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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupport for Regional Conservation Partnership Program_12 Commission Memorandum REPORT TO: Honorable Mayor and City Commission FROM: Mitch Overton, Parks and Recreation Director Chris Kukulski, City Manager SUBJECT: Support of City of Bozeman for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) titled “Missouri Headwaters and Lower Gallatin Basin Conservation & Restoration” and being a committed partner to the project. MEETING DATE: September 22, 2014 AGENDA ITEM TYPE: Consent RECOMMENDATION: Consent for Mayor Krauss to sign the letter of support for the (RCPP) submitted by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT). BACKGROUND: Over the past two years, there has been a substantial investment of state and local funds to assess and improve water quality in the Lower Gallatin Basin in the reaches above the Missouri River Headwaters. These efforts have culminated in the Lower Gallatin Watershed Restoration Plan (WRP), which is based on a comprehensive Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study completed by Montana DEQ in 2013. The primary focus of the planning effort was to collaborate with representatives from government agencies, private sector professionals, non-profit organizations and landowners to collectively identify and rank restoration opportunities in the watershed that would substantially improve water quality. The restoration plan identified NRCS as a potential funding partner for project implementation. This proposed RCPP project provides a powerful opportunity for the NRCS to step in as a vital partner to help implement the on-the-ground projects identified in the restoration plan. NRCS funds will leverage significant local and state investments and will be used to complete community- supported, high priority water quality improvement projects that have already undergone extensive community input and are essentially shovel-ready. The City of Bozeman has committed $4,940,000 through its Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOP) Bond to fund two separate projects along impaired waterways in the heart of Bozeman. The Story Mill Community Park and Bozeman Creek Enhancement Project are designed to improve water quality and enhance public access along the East Gallatin River and Bozeman Creek respectively. The RCPP project goals of improved soil health, protecting water quality, and water conservation in the Missouri Headwaters and Lower Gallatin Basin closely align with City of Bozeman initiatives to preserve the quality of life its residents enjoy. Ultimately, a watershed centric approach such as that being taken by the RCPP creates an opportunity to implement innovative, community-based strategies to protect soil and water resources. UNRESOLVED ISSUES: None 159 ALTERNATIVES: Not signing the letter of support. FISCAL EFFECTS: Potential grant funding to assist in conserving water and enhancing water quality to protect water and soil resources at the headwaters of the Missouri River. Attachments: GVLT’s Pre-Proposal for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program Report compiled on: September 16, 2014 160 Mayor Jeff Krauss Deputy Mayor Carson Taylor Commissioners Cyndy Andrus Chris Mehl I-Ho Pomeroy CITY OF BOZEMAN 121 N. Rouse P.O. Box 1230 Bozeman, MT 59771 Phone: (406) 582-2320 Fax: (406) 582-2344 TDD: (406) 582-2301 www.bozeman.net Joyce Swartzendruber Federal Building, Room 443 10 East Babcock Street Bozeman, MT 59715 September 16, 2014 Dear Ms. Swartzendruber, The City of Bozeman supports the full application for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) titled “Missouri Headwaters and Lower Gallatin Basin Conservation & Restoration” submitted by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust and is a committed partner to the project. The City of Bozeman has committed $4,940,000 through its Trails, Open Space and Parks (TOP) Bond to fund two separate projects along impaired waterways in the heart of Bozeman. The Story Mill Community Park and Bozeman Creek Enhancement Project are designed to improve water quality and enhance public access along the East Gallatin River and Bozeman Creek respectively. We expect the funds to be spent and the work completed on both of these highly visible, community-supported projects, within the next five years. The RCPP project goals of improved soil health, protecting water quality, and water conservation in the Missouri Headwaters and Lower Gallatin Basin closely align with City of Bozeman initiatives to preserve the quality of life its residents enjoy. Being the largest community in the Lower Gallatin watershed and the fastest growing area in Montana, Bozeman faces very real challenges in protecting its water and soil resources. The City’s burgeoning water conservation and stormwater programs, together with its existing water and sewer utilities, are taking a lead role in conserving water and enhancing water quality. Ultimately, a watershed centric approach such as that being taken by the RCPP creates an exciting opportunity to implement innovative, community-based strategies to protect soil and water resources. We urge you to fully fund this proposal as doing so will make great strides in protecting water and soil resources at the headwaters of the Missouri River in one of Montana’s most important and rapidly changing agricultural valleys. Thank you for the opportunity to declare our support, and for your consideration of this proposal. Sincerely, Jeff Krauss Mayor City of Bozeman Core Values Integrity: Be honest, hard-working, reliable and accountable to the public. Leadership: Take initiative, lead by example, and be open to innovative ideas. Service: Work unselfishly for our community and its citizens. Teamwork: Respect others, welcome citizen involvement, and work together to achieve the best result. 161 1 RCPP Pre-Proposal: Missouri Headwateras and Lower Gallatin Basin, MT Pre-Proposal for the Regional Conservation Partnership Program Application Cover A. Project Title: Missouri Headwaters and Lower Gallatin Basin Conservation & Restoration B. Project Director: Kelly Pohl Associate Director, Gallatin Valley Land Trust 406-587-8404 x3 kelly@gvlt.org C & D. Lead Partner and Contact Information Gallatin Valley Land Trust PO Box 7021, Bozeman, MT 59771 www.gvlt.org 406-587-8404 C. Collaborating Partners: Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators Audubon Society City of Bozeman Gallatin Conservation District Gallatin County /MSU Extension Gallatin County Parks & Conservation Gallatin Local Water Quality District Gallatin National Forest Greater Gallatin Watershed Council MT Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks National Park Service Rivers & Trails NRCS – Bozeman Field Office Trout Unlimited Trust for Public Land E. Funding Pool: State (Montana) F. Project Summary: The Gallatin Valley Land Trust and partners propose to implement an integrative and enduring RCPP project that will conserve water quality and soil health in the Missouri Headwaters and Lower Gallatin Basin of southwestern Montana. The project will utilize all NRCS conservation programs to implement high-priority, “shovel-ready” conservation projects that have been recently identified through an extensive, community-based watershed planning effort. The Lower Gallatin Basin is a region of national significance owing to its exceptional agricultural resources and source as headwaters to the Missouri River, but is highly threatened by the rapid pace of development. The NRCS’s investment in the Lower Gallatin Basin will be more than tripled through partner contributions including cash, technical assistance, landowner outreach and education, and project monitoring. The project will leverage strong relationships with agricultural producers and other private landowners to create perpetual conservation easements under ACEP and HFRP, as well as innovative on-the-ground restoration projects to improve stream health, water quality, and water conservation through EQIP and CSP. Annual monitoring of conservation practices and water quality will be ongoing, and the team will measure success in acres conserved, projects implemented, and overall water quality results. G. Geographic Focus: The project area is the lower portion of the Gallatin Basin (HUC 10020008), extending into the headwaters area of the Missouri River at the confluence of the Gallatin, Madison and Jefferson rivers. It is primarily in Gallatin County, Montana, but also includes portions of Madison and Park Counties. It is approximately 670,000 acres and encompasses an area more than 1,000 square miles. (See enclosed map.) Within this larger region, critical, high-priority areas have been targeted to increase conservation effectiveness. Priority areas were identified through an extensive planning effort that engaged local communities through a series of planning workshops and utilized a comprehensive Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study completed by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) in 2013 that identified, assessed, and prioritized key project areas. Gallatin County has been the fastest growing county in Montana for two decades and has one of the fastest rates of agricultural land conversion in the West. 162 2 RCPP Pre-Proposal: Missouri Headwateras and Lower Gallatin Basin, MT H. Project Term & Funding by Year: November 1, 2014 – October 31, 2019 EQIP CSP ACEP HFRP TOTAL FY 2015 Partner Request for FA $ $100,000 $1,150,000 $550,000 $1,800,000 Partner Request for TA $ $20,000 $20,000 FY 2016 Partner Request for FA $ $100,000 $1,125,000 $75,000 $1,300,000 Partner Request for TA $ $20,000 $20,000 FY 2017 Partner Request for FA $ $250,000 $20,000 $950,000 $450,000 $1,670,000 Partner Request for TA $ $40,000 $5,000 $45,000 FY 2018 Partner Request for FA $ $250,000 $20,000 $500,000 $770,000 Partner Request for TA $ $40,000 $5,000 $45,000 FY 2019 Partner Request for FA $ $100,000 $20,000 $125,000 $245,000 Partner Request for TA $ $20,000 $5,000 $25,000 TOTALS $940,000 $75,000 $3,850,00 $1,075,00 $5,940,000 I. Total Funding Request: RCPP Funding Request Partner Contribution Total Project Cost Match Ratio Financial Assistance $5,785,000 $15,630,600 $21,415,600 Technical Assistance $155,000 $25,000 $180,000 TOTAL $5,940,000 $15,655,600 $21,595,600 3.6 163 3 RCPP Pre-Proposal: Missouri Headwateras and Lower Gallatin Basin, MT Project Summary A. Objectives & Natural Resource Concerns The project will address two priority natural resource concerns that have been identified by the Montana State Conservationist: water quality and soil health. Over the 5 year duration of the project, the primary objectives are to: • Complete 20 water quality improvement projects that will engage at least 10 landowners who are new to NRCS. The projects will reduce sedimentation and nutrient loading on substantial sections of five high-priority waterways (Camp Creek, Rocky Creek, Dry Creek, Bridger Creek, East Gallatin River) by implementing conservation practices such as streambank protection, comprehensive nutrient management, wastewater storage and prescribed grazing. • Complete 10 agricultural conservation easement projects that will protect at least 10,000 acres of prime agricultural soils on productive and viable farms and ranches that are currently threatened by conversion to non-agricultural uses. • Complete 3 forestland conservation easement projects on at least 1,000 acres that provide core wildlife habitat. • Monitor success utilizing existing baseline data and established monitoring protocols. Alignment with regional initiatives. In addition to being priorities for the Montana State Conservationist, improving water quality and soil health are also top priorities for two regional conservation initiatives that align particularly closely with the goals of this RCPP project: the Lower Gallatin Watershed Restoration Plan and the Gallatin County Open Space Program. These community-based initiatives have strong support from a diversity of local residents, and have created an extensive network of partners that includes local agricultural producers and agricultural groups, governmental agencies including NRCS, conservation non-profits and numerous landowners. The proposed RCPP project will tap into, strengthen and grow this network of partners by providing essential financial and technical assistance that will exponentially increase the number and impact of conservation activities. • Lower Gallatin Watershed Restoration Plan - Over the past two years, there has been a substantial investment of state and local funds to assess and improve water quality in the Lower Gallatin Basin in the reaches above the Missouri River Headwaters. These efforts have culminated in the Lower Gallatin Watershed Restoration Plan (WRP), which is based on a comprehensive Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) study completed by Montana DEQ in 2013. The primary focus of the planning effort was to collaborate with representatives from government agencies, private sector professionals, non-profit organizations and landowners to collectively identify and rank restoration opportunities in the watershed that would substantially improve water quality. The restoration plan identified NRCS as a potential funding partner for project implementation. This proposed RCPP project provides a powerful opportunity for the NRCS to step in as a vital partner to help implement the on-the-ground projects identified in the restoration plan. NRCS funds will leverage significant local and state investments and will be used to complete community-supported, high priority water quality improvement projects that have already undergone extensive community input and are essentially shovel-ready. • Gallatin County Open Space Program – The Gallatin County Open Space Bond Program represents a $20 million investment by the residents of Gallatin County to preserve prime agricultural soils, healthy rivers, wildlife habitat and open space in the County. Approved by over 63% of the voters in the County, the program is used to purchase conservation easements from willing landowners with a focus on preserving ranches and farms, protecting wildlife habitat and protecting water quality of streams and rivers. The program was created in response to rapidly 164 4 RCPP Pre-Proposal: Missouri Headwateras and Lower Gallatin Basin, MT increasing development pressure and the desire of County residents to protect the natural resources and agricultural legacy of the region. The Open Space program has been instrumental in conserving nearly 40,000 acres of prime agricultural soils and improving water quality in the region. Since the program’s inception, Gallatin County and the Gallatin Valley Land Trust have successfully partnered with NRCS to purchase 13 conservation easements to protect prime agricultural lands. The proposed RCPP project would provide the opportunity to significantly increase the pace of conservation on the region’s most important farmland, helping to secure the future of agricultural in the region. Use of partnerships and innovation to create solutions. Other key objectives of this project include the use of experienced, professional partnerships and strong relationships to leverage funding and create innovative solutions. • Experienced Project Partners – The Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) was established in 1990, has completed over 90 conservation easements in the region totaling 60 square miles, and has close ties to the local agricultural community. GVLT also executes on-the-ground stewardship projects to improve water, soil, and forest health and since 2013 has engaged 17 landowners to complete 21 watershed restoration projects, leveraging $86,000 of work in partnership with Montana DNRC. Greater Gallatin Watershed Council (GGWC) is a diverse group that represents agricultural, water and conservation interests, and has just completed an extensive watershed planning process in partnership with local landowners, community groups, government agencies and non-profits that identified high-priority conservation areas in the watershed. Other partners bring an array of financial and technical capabilities, have deep roots in the local communities, and have a proven track record of implementing successful conservation projects. • Strong Relationships with Agricultural Producers – A long history of working with agricultural producers and community leaders, and a recent increase in interest in conservation easements has created an opportunity to complete a significant number of projects. By working directly with local producers through existing networks such as the Gallatin Conservation District and Association of Gallatin Agricultural Irrigators, a high number of producers are likely to engage in the projects. RCPP funding will allow us to take full advantage of the momentum to complete important projects. • Shovel-Ready, Cost-Effective Projects with High Leverage – GGWC’s Watershed Restoration Plan and GVLT’s Strategic Land Conservation Plan identify high-priority restoration and conservation easement projects that are ready to be implemented. These planning initiatives will allow RCPP funding to be utilized efficiently and projects would be very cost-effective. Partner contributions will highly leverage NRCS investments and include cash, in-kind technical assistance, donated easement value, and easement acquisitions and restoration projects in the Lower Gallatin Basin funded through other non-federal mechanisms. • Innovative Conservation Strategies to Provide Integrative, Enduring Conservation Impacts– A primary goal for the proposed project is to ensure that conservation impacts are sustained over the long-term. Our strategy for achieving this goal is to focus conservation activities on properties that have conservation easements and/or conservation-minded landowners. Because easement properties cannot be converted to non-agricultural uses, investing in these properties will have a high return on investment. This project also requests funding from all NRCS program authorities, which will allow us to develop integrative, effective projects that 165 5 RCPP Pre-Proposal: Missouri Headwateras and Lower Gallatin Basin, MT will protect land through conservation easements and also improve conservation practices on those properties. B. Evaluating Outcomes Outcomes for the project will be measured against the objectives described above, including number of projects completed, acres conserved, and landowners engaged. All conservation easement properties will be monitored annually in accordance with best management practices and Gallatin Valley Land Trust monitoring policy. Monitoring protocols include site visits, photographs and GPS data, and landowner interviews. Monitoring records will be reported to the State Conservationist office. Water quality projects will be monitored for reduced sedimentation, siltation, and nutrient loads by the Greater Gallatin Watershed Council (GGWC) and other partners using a template Sampling and Analysis Plan developed in collaboration with Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The template will be modified as needed to address individual project objectives and priorities. The monitoring protocol engages citizen scientists to collect water quality data, which further builds upon the project’s goals to conduct education and outreach. Monitoring results will be reported to NRCS. C. Activities Project activities will include diverse practices, utilizing all NRCS program authorities to improve water quality, protect soil health, and prevent further impairment of resources in the critical upper reaches of the Missouri Basin. Employing both acquisition of perpetual conservation easements and on-the-ground stewardship practices integrates current restoration and management activities with long-term protection to prevent future resource damage. All of the project activities will be ongoing throughout the five year period, following a detailed project prioritization with all partners and landowners. Technical Assistance will be utilized to support both NRCS personnel and partner organizations in landowner education and outreach, resource assessment, conservation planning, and conservation implementation. Activities will include: a. Landowner education and outreach, with a focus on utilizing existing landowner and producer networks. Outreach and education will be supported by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Greater Gallatin Watershed Council, Gallatin Local Water Quality District, and other partners. Outreach and education will include information about all conservation programs and opportunities. b. Conservation easement acquisition, with contributions of cash, technical assistance, and professional expertise provided by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Gallatin County Open Space program, MT DNRC, and MT FWP. Acquisition of conservation easements will be focused on the highest priority lands in the Lower Gallatin Basin based on soil quality, water quality, agricultural practices, wildlife resources, and forest health. Projects will be identified and prioritized using existing data and conservation plans for the region, including mapped data of agriculturally significant soils, Gallatin Valley Land Trust’s Land Conservation Plan, Heart of the Rockies Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Conservation Plan, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks statewide Comprehensive fish & Wildlife Conservation Strategy. Easements will be acquired through both the ACEP and HFRP authorities. 166 6 RCPP Pre-Proposal: Missouri Headwateras and Lower Gallatin Basin, MT Since 2001, the NRCS, Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Gallatin County, and other conservation organizations have partnered to conserve more than 32,000 acres of critically important agricultural soils in the Lower Gallatin Basin, with a focus on the Camp Creek, Dry Creek, and East Gallatin tributaries to the Gallatin River. These partners have already identified more than a dozen additional conservation easement acquisitions with willing landowners, potentially conserving more than 12,000 additional acres of critical agricultural and forest lands in one of the region’s most important economic centers. The majority of these projects are in the Camp Creek and Dry Creek drainages, which have been identified as having sediment impairments and for which land and soil conservation practices can reduce sedimentation and siltation. In addition, the partners have identified key private land parcels in the Bozeman Pass region of the project area, which is the most imperiled wildlife movement corridor in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and includes sections of Bridger Creek and Rocky Creek. These forested lands were inundated by insect infestations over the last decade. Conservation easement acquisition and forest restoration activities will be conducted in this portion of the project area through the HFRP. c. Execution and monitoring of on-the-ground conservation and restoration practices with technical assistance and professional expertise provided by the Greater Gallatin Watershed Council, NRCS, and other partners. Efforts will be focused on two types of projects to ensure that NRCS investments are leveraged farther and have the greatest impact: lands protected in conservation easements, where landowners have demonstrated sound conservation practice and long-term management and monitoring are simplified, and projects already identified through the WRP and TMDL study. Projects will include the following conservation activity plans and practices: • Comprehensive nutrient management plans • Wastewater storage • Streambank and shoreline protection • Well improvements • Watering facilities • Fencing • Waste transfer • Tree/shrub establishment • Prescribed grazing • Solid liquid waste separation facilities D. Meeting/Avoiding Need for Natural Resource Regulatory Requirements RCPP funding will be used to help develop projects that reduce sedimentation, siltation, and nutrient load to help meet the TMDLs identified in the 2013 Lower Gallatin Study, as required by the Clean Water Act and Montana Water Quality Act. E. Adjustment of Terms None requested. F. Alternative Funding Arrangements None requested. 167 ! ! ! ! ! ! !Gall ati n Ri ver Camp CreekMid dle Creek Madison RiverEast Gallatin RiverDry CreekTrail Creek Cherry Creek Bridger CreekBozeman CreekJack Creek Jackson CreekR ocky C reekBlacktail CreekBozeman Belgrade Manhattan Three Forks Sources: Esri, USGS, NOAA Legend Proposed RCPP Project Area Conservation Easements Highways !Towns Public Lands MT FWP MT DNRC US Forest Service ± RCPP Project:Missouri Headwaters and Lower Gallatin Basin (HUC: 10020008) 0 10 205Miles Location of Lower Gallatin Basin in Montana GVLT 07-01-2014 MissouriHeadwatersConfluence Scale = 1:650,000Missouri River168