The annual Transportation Agency Overall Work Program describes the activities to be accomplished during the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30.  Adopting an annual work program is mandatory to utilize Rural Planning Assistance funds and discretionary planning grants that the Transportation Agency receives from Caltrans. Funding amounts need to be amended into the Overall Work Program and Budget before associated tasks can be initiated. 

The Transportation Agency recently received a $375,810 grant from Caltrans Adaptation Planning grant program.  The funds will be used to develop the Monterey County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy.  The Monterey County Regional Conservation Investment Strategy (RCIS) will assess the vulnerability of species and habitat to climate change related stressors (drought, wildfire, and landslides, etc.); develop conservation strategies to improve resiliency from the identified stressors; and define a framework to finance the implementation of these conservation strategies as compensatory mitigation from new transportation improvements.  The types of conservation strategies that are eligible to be included in an RCIS will both directly and indirectly contribute to the climate resiliency of Monterey County’s transportation infrastructure, including wildlife crossings, wetlands restoration, and habitat acquisition and conservation, supporting several State initiatives and priorities.

The Transportation Agency is matching this grant with $48,690 of Measure X funds from the Habitat Management / Advance Mitigation program.  The receipt of these grant funds leverages the Measure X funds over seven times.

Work Element 7600 has already been added to the Overall Work Program, however this amendment incorporates the new source of funding.  Funding for the plan is spread over a two year period starting in FY 2018/19 and concluding in FY 2019/20. New Overall Work Program pages reflecting the above recommendations are included as a web attachment.