Joy Sterling Appointed as Coastal Conservancy Member

Yesterday, March 15, 2023, the Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), appointed Joy Sterling to the California State Coastal Conservancy.

“Joy Sterling is a respected leader in her community and a dedicated advocate for local coastal economies,” said Pro Tem Atkins. “I am confident she will continue to prioritize responsible stewardship of our natural lands and waterways through her work on the California State Coastal Conservancy.”

Joy Sterling is the Chief Executive Officer and Partner of Iron Horse Vineyards, where she has served since 1985. Previously, she was a Deputy Bureau Chief at ABC Network News. She serves as a member of the State Board of Food and Agriculture, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Task Force on Connectivity for Precision Agriculture, California Wine Institute, Sonoma County Vintners Association, North Bay North Coast Broadband Consortium, and California Broadband Council Advisory Board.

Job Posting: Contracts and Procurement Manager

The Coastal Conservancy is recruiting for a Staff Service Manager I (SSM I) who will be leading our Contracts & Procurement team to join our team.

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.

Staff Service Manager I

Under the general direction of the Director of Fiscal Services (SSM II), the SSM I is responsible for the supervision & management of the Conservancy’s contracting, purchasing and outgoing grants functions. This position supervises, trains, and reviews the performance of the Contracts & Procurement staff. Responsibilities are carried out with a significant degree of independence, working independently and in a team, exercising sound judgment, analysis, and discretion. Learn more here.

Final Filing Date 03/30/2023

Steps to apply:

1. Create a CalCareers Account
2. Visit the job announcement at:

• JC-361654 – SSM I – Contracts and Procurement Manager

3. Review the Duty Statement (if the duty statement does not open, try opening it in a different internet browser).
4. On the Job Control Listing, click Apply Now to launch the CA STD 678, which is the State of California’s official State Application for job vacancies.
5. If any, answer questions/prompts on the CA STD 678 and upload all required documents before submitting the application:

• State Application STD 678 – make sure to fill out all sections (resume will not be reviewed/considered)
• Unofficial Transcripts or Diploma (if applicable)
• Cover Letter

6. Verify that the CA STD 678 has been “Submitted” in your CalCareer account.

Other resources for applying for a job with the State:

Department of General Services: How to Apply for a State Job

CalPERS: How to Apply for a State Job

CalCareers: Help

State of CA Civil Service Pay Scale

REPOST: Job Posting:  Associate Governmental Program Analyst

The Coastal Conservancy is recruiting for an Associate Governmental Program Analyst (AGPA) for our Budget unit to join our team.

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.

Associate Governmental Program Analyst
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. 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. Learn more here.

This is a repost. If you have already applied for this job vacancy, your application is still being considered. You do not need to resubmit an application.
New Final Filing Date 03/24/2023

Steps to apply:

1. Create a CalCareers Account

2. Visit the job announcement at:

• JC-350139 – Budget Analyst

3. Review the Duty Statement (if the duty statement does not open, try opening it in a different internet browser).

4. On the Job Control Listing, click Apply Now to launch the CA STD 678, which is the State of California’s official State Application for job vacancies.
5. If any, answer questions/prompts on the CA STD 678 and upload all required documents before submitting the application:

• State Application STD 678
• Unofficial Transcripts or Diploma (if applicable)

6. Verify that the CA STD 678 has been “Submitted” in your CalCareer account.

Other resources for applying for a job with the State:

Department of General Services: How to Apply for a State Job

CalPERS: How to Apply for a State Job

CalCareers: Help

 State of CA Civil Service Pay Scale

Request for Qualifications (RFQ): Consultant Services for Engineering, Environmental, and Permitting Assistance for Coastal Projects

The State Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) is seeking qualifications from engineering and environmental services firms in order to contract for as-needed  technical assistance in order to facilitate the development and implementation of a variety of coastal projects. The initial contract amount will be for $150,000. The selected Firm will help to determine the feasibility and scope of individual projects, provide conceptual environmentally sensitive design alternatives, and objective, “third-party” analyses on complex and controversial technical issues that often arise in the course of Conservancy project development or implementation. More specific examples of the type of technical assistance that could be requested are provided in the full RFQ here.

Please note that responses are due Friday, March 31 by 5 pm.

The RFQ can be downloaded here. 

Questions regarding this RFQ can be submitted to Trish.Chapman@scc.ca.gov and will be answered at least weekly.

To receive weekly updates on question and answers regarding responding to this RFQ, please send an email to Trish.Chapman@scc.ca.gov requesting to be included on the Interested Contractor list for the consultant retainer contract.

Request for Partnership Proposals/Letters of Interest for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program FY 2024

NOTE:

This is a call-for preproposals for projects who would like to partner with the California State Coastal Conservancy to apply for US Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant (NCWCG) Program funding.

1. a) This is NOT the official NCWC call for applications.
2. b) Projects hoping to receive NCWCG funding are NOT required to apply through the Coastal Conservancy. As stated below, there are six other state agencies who are also designated to apply for these funds for the projects in California. However, should a project wish to work with the Coastal Conservancy to manage and administer a potential future grant, please read the following announcement, and if you feel your project fits the NCWCG criteria, please submit a brief (~2-4 page) letter of interest via email to gerwein@scc.ca.gov by 5 PM PST on Friday, April 14^th, 2023 (see further details below).

The California State Coastal Conservancy (Conservancy) seeks partners for joint applications to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 round of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant (NCWCG) Program for coastal wetlands acquisition and/or restoration projects on the California coast or along the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Only seven designated state agencies, including the Conservancy, are eligible to apply for NCWC grants in California. However, the Conservancy can work in partnership with state and local agencies, tribes, and certain non-profits to develop and submit NCWC proposals.  The Conservancy can pass through NCWCG funds to its partners, as subrecipients, to implement projects.  While federal agencies can’t receive NCWCG funds, NCWCG-funded projects can be implemented on federal lands by a subrecipient. A full description of the NCWCG program can be found here:  https://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/.

NCWC provides grants of up to $1,000,000 for the protection and/or restoration of coastal wetlands.  Grants are for project implementation, although it is permissible to utilize no more than 30%, combined, for biological surveys or monitoring, planning, and permitting if those activities are closely tied to implementation. Projects should be ready for implementation in Summer 2024 or 2025.  Projects will be more competitive if the project area is primarily made up of jurisdictional wetlands. The NCWC grant program requires a non-federal match of at least 25% of the total project cost, consisting of either cash or in-kind contributions, and additional points are awarded for match of up to 33% of the total project cost.  The Conservancy may be able to provide some or all the required match, but project partners providing their own match will increase the Conservancy’s capacity to carry out additional projects.  The NCWCG program also prioritizes projects that involve multiple partners providing a cash or in-kind contribution. All projects must ensure long-term (at least 20 years) conservation of coastal resources.

Eligible Activities include:

1. Acquisition of a real property interest (e.g., conservation easement or fee title) in coastal lands or waters (coastal wetlands ecosystems) from willing sellers or partners for long-term conservation;
2. Restoration, enhancement, or management of coastal wetlands ecosystems; or
3. A combination of acquisition, restoration, and management.

Ineligible Activities include, but are not limited to:

1. Projects that primarily benefit navigation, irrigation, flood control, or mariculture;
2. Acquisition, restoration, enhancement or management of lands required as the result of a regulatory or decision-making process to mitigate habitat losses;
3. Creation of wetlands where wetlands did not previously exist;
4. Enforcement of fish and wildlife laws and regulations, except when necessary for the accomplishment of approved project purposes;
5. Research;
6. Planning as a primary project focus;
7. Operations and maintenance, including long-term invasive species management;
8. Acquisition and/or restoration of upper portions of watersheds where benefits to the coastal wetlands ecosystem are not significant and direct; and
9. Projects providing less than 20 years of conservation benefits.

This year’s FY 2024 Notice of Funding Announcement (NOAO), is available here as reference:  https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-grants.html, funding opportunity Number: F24AS00005.

If your project is selected by the Conservancy during this initial proposal phase, the Conservancy will work with you to prepare a NCWCG proposal, which may or may not be awarded funding by the USFWS. The Conservancy will not award state funding grants directly through this solicitation.  The USFWS selects proposals for award through a merit-based, national competitive review and ranking process. The deadline to submit NCWC proposals to the USFWS for FY 2024 will be June 23, 2023.  Selected projects are generally awarded 6-8 months after the application is submitted. If projects are awarded a NCWCG, funding should be available for implementation in late Spring of 2024. 

USFWS will need to review and meet all project-related environmental compliance requirements before making funding available. A full description of the NCWCG program can be found here:  https://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/.

Letter of Interest Submittal:

To indicate your interest in partnering with the Conservancy on a NCWC proposal, please submit a brief (~2-4 page) letter of interest via email to joel.gerwein@scc.ca.gov. The letter should include the following information:

1) 1-2 sentence summary of proposed project,

2) location of the project and its relevance to NCWCG’s coastal wetland restoration goals,

3) description of the need for the project,

4) description of the proposed project and how it addresses the need,

5) estimated project cost and description of potential match,

6) approximate timeline for project implementation (include information of the status of project design and environmental review for restoration projects),

7) indicate whether you have a willing seller for acquisition projects, and

8) list of potential project partners and their roles in the project.  Include a map showing the project area and providing the approximate acreage of the project area and acreage of coastal wetlands within the project area.

Letters of Interest must be received by 5 PM PST on Friday, April 14^th 2023.

Eligible Applicants: Non-federal public agencies, tribes, and certain nonprofit organizations are eligible for funding. To be eligible, a nonprofit organization must qualify under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Questions? Questions about the application process and potential projects may be directed to Joel Gerwein, External Grants Manager, 510-286-4170, joel.gerwein@scc.ca.gov

Job Posting: Project Support Analyst

“Love protecting, restoring, and enjoying the California Coast? This might be the job for you!”

The State Coastal Conservancy has an exciting opportunity for you to join us in protecting California’s iconic lands and waters, restoring vital habitats, and increasing inclusive and equitable enjoyment of the coast and shoreline.

The Conservancy works with others on multi-benefit projects located along the coast of California, within coastal watersheds, and/or within the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. The new Project Support Analyst will assist with disbursing state funding and managing projects to acquire and protect natural and agricultural lands, restore and enhance habitats and ecosystems, design and build trails and other recreational facilities, plan and implement climate adaptation projects, implement urban greening projects, provide environmental education, and improve public access for historically underserved communities in the Central Coast Region. Tasks will include soliciting and reviewing grant applications, reviewing documents related to projects, writing and presenting staff recommendations for Conservancy Board approval, developing grant agreements in cooperation with legal staff, ensuring that all conditions of the grant agreement are met, reviewing invoices, and monitoring the progress of projects. The new staff member will be part of the Central Coast regional team at the Conservancy, and will work with grantees, partner agencies, organizations, tribes, and community groups.

This is a Statewide Recruitment for ONE (1) authorized position. This position may be filled in the Headquarters located in Oakland, CA. OR may be filled as a permanent remote position in the following counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, or San Luis Obispo. Candidates must have permanent residence in California to be eligible for a permanent remote position AND must reside in the permanent remote location listed (San Cruz, Monterey, or San Luis Obispo) above at the time employment begins. Please indicate your preferred location(s) in the “Explanation” section of your application (State Application Form – STD.678) or in your Statement of Qualifications. Please note, you must reside within your preferred location(s) in order to accept this position.

To learn more and apply, visit the Cal Careers post here.

Steps to apply:

1. Create a CalCareers Account

2. Visit the job announcement at:

• JC-355215 – Project Support Analyst

3. Review the Duty Statement (if the duty statement does not open, try opening it in a different internet browser).
4. On the Job Control Listing, click Apply Now to launch the CA STD 678, which is the State of California’s official State Application for job vacancies.

5. If any, answer questions/prompts on the CA STD 678 and upload all required documents before submitting the application:

• State Application STD 678
• Unofficial Transcripts or Diploma (if applicable)

6. Verify that the CA STD 678 has been “Submitted” in your CalCareer account.

Other resources for applying for a job with the State:

Department of General Services: How to Apply for a State Job

CalPERS: How to Apply for a State Job

CalCareers: Help

State of CA Civil Service Pay Scale

Notice of Intent to Award: Federal Governmental Relations Consultant

Notice of Intent to Award

February 16, 2023

Re: Request for Proposal for Federal Governmental Relations Consultant

The State Coastal Conservancy has reviewed and scored the qualifying applications for its RFP issued December 16, 2022.

Bidder O’Connell & Dempsey, LLC, obtained the highest score and will be offered a contract to perform the services described in the RFP.

The official notice of Intent to Award is here.

Press Release: Coastal Conservancy Awards $15.9 Million for Coastal Restoration, Protection, Public Access, and Climate Resilience

2/2/2023 – Today, the Board of the State Coastal Conservancy approved 12 grants totaling over $15.9 million for restoration, protection, public access, and climate resilience along the California coast and San Francisco Bay.  Among the projects was a grant of up to $7,000,000 to East Bay Regional Park District to acquire the 768-acre Finley Road Ranch Property in Contra Costa County and a grant of $5,400,000 to the California Invasive Plant Council for the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project.  The Board also approved $525,000 to the City of Santa Barbara to reduce wildland vegetation fuels on approximately 283 acres in up to seven high fire hazard areas in Santa Barbara and $685,546 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to develop a Tribal Access and Engagement Plan and update environmental assessments for the Frank and Joan Randall Preserve/Genga (formerly known as Banning Ranch).

The full list of projects can be found below:

NORTH COAST

1. A grant of up to $33,300 to Jug Handle Creek Farm and Nature Center (JCFNC) to remove a minimum of 95 high-fire-risk invasive Monterey Pine trees, plant 30 Redwood trees and shrubs, and install interpretative signage on the JCFNC property located in the community of Caspar, Mendocino County.

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA

2. A grant of up to $7,000,000 to East Bay Regional Park District to acquire the 768-acre Finley Road Ranch Property in Contra Costa County for purposes of protecting, restoring, and enhancing natural and scenic resources, including wildlife corridors and habitat; improving landscape resilience related to climate change; preserving open space; providing public access and recreational use compatible with the protection, restoration, and enhancement of natural and scenic resources; and providing a public entry staging area for parks on the southern side of Mount Diablo.
3. A grant of up to $5,400,000, including a $400,000 grant from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, to the California Invasive Plant Council for the planning, management, treatment, monitoring, and restoration activities of the San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project from 2023-2024.

CENTRAL COAST

4. A grant of up to $525,000 to the City of Santa Barbara to reduce wildland vegetation fuels on approximately 283 acres in up to seven high fire hazard areas in Santa Barbara, purchase equipment needed for the project, prepare planning and biological resource documents, conduct community outreach and education activities, and build capacity to implement their Community Wildfire Protection Plan through hiring additional staff; and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
5. A grant of up to $752,510 to the Santa Lucia Conservancy to develop and implement a wildfire mitigation training program that will train a wildfire workforce and reduce fuels on 675 acres of coastal habitat and to plan four prescribed burn projects, on the Santa Lucia Preserve in Monterey County.
6. A grant of up to $50,000 to the Morro Coast Audubon Society to restore coastal dune habitat in its Sweet Springs Nature Preserve property on the south Morro Bay shoreline, San Luis Obispo County.

SOUTH COAST

7. A grant of up to $275,000 to the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy for fire fuel reduction and habitat restoration consisting of enhancement of 46.8 acres of habitat through removal of invasive plants and planting of native plants to increase wildfire resilience and benefit federally protected butterflies and other native species within the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes; and adoption of findings under the California Environmental Quality Act.
8. A grant of up to $358,000 to the County of Ventura to conduct pre-construction activities associated with the Matilija Dam Ecosystem Restoration Project, including hydraulic and sediment modeling, environmental compliance and design planning in Ventura County.
9. A grant of up to $400,000 to the City of Santa Ana to prepare designs and perform initial environmental review for restoration of 4.28 acres of pedestrian hiking trail and riparian habitat in Santiago Park within the City of Santa Ana, Orange County.
10. A grant of up to $308,700 to the Discovery Cube of Orange County to produce a conceptual design and feasibility study for an outdoor science park along Santiago Creek in the City of Santa Ana in Orange County.
11. A grant of up to $685,546 to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority to develop a Tribal Access and Engagement Plan and update environmental assessments for the Frank and Joan Randall Preserve/Genga (formerly known as Banning Ranch) property in Newport Beach and unincorporated Orange County.
12. A grant of up to $143,120 to Orange County Coastkeeper to augment a previously authorized Conservancy grant of $35,780 to conduct monitoring and outreach to protect endangered bird species and associated habitat located near the Santa Ana River Mouth in Orange County.

Coastal Stories 2023 Request for Proposals (RFP) Now Open!

The Coastal Conservancy announces its 2023 Coastal Stories grant program Request for Proposals.

Through this program, we intend to make the outdoors more inclusive and welcoming for all Californians by fostering representation of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), people with disabilities, immigrant communities, low-income communities, and other historically excluded groups in outdoor spaces – through storytelling.  Learn more about the Coastal Stories program here. 

All projects must present a story connected to publicly-accessible outdoor spaces within our jurisdiction in a way that will reach the public. We seek to fund projects that plan, develop, and implement storytelling installations or materials (such as murals, signage, monuments, or guides) that represent communities and voices of historically excluded communities. We encourage proposals for community-led projects that show strong community and landowner partnerships and that use creative forms of historical, ecological, and cultural storytelling.

 The Conservancy held an informational webinar on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, from 12 PM-1 PM to walk through the Coastal Stories Grant Program and address common questions regarding the application.  A recording can be found here. 

If you would like a 30-minute consultation with a staff member, please email CoastalStories@scc.ca.gov along with your project idea and location(s).

The Request for Proposals (RFP) can be downloaded here. 

Pre-proposals are due by 5 pm on Friday, March 31, 2023, via email to grants@scc.ca.gov.

 Applicants invited to submit a full proposal or asked to provide further information on their project will be contacted by May 18^th, 2023.

The RFP was updated February 23, 2023 because the anticipated funding source requires prioritization of matching contributions.

Return to Coastal Stories program page here.

Job Postings: Two Project Managers for the South Coast Region

“Love protecting, restoring, and enjoying the California Coast? This might be the job for you!”

The State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) has two exciting opportunities to join us in protecting California’s iconic lands and waters, restoring vital habitats, and increasing inclusive and equitable enjoyment of the coast and shoreline.  The positions to be filled are:

• Conservancy Project Development Specialist (CPDS) willing to underfill at Conservancy Project Development Analyst II (CPDA II) – Project Manager (Job title)
• Conservancy Project Development Analyst II (CPDA II) willing to underfill at Conservancy Project Development Analyst I (CPDA I) – Project Manager (Job title)

The SCC works with local partners on multi-benefit projects located along the coast of California, within coastal watersheds, and/or within the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area to acquire and protect natural and agricultural lands, restore, and enhance habitats and ecosystems, design and build trails and other recreational facilities, plan and implement climate adaptation projects, fund outdoor education programs, and improve public access for historically undeserved communities. Tasks will include soliciting and reviewing grant applications, assisting with project development, writing, and presenting staff recommendations for Conservancy Board approval, developing grant agreements in cooperation with legal staff, ensuring that the project purpose and all conditions of the grant agreement are met, reviewing invoices, and monitoring the progress of projects. The new staff members will be part of the Southern California Region and will work with public agencies, nonprofit organizations, regional collaboratives, tribes, and community groups.

These positions may be filled in the Headquarters located in Oakland, CA. OR may be filled as a permanent remote position in the following counties: San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura. The remote incumbents would work from home and will be required to travel to our headquarters in Oakland, CA once per month. The travel costs are paid for at the State rate by the State Coastal Conservancy.

To learn more and apply for the Specialist role, visit the CalCareers post here.

To learn more and apply for the Analyst role, visit the CalCareers post here.