Consideration and Approval of Contract:  Contract for Services to Conservation Legacy in a total amount of $149,850 including a Grant Award from Arizona State Parks for the Picture Canyon Restoration and Trail Work

1. Approve the Contract for Services to Conservation Legacy in the total amount of $149,850.00 including a Grant Award from Arizona State Parks for Picture Canyon Restoration and Trail Work; and
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute the necessary documents.

The Contract for Services to Conservation Legacy includes $103,358.01 in Grant Funds, $20,691.99 in City Funds, and $25,800 Contract In-Kind Labor. The Grant Funding is from the Arizona State Parks and Trails, Recreational Trails Program Grant (Grant Agreement No. ASPT#: 472303, #: M472303P, Fed Aid #: RTP-F-101). The Open Space Section has budgeted additional monies to fund the Contract for Services to allow the restoration and repair of trails at Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve. An extensive system of unauthorized roads and trails was mapped and photographed throughout the Preserve as part of a survey project. These abandoned roads and social routes cause erosional damage and directly impact vegetation and cultural resources. Restoration is needed to protect this National Register-listed cultural site and the plant and wildlife habitat.
 
Work to be performed under the Contract for Services will address delayed maintenance, including:

• Renovation and maintenance of existing trails, including repairing .78 miles and rerouting .08 miles of the Tom Moody/Don Weaver trails
• Mitigate and restore damage to areas surrounding trails through naturalizing closed roads/unauthorized trails, including ripping .61 miles of old roadbeds, and revegetating 4.27 miles or 45,000 sq ft of impacted areas
• Enforce existing rules and regulations with the installation of regulation, boundary, archeological site, and trail signs
• Provide interpretation and trail information, through interpretive signs and publications

The contract award for services is in the total amount of $149,850. This award breakdown is as follows;

$103,358.01 - Grant Funds Arizona State Parks and Trails Recreational Trails Program Grant (identified above)
  $20,691.99 - City of Flagstaff, Open Space Section base budget funds
$124,050.00 - Subtotal contract expenditures

  $25,800.00 - Contract in-kind labor services
$149,850.00 - Total Contract Award Services

This project is budgeted in FY24 in the Open Space Section budget in account 001-11-159-0665-5-4290 in the amount of $158,570.

Priority Based Budget Key Community Priorities and Objectives Carbon Neutrality Plan
The most aligned 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
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 CC.2. Preserve, restore, and rehabilitate heritage resources to better appreciate our culture.
• Policy OS.1.4. Use open space as opportunities for non-motorized connectivity, to interact with nature, and to enjoy the views and quiet.

• Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2022-46:  A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council, authorizing the execution of a grant agreement between the City of Flagstaff and Arizona State Parks and Trails that permits the City to accept the Recreational Trails Program Grant for the maintenance of Picture Canyon Preserve.
• Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2020-46: A resolution adopting the Management Plan for Legally-Designated Open Space Properties.

1. Approve the Contract for Services with Conservation Legacy in the total amount of $149,850.00 for Picture Canyon Restoration and Trail Work; or
2. Do not approve the Contract for Services. Staff does not recommend this option as it would forego the opportunity for the City to utilize the Grant Funds for necessary restoration and trail work.

The City of Flagstaff’s Open Space program began in 1998 as an outgrowth of the Flagstaff Area Open Space and Greenways Plan. The program exists to protect and restore Flagstaff’s natural, cultural, and scenic resources to enhance recreational and educational opportunities for residents and visitors. Open Space properties managed by the program serve as a land resource, recreational destination, wildlife habitat, and transportation corridor while protecting other natural resources.
 
Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve is a 478-acre designated open space property on the east side of Flagstaff behind the Wildcat Wastewater Treatment Plant and Coconino County Public Works Yard. Picture Canyon features 700 petroglyphs and associated habitation and resource processing features, a waterfall fed by the Rio de Flag/reclaimed water, and an array of native plants and wildlife. Unmanaged public use of the property prior to the City’s acquisition resulted in a network of unofficial, user-created roads traversing the Preserve. Many of these roads are unnecessary and lead to dead ends. Some are causing erosion, segmenting wildlife habitat, and facilitating illegal dumping and/or illegal vehicle trespass onto the property. Also, since the Preserve opened to the public numerous unauthorized routes have led to impacts on vegetation and cultural sites. Given that the City purchased this property using funding from the Arizona State Parks Growing Smarter grant, the City is required to manage it as a non-motorized property to protect the conservation values associated with the property.
 
Procurement and PROSE released an Invitation for Bid (IFB) to the PlanetBids platform from 3/28/2023 - 4/20/2023. Staff also posted the IFB to Arizona Daily Sun publications on April 2, 2023 and April 9, 2023. The IFB closed with only Conservation Legacy bidding on the project, however, staff determined Conservation Legacy has the necessary expertise to perform the conservation and trail maintenance services.

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 designated open space properties.

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

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.

On-going funding for maintenance and conservation are needed to keep up the Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve. This work is funded by two primary sources. Some projects are included in the Open Space base budget of $47,000. Additionally, volunteer groups donate their time to complete projects at no cost to the City. Though these means support maintenance needs, they do not cover all demands. Grant funding allows the Open Space Section to make progress toward addressing backlogged maintenance needs for trails and restoration. 

The Contract for Services and project completion will permit the continuation of the current level of service.
 
The Open Space program works hard to provide recreational opportunities and maintain open space but does not have the capacity to meet all needs.

• 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 received over 99,000 visitors.
• We provide 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 for FY 2021-22.
• The Open Space Stewards program has 30 core year-round volunteers. During FY 2021-22 we also coordinated an additional 147 volunteers who provided trash clean-up, graffiti mitigation, input on projects, and trail work for our open space, contributing 1,061 hours of volunteer time.

The application for the Recreational Trails Program Grant that is funding this project was supported by:

• Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience
• Coconino Natural Resource Conservation District
• Conservation Study Forum
• Friends of the Rio de Flag
• Picture Canyon Working Group
• Open Spaces Commission
• Friends of Flagstaff’s Future