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Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply for funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Five Star/Urban Waters Restoration Program to expand the City's urban forest management efforts to provide native trees to private property owners in response to Emerald Ash Borer infestations in Saint Paul and, if successful, enter into an agreement providing indemnification for NFWF.
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WHEREAS, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Five Star/Urban Waters Restoration Program (Five Star program); and
WHEREAS, the Five Star program seeks to develop community capacity to sustain local natural resources for future generations by providing modest financial assistance to diverse local partnerships for wetland, forest, riparian and coastal habitat restoration with a particular focus on urban waters and watersheds; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul is eligible to receive grant funds through the Five Star program; and
WHEREAS, it is the intention of the Department of Parks and Recreation to submit a $40,000 proposal to expand the City's urban forest management efforts in response to Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestations in Saint Paul; and
WHEREAS, awarded grant funds will be used to create a program that will reduce the financial burden on private property owners negatively affected by EAB, now or later, by offering affordable native trees for replacing ash trees on private property; and
WHEREAS, planting new trees in response to EAB, regardless of whether on public or private property, ultimately benefits all residents by maintaining the city's critical urban canopy coverage; and
WHEREAS, local Five Star project partners will include Tree Trust, Capitol Region Watershed District, Ramsey Conservation District, US Forest Service, Bachman's, and others; and
WHEREAS, if funded, the grant agreement will require that the grantee indemnify the NFWF, its agents and employees from any claims or causes of action arising from performance of the grant agreement; and
WHEREAS, the Saint Paul City Council finds that accepting these grant funds will allow Parks and Recreation to fulfill a need in the community; and
WHEREAS, the expenditure of public funds, which includes the promise of indemnification, for such a purpose will facilitate and enable it to take plac; now, therefore, be it;
RESOLVED, that designated Parks and Recreation staff are hereby authorized to seek Five Star funding on behalf of the City and, if successful, enter into a grant agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which includes an indemnification clause.