HomeMy WebLinkAbout- - MOA OCRP Native Habitat Restoration - 11/15/2011CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2011 ITEM NUMBER:
SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA) WITH ORANGE COAST RIVER PARK, INC.
FOR NATIVE HABITAT RESTORATION AT FAIRVIEW PARK
DATE: NOVEMBER 3, 2011
FROM: PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT/ENGINEERING DIVISION
PRESENTATION ERNESTO MUNOZ, INTERIM DIRECTOR, PUBLIC SERVICES
BY: DEPARTMENT
(714) 754-5343
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BART MEJIA, PARKS PROJECT MANAGER,
(714) 754-5291
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the attached Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Orange Coast River Park, Inc.
(OCRP) for native habitat restoration at Fairview Park (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND:
OCRP is a non-profit organization whose goals are acquisition, restoration, management, and
maintenance of the wildlife habitat within the proposed Orange Coast River Park, including habitat
areas within Fairview Park, for wildlife habitat, open space preservation, education, and public
access. OCRP is currently working with Ascon on the remediation of Ascon's 38 -acre landfill site in
Huntington Beach. During the clean-up of the site, Southern Tarplant habitat, a rare native plant
was destroyed. Because Southern Tarplant is a listed rare species, Ascon must locate a mitigation
site nearby and fund the replanting, maintenance, and establishment of the habitat to meet the
conditions of the permitting agencies for their cleanup project. Fairview Park projects have received
mitigation funding in the past. In 2005, Headlands LLC funded the planting and maintenance of 11
acres of coastal sage scrub in the lower northwest portion of the park. In 2008, the US Army Corps
of Engineers contributed $1.4 million to the mitigation of riparian habitat for the Wetlands and
Riparian Habitat Project.
ANALYSIS:
Rare plant species include those that are listed under the California or Federal Endangered
Species Acts, those that are listed as 1 B or 2 by the California Native Plant Society (CNPS),
and those for which there is other compelling evidence of rarity such as published academic
studies. Southern Tarplant is a CNPS List 1B.1 species which is considered "seriously
endangered in California (over 80 percent of occurrences threatened/high degree and
immediacy of threat)" under the CNPS.
OCRP has identified Fairview Park as a suitable site for the Southern Tarplant restoration.
Southern Tarplant habitat currently exists in the lower northern portion of the park where the
wetlands and riparian habitat project is being developed. Along with the creation of wetlands
and trails, 20 acres of native habitat is being restored as part of the wetlands and riparian
habitat project. In partnership with Ascon, OCRP will fund the installation of a portion of the
planned irrigation system at Fairview Park and be responsible for the planting, maintenance and
establishment (for a period of three years) of 2 acres of Southern Tarplant (Attachment 2).
OCRP will be responsible for ensuring the Southern Tarplant plantings are successful and
provide all reports and documentation to the regulatory agencies for a period of three years.
The Public Services Department will oversee the plant restoration which will fund and replace a
portion of the plants planned along the multipurpose trail being constructed. Planting of the
Southern Tarplant will occur in the fall of 2011.
ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED:
No other alternatives were considered as Fairview Park is the only park site in the City that
meets the Southern Tarplant mitigation criteria.
FISCAL REVIEW:
OCRP will provide funding of $40,000 to the City for the irrigation, purchase of Southern
Tarplant plantings and maintenance until accepted by the regulatory agencies. Once
established, the native plants do not require any maintenance.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The proposed MOA has been reviewed and approved by the City Attorney.
CONCLUSION:
Approval of the MOA will allow OCRP to fund and perform native plant restoration at Fairview
Park this year. The City will allow access to the site by OCRP staff and monitor the project in
conjunction with the Fairview Park Wetlands and Riparian Habitat development. Funding
provided by OCRP will offset costs of the wetlands and riparian habitat irrigation system.
ERNESTO MUNOZ, Interim Director
Public Services Department
BART MEJIA
Parks Project Manager
FARIBA FAZELI
Interim City Engineer
Attachments: 1. Proposed MOA
2. Fairview Park Aerial w/Planting Location
c: Chief Executive Officer
Interim Assistant Chief Executive Officer
City Attorney
City Clerk
Contract Administrator
E