EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE Friday, December 11, 2020 12:30 P.M
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EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT BOARD LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE Friday, December 11, 2020 12:30 p.m. Pursuant to Governor Newsom’s Executive Order No. N-29-20 and the Alameda County Health Officer’s current Shelter in Place Order, effective March 31, 2020, the East Bay Regional Park District (“Park District”) Headquarters will not be open to the public and the Board Legislative Committee and staff will be participating in the meetings via phone/video conferencing. Members of the public can listen to the meeting in the following way: Via the Park District’s live audio stream, on the Park District’s YouTube channel, which can be found at: Public comments may be submitted one of three ways: 1. Live via zoom. If you would like to make a live public comment during the meeting this option is available through the virtual meeting platform: https://zoom.us/j/95184299803 Note that this virtual meeting platform link will let you into the virtual meeting for the purpose of providing a public comment. If you do not intend to make a public comment, please use the YouTube link at https://youtu.be/Smf-Hc7TL7w to observe the meeting. It is preferred that those requesting to speak during the meeting contact the Finance Committee Recording Secretary by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2020 via email at [email protected] or voicemail (510) 544-2400 to provide name and the subject line public comments – not on the agenda or public comments – agenda item #. 2. Via email to recording secretary [email protected] by 4:00 p.m. Thursday, December 10, 2020. Email must contain in the subject line public comments – not on the agenda or public comments – agenda item # followed by their name and place of residence, followed by their comments. 3. Via voicemail at 510-544-2002 by 4:00 p.m. Thursday, December 10, 2020. The caller must start the message by stating public comments – not on the agenda or public comments – agenda item# followed by their name and place of residence, followed by their comments. Comments received during the meeting and up until the public comment period on the relevant agenda item is closed, will be provided in writing to the Board Legislative Committee, included transcribed voicemails. All comments received by the close of the public comment period will be available after the meeting as supplemental materials and will become part of the official meeting record. Please try to limit your written comments to no more than 300 words. The Park District cannot guarantee that its network and/or the site will be uninterrupted. To ensure that the Park District receives your comments, you are strongly encouraged to submit your comments in writing in advance of the meeting. If you have any questions about utilizing the video stream, please contact the Recording Secretary of the Committee, Yulie Padmore, at [email protected] or at 510-544-2002. To ensure the best opportunity for Park District staff to address your question, please contact the Recording Secretary prior to 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 10, 2020. The following agenda items are listed for Committee consideration. In accordance with the Board Operating Guidelines, no official action of the Board will be taken at this meeting; rather, the Committee’s purpose shall be to review the listed items and to consider developing recommendations to the Board of Directors. A copy of the background materials concerning these agenda items, including any material that may have been submitted less than 72 hours before the meeting, is available for inspection on the District’s website (www. ebparks.org), the Headquarters reception desk, and at the meeting. Accommodations and Access District facilities and meetings comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If special accommodations are needed for you to participate, please contact the Clerk of the Board at 510-544-2020 as soon as possible, but preferably at least three working days prior to the meeting. AGENDA TIME ITEM STATUS STAFF 12:30 I. TOP TEN ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS I Doyle/Pfuehler OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS II. STATE LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS I Doyle/Pfuehler A. NEW LEGISLATION – N/A B. OTHER STATE MATTERS I Doyle/Pfuehler 1. Preview of Next Session 2. Other Matters III. FEDERAL LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS A. NEW LEGISLATION – RECOMMENDED BILLS FOR R Doyle/Pfuehler SUPPORT 1. S. 4643 (Shaheen D-NH) – Forest Incentives Program Act 2. H.R. 8731 (Panetta D-CA) – Save Our Forests Act of 2020 3. H.R. 8746 (Rush D-IL) – RENEW Conservation Corps Act B. OTHER FEDERAL MATTERS 1 Doyle/Pfuehler 1. Preview of New Administration 2. Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grant Program Update 3. Other Matters IV. BEACON ECONOMICS REPORT REVIEW ABOUT THE I Pfuehler/Baldinger DISTRICT’S ENCONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT V. 2021 GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS R Doyle/Pfuehler/ PRIORITIES Baldinger VI. 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW I Pfuehler/Padmore VII. LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS I Doyle/Pfuehler VIII. ARTICLES AND OTHER MEDIA IV. OPEN FORUM PUBLIC COMMENT Individuals wishing to address the Committee on a topic not on the agenda may do so by completing a speaker’s form and submitting it to the recording secretary. V. BOARD COMMENTS (R) Recommendation for Future Board Consideration (I) Information Future Meetings: (D) Discussion January 17 July 17 February – NO MTG August 21 Legislative Committee Members March 27 September – NO MTG Dennis Waespi (Chair); Beverly Lane, Elizabeth Echols April 24 (Rescheduled) October 16 Ellen Corbett, Alternate May 22 (Rescheduled) November – NO MTG Erich Pfuehler, Government Affairs Manager June – NO MTG *December 11 TO: Board Legislative Committee (Chair Dennis Waespi, Beverly Lane, Elizabeth Echols, alt. Ellen Corbett) FROM: Robert E. Doyle, General Manager Erich Pfuehler, Government Affairs Manager SUBJECT: Board Legislative Committee Meeting WHEN: Friday, December 11, 2020 12:30 PM WHERE: Members of the public can listen to the meeting in the following way: Via the Park District’s live audio stream, on the Park District’s YouTube channel, which can be found at: https://youtu.be/Smf-Hc7TL7w Items to be discussed: I. TOP TEN ACCOMPLISHMENTS BY GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OVER THE PAST TEN YEARS Chief of Government and Legislative Affairs Erich Pfuehler will share a list of ten key accomplishments by the Government Affairs unit over the past ten years. II. STATE LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS A. NEW LEGISLATION – N/A B. OTHER STATE MATTERS 1. Preview of Next Session Sacramento Advocate Doug Houston will provide a preview about the upcoming legislative session and administrative action, including the state budget, as they relate to the District. 2. Other Matters III. FEDERAL LEGISLATION / OTHER MATTERS A. NEW LEGISLATION - RECOMMENDED BILLS FOR SUPPORT 1. S. 4643 (Shaheen D-NH) – Forest Incentives Program Act Senator Shaheen’s legislation is primarily geared toward private forest owners. It directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish an incentive program encouraging private forest landowners to adopt conservation practices which deliver emissions reductions. The bill also creates financial incentives for commercial building owners to use biological products, such as wood, as structural building materials instead of more energy-intensive materials. These incentives will help private forest owners protect our air, water and wildlife habitat, and capture carbon. While the bill does not directly impact the District, the notion of incentivizing environmentally-conscious forest management techniques is consistent with the District’s Wildfire Hazard Reduction and Resource Management Plan. 2. H.R. 8731 (Panetta D-CA) – Save Our Forests Act of 2020 This bill would require the Department of Agriculture to fill vacancies in National Forests for Forest Service recreation management and planning staff, including recreation technicians, recreation officers and natural resource managers. It prioritizes hiring in areas 1 at high or very high risk of catastrophic wildfire and/or are located near the wildland urban interface. The findings of the legislation point out some impactful statistics: • Between 2015 and 2019, on average, 88% of wildfires in the United States have been human-caused. • Human-caused fires tend to occur in or near the wildland-urban interface, where there is a greater risk to people and communities and a higher cost to suppress fires. • The wildland-urban interface is the fastest-growing land use type in the United States, posing challenges for fire management and suppression. • Over the last ten years, an average of 64,100 wildfires and an average of 6.8 million acres burned annually. In 2019, 50,477 wildfires and 4,700,000 acres burned nationwide. Approximately 65% of these acres burned on Federal land, of which close to 20% or 600,000 acres were National Forest System lands. • The Forest Service suffers from chronic staffing shortages, with several National Forests struggling to maintain their acreage with insufficient recreation management and planning staff. • The U.S. Forest Service manages 20 million acres of National Forest land in California, 20% of all of California’s 100 million acres. Nearly half of California’s 100 million acres are managed by the federal government. While this legislation does not directly impact the District’s lands, it would provide additional staff throughout the state for wildfire mitigation. More support for the National Forest Service would lessen the need for District fire personnel to respond outside of Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Representative Mike Thompson is also an original cosponsor of the legislation. 3. H.R. 8746 (Rush D-IL) – RENEW Conservation Corps Act H.R. 8746 is the House version of Senator Dick Durbin S. 4538 on which the District took a support position. This legislation would create a civilian conservation corps aimed at providing valuable job training and work experience to Americans while also completing needed maintenance and restoration of parks, trails and natural areas.