Conservation Corps and Transportation Enhancements/Alternatives the California Experience The Corps Network Forum February 2013

California has Corps-friendly state statute in place California corps thank former State Legislator and now Congressman Alan Lowenthal who authored Senate Bill 286 which passed in 2008 and US Senator Barbara Boxer for Corps-friendly Language in MAP 21

SB 286 Requires state department of transportation (CalTrans) to: consult with community conservation corps, the California Conservation Corps, the state highway commission, regional transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions or authorities, and congestion management agencies develop and utilize criteria that give priority in the selection of projects to the sponsors of eligible projects that partner with, or commit to employ the services of, a community conservation corps or the California Conservation Corps to construct or undertake the project.

SB 286 Authorizes the state transportation department, regional transportation planning agencies, county transportation commissions or authorities, or congestion management agencies to enter into cooperative agreements, grant agreements, or procurement contracts with community conservation corps pursuant to the simplified contract requirements authorized by Section 18.36(j) of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations in order to enable community conservation corps to utilize transportation enhancement alternatives project funds. Requires the state transportation commission, when developing guidelines for the state transportation improvement program and the state highway operations and protection program to include guidance to encourage the allocation of funds for transportation enhancement alternatives projects to qualified community conservation corps and the California Conservation Corps as partners with applicants that commit to employ the services of corps members in the construction of those projects.

SB 286 Applies to: – Bicycle improvements – Pedestrian improvements – Transportation Enhancement Activities: sidewalk repair, sign installation, irrigation, landscaping, tree planting, median maintenance, 3-year plant establishment... Find full text here:

KEY STATISTICS Funding & Project Applications Total Funding to California: about $72-$75 million per year Number of transportation enhancement/ alternative project applications reviewed by CCC since 2008: 500 Number of projects started/completed by CCC since 2008: 16

KEY STATISTICS Project Applications YEARYES, CCC CAN/WILL DONO, CCC CAN’T DO or DEFERS to LOCAL CORPS 2008/ / / / /13 so far3141 TOTAL204296* * about 50 deferred to local corps and remainder beyond CCC capacity

PROJECTS are big and small

PROJECT APPLICATIONS Examples of Projects Declined by CCC TRANSPORTATION AGENCY NAME of PROJECTTYPE of WORK City of SunnyvaleDowntown EnhancementsDesign & construct 6 large gateway monuments City of San Francisco Laurel Street Enhancements Install lighting that accentuates historic pedestrian bridge Sacramento City College Pedestrian BridgeConstruct a long bicycle/pedestrian bridge over former railyard. CalTransStatewide Pedestrian & Bicycle Plan Statewide Planning Grant including strategies to achieve pedestrian and bicycle safety goals CalTransHighway BridgeHighway Bridge Construction

PROJECTS Completed and Ongoing CCC FIELD UNIT TRANSPORTATION AGENCY STATUSPROJECT DESCRIPTION FUNDING TOTAL FUNDING LABOR FUNDING EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES SacramentoCal TransOngoing April 2010 Hwy I-5 from Hwy 50 to Yolo County line : Revegetation. Plant 7000 trees and shrubs. Water trees /shrubs for 3 years. $750,000$320,000$430,000 Inland Empire Cal TransOngoing June 2010 Site preparation, installing landscaping, including trees, mulch, seed, irrigation materials, inert ground cover, compost, rodent control devices, perform plant establishments on both sides of freeway. $5.050 million $2.759 million $2.291 million StocktonCaltransOngoing Feb 2011 Plant, tube, mulch, water estimated 1,200 Oak trees, soil amendments added, wood chips around each tree. Plant establishment: watering for 3 years. $845,000$713,466$131,534

PROJECTS Completed and Ongoing CCC FIELD UNIT TRANSPORTATION AGENCY STATUSPROJECT DESCRIPTION FUNDING TOTAL FUNDING LABOR FUNDING EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES Monterey Bay Center City of Campbell Done June 2012 Planting plants in newly designed median. Install 1 and 5 gallon plants, mulching entire area. $10,584$8,071$2,513 City of Half Moon Bay Done Dec 2010 Crews will work Hwy 1 and Hwy 92 planting 1 and 5 gallon trees and shrubs in the city medians. $14,040 0 City of San Bruno Ongoing April 2012 Crews will be planting trees and plants in the medians on El Camino. Spreading mulch in medians. $109,000$104,000$5,000 County of Santa Cruz Ongoing Oct 2012 Planting various plants off Buena Vista Road, spreading seed and mulch as well as straw. Remove non-native invasive plants. $22,524 0

PROJECTS Completed and Ongoing CCC FIELD UNIT TRANSPORTATION AGENCY STATUSPROJECT DESCRIPTION FUNDING TOTAL FUNDING LABOR FUNDING EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES Pomona & Los Angeles Caltrans Ongoing Dec 2011 Remove Arundo, plant native plants and mulch across burn areas along Carbon Canyon. Three years of water to include plant establishment. $450,000$347,000$103,000 Los PadresCaltrans Done June 2012 Install wildlife fencing (8ft high) and jump-outs along both sides of Hwy 101. $594,076$288,776$305,300 Camarillo City of Ventura Done June 2012 Install different size cobble size rock to make a cobble rock field and a sand walk way around the field. $2,533 0 City of Santa Paula Done June 2012 Crew will spread organic mulch through planting area. $14,340 0

LESSONS LEARNED Substantial possibilities for corps in transportation Get yourself an SB 286 Educate state, regional, and local transportation agencies (get a list of agencies from your state transportation office) – Lay out how to contract with corps - ease of contracting a strong selling point – Describe accurately what corps can do related to different types of transportation alternative projects Contractor’s License will likely be needed Seek to contract directly with the transportation agency and not as a sub to a contractor Commit only to projects or parts of projects within your corps’ capacity; don’t over-commit Agencies unfamiliar with your corps will want performance-based and not hourly-based contracts - bid wisely Some projects require purchasing and handling a lot of materials and supplies

APPLICATION PROCESS