Park and recreation agencies around the region, which were ecstatic when state Propositions 12 and 13 were approved by voters in March 2000, are still waiting to find out how many of the presents under the Christmas tree have their names attached. Some of the big ones are already known, because they were earmarked in the measures; these include the San Francisco Bay Area Conservancy program, the San Francisco Bay Ridge Trail, Mt. Diablo State Park, and the California Academy of Sciences. Many other Bay Area projects will ultimately be eligible to receive funding under one or another of the many programs created by these propositions.
Proposition 12, the Safe Neighborhood Parks, Clean Water, Clean Air and Coastal Protection Bond Act, will provide a total of $2.1 billion for cities, counties and special districts to finance parkland capital and preservation projects in the state. Proposition 13, the Safe Drinking Water Bond Act, authorizes the sale of $1.97 billion in bonds to finance projects such as watershed protection, water supply, safe drinking water and conservation.
Some agencies, such as the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) may be able to combine funds from the two bond measures for certain projects. For example, the Delta Science Center is named in both propositions, and will receive $2 million from each. The proposed new visitor center will showcase the natural history of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. When fully developed, it will include exhibits and activities to inform visitors about the unique Delta habitats, and will also provide resources such as a nursery to grow native plants for wetland restoration projects. The center is a joint project of EBRPD, Ironhouse Sanitary District, Los Medanos College, California State University at Hayward, Mt. Diablo Audubon Society, and several local school districts.
Another EBRPD project, which will receive $2 million, is Camp Arroyo, an environmental education camp now being constructed by a public/private partnership at Lake Del Valle near Livermore. Most of the year the camp will offer educational activities for schoolchildren; in the summer it will be used as a summer camp for terminally ill children from around the Bay Area. Funds will also assist the district in major extensions of the Iron Horse Trail which parallels I-680 in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties, linking segments of the trail in the Tri-Valley area, and connecting it with the Delta De Anza Regional Trail in east Contra Costa. The trail projects will receive funding of $1.275 million.
The park district is preparing a list of projects to include in the per-capita funding program contained in the bond act. This statewide program will distribute $388 million in grants to cities, counties, and special districts, based on population, in response to grant applications for eligible projects. In addition, urban areas, including those served by EBRPD, are also eligible for funds under another section of the bond act, the Roberti-Z'berg-Harris (RZH) grant program, which will distribute $200 million according to a complex formula. The per-capita and RZH funds will be administered by the State Department of Parks and Recreation, and must first be appropriated in the state budget.
A final component of Proposition 12, in addition to earmarked projects and the per-capita and RZH grants, is a competitive grant program, which includes money for projects in a number of categories, such as urban forestation projects, urban/cultural centers, riparian habitat, and trails. Local agencies and special districts may compete for the funding available in these categories, which will probably be allocated in a series of application cycles.
For cities, counties and special districts in the region, taking advantage of the new money will require some planning and resources. The possibility that projects could qualify under several different programs set up by Proposition 12 may encourage special districts such as EBRPD to work collaboratively with cities and counties to coordinate grant applications to target the most appropriate funding sources. For example, multi-agency projects such as the Delta Science Center may be eligible for support by more than one grant, or neighboring jurisdictions may benefit from coordinating applications for a shared facility such as a trail.
Projects which will be funded by RZH grants require a 30% local match. In addition, funding from Proposition 12 and 13 is intended to purchase new land, build new facilities, enhance or upgrade existing facilities or restore historic sites, bringing public access to recreational facilities which would otherwise have been unavailable. None of it can be used for recurring operating expenses, supplies and services, routine ongoing maintenance, or purchasing vehicles and equipment. It is up to the local jurisdictions and districts to maintain both the facilities they currently have, and any new ones which result from these programs. Careful planning will help the region make the best use of this new funding.
Leslie Stewart
For more information:
EBRPD, Jill Singleton, 510-544-2206; jsingleton@ebparks.org
Prop. 12: California Park and Recreation Society, 916-665-2777; http://www.cprs.org
Prop. 12: California Dept. of Parks and Recreation, 916-665-8380; http://www.parks.ca.gov/bond/bond12.htm