REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: AARON A. AGUIRRE, Director Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services Department SHELBY MACNAB, MPA, Assistant Director Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services Department BY: CHANELL WEST, Senior Management Analyst Parks, After School, Recreation, and Community Services Department SUBJECT ..Title ***RESOLUTION- Authorizing the submission of a grant application to the California Coastal Commission Whale Tail(r) Grants program of up to $50,000 to provide marine stewardship education for youth and authorizing the City Manager or designee to accept grant funds, and sign all related documents on behalf of the City (Citywide) (Subject to Mayor's Veto) ..Body RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager or designee to apply for a grant of up to $50,000 from the California Coastal Commission Whale Tail(r) Grants program and authorize the City Manager or designee to accept grant funds and execute the grant agreement and sign all related documents on behalf of the City. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The PARCS Department is seeking grant funding from the California Coastal Commission (CCC) to provide marine stewardship and marine life education to youth living in and around the City of Fresno through a series of field trips and projects. The funds will be used to provide hands-on and classroom learning experiences to youth. BACKGROUND The CCC released the 2024 Whale Tail(r) Grants call for projects on August 22, 2024. The CCC has made $1.5 million available to award to support projects that connect people to the California Coast and its watersheds through education, stewardship, and outdoor experiences. The CCC encourages projects that engage communities that have historically received fewer opportunities for coastal and marine education and stewardship, including inland communities like Fresno. Funding must be used to provide an educational impact featuring the marine or coastal environment and/or improvement of coastal or marine habitats through community involvement. The maximum grant request per agency is $50,000. Grant applications are due November 4, 2024. If awarded, the approximately 2-year-long grant term would begin in Spring 2025 and end in Spring 2027. The grant proposal will include a series of field trips and projects to engage youth in marine stewardship education for an amount totaling up to $50,000. Field trips will feature excursions to the California Coast and the inland San Joaquin River to educate youth about the connectivity of local watersheds to the marine ecosystem. Field trips will be paired with an educational project through which youth will showcase the coastal stewardship knowledge they have gained through the program. This item has been reviewed by the City Attorney's Office. ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS Pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Guidelines Section 15378, this item is not a project for the purposes of CEQA. LOCAL PREFERENCE Local preference is not applicable since this item will not include a bid or award of a construction or services contract. FISCAL IMPACT There are no match requirements and no impacts to the General Fund. If awarded funding, the grant will be amended into the PARCS budget. Attachment: Resolution