Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2022-11:  A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council, authorizing the grant agreement for an Arizona State Parks Heritage Fund - Environmental Education grant. 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Funding will allow Flagstaff Open Space to promote and provide outdoor environmental protection programs and recreational opportunities for the community, especially for indigenous and historically underrepresented youth. The goal of this program is to provide indigenous youth with the opportunity to learn about environmental STEAM-related fields in conjunction with traditional culture, community, and environmental stewardship. Five objectives will be completed to promote and provide outdoor environmental protection programs.

1. Create outdoor lessons that help eliminate a high school level outdoor environmental STEAM teaching gap by implementing a high school teaching program, building on existing elementary and middle school programming. Staff will research, prepare, and teach these lessons, and the lessons will be available to educators and the general public. Lessons will include an experiential trip to a Flagstaff open space to inspire interest in STEAM careers and environmental stewardship.
2. Continue existing elementary and middle school outdoor educational programming.
3. Provide outdoor community programs that bring understanding on environmental issues and support recreational opportunities.
4. Increase representation of underprivileged community members to encourage outside activity at Flagstaff’s Open Spaces via social media, in-person contact, outdoor education events, volunteer recruitment materials, and partnering with community organizations.
5. Increase volunteer capacity to conduct community education, create a presence in open spaces, educate visitors, and complete environmental projects. We will recruit and train new volunteers-- focusing on youth and underprivileged populations--provide regular support, offer continuing education, and coordinate volunteer events.

Grant funds will provide $50,000 towards a staff position, 77% of a full-time equivalent (based on 35 hours per week) at a rate of $25/hour. The City of Flagstaff Parks, Recreation, and Open Space will provide a $5,500.00 in-kind match. The total cost for the one-year project is $55,500.  The budget is available in 001-06-159-6302-5-4290.

Overview:

• Supports all 7 PBB Priorities
• Upholds our Quadrant 2 level PBB programming
• Contributes to a number of Carbon Neutrality Plan strategies
• Supports the implementation of the Open Space and Greenways Plan
• Encourages alternative transportation options

Open Space Program Goals:

• Volunteer management
• Customer service
• Educational and recreational activities
• Facilitation of partnerships
• Serve underprivileged populations
• Promote responsible tourism
• Secure funding through grants

Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives

• High Performance Governance:
  • Serve the public by providing high quality customer service.
  • Foster community-wide clear and consistent communication strategies and products.
  • Encourage public trust through transparency, accessibility & use of the City’s public participation policy.
• Safe and Healthy Community:
  • Provide alternative responses, resources, and programs, inclusive of mental health and other services.
  • Promote physical health through providing recreation opportunities, parks, open space, and multiple transportation options.
• Inclusive and Engaged Community:
  • Foster community pride and civic engagement by increasing opportunities for public involvement, in line with best practices and legal requirements.
  •  Enhance community involvement, education, and regional partnerships to strengthen the level of public trust.
  • Ensure city facilities, services, and programs are accessible for all residents and representative of Flagstaff’s diverse community.
  • Promote environmental justice and the fair distribution of environmental benefits.
• Sustainable, Innovative Infrastructure:
  • Utilize existing long-range plans that identify the community’s future infrastructure needs and all associated costs.
• Robust Resilient Economy:
  • Embrace and invest in responsible tourism opportunities to promote economic development.
• Livable Community:
  • Create a welcoming community through partnerships, resilient neighborhoods, and civic engagement.
  • Provide amenities and activities that support a healthy lifestyle.
  • Support regional partners which provide equitable and inclusive educational opportunities for Flagstaff residents of all ages.
• Environmental Stewardship:
  • Promote, protect, and enhance a healthy, sustainable environment and its natural resources.
  • Engage community members through education and volunteer opportunities.
  • Increase the private sector’s participation in environmental stewardship efforts.
  • Strengthen Flagstaff’s resilience to climate change impacts on built, natural, economic, health, and social systems.

Carbon Neutrality Plan (CNP)
This funding supports CNP implementation, especially Goal One: Achieve carbon neutrality by 2030; and Goal Two: Prepare Flagstaff's communities, systems, and resources to be more resilient to climate change impacts. The most align CNP carbon neutrality plan numbers are DD-3, DD-2, and ES-2.
 
Carbon Neutrality Plan Strategy 1
DD-3: Encourage Flagstaff residents and visitors to walk, bike, roll and take the bus.

Carbon Neutrality Plan Strategy 2
DD-2: Create inclusive networks for walking and biking that are continuous, attractive, safe, comprehensive, and convenient for people of all ages.

Carbon Neutrality Plan Strategy 3
ES-2: Proactively engage community members on an ongoing basis.
 
Regional Plan Support
Vision: In 2030, the Flagstaff region maintains a healthy system of open lands supporting the natural environment and our quality of life through stewardship by regional stakeholders.

• Goal LU.3. Continue to enhance the region's unique sense of place within the urban, suburban, and rural context (Policy LU.3.3).
• Goal CC.2. Preserve, restore, and rehabilitate heritage resources to better appreciate our culture.
• Goal ED.7. Continue to promote and enhance Flagstaff’s unique sense of place as an economic driver.
• Policy OS.1.4. Use open space as opportunities for non-motorized connectivity, to interact with nature, and to enjoy the views and quiet. 
• Policy OS.1.5. Integrate open space qualities into the built environment

Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2020-46: A resolution adopting the Management Plan for Legally-Designated Open Space Properties.

Option A – Adopt Resolution No. 2022-11 as submitted and authorize the grant agreement between the Arizona State Parks Board (BOARD) and The City of Flagstaff Parks and Recreation Open Space (PROJECT SPONSOR) for the Heritage Fund Environmental Education grant program, for grant funds in the amount of $50,000 with a city match of $5,500.This option allows staff to implement collaborative processes for creating and implementing outdoor environmental protection programs and recreational opportunities for the community, with a focused effort to provide resources to indigenous and historically underrepresented youth.

Option B – Do not adopt Resolution No. 2022-11 and do not authorize the grant agreement between the Arizona State Parks Board (BOARD) and The City of Flagstaff Parks and Recreation Open Space (PROJECT SPONSOR) for the Heritage Fund Environmental Education grant program, thus declining grant funds in the amount of $50,000. This option does not allow staff to implement collaborative processes for creating and implementing outdoor environmental protection programs and recreational opportunities for the community.

Over the past 7 years, the Open Space program has relied on the AmeriCorps VISTA program to meet the capacity needs for the program. It is a great program, and it has helped us meet our baseline goals. This position provides 35 hours per week in support, amounting to over 1,800 volunteer hours each year. Over these seven years, the VISTA position has developed capacity in volunteer management, outdoor education, expanded partnerships, and developed fundraising strategies. The VISTA program is designed to build capacity for partners and cannot supplant staff. It is designed to provide support for capacity building for approximately three years and we have already exceeded the number of allowed years. This new funding opportunity will enable the Open Space program to continue baseline service levels.
 
In addition, this position:

• Supports all 7 PBB Priorities
• Upholds our Quadrant 2 level PBB programming
• Contributes to a number of Carbon Neutrality Plan strategies

The Management Plan for open space provides a framework for managing the natural, ecological, historical, and recreational resources to minimize conflict and degradation, and serves as a resource to guide decision-making processes for legally designated open space properties.

The Plan identifies 5 overarching management goals for the legally designated open space properties, which are listed below. This resolution and grant agreement directly support goals one, four, and five.

1. To maintain, restore, and enhance the natural ecosystem processes of these properties, including watershed health (including intermittent streams), forest structure, native plant communities, and rare habitat types.
2. To protect cultural resources present within these properties.
3. To maintain and protect diverse and healthy wildlife populations.
4. To provide opportunities for public use of these properties through passive recreational use, resource interpretation, education, scientific research, and other compatible activities in a manner that is consistent with the preservation of the conservation values of the site and the management goals.
5. To maintain and develop partnerships that facilitate resource management, stewardship, and conservation.

There are several action items for educating the public and providing outdoor programming for the community that have associated costs. These items are funded by two primary sources. Some projects are included in the Open Space base budget of $39,500, which also includes maintenance needs. Additionally, some education projects utilize volunteer groups and in-kind contributions to complete at no cost to the city.
 
This funding would allow our program to promote and provide outdoor environmental protection programs and recreational opportunities for the community, with a focused effort to provide resources to indigenous and historically underrepresented youth. The goal will be to provide underrepresented groups with opportunities to learn about outdoor science fields through both classroom and outdoor programming.
 
The Outdoor Environmental Education Heritage Fund will cover 77% FTE (based on 35 hours per week) at a rate of $25/hour, for a total of $50,000 one-year. Staff is planning to apply for a second year.

This funding will permit the continuation of our current level of service.
 
The Open Space program works hard to provide educational opportunities but does not have the capacity to meet all requests for outdoor educational programming.

• We offer the community great places to walk, bike, run, and participate in other outdoor activities,
• We are receiving the highest ever visitation. Trail counters installed at various locations at our three main regional preserves indicate that for FY 2021-22, we have already had over 99,000 visitors
• We provided science programs (e.g., forest ecology, plants, astronomy, and wildlife) for students and visitors at multiple open space properties and in classrooms. Programming reached approximately 775 students and 382 adults to date for this fiscal year
• In addition, the Open Space Stewards program has 30 core volunteers, we coordinated an additional 147 volunteers this year who provided trash clean-up, graffiti mitigation, input on projects, and trail work for our open space, contributing 1,061 hours of volunteer time to date for this fiscal year.

Staff collaborate with numerous educational partners. This application for the Heritage Fund was supported by:

• Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience
• Friends of Flagstaff Future
• Flagstaff Festival of Science
• Killip 21^st Century
• Killip STEM Lab
• Open Spaces Commission
• Open Space Stewards
• Picture Canyon Working Group
• STEM City
• Willow Bend Environmental Center