Banning Ranch will enable the restoration of ecological resources and the protection of cultural resources, and will provide public access opportunities such as trails and potentially low-impact overnight accommodations. This property is the largest remaining private coastal parcel between Ventura County and the US/Mexico border.

The Board also authorized the Conservancy to enter into a Joint Powers Agreement with the Great Redwood Trail Authority for the purposes of developing the Great Redwood Trail Master Plan; and to spend up to $3,500,000 for the advancement of the trail in Mendocino, Trinity, and Humboldt Counties.

The full list of projects can be found on the Meeting page here.

Sea Otter Recovery Grants – Deadline August 5, 2022

The California State Coastal Conservancy announces the availability of grants to public agencies, tribes and nonprofit organizations for projects that facilitate the recovery of the southern sea otter along California’s coasts.

Background

The Coastal Conservancy (“Conservancy”) is a California state agency, established in 1976 to work with local communities to implement multi-benefit projects that protect and enhance coastal resources.  The Conservancy works along the entire length of California’s coast, within the watersheds of rivers and streams that extend inland from the coast, and throughout the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

The California Sea Otter Fund is one of the state’s tax check-off funds that allows taxpayers to voluntarily contribute to the recovery of California’s sea otter population. The Conservancy receives approximately 50% of the revenues for “competitive grants and contracts to public agencies and nonprofit organizations for research, science, protection, projects, or programs related to the Federal Sea Otter Recovery Plan or improving the nearshore ocean ecosystem.”

Solicitation Priorities

Coastal Conservancy grants funded by the California Sea Otter Fund can be used for a variety of activities related to southern sea otter recovery and improving the nearshore ecosystem. Conservancy priorities for the funding are as follows:

• Implement critical recovery actions of the Federal Southern Sea Otter Recovery Plan
• Plan and implement projects to improve or expand southern sea otter habitat
• Reduce environmental stressors impacting southern sea otters
• Conduct research to inform actions or strategies to advance critical sea otter recovery actions, improve or expand sea otter habitat, or reduce stressors on southern sea otters

Funding Available

Each year, the Conservancy solicits proposals for the annual appropriation from the California Sea Otter Fund (see Section A). This year the Conservancy anticipates approximately $330,000 available for projects that meeting the fund’s objectives.

Grant application deadline is August 5, 2022.

The Grant Announcement and Application can be downloaded by clicking here.

Coastal Conservancy Celebrates Groundbreaking of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon

Today, the State Coastal Conservancy joined Governor Newsom, the National Wildlife Federation, and partners to celebrate the start of construction on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills.

Spanning over ten lanes of the 101 freeway in the Agoura Hills area when complete, the crossing will be the largest in the world, the first of its kind in California, and a global model for urban wildlife conservation.  It will restore safe wildlife travel along a corridor between the inland Sierra Madre Mountains and the coastal Santa Monica Mountains.

Roads and development are deadly for animals trying to cross and have created islands of habitat that can genetically isolate wildlife, from bobcats to birds and lizards. This visionary wildlife crossing will preserve biodiversity across the region by re-connecting an integral wildlife corridor, and most critically, help save a threatened local population of mountain lions from extinction.

“Southern California is one of 25 hotspots of biological diversity on Earth but many coastal habitats in this region have been severed from inland landscapes.  Restoring connectivity across US-101 will provide southern California’s plant and animal life the essential habitat it needs for survival.” Said Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer of the Coastal Conservancy, “The Coastal Conservancy has been a staunch supporter of this project for many years, having funded the environmental assessment and design of the crossing in 2015, so we are thrilled to break ground on this project that will have a huge positive impact on regional biodiversity and means so much to the people of the LA area.”

Coastal Conservancy Deputy Executive Officer Mary Small and Project Manager Emely Lopez at the groundbreaking of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon