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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 12OSC Final_Minutes15-0312.docx 1 Los Altos Hills Open Space Committee Los Altos Hills Parks and Recreation Building FINAL Minutes of Regular Meeting March 12, 2015 Members Present: George Clifford, Nancy Couperus, Alice Sakamoto, Sharen Schoendorf, Roger Spreen, Wendie Ward, Sue Welch, Kit Gordon (Associate Member) Members Absent: Karen Lemes, Jean Struthers City Council Liaison Present: Gary Waldeck Member of Public Present: None 1. Call to Order and Approval of Minutes A. Roll Call. RS called meeting to order at 9:02 am. B. Acceptance of Meeting Minutes. Minutes of the February 12, 2014 Regular Meeting were approved with minor amendments (GC moved; WW seconded; GC, NC, AS, SS, RS, WW voted in favor; SW abstained.) 2. Continuing Business A. Byrne Preserve i) Open Space Stewardship Update. On March 8, 2015, Acterra submitted a contract to Richard Chiu for another year of stewardship work at the Town-owned open space preserves covering the period April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016 (Attachment A). OSC reviewed and made edits to a draft letter of support for another year of work with Acterra (Attachment B). Richard Chiu will submit a staff report to Council and request they approve the funding ($50K) at the Council meeting of March 30 or 31. NC moved that the OSC accept the letter of recommendation with the proposed edits and send it to Richard Chiu and Council. GC seconded. The vote was unanimously in favor (GC, NC, AS, SS, RS, WW, SW). OSC also discussed a request from the barn concessionaire to use a tractor to scrape up accumulated manure in the area in Byrne Preserve where the horses are fed. The consensus was that this is necessary for public health reasons, but should be done in a way that does not expand this already severely degraded “sacrifice area”. NC will convey the OSC recommendation to Richard Chiu who will talk to the barn concessionaire. ii) Budget Request for Conservation Grazing Management. City Manager, Carl Cahill has agreed the Town will provide funds ($5-8K) for a one-year contract with a conservation gazing advisor for Byrne Preserve. The goal is to help enhance native plants and improve forage for the horses. SW will continue to try to identify potential vendors in addition to Creekside Sciences. iii) Budget Request for Writing Creek Erosion Grant. Acterra is interested in working with the Town to submit a grant to SCVWD for bank stabilization and revegetation of the eroding tributary of Moody Creek that runs through the grassland in Byrne Preserve. The Town has been aware of serious erosion problems here for over a decade and contracted a study in 2003 that recommended restoration as the preferred option to address the problems. The banks are covered with invasive weeds and experienced significant additional erosion during the recent rains. Acterra is the best vendor to prepare the grant application and implement the project because they are already working on site, have extensive experience with creek restoration, and have a highly successful track record obtaining grants from SCVWD. Work on this creek may also address DWR focus and state requirements to reduce storm water run-off and increase groundwater recharge. OSC Final_Minutes15-0312.docx 2 SCVWD is expected to release grant information in April. WW moved that OSC approve sending a letter to Richard Chiu recommending that Acterra prepare the grant (Attachment C). NC seconded and the vote was unanimously in favor (GC, NC, AS, SS, RS, WW, SW). RS and SW will discuss with Richard Chiu, Carl Cahill, and Acterra. iv) Off-Leash Dogs in Byrne. OSC again discussed options to address this continuing problem (e.g., signs, patrols). Coyote pups will likely arrive in April, when information signs and hazing booklets may be placed at gates again. During the meeting, OSC Council Liaison, Gary Waldeck, spoke to Carl Cahill, who agreed to ask the sheriff to resume periodic patrols at Byrne. v) SOD Prevention and Bay Removal. OSC discussed SOD prevention methods, including Bay removal, used at other local open space lands (e.g., MROSD). The data available on the efficacy of bay removal for preventing SOD in oaks are limited and do not appear to be sufficient to strongly support removing a large number of bays in Byrne Preserve. Members will review the data again and make a decision by late spring. GC will survey Byrne Preserve for suitable sites for pilot projects. It was suggested that the Town try to do the Bay removal as part of a research study if researchers and funding can be found. B. SOD Blitz. The Blitz will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 1:00 pm. Samples for testing must be freshly collected on Saturday and Sunday. Members can participate in other SOD Blitzes (e.g., Portola Valley) if they want more time to collect samples. C. O’Keefe Preserve Restoration. Restoration done under the SCVWD grant is nearly completed and a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on March 17, 2015. D. Creek Signage. The sign at Purissima Creek on Elena will be made and installed first, pending resolution of the spelling differences (i.e., one “s” or two). KG reported that LAH Public Works Director, Richard Chiu requested a summary of OSC meeting minutes about this project. SW will extract relevant sections of minutes and send to KG. E. Streamlining Site Visit/Review Process. Nothing to report. F. Invasives: Oxalis. City Manager, Carl Cahill agreed to post an information flyer on the Town web site informing residents about this invasive weed and how to control it. G. Earth Day. This annual event will be held at Westwind Community barn on Sunday April 26, 2015. NC has arranged funding and scheduling of the live cat exhibit and the Parks and Rec Committee is exploring other live animal exhibits (e.g., raptors, reptiles). NC will attend Parks and Rec Committee meeting. H. Our Town articles. Nothing to report. 4. New Topics None. 3. Planning A. Fence Permits. None reported B. Site Plan Reviews. i) 26890 Alejandro Drive. Development plans show a “slope easement on part of the parcel. A site visit and further information are needed. ii) 10300 Mora Drive. OSC reviewed the plans and recommended that the steep area along the eastern border of all three parcels be placed in open space easement, starting at the 548 ft elevation top line and running down to the creek (for protection of slopes and heritage oaks). A riparian easement 25 feet from top of bank of the creek is also recommended. iii) 27930 Roble Blanco. Development plans show an existing large conservation easement on the steeply sloped area adjacent to Page Mill Road on the eastern part of the parcel. A site visit and further information are needed. OSC Final_Minutes15-0312.docx 3 iv) 12345 Gigli Court. OSC discussed the open space easement proposed for this two-lot subdivision. The OSE appears to be isolated and lack connectivity to adjacent areas used by local wildlife. This is especially important given proximity of these lots to the interstate. A site visit and review of easements on adjacent parcels will be done. iv) 26900 Beatrice Lane. Recommendation was made at February meeting. 5. Communications from the Floor. None 6. Open Discussion. A. CNPS Wildflower Show and Plant Sale. The Spring Native Plant Sale and Wildflower Show will be held Saturday, April 25 at Hidden Villa. B. Conservation Easement booklet. NC will ask Planning Director, Suzanne Avila, to place copies of the OSC information booklet about voluntary conservation easements on the counter at Town Hall to inform residents and developers about of this option for protecting land. 7. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 11:00 am. Next Regular Meeting: Thursday, April 9, 2015 9:00 AM at LAH Parks and Recreation Building Attachment A: Acterra Contract for 2015-2016 Attachment B: OSC letter supporting renewal of Acterra contract for 2015-2016 Attachment C: OSC letter supporting Acterra helping Town prepare SCVWD grant Minutes approved at the regular Open Space Committee meeting of April 9, 2015 Acterra Stewardship Contract for Los Altos Hills Open Space Stewardship: April 1, 2015 – March 31, 2016 Background Acterra is an environmental non-profit organization based in Palo Alto, with a mission to bring people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet. We have over 40 years of experience working with the community across Silicon Valley to improve our parks, creeks, and open spaces. In 2014, Acterra was selected through a competitive grant application process to conduct stewardship and educational activities at Los Altos Hills (LAH) Open Space Preserves. Acterra began implementation of the contract on April 1, 2014, and will conclude the pilot year on March 31, 2015. The project has produced immediate visible benefits to LAH Open Space Preserves with regard to invasive weed reduction and native plant revegetation, as well as increased levels of community engagement. Contract deliverables included an assessment and vegetation management plan for Byrne, Juan Prado Mesa, and O’Keefe Preserves; 24 community workdays; 10 educational events; 350 volunteers engaged; 1,000 volunteer hours; as well as documentation and photomonitoring of progress. To date, all deliverables have been met or exceeded. A detailed final report on the project will be presented to the Town upon completion of the contract later this month. In addition to developing and implementing a comprehensive vegetation management plan in Year 1, Acterra successfully created the infrastructure and volunteer base for continued stewardship of LAH Open Space in future years (e.g. a storage shed at Byrne Preserve to house tools and supplies just for LAH sites, as well as strong community relationships with various schools, residents, and civic groups). Moreover, we raised a total of $10,000 in matching funds for the project through foundations and corporate sources. While Acterra has made considerable progress in Year 1, our work is far from finished. To be effective in the long-term, we must carry out a strategic multi-year strategy that maximizes community participation and buy-in, and builds on lessons learned. Conversely, if stewardship efforts cease after the project’s pilot year, invasive weed seed in the soil will continue to germinate and re-establish monocultures that threaten the ecological, recreational, and aesthetic value of LAH open space. Long-term Vision The project’s pilot year laid the groundwork for a multi-year vegetation management and community engagement strategy that 1) takes into account the long-lived invasive seed banks (3 to 10+ years), life cycles, and best practice management strategies of each target plant species; 2) mitigates continued land pressures of each preserve such as grazing, residential development, and trail use; and 3) benefits and engages the community (including school groups, homeowners, service organizations, and local residents) through ongoing opportunities for stewardship and education. Acterra Action for a Healthy Planet 3921 East Bayshore Road Palo Alto ca 94303-4303 tel 650.962.9876 fax 650.962.8234 www.Acterra.org info@Acterra.org 2 Acterra will build upon our outcomes and successes from year one to sustain and accelerate progress toward the following long-term goals: Multi-year goal Ongoing strategies Control invasive plant populations • Reduce density of key invasive species as they germinate and return each year • Reduce soil seed bank (leading to an incremental reduction in germination each subsequent year) • Contain spread into new areas of the preserve Restore and increase native biodiversity • Revegetate target areas with locally native plants • Protect existing native plant vegetation from invasive plant encroachment Monitor vegetation • Document annual progress through photomonitoring • Prevent invasion/reinvasion by other noxious weed species not yet identified Engage the community • Leverage volunteers to accomplish goals (i.e. volunteer workdays) • Enhance public appreciation of LAH Open Space through educational events Proposed Scope of Services for Year 2: 2014-2015 Acterra will maintain and accelerate progress made in Year 1, focusing on four major task areas: 1) invasive plant removal, 2) native plant revegetation, 3) community engagement, and 4) monitoring and documentation. Activities will be coordinated with Town staff, the OSC Stewardship Subcommittee, the proposed conservation grazing advisor, and Westwind Barn concessionaire as needed. 1. Invasive plant removal To guide our weed management strategy, we will adapt and refine the vegetation management plan created in Year 1, making modifications based on a high-level reassessment of each site. Acterra will continue to remove at least 10 invasive species in established target zones, thus preventing further plant colonization and continuing to deplete each species’ soil seed bank. Consistent with Year 1, we will focus approximately 90% of our efforts on Byrne Preserve, and the other 10% on Juan Prado Mesa and O’Keefe Preserves. Strategically-timed hand removal and mowing (in coordination with the Town) will continue to serve as our primary removal methods. Deliverables  Revised vegetation management plan  Mowing recommendations to Town  10 or more species targeted 2. Native plant revegetation Acterra will water and maintain native plants that were installed at Byrne Preserve in Year 1. Additionally, we will expand native plant revegetation and creek bank stabilization efforts through additional plantings along the Moody Creek tributary in the Byrne Preserve grassland and flood plain, expanding our planting area from 20 to 100 linear feet. Deliverables  20 linear feet of creek maintained (plants from Year 1)  2,500 square feet of woodland planting area maintained (plants from Year 1) 3  80 additional linear feet newly enhanced and maintained (plants to be installed in Year 2)  A total of 100 linear feet of creek enhanced over the course of Year 2 3. Community engagement Acterra will continue to engage the community through volunteer workdays, interpretive walks, and other educational events. Acterra will manage all aspects of community engagement including volunteer outreach, coordination, supervision, and education. Acterra will advertise workdays through our website, e-newsletter, Los Altos Hills email distribution list, and our online event registration system. Additionally, we will participate in community fairs, forums, and events to encourage broader community participation. Acterra will offer a minimum of 24 community workdays over the year (2-3 hours each) that serve more than 350 volunteers of all ages, focusing our outreach on schools, civic groups, and residents who are local to the Los Altos Hills area. Acterra will provide all the tools, supplies, and plants needed for a workday and will conduct safety training at the beginning of each workday. Deliverables:  350 or more volunteers engaged  100 or more participants engaged through education events  24 or more volunteer workdays  10 or more educational events  1,000 or more hours of volunteer service 4. Monitoring and documentation Acterra will conduct photomonitoring of work sites to document before/after conditions and monitor progress. For each community work session that takes place, we will track the date, location, duration, activities, number of volunteers involved, specific deliverables associated with each workday (e.g. invasive species targeted, number of plants installed, etc.), and volunteer names, addresses, and organization/affiliation. Progress will adhere to our annual work plan, to be approved by the Town upon the start of the contract. Acterra will provide quarterly progress reports to the Town and the OSC Subcommittee as well as more detailed annual progress reports in accordance with the contract agreement. Deliverables:  Before and after photos  Year 2 Work Plan  Quarterly reports to LAH and OSC Subcommittee  Year-end report to LAH and OSC Project Staffing The project will be overseen by our Stewardship Program Director. Activities will be carried out primarily by the Project Director and Restoration Specialist, with guidance and participation from our Staff Botanist and Senior Ecologist. Project Timeline 4 Please see the following page for a detailed timeline of activities over the course of the contract (April 2015 to March 2016). Cost of Services Task Byrne Preserve Juan Prado O'Keefe Preserve Total Amount project management and planning 8,424 562 374 9,360 site prep, maintenance, cleanup 11,232 749 499 12,480 vegetation monitoring and documentation 1,872 125 83 2,080 volunteer outreach and coordination 11,232 749 499 12,480 workday execution and supervision 10,368 691 461 11,520 develop and provide educational programs 2,400 2,400 grant writing 720 720 tools 510 510 supplies 1,000 1,000 plants 1,500 1,500 vehicle 250 volunteer appreciation 700 TOTAL 55,000 Matching funds Volunteer service 23,048 Stewardship Program grants 10,000 Total match (minimum) 33,048 Task Preserve/s Apr May June Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar TOTAL Site re-assessment All Vegetation mgt plan revisions All Plant palette development Byrne Volunteer outreach All Invasive removal All Native plant installation Byrne Native plant maintenance Mowing guidance Byrne, O'Keefe Coordination with LAH Quarterly mtgs with Open Space Committee Projected # workdays Byrne (90%)2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 24 Projected # volunteers Byrne (90%)30 30 30 30 30 20 30 30 30 30 30 30 350 Projeted # vol hrs Byrne (90%)90 90 75 75 90 80 80 80 80 80 90 90 1000 Projected # ed events Byrne (100%)1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 10 Target species Preserve/s Fuller's teasel Byrne Yellow starthistle Byrne, O'Keefe Purple starthistle Byrne Milk thistle Byrne French broom Byrne, JPM Spanish broom Byrne Stinkwort Byrne, O'Keefe Italian Thistle Byrne, JPM Poison hemlock Byrne Black mustard Byrne Additional species TBD Byrne 2013-03-13 Open Space Committee                  1   ________________________________________________________________________________ To: Honorable Members of the LAH City Council Richard Chiu, LAH Director of Public Works Date: March 13, 2015 Subject: Recommendation to Renew Contract with Acterra for Stewardship Services and Public Outreach Activities for Town-Owned Open Space Preserves From: Roger Spreen, Chair Open Space Committee The Open Space Committee has reviewed Acterra’s proposal submitted to the Town on March 8, 2015 to provide another year of stewardship and public outreach services for Town-owned open space preserves and strongly recommends that Council approve funding for another one-year contract. A second year of funding will maintain the progress made in the first year and expand this essential work to new sites and invasive species in the preserves. In their initial one-year “pilot project” with the Town (April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015), Acterra exceeded all contract requirements well before the end of the contract year. They provided over 1,000 volunteer hours of stewardship services (primarily invasive weed removal), involving over 400 volunteers in 26 workdays. They also organized ten educational events during the contract year, including nature and bird watching walks in Byrne Preserve that were well attended by LAH residents. Acterra staff has proved to be highly knowledgeable, organized, and professional, as well as flexible and innovative in setting up and managing this new stewardship service for the Town. Acterra developed a vegetation management plan for all three open space preserves, removed thousands of invasive plants. Native plants have already begun to return to areas where invasive plants were removed and this cost-efficient passive restoration will continue as additional sites and invasive species are cleared. Acterra also installed native plants along the Moody Creek tributary in the Byrne grassland to help stabilize the badly eroding banks. Acterra remains the only vendor in the area with the experience, organizational infrastructure, and personnel to provide all the services specified in the 2013 RFP, including the volunteer-intensive environmental programs. (See Justification for Single Source below). The OSC is grateful to Council for allocating funds for this important stewardship project, and respectfully asks for commitment to a second year of funding to maintain the progress and expand this work to new sites and invasive species in the preserves. We greatly appreciate the considerable time that Richard Chiu and his staff have provided to help Acterra in this endeavor. We will work closely with the steward and the staff to continue to make this project a success. Best regards, Roger Spreen, Chair, LAH Open Space Committee Justification for Single Source Contract • Acterra’s professional services are unique. Acterra (a non-profit organization) was the only vendor responding to the Town’s RFP for Stewardship Services that was able to meet the contract specifications for volunteer participation and public outreach activities. Acterra was awarded the one- year contract starting April 1, 2014 based on having the experience, organizational infrastructure, and personnel to provide all services specified in the contract. Acterra’s performance during the year exceeded all contract requirements well before the end of the contract 12-month period and their work 2013-03-13 Open Space Committee                  2   has achieved a significant improvement in the burden of invasive weeds in Byrne Preserve. No conflict of interest exists between Acterra and Town staff or others involved in procurement of these services. Acterra Contract Deliverables Year to Date as of 01/31/15 Project Deliverable YTD (4/1/14 -1/31/15) % Annual Target Achieved # Volunteer workdays 26 108% # Volunteers 413 112% # Educational events 10 100% • In December 2013 the Town fielded a Request for Proposal for Stewardship Services and Public Outreach Activities in Town-Owned Open Space Preserves. The Town made an effort to identify all vendors in the area who offer services of this type. The RFP was publicly fielded in local newspapers and sent to all firms known to the Town and the Open Space Committee (OSC). OSC queried representatives of the MidPeninsula Open Space District, Santa Clara County Parks, and other land managers who participate in Santa Clara Valley Weed Management Area meetings to try to identify additional vendors. • In response to the RFP, four vendors attended the obligatory site visit in Dec 2013. Only Acterra and one other firm (Ecological Concerns, Inc. or ECI) submitted a proposal. Volunteer participation and public education is an essential component of the project. Only Acterra has the experience and organizational infrastructure to provide a volunteer program of the scale required by the RFP (i.e., 1,000 hours). — Acterra has done three local stewardship projects similar in scope to the proposed LAH project. Acterra has 40+ years experience developing and managing volunteer-intensive environmental programs and has experienced, permanent staff whose primary duties are to work with volunteers. — ECI has not done volunteer projects of the scale required and proposed hiring a subcontractor to develop and run these programs. ECI proposed some work would be done by their professional crews and did not commit to a specific number of volunteer hours or distribution of their budget to volunteer work. 2015-03-13 Open Space Committee 1   To: Richard Chiu Date: March 13, 2015 Subject: Open Space Committee recommendation for Acterra to Prepare a Grant Application to SCVWD for Moody Creek Restoration From: Roger Spreen, Chair Open Space Committee The Open Space Committee is recommending that the Town contract with Acterra to assist in preparation of a grant to submit to the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) for funds for bank stabilization and revegetation of the Moody Creek tributary in Byrne Preserve. OSC recommends the Town ask Acterra to submit a proposal to prepare the grant. The proposed budget for grant preparation would be about $5.5K. The tributary of Moody Creek that runs through the Byrne Preserve grassland from Altamont to Moody Creek badly needs bank stabilization and revegetation. The Town has been aware of serious erosion problems there for over a decade and a study contracted by the Town in 2003 recommended restoration as the preferred option to address the problem. The tributary banks are infested with invasive weeds and have continued to experience significant additional erosion every winter, including during the recent winter rains. This creek tributary is an excellent fit for a grant from the SCVWD Clean, Safe Water and Natural Flood Protection Program. SCVWD is expected to release the grant RFP in April 2015, and the completed proposals will likely be due in June 2015, with winners announced in fall 2015 and grant agreements finalized in winter 2015-16. Rationale for Selecting Acterra to Prepare a Grant Application to SCVWD Acterra is the best vendor to prepare the grant application and implement the project because they are already working on the site in Byrne Preserve, have extensive experience with creek restoration, and have a highly successful track record obtaining grants from SCVWD. 1) Acterra has a highly successful track record obtaining grants from SCVWD. • In 2014, they were awarded three grants totaling $360K. • Acterra is familiar with all aspects of the SCVWD grant application process. • SCVWD rated Acterra as their top-ranked partner based on: — High quality content of their grants — The scale of the volunteer participation they bring to projects. Volunteer participation is especially valued by SCVWD and no other organization in the area can engage as many volunteers as Acterra. Most other vendors (e.g., ECI) do the majority of the work with professional crews and have only a limited number of volunteer work sessions (usually one). 2) Acterra has over 15 years of experience managing local creek restoration and bank stabilization projects employing a diversity of bank stabilization methods. • Adobe Creek Restoration and Bank Stabilization Project, Los Altos. Acterra has overseen multiple creek stabilization projects at Redwood Grove since the start of their stewardship contract with the City of Los Altos in 2009. They installed brush mattresses and revegetated eroded banks using locally native riparian plants. Acterra has been a key partner of the City of Los Altos, the Urban Creeks Council, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District in developing a riparian revegetation and bank stabilization plan for Redwood Grove, which delegates Acterra as the lead agency in revegetation. 2015-03-13 Open Space Committee 2   • San Francisquito Creek, Palo Alto. In 2014, Acterra partnered with the San Mateo County Resource Conservation District on the removal of a fish-passage barrier in El Palo Alto Park, improving access to high quality spawning habitat for federally threatened native steelhead trout in the San Francisquito Creek watershed. After removal of the weir, Acterra oversaw all revegetation efforts using willow staking and installation and maintenance of hundreds of riparian grasses, trees, and shrubs. • Sausal Creek, Portola Valley. Acterra staff played a pivotal role in the daylighting of Sausal Creek in Portola Valley, a tributary of San Francisquito Creek • Mayfly Creek at Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, Palo Alto. In 2006, Acterra conducted a large-scale creek daylighting project that included the creation of check dams, sediment harvesting, and installation of thousands of native riparian plants that prevent erosion and provide critical wildlife habitat. 3) Acterra has already started small-scale restoration and bank stabilization work along the Moody Creek tributary in Byrne Preserve, the most appropriate site in the preserves for work supported by the SCVWD grant program. This grant work will complement Acterra’s invasive weed removal along this creek and in nearby locations in Byrne Preserve. 4) The $5.5K cost to the Town for Acterra to prepare the grant will be leveraged to bring an additional $100 to $150K from SCVWD to support needed work in the preserve. 5) If the grant is awarded, the Town will be required to provide matching funds. If Acterra is directly involved in the grant, work they do along the creek bank as part of their annual stewardship contract will contribute directly to the matching funds. This would not be the case if another vendor prepares and implements the grant, because another vendor will almost certainly use their own crews rather than Acterra. Further, if Acterra is the lead applicant, funds from other Acterra grants that support work along creeks at multiple sites (e.g., Packard Foundation) can be used towards the required matching funds. 6) Selecting a vendor other than Acterra to prepare and implement the grant introduces unnecessary complications in terms of distribution and scheduling of restoration activities in Byrne. It would require coordination of Acterra’s volunteer workdays and other ongoing restoration work with the other vendor. The OSC strongly supports contracting with Acterra to prepare a grant to address this long- standing and serious erosion problem in Byrne Preserve. This project would also complement and enhance other stewardship work Acterra is doing the preserve. Best regards, Roger Spreen, Chair, LAH Open Space Committee Attachment: suggested scope of services 2015-03-13 Open Space Committee 3   Suggested Scope of Services Prepare and submit a grant application to the SCVWD for bank stabilization and revegetation of the Moody Creek tributary in the Byrne Preserve grassland. SCVWD is expected to release the grant RFP in April 2015 for their Safe Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program. Completed proposals will likely be due in June 2015, winners announced in fall 2015, and contract finalized in winter 2015-16. • Research history and assess current status of the site based on field inspections, Town documents, and publicly available information (e.g., planning documents, historical photos, reports of past work at the site). • Confer with Town and Open Space Committee to establish goals for the restoration project. • Develop a detailed draft project description, focusing on removal of invasive species, erosion control, installation of new plants, and identification of required permits from regulatory agencies and/or analyses from other experts (e.g., hydrology studies) • Develop a project budget per SCVWD requirements • Submit draft to Town and Open Space Committee for review and revise draft based on feedback • Compile grant application materials and submit to SCVWD prior to the application deadline.