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Page 2 BCC Agenda Item — Consent Hurricane Matthew HMGP Grant Funding #4283-60 - Countywide Wildfire Management Application Status & Environmental Science Associates Scope of Services dated January 17, 2018 purpose of reducing wildfire threats by creating defensible space through vegetation management. This project was originally ranked by the State as a Tier II project. On January 11, 2018, staff received phone and email communication from the HMGP Project Manager indicating that Project #6 had been moved from Tier II to Tier I and that the project may be eligible for additional funding beyond what was originally requested through the LMS Worksheet. In order to move forward with the project, HMGP staff indicated that the County could request additional funding to hire a consultant to produce the Fire Management Plan which is an integral component of the approval process for the grant award. The Environmental Science Associates (ESA) Scope of Services dated January 17, 2018 is directed at completing the required data collection, document preparation, contractor specifications and other administrative tasks required to create the Countywide Wildfire Mitigation Plan. THE PROJECT: Project Priority #6 — The Countywide Wildfire Protection Management Plan and subsequent mitigation activities would provide vegetation management, firebreak installation and prescribed burns (if conditions allow) on conservation lands throughout the county that have a high likelihood or history of wildfire. At this time, 10 conservation areas have been identified as being vulnerable to wildfire. These conservation areas contain over 1,200 acres of vulnerable habitat, and 4 have historically had wildfires (some more than once within the last 17 years). Grant funding would be utilized to develop a countywide management plan, create firebreaks, reduce vegetation and conduct prescribed burns. Each year County staff works with the Florida Forestry Services Mitigation Team to provide wildfire protection to vulnerable conservation areas and private lands, however, this team is only available to the entire district for two weeks out of the year. Forestry and County staff identify the most vulnerable areas, but due to limited time, this leaves many areas untreated until conditions worsen. This project would provide funding to create a management plan that would direct the creation of defensible space, reduction of wildfire threat and minimize the chance of catastrophic wildfires in a prioritized manner. The management plan also serves to outline procedures, contractor specifications and long-term management objectives and schedules. All of the conservation areas identified lie within highly urban areas with homes and businesses vulnerable to damage caused by wildfire. In addition, these homes and businesses may not have adequate defensible space creating increased cost and more difficult conditions for emergency responders. Funds provided would utilize private contractors and the Florida Forestry Services (FFS) (if available) to install firebreaks, reduce vegetation and create defensible space on each property identified. Additional funding may be utilized to provide protection to highly vulnerable county -owned parcels (i.e. Sandridge Golf Course, Water Treatment Facilities and other pubic properties). 1i11019110rel Funding for the ESA Scope of Services dated January 17, 2018 in the amount of $38,150 would utilize the Upland Mitigation Fund (Account No. 12721037-033490) to develop the Countywide RN