To: The Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors
From: Warren Lai, Public Works Director/Chief Engineer
Report Title: Approval and Authorization for Use of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Temporary Entry Permit to allow access to Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District rights-of-way for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Nutria Eradication Program.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing body of the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (Flood Control District), APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Chief Engineer, or designee, to utilize the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Temporary Entry Permit (TEP) form to provide access to Flood Control District rights-of-way to conduct their nutria eradication program for a term of five (5) years, at various parcels in Antioch, Concord, Oakley, Pacheco and Richmond.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The program will be paid for with 100% CDFW Funds.
BACKGROUND:
The CDFW has found that there is an established population of invasive nutria in California. Nutria are large destructive rodents from South America. They reach up to 25 pounds in size, reproduce and spread rapidly, and are notorious for their extensive feeding damage to wetlands and burrowing damage to banks, levees, and infrastructure.
The CDFW is requesting access to Flood Control District rights-of-way as identified in the attached TEP to conduct their nutria eradication program for a term of five (5) years, at various parcels in Antioch, Concord, Oakley, Pacheco and Richmond that are owned by the Flood Control District. The Flood Control District supports the CDFW’s program to mitigate impacts of the invasive species, and as the landowner of the parcels identified on the TEP, the Flood Control District must sign the TEP to grant CDFW access to the Flood Control District’s property for the nutria eradication program.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
Without approval, the CDFW will be unable to access Flood Control District rights-of-way for their nutria eradication program.