Agenda Item Name:
Title
Recognize unanticipated revenue for Springs Protection Tag Grants
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Presenter:
Stacie Greco, EPD, 264-6829
Description:
Request approval of the Budget Amendment, adopt the Resolution to recognize unanticipated revenue for Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Protect Florida Springs Tag (License Plate) Grants accepting the grant award, and authorize the inter-fund loan.
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Approve the Budget Amendment; adopt the Resolution to recognize unanticipated revenue for the Springs Tag Grants; authorize the Chair to sign the agreements; and approve an inter-fund loan for $42,300.
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Prior Board Motions:
NA
Fiscal Consideration:
Fiscal Consideration
The County is receiving grant funding from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) through the Protect Florida Springs Tag Grant program. These are reimbursement grants and will require a loan for the full amount of the grants, a combined total of $42,300. Three different grants were awarded, revenue will be placed in fund Water Resources fund 260.55.5511.337.30.00 and expensed out of 260.55.5511.537.31.00 & 34.00.
EPD will provide a total match of approximately $28,722, including cash and in-kind contributions. This includes cash matches of $10,000 for the Fertilizer and Aquifer Actions Behavior Change Campaign using existing budget in the EPD portion of Stormwater Fund 146 and $1,500 of existing General Fund budget in 001.55.5511 to assist with the analytical costs for the Troglobotic survey. A separate survey planned for FY22 using existing funds from Stormwater Cleanup Fund 087 will also serve as an in-kind match, at estimated cost of $9,000. An in-kind match of staff time valued at $8,222 will be provided for project implementation among the 3 projects.
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Strategic Guide:
Environment
Background:
Alachua County has previously received numerous FWC tag (license plate) grants administered through the Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Inc. beginning in state fiscal year 2012/2013 focusing on springs protection in the Santa Fe River basin. The grants are effective for a period of 12 months, beginning in January 2022 and ending in December 2022. Three different grants were awarded, the project numbers and details are listed below.
PFS 22-04 - Fertilizer and Aquifer Actions Behavior Change Campaign ($20,000 grant funding) Project Number 4225501. In this project we will slightly modify and combine the existing Fertilizer and Aquifer Awareness campaign elements to continue to increase awareness and promote behaviors that will protect our springs, rivers, and groundwater. The campaigns will use a media mix that will likely include billboards, social media, and print media. Matching funds will include $10,000 from fund 146 to augment the media campaign and roughly $9,000 from fund 087-5511/087-5519 for an on-line survey to evaluate various FY22 campaigns.
PFS 22-20 - Springs Protection and Manatee Monitoring through Citizen Science and Education Outreach ($8,300 in grant funds) Project Number 4225502. Through social media, partnerships, and other advertising avenues, ACEPD proposes to start a manatee monitoring program with a focus in the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers that will rely heavily on citizen science to report manatee sightings to a central database. Staff will also organize a monitoring blitz in the winter where staff and volunteers will count manatees at various spring-river confluences to quantify the use during peak cold-weather season. This public data will be shared with various agencies that rely on this science for regulation purposes. Finally staff will also create and distribute materials on recreating responsibly. An in-kind match of staff time valued at $5,222 will be provided for project implementation. Additionally $9,000 from fund 087-5511/087-5519 for an on-line survey to evaluate various FY22 campaigns has been identified as a project match.
PFS 22-25 - Santa Fe Springshed Troglobotic Surveys ($14,000 in grant funds) Project Number 422503
The primary goal of this study is to complete an initial biological survey of faunal inventory at selected spring vents and karst features on the Lower Santa Fe River (SFR) and within the contributing springshed. This survey will establish a baseline study intended to focus on troglobitic (cave adapted and dependent) and troglophilic (cave loving but not cave dependent) animals. The primary goal of the study will be to determine what species are present, and to perform an initial count of each species to establish relative abundance. Potential sites for biological surveys include Gilchrist Blue Springs, Poe Springs, Alachua Sink, and Hornsby Springs (at the Vent and the Karst Window), alternate sites include Mill Sink in Alachua, No Way Sink, and three unnamed springs and sinks located on the Santa Fe River. An in-kind match of staff time valued at $3,000 will be provided for project implementation. Additionally, $1,500 from fund 001-5511 (existing FY22 budget) will be used for analytical purposes as a project match.