RESOLUTION 2002 – 03

(Approving Title III projects from P.L. 106-393 for 2002)

 

WHERAS, Congress approved the Secure Rural Schools and Community Sustainability Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-393) that provides, in part, funds for projects on National Forest lands and, in some cases, lands adjacent to National Forest lands if the project benefits National Forest lands as part of its payments to counties; and

 

WHEREAS, Congress has defined Federal lands to mean only lands within the National Forest system (excluding National Grasslands) and O&C or Coos Bay Wagon Road lands; and

 

WHEREAS, Title III of P.L. 106-393 authorizes participating counties to expend Title III project funds for the following six categories:

1)      Search, Rescue and Emergency services:  Reimbursement for all documented costs  paid for by a county or county sheriff’s department for search and rescue and other emergency services including firefighting performed on federal lands

2)      Community Service Work Camps:  Reimbursement for all or part of the costs incurred by the county to pay the salaries and benefits of county employees who supervise adult or juveniles performing mandatory community services on federal lands.

3)      Easement Purchases: Funding to acquire easements from private or other non-county landowners, on a willing seller basis to provide nonmotorized access to public lands (city, county, state, or federal) for hunting, fishing and other recreational purposes.  Authorization is also provided to acquire “conservation easements.”

4)      Forest Related Educational Opportunities:  Funds for part or all of the cost incurred and paid for by the County to establish and conduct forest-related after school programs.

5)      Fire Protection and County Planning:  Funding to cover county costs for (1) efforts to educate homeowners in fire-sensitive ecosystems about techniques in home siting, home construction, and home landscaping that can increase the protection of people and property from wildfires; and (2) planning efforts to reduce or mitigate the impact of development that occurs on nonfederal lands if such development might have an impact on adjacent federal lands and planning to increase the protection of people and property from wildfires.

6)      Community Forestry: A county may use Title III funds “toward non-federal cost-share requirements of Section 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 USC 2105).”

 

WHEREAS, per Resolution 2001-58, the Skamania County Board of Commissioners chose to allocate 15 percent of the funds received by Skamania County for Title II and Title III projects for Skamania County; and

 

WHEREAS, per Resolution 2001-58, the Board allocated 45 percent ($718,005) of the funds available for Title II and III projects to Title III projects; and

 

WHEREAS, per Resolution 2001 - 81, the Board established the Title III Project Fund (130.000.000) for the purpose of funding qualified Title III projects approved by the Board; and

 

WHEREAS, the Board solicited proposals for Title III projects by August 15, 2001 and held a public hearing on November 19, 2001 on the proposed projects after providing a 45-day public comment period;

 

WHEREAS, several of the proposals were modified based on refined cost estimates, additions to programs, and deletions of equipment;

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED as follows:

 

  1. Skamania County Title III funds may only used for eligible projects as defined in P.L. 106-393.

 

  1. The Board approves the following Title III projects and, as shown in attachment A, “2002 Title III Fund Budget”, consisting of four pages:

 

A.     Skamania County Sheriff’s Emergency Services  (Sponsor:  Skamania County Sheriff’s Office)

To provide search and rescue services, planning, education and emergency services on federal lands (only lands within the national forest system) and to purchase equipment needed to adequately provide such services.  Personnel authorized for the project may not exceed a Sergeant (1.0 FTE), a deputy (1.0 FTE), a part-time deputy (.5 FTE), and a part-time civil deputy (.5 FTE).  Equipment for the project may include a pickup, a 4x4 SUV, dive rescue trailer, 4 computers and printers, and various small tools and minor equipment, and a portion of the cost of a search and rescue boat.  Title III funds will be used to fund only that portion of the boat estimated to be used for search and rescue or emergency services that are performed on federal lands.  Authorized budget: $323,001.

 

B.     Forest Work Camp  (Sponsor:  Skamania County Sheriff’s Office) 

To reimburse the County for salaries and benefits paid to employees who supervise adult and juvenile offenders who supervise adult offenders  performing community service work designed to enhance the ecological and environmental atmosphere on National Forest Lands.  Personnel authorized for the project may not exceed a Program Director (.06 FTE), and a part-time Corrections Officer (.50 FTE) and a Corrections Sergeant (.94 FTE).  Only the salaries and benefits of those employees who are involved in the forest work camp shall be paid with Title III funds.  Authorized budget: $ 82,399.

 

C.     Skamania County Firewise Planning for Woodland Dwellers  (Sponsor:   WSU Cooperative Extension of Skamania County)

To provide three annual workshops in June and July for woodland owners and rural dwellers that discuss the affect of wildfires, methods of reducing risk to dwellings and forest lands and to allow participants to analyze and discuss

 

various scenarios for fire safety.  Authorized equipment expenditures include a digital camera, laptop computer, and LED projector (which will be shared with other Title III projects).  Authorized budget: $11,933.

 

D.     School-year After School Forest Success Program and Summer Forest Success Program (Stevenson-Carson School District)

1) To provide an after school Forest Summer Success Program for all eligible high school students within the County that teaches fundamentals of forest ecology and management, enhances life skills, creates ownership to reduce vandalism and antisocial acts on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and adjacent forests and communities, and achieve infrastructure and ecosystem management objectives for the southern end of the GPNF and nearby communities. 

2) To provide an after-school educational program for elementary and middle school age students focusing on the structure, function and benefits of their surrounding private and federal forests and to develop positive life skills.

 

The project personnel funds will be used to hire up to 40 youths, four adult supervisors, and a program manager/instructor.  Authorized equipment purchases include 5 laptop computers, 4 portable ropes kits, and a spiegal relaskope.  The LED projector purchased under the WSU Cooperative Extension Firewise program shall be shared with this program.  Authorized budget: $236,858.

           

3.      A Contingency allocation in the Title III Fund in the amount of $63,814 shall be available, upon approval of the Board of Commissioners, to fund any wage and benefit adjustments approved by the sponsors’ governing body and/or additional eligible Title III projects or project costs.

 

  1. To receive payment from Title III funds, the project sponsors will submit itemized bills and payroll to the Skamania County Commissioners Office that identify the service or item purchased.  Accurate and adequate time sheets shall be kept by the sponsor to indicate the work and hours performed.  If an expenditure is not eligible for full funding from Title III funds, the sponsor will identify the percentage to be paid and the rational and documentation for the percentage. 

 

  1. The project sponsor shall be responsible to ensure that Title III monies are only expended for the purposes allowed for Title III projects authorized in P.L. 106-393 and will keep identifiable financial and performance books and records of all funds received pursuant to Title III projects, authorized in P.L. 106-393, detailing the receipts and expenditures of such funds; that these detailed accounting records shall be made available at all reasonable times to any county, state, or federal auditor, whose duties include auditing these funds.  If the total amount paid to a non-county sponsor exceeds $300,000 in federal funds during a calendar year, the

sponsor is required to have an independent audit of the use of the federal funds as required in OMB Circular A-128 and provide the County with a copy of the audit report.  County sponsors do not need to have a separate audit, as their projects will be audited as part of the annual Skamania County audit.

 

  1. The project sponsors will provide written quarterly reports to the Board documenting their project accomplishments and expenditures within 15 days following the end of each calendar quarter.

 

Passed in regular session this 8th day of January, 2002.