Receive presentation and consider approval of the Yolo County 2022-2025 Climate Early Action Grant Strategy for five final early action projects. (No general fund impact) (Echiburú/ Wraithwall)

Receive presentation and consider approval of the Yolo County 2022-2025 Climate Early Action Grant Strategy for five final early action projects.

The recommended action will leverage the County’s investment in achieving the goal of a carbon-negative footprint by 2030 by directing staff to secure grants to implement five priority early action projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon in unincorporated Yolo County. This action helps further the implementation of September 29, 2020, Yolo County Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 20-114, which declared a climate crisis requiring urgent and inclusive mobilization of countywide resources to initiate a just transition to an inclusive, equitable, sustainable, and resilient local economy while also supporting and advocating for efforts necessary to reverse climate, social justice, and economic crises. Resolution No. 20-114 also created the Yolo County Climate Action Commission (“Commission”) to ensure Yolo County receives input from vulnerable, marginalized, and underrepresented communities, cities, and other appropriate jurisdictions, community organizations, and experts in the field of climate change to engage the broader Yolo County community on development and implementation of the Yolo County Climate Action Plan.
 
Staff developed the Yolo County 2022–2025 Climate Early Action Grant Strategy (Att. A) to match grant opportunities to five of seven “early actions” recommended by the Commission for approval by the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors approved six of the seven early action projects on June 7, 2022, and will consider approval of the seventh early action project at the September 27, 2022 Board Meeting. Early action projects are short-term actions that Yolo County can undertake to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and sequester carbon prior to the development of the updated Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The five early action projects included in the grant strategy are:  

At least six months prior to an application due date, staff will coordinate internally to decide whether to apply for the grant. If the County decides to apply, the County will develop partnerships, identify matching funds, and otherwise complete the work necessary to develop a competitive application. The grant strategy does not include the 100% Renewable Electricity Accounts project (approved by the Board on June 7, 2022) or the Yolo Agricultural Equipment Retrofit Program (to be brought before the Board on September 27, 2022) because staff did not identify any grant opportunities for these early actions. County staff is instead working to identify other funding strategies for these early action projects. Staff will update the grant strategy as necessary to reflect new grant opportunities and changing priorities and report on implementation progress to the Board of Supervisors and the Commission. The Commission recommends the Board of Supervisors approve this action.

Staff collaborated with the Yolo County Climate Action Commission to develop the grant strategy. Staff further coordinated with state, federal, and regional agencies regarding funding opportunities and secured feedback on carbon farming grant opportunities from the Center for Land-Based Learning.