Approved September 27, 2022

 

Welcome and Introductions

Mr. Peterson welcomed all to the meeting. He noted that there is an in-person quorum for today’s meeting, with four members of the board present together in one location and one person participating remotely.

Ms. Billger requested permission from the board to participate in the meeting remotely as she was unable to participate in person for medical reasons.

A motion (Peters-Bordas) to allow Ms. Billger to participate remotely was passed by voice vote.

Highlights of Youth Conservation Camp 2022

Ms. Palmer shared a presentation with the board on the activities of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD) Youth Conservation Camp where she participated during a recent week as a camp counselor.  There were nine campers from the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD)/Fairfax County area which was 22% of all campers present.  While NVSWCD provides a partial scholarship to two of the students, it is the only district that doesn’t cover its students’ camp fees completely.

Following a brief question and answer period, Mr. Peterson thanked Ms. Palmer for her presentation, and Mr. Woode extended his kudos to her for the effort she put into the program.  NVSWCD is well represented with Ms. Palmer.  Mr. Woode noted that he strongly supports an initiative for an increase in the scholarship amounts offered by the district.  Mr. Peterson said he and the board would look forward to receiving a recommendation on increasing the scholarship offered by the district.

Minutes June 28, 2022

Ms. Billger noted that she had reviewed the minutes of the June 28, 2022 meeting of the NVSWCD Board of Directors and found them acceptable with one amendment:  she was not present at the meeting. 

A motion (Billger-Koerner) to approve the minutes of the June 28, 2022 meeting, as amended, was approved by voice vote.

Treasurer’s Report – June 2022 and 4^th Quarter of FY 2022

Mr. Koerner introduced the Treasurer’s Reports for June 2022 and for the 4th Quarter of FY 2022 which were accepted by consensus to be filed for audit.  

Technical Review Committee

Ms. Bordas reported that the Technical Review Committee (TRC) met on July 19, 2022.  A summary of that meeting had been included in the board package.

Soil and Water Quality Conservation Plans

Mr. Woode prepared Conservation Plans for the following two properties seeking extensions of their A&F District designations.   Please see the TRC Summary for details of these plans. 

• Jacqueline Atiyeh A&F District

• John and Barbara Whitney A&F District

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to approve the Soil and Water Quality Conservation Plans for the above properties was passed by voice vote.

Conservation Assistance Programs New Applications and Reimbursements

At the TRC meeting, Mr. Schwartz presented two new applications for funding through the district’s Conservation Assistance Programs (CAP-VCAP) and Ms. Cunha presented two requests for reimbursement through those programs. Additional information on each property was included in the TRC Summary.

New Applications

• Mandelbaum Rain Garden - Reston, Difficult Run Watershed

  • Size – 170 ft2, capturing 531 gallons of runoff; Total Cost - $6,125; Cost-Share - $4,900

• Mandelbaum Conservation Landscaping - Reston, Difficult Run Watershed

  • Size – 1,850 ft2; Total Cost - $8,183.52; Cost-Share - $6,546.82

Reimbursements

• Kelly Conservation Landscaping - City of Alexandria, Cameron Run Watershed

  • Size – 400 ft2; Total Cost - $4,608.07; Cost-Share - $3,500

• Kempter Conservation Landscaping – Burke, Pohick Creek Watershed

  • Size – 1,450 ft2; Total Cost - $22,093.61 ($6,465.90 for plants); Cost-Share - $3,500

A motion (Bordas-Peters) to approve the new applications and reimbursement requests as outlined above was passed by voice vote.

CAP/VCAP Policy Updates for FY 2023

At the TRC meeting, Ms. Fraser presented changes to VCAP-CAP policies for FY 2023. These changes had been first introduced at the June TRC meeting and discussed in detail at a meeting on July 7, 2022.  Some of the changes were initiated at the state level, while others are local changes initiated by staff and applicable only to NVSWCD. Highlights of important changes were included in the TRC Summary and are as follows:

• The Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts has implemented higher cost-share rates for VCAP practices statewide. For most practices, the reimbursement rate increases to 80% and the funding cap is doubled.

• County funds can now be used for projects on individually owned private property.

• County funds can be used more flexibly than state funds. They can fund hybrid projects and projects that receive less than 75 points on the VASWCD ranking spreadsheet.

• Site visits are now accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year.

• Individual properties can apply for up to two projects if each project addresses a separate resource concern. Each project is eligible to receive up to the VASWCD-mandated funding cap.

• Priority will be given to projects in low-income areas.

• Approved applications will no longer have to break ground within 90 days of approval, but installation must be completed within 6 months.

• Staff will work to refine design requirements for additional project types, like raised rain gardens and conservation landscaping sub-types such as forest floor plantings and mini planting projects.

• Applicants can be reimbursed for up to 16 hours of volunteer labor per project.

• VASWCD will now determine which projects will be inspected each year. 10% of projects throughout the state will be randomly selected for inspection.

The overall goal of many of the changes is to make the CAP and VCAP less burdensome for applicants. Staff will likely propose secondary considerations in the form of higher design standards for projects eligible for high reimbursements. This will help assure that costly projects are built to high standards.

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) to adopt CAP and VCAP Policy changes as discussed at the TRC was approved by voice vote.

The TRC plans to meet in August, although the exact date of that meeting has yet to be finalized.

Legislative Committee Report

Mr. Cameron reported that the VASWCD Area II Legislative Committee will meet on Thursday, August 4, 2022 to discuss its input into the state legislative process.  NVSWCD will present two priorities:  one regarding invasive plants and the other expressing concerns about solar farms in the Commonwealth.  Mr. Cameron noted that he is organizing a brief meeting of the district’s Legislative Committee on August 1 or 2, 2022, in advance of the Area II meeting.  He is also hoping that one or more board members will be able to attend the Area II meeting on August 4, 2022.

Executive-Operations Committee Meeting

Mr. Peterson reported that the district’s Executive-Operations Committee met this morning and approved the minutes of the June 28, 2022 meeting of the committee.  He also noted that the Executive Committee discussed the process that will be used for appointing an individual to the board, following his retirement at the end of December 2022.

FY 2022 Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Annual Assessment

Copies of the completed FY 2022 Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Annual Assessments were included in the board package. These reports show that the district fully satisfied its requirements during the evaluation period, July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.  These assessments are required annually to review performance deliverables for annual grant agreements. The original versions of the assessments will be attached to the file copy of today’s minutes.

A motion (Bordas-Koerner) noting that the board had received and read the assessments was approved by voice vote.

EIP Grant Applications

Mr. Peterson called on Ms. Palmer and Mr. Baron to provide information to the board regarding their proposed Fairfax County Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) Grant request submissions.  Background information about this grant program and the individual requests had been included in the board package. 

Latino Conservation Week

Ms. Palmer reported that the district is requesting permission to partner with the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) to apply for a FY 2024 Fairfax County EIP grant to support Latino Conservation Week programming in FY 2024. 

A motion (Koerner-Billger) to approve the submission of an EIP Grant Request to support Latino Conservation Week was approved by voice vote.

Trapa bispinosa Control

Mr. Baron reported that the district is requesting permission to partner with FCPA and Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services to apply for a FY 2024 Fairfax County EIP grant to support ongoing work to suppress the spread and reduce the fruiting of an invasive species commonly known as two-horned Trapa bispinosa or water chestnut. NVSWCD received funding for the current fiscal year.  This request would seek funding for a continuation of these efforts in FY 2024.

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) to approve the submission of an EIP Grant Request to support continuation of the Trapa bispinosa Control program was approved by voice vote.

Green Breakfast

Ms. Palmer reported that the Green Breakfast was not held in July and that she does not yet have a confirmed program for the Saturday, September 10, 2022 Green Breakfast. 

Ms. Tholen suggested a presentation on the Joint Environmental Task Force—a collaboration between the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the Fairfax County School Board.  She will contact Ms. Palmer to coordinate on this possible program.

Tree Commission

Mr. Peters reported that the Tree Commission met on June 16 and July 21, 2022.  At the June meeting, the commission heard a presentation by Margaret Fisher on the Plant Nova Trees Initiative.  At the July meeting, Joan Allen, manager of the Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division’s Pest Branch, provided the commission with information on Spotted Lantern Fly infestations in Prince William and Loudoun Counites and on a new forest pest which has been discovered in Prince William Forest Park. 

The Tree Commission is actively working to improve communication with the Board of Supervisors. 

As a result of new meeting rules developed by Fairfax County that require in-person meetings unless specific exceptions exist, the Tree Commission has decided to move its regular monthly meeting to the first Thursday of each month.  The next meeting will be held on Thursday, September 1, 2022.

Members are continuing work on the Tree Commission’s annual report and hope to be able to present it to the commission at the September meeting.

Finally, Mr. Peters provided a Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division (UFMD) update.  He noted that UFMD is working with Virginia Tech to plan a new iTree Eco study of Fairfax County’s trees.  A new aerial survey of the county’s tree canopy is planned for early fall.  A town hall meeting on “oak decline” is being planned and UFMD is contributing to an inter-agency website on invasive plant management.

Engineering Standards Review Committee

Dr. Rouhi was unable to attend today’s meeting.

Community Energy and Climate Action Plan and Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan Updates

Mr. Lamb was unable to attend today’s meeting.

Resilient Fairfax Committee

Mr. Koerner serves as the district’s representative to the Resilient Fairfax Committee.  He provided the board with a brief update of the activities of the committee.

Other Items—Directors, Associates, Consultants

Mr. Peterson called for any other items from district’s directors, associate directors, and consultants. 

Ms. Bordas provided information to the board on the upcoming 4-H Fair at Frying Pan Park and encouraged all to participate.  She also noted that the Virginia Cooperative Extension is a part of the planning committee for the Green Industry Field Day at American University. 

Following a suggestion by Ms. Bordas a motion (Bordas-Koerner) to reinstate the district’s Governance Committee and to reestablish the membership of this committee was approved by voice vote.

Ms. Tholen noted that the Fairfax County School Board is in the middle of its budget process.  She noted that several positions have been added to support environmental work.  These positions have not yet been posted but she will forward them as soon as they are available.  The Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) Assistant Superintendent for facilities is now Superintendent for Fairfax City schools.  The position will be open soon; in the meantime, an interim is in place.  This position has a large impact on sustainability.  In addition, Ms. Tholen noted that FCPS is hiring a Director in the Facilities Management Division to support energy conservation as well as a Safe Roads to School Coordinator.  Finally, they are hiring to additional positions in the Get to Green Program.  One of these positions would be focused on school gardens.  She encouraged those who know of someone who might be interested in these positions to contact her.

Executive Director’s Report

Mr. Woode provided the board with an update on his recovery, noting that he hopes to be back in the office next week.  He also provided the board with an update on activities at the district within the last month, including information on staff, Virginia Agricultural Cost Share year end and new year processes, and the National Association of Conservation Districts Urban Agriculture Grant fifth quarter report on which he collaborated with Stacey Evers.  The district also submitted its quarterly report, prepared by Ms. Shackley, to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality on behalf of the Potomac Council.  The council has a tentative date in early September to discuss bylaws. Finally, he shared kudos with the staff and especially with Ms. Palmer for work on the recent MS4 reporting.

Mr. Schwartz, in his role as Acting Executive Director during Mr. Woode’s recent absence, followed with an update on a few items including information on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) rules regarding public bodies and the need for in-person quorums for both board and standing committee meetings.  There are exceptions to these rules for medical reasons and for family obligations.  He noted that the rules will be changing in September to make it easier to participate in meetings remotely.

Mr. Schwartz also extended kudos to staff members for their recent work, including Ms. Palmer’s participation in Youth Conservation Camp as well as her work on Latino Conservation Week and the Storm Drain Marking program; Ms. Shackley’s work to provide information on FOIA rules; Mr. Baron for his work on the Trapa Program; Mr. Lacquement for his work in reviewing eight site plans on behalf of Fairfax County Land Development Services; and to Ms. Fraser, Ms. Cunha, and Ms. Palmer for their work on updating the district’s website information on CAP and VCAP.  Mr. Schwartz noted that there is now an online form that individuals interested in these programs can complete and submit. 

Mr. Schwartz and Ms. Bordas recently met with a team from the eCybermission Competition, a virtual STEM competition for students in 6^th-9^th grades. 

And finally, Mr. Schwartz reported that Mr. Lacquement’s father-in-law passed away last week.  He is spending time early this week with his wife in New York.

Staff Reports

Staff reports had been included in the board package. 

Cooperating Agencies

Fairfax County Department of Public Works, Stormwater Planning Division

Ms. Torgersen participated in today’s meeting but had to depart before she was called upon.  Her report had been included in the board package.

Fairfax County Health Department

A representative from the Fairfax County Health Department was unable to participate in the meeting today.

Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

Ms. Cross was unable to participate in today’s meeting but had provided a report which was included in the board package. 

Natural Resources Conservation Service/US Department of Agriculture

Mr. Wooden highlighted items from his report which had been included in the board package.

Virginia Department of Forestry

Dr. McGlone reported that the Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grants RFP has been posted on the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) website.  The due date for submission is Thursday, August 25, 2022.

As a follow-up to Mr. Peters’ Tree Commission report, Dr. McGlone provided information on the Thursday, August 11, 2022 Plant Nova Natives Landscaper Conference to be held at the Ernst Community Center on the campus of Northern Virginia Community College.  The focus of this conference will be on the use of native plants.   Dr. McGlone will be speaking on the topic of selecting and planting trees.

The Friends of Trees Awards are still open and the closing date for nominations is at the end of July.   

As mentioned earlier, a town hall meeting is being developed on the topic of oak mortality.  He noted that right now, Virginia does not have any confirmed cases of “oak wilt” but instead they are seeing “oak decline.”  He provided a bit more information on how this manifests itself and some possible reasons for it.  In addition, Dr. McGlone provided additional information about the nematode found in Prince William Forest Park and mentioned in Mr. Peters’ Tree Commission report.  Finally, he noted that Spotted Lantern Fly has expanded to Prince William County and to the Cities of Manassas and Manassas Park as well as to several counties and cities along the I-81 corridor.  Although Loudoun County is not yet included in the quarantine, the pest has been found in Loudoun County.

Adjournment

There being no other business, a motion (Bordas-Peters) to adjourn the meeting was approved by voice vote.  The meeting adjourned at 11:32 am.

The next regular business meeting of the NVSWCD Board of Directors will be held on September 27, 2022, at 9:30 am.

 

Approved September 27, 2022

In-Person Meeting in the NVSWCD Conference Room with Teams* Virtual Meeting Option

In Attendance

John Peterson, NVSWCD Chairman

Monica Billger, NVSWCD Secretary*

Jerry Peters, NVSWCD Vice-Chairman

Chris Koerner, NVSWCD Treasurer

Adria Bordas, NVSWCD Director-Extension

Willie Woode, Executive Director*

Dan Schwartz, Acting Executive Director

Heather Shackley, Operations Manager

Call to Order

Mr. Peterson called the meeting to order at 8:34 am and noted that an in-person quorum is present.

Approval of Remote Participation

Mr. Peterson noted that Ms. Billger had requested to participate virtually for medical reasons. 

A motion (Koerner-Bordas) allowing Ms. Billger to participate remotely was approved by voice vote.

Approval of Minutes

Following a motion (Bordas-Koerner) the minutes of the May 24, 2022 and June 6, 2022 meetings of the Executive-Operations Committee were approved by voice vote.

Recommendation of Appointed At-Large Director

Mr. Peterson noted that his upcoming retirement from the board, effective December 31, 2022, requires that the board appoint an individual to the district’s At-Large Director position and submit that name to the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board for consideration at its September 2022 meeting.  Further, Mr. Peterson stated that the board has some latitude in how it handles this appointment.  He provided some historical information on this process. 

Mr. Peterson stated that the goal for today’s meeting is to decide how the board wants to handle this process.  The nomination of a candidate to fill the At-Large Director position would need to be approved by the board at a meeting prior to the September deadline.

The term for this At-Large Director position would be four years, beginning on January 1, 2023 and ending on December 31, 2026.  It was noted that while Mr. Peterson is currently serving as Chairman, the At-Large Director position is not connected in any way with the officer positions on the board.  A new slate of officers is typically presented each year.

Committee members expressed their appreciation for Mr. Peterson’s service and leadership. 

There was some discussion about possible candidates for appointment and the timing involved.  There was a sharing of ideas about potential candidates as well as about individuals who are currently affiliated with the district as Directors or Associated Directors who might be willing and able to serve.  Mr. Koerner indicated his interest in being considered for the position of At-Large Director. 

There was discussion on the desire for diversity on the board as well as the possibility of changing the meeting time to encourage more participation.  There was also some discussion about the current work, goals, and vision of individual board members and what might be done to improve inclusion and communication.

Following a question from Mr. Peterson asking how the group wanted to proceed, it was decided that additional discussion would be necessary.  An additional meeting of the Executive Committee will be held as soon as possible for the purpose of that discussion.

Adjournment

There being no other business, and following a motion (Bordas-Koerner), Mr. Peterson adjourned the meeting at 9:30 am.

 

Technical Review Committee Meeting - July 19, 2022

Approved August 18, 2022

A hybrid Meeting held in-person at the Park Authority Board Room - Suite 941 of the Herrity Building - and virtually via WebEx Conference Service                                                                                                

Ms. Bordas called the meeting to order at 9:05 a.m. Those present included:

• Adria Bordas, Committee Chair, Director, NVSWCD
• Monica Billger*, NVSWCD
• Chris Koerner, Director, NVSWCD
• John Peterson*, Director, NVSWCD
• Scott Baron, NVSWCD
• Meghan Cunha, NVSWCD
• Judy Fraser, NVSWCD
• Don Lacquement, NVSWCD
• Jim McGlone*, Virginia Department of Forestry (joined at 9:30 am)
• Charles Smith*, Stormwater Planning

*Virtual participation

The purpose of the meeting is to review two Soil and Water Quality Conservation Plans (SWQCP) two Conservation Assistance Program (CAP-VCAP) applications and one Conservation Assistance Program (CAP) reimbursement request. In addition, the committee reviewed proposed changes to Program Year 2023 VCAP-CAP policies.

MINUTES

A motion (Fraser-Koerner) passed unanimously to approve the minutes of the June 21st, 2022 meeting, pending the correction by Ms. Fraser  of one typo  that she spotted.

 

 

SOIL & WATER QUALITY CONSERVATION PLANS
Mr. Schwartz presented to the committee SWQCP plans prepared by Mr. Woode for two properties seeking extensions of their Agricultural and Forestal (A&F) District designations.

 

Jacqueline Atiyeh A&F District

• 43-acre property in Clifton in the Popes Head Creek Watershed, with 30.5 acres in hay. The hay is mowed regularly, but not sold.
• The property has highly erodible soils on “B” and “C” slopes, but no RPA.
• The property has been an A&F District for decades, but it was recently sold to the Atiyeh family, who would like a new SWQCP so that they can keep the A&F designation. There is no cost-share consideration.
• The property has a residence, but it is not inhabited and there is no definite plan for the land. Ms, Atiyeh has stated an interest in starting an orchard or Christmas tree farm in the eastern part of her largest hay field. Staff has also suggested that she convert the western part of that field to trees using money from the federal Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP).
• Despite not being lived on, the property appears in generally good condition except for one small area of erosion where runoff from the 0.3-acre pond meanders off-site. The SWQCP offers advice for stabilizing the small gulley there.

 

John and Barbara Whitney A&F District

• 22-acre Great Falls property in the Nichols Run Watershed with 3,400 linear feet of RPA. Two fields are in Christmas trees and two are in hay. The hay is mowed regularly but not harvested for sale.
• This is a revised SWQCP to meet the pre-requisites of A&F District renewal. There is no cost-share consideration.
• Staff mentioned the possibility of converting some of the hay field to trees using CREP funding, but the owners were not interested and would like to continue with their current land use.

The committee unanimously recommends that the NVSWCD Board of Directors approve the Atiyeh and Whitney SWQCPs at their July 2022 meeting.

 

CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (CAP-VCAP) APPLICATIONS & REIMBURSEMENTS

Mr. Schwartz presented two new applications for funding, and Ms. Cunha presented one application for reimbursement. For each application, descriptions and images of the distinguishing features of the site, the resource concerns, and the proposed or implemented solutions were described.  Highlights of the discussion are captured for each site below:

New Applications

     Mandelbaum Rain Garden - Reston, Difficult Run Watershed

• Wooded property with significant slope in the backyard that sends runoff to the W&OD Bike Trail
• Proposed rain garden is on the left side of the house and would capture runoff from 911 square feet of rooftop. Native soil will be amended with compost to a depth of 18”, and 6” of ponding depth will be excavated. A rocky “dry creek bed” swale will serve as the inflow and outflow.
• Size – 170 ft² and capturing 531 gallons of runoff; Total Cost - $6,125; Cost-Share - $4,900

 

 

 

     Mandelbaum Conservation Landscaping - Reston, Difficult Run Watershed

• An extensive 3,235 square foot conservation landscaping is proposed for the left, right and rear perimeters of Ms. Mandelbaum’s home, however she is applying for funding only for the 1,850 square feet of landscaping on the right and rear. This is because these areas address sources of runoff that are different from that treated by the rain garden.
• The landscaping beds on the right side will incorporate earthen micro-berms made of soil excavated from the rain garden, with the intent of further slowing and spreading the runoff.
• The project will also increase the size and capacity of an existing dry creek bed on the right side of the home, but this expense is not part of the application for funding.
• Size – 1,850 ft²; Total Cost - $8,183.52; Cost-Share - $6,546.82

 

Mr. McGlone asked about the size of the plants, since he was concerned that installing larger specimens might interfere with the abundant roots of the mature trees. Mr. Schwartz replied that the majority of plants will be plugs, and that the few 3-gallon-size plants would mostly be placed in the rain garden. Mr. Smith asked if the homeowner was maintaining a fallen leaf layer on her property since the photos presented to the committee showed noticeable erosion. Mr. Schwartz said that the photos represent the worst areas of erosion, and that the entire backyard and much of the front yard is kept covered with leaves.

 

Reimbursements

     Kelly Conservation Landscaping - City of Alexandria, Cameron Run Watershed

• The Kelly property is small townhouse lot in Old Town Alexandria that was suffering from significant backyard flooding, with water pooling against the rear of the home.
• The Kellys put in 400 square feet of conservation landscaping—which represent a significant proportion of their small backyard—and have said the changes are making a large improvement to drainage.
• The Kellys also installed an above-ground rain garden, but some tweaks to the design are needed before that reimbursement can be considered. The designer strayed from the approved design in some important ways.
• Size – 400 ft²; Total Cost - $4,608.07; Cost-Share - $3,500

Mr. Smith mentioned that Alexandria is giving residents grants for structural flood protection. Bringing this project to the City’s attention as an example of non-structural flood protections could be worthwhile.

     Kempter Conservation Landscaping – Burke, Pohick Creek Watershed

• Ms. Kempter installed a large dry creek bed surrounded by conservation landscaping. The project is intended to handle a significant volume of runoff that originates from several uphill properties, flows across the cul de sac, then spills into the left side yard of the Kempter property
• The dry creek bed was designed to act like a step pool conveyance, with several plunge pools along its length to slow and soak up some runoff, but Ms. Kempter opted not to have it engineered to the extent required by VCAP, and only applied for funding for the conservation landscaping surrounding the creek bed.
• Size – 1,450 ft²; Total Cost - $22,093.61 ($6,465.90 for plants); Cost-Share - $3,500

Mr. Smith asked if the project was entirely on the Kempter property. Ms. Cunha answered that a portion is on Burke Conservancy property, but that Ms. Kempter received permission for this in advance and she is solely responsible for maintenance.

July 2022 CAP AND VCAP Applications

Applicant	Program	Location	Supervisor District	Watershed	Type	Size (application)	Cost Total Cost  Reimbursement
Mandelbaum	CAP-R	Reston	Hunter Mill	Difficult Run	CL	1,850 SF	$8,183.52 $6,546.82
Mandelbaum	VCAP	Reston	Hunter Mill	Difficult Run	RG	170 SF	$6,125 $4,900

July 2022 CAP AND VCAP Reimbursements

Applicant	Program	Location	Supervisor District	Watershed	Type	Size (application)	Cost Total Cost Reimbursement
Kelly	VCAP	City of Alexandria	NA	Cameron Run	CL	400 SF	$4,608.07 $3,500
Kempter	CAP-R	Burke	Braddock	Pohick Creek	CL	1,450 SF	$22,093.61 $3,500

 

Ms. Bordas acknowledged consensus among the Committee in recommending approval of funding for the two Mandelbaum projects, and approval of reimbursements for the Kelly and Kempter projects, by the NVSWCD Board of Directors at their July 2022 meeting.

 

CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (CAP-VCAP) FY2023 POLICY CHANGES

Ms. Fraser presented changes to CAP-VCAP policies for fiscal year 2023. These changes were introduced at the June Technical Review Committee meeting and discussed in detail at a special meeting open to Board and Committee members on July 7^th. Some of the changes were initiated at the state level by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, while others are local changes initiated by staff and applicable only to NVSWCD. Highlights of important changes are listed below. With these changes, the staff’s overall goal is to make the CAP-VCAP programs simpler and more accessible for future participants of all economic means.

• County funds can be used more flexibly, and on individually owned private property
• Staff recommends that the Board accept the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation District’s (VASWCD) new statewide cost-share rates so local residents are eligible for the same funding available to all other Virginians. For most projects, the new rates increase reimbursement funding to 80% and double the maximum funding cap.
• Projects that receive less than 75 points on the VASWCD ranking spreadsheet can be considered for funding through the county CAP funds. Staff will use their professional judgement when deciding which of these lower-ranking projects are worthy of funding.
• Site visits are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year. Limits can be enacted in the future if demand exceeds staff’s ability to keep up.
• Individual (non-HOA) properties can apply for up to two CAP-VCAP funded projects as long as each project addresses a separate resource concern. Each project is eligible to receive up to the VASWCD-mandated funding cap, even if they are the same project type. For instance, a homeowner can apply for two rain gardens, and each rain garden can receive up to $7,000 in cost-share.
• Priority will be given to projects in low-income areas.
• Approved applications will no longer have to break ground within 90 days of approval, but installation must be completed within 6 months.
• Staff will work to refine design requirements for additional project types, like raised rain gardens and conservation landscaping subtypes (e.g. forest floor plantings, mini planting projects, etc.).
• Applicants can be reimbursed for up to 16 hours of volunteer labor per project
• All necessary paperwork must be submitted to VASWCD before a spot inspection is scheduled
• VASWCD will now determine which projects will be inspected each year. 10% of projects throughout the state will be randomly selected for inspection. Inspections are simple visual reviews, meant to determine if the practice exists and appears functional.

 

Committee members and staff had a lengthy discussion about the proposed changes. Ms. Fraser stated that the overall goal of many of the changes is to make the CAP-VCAP programs more approachable and less burdensome for potential applicants.

While cost-share rates are increasing across the board, Ms. Fraser mentioned that staff will likely propose some secondary considerations inf the form of higher design standards, thus giving more assurance that projects eligible for high reimbursements are also built to a high standard. Mr. Koerner recommends compiling examples of past projects that seem to either work well or not, and informally contacting past permeable paving applicants to gauge their happiness with their projects. Such information can inform the secondary design considerations.

 

Mr. Koerner mentions that projects that rank below 75 points must still be defensible if they are to receive funding, but such flexibility also allows staff to use their informed discretion. Ms. Fraser agrees,

 

Several Committee members agreed that it would be useful to make smaller grants available to simple conservation landscaping projects, as many property owners would likely participate in CAP-VCAP if the barriers to entry—both economic and effort—were lower. Mr. Koerner asks if NVSWCD could work with nurseries to buy plants in bulk and reduce costs to applicants. Mr. Smith says this would require significant effort, and it would be simpler to see if nurseries would offer preferred pricing on their existing stock.

 

Mr. Smith mentioned that he has been exploring whether local non-profits would be able to hire landscape designers to create simple planting templates for common garden types (e.g. mailbox plantings) that could then be provided to the public for free. Such templates could be useful for CAP-VCAP, especially if we start allowing applications for low dollar grants for small conservation landscaping projects.

 

Committee and staff members mentioned that in order to reach lower income communities, the requirements and expectations of the CAP-VCAP programs will likely have to change, and applicants will have to be actively sought out. Ms. Fraser mentions that the county CAP funds can be used more flexibly than before, which may help with such projects. Ms. Billger mentions that the Faith Alliance for Climate Action and the Fairfax Health Department may be good resources as they are currently working on similar projects.

 

Ms. Bordas acknowledged consensus among the Committee in recommending that the NVSWCD Board approve at their July 2022 meeting the VASWCD’s increased cost-share rates and caps for the VCAP and CAP programs.

 

 

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Mr. Smith mentioned that he is working with the Wetland Board to put together a mock permit for a living shoreline project. The purpose is to use the mock permit as a guide to landowners that may wish to install a real living shoreline, but find the permitting process onerous. While no applications have yet been received, living shorelines are a project type eligible for VCAP-CAP funding.

 

Mr. McGlone mentions that the Virginia Trees for Clean Water grant program is open for new applications now through August 5^th.

ADJOURNMENT

Ms. Bordas adjourned the meeting at 11:40 A.M.