Information
on the Prevailing Wage law
Help Needed To Guarantee Community Volunteerism
and Protect Prevailing Wages in Watershed Restoration and Education!
Action needed by April 21 when AB 2690 goes
to the Assembly Labor Committee
Take Action to Preserve Prop 40 and
Keep Restoration Dollars Flowing in California
SENATE BILL 297: ALLOWING FIVE-YEAR CONTRACTS
FOR RESTORATION PROJECTS
A Fact Sheet By The North Coast Restoration Jobs Initiative Of
the Alliance for Sustainable Jobs and the Environment
What is Senate Bill 297?
Senate Bill (S.B.) 297, introduced by Senator Chesbro (D-Arcata),
is an important step towards bolstering current watershed restoration
efforts. The bill will expand the available length of restoration
project contracts up to five years when appropriate. The legislation
will apply to projects funded under the Coastal Watershed Salmon
Habitat Program, administered by the Department of Fish and Game.
Why is S.B. 297 necessary?
Currently, the maximum allowable length for Department of Fish
and Game contracting is two years, with a third year allowed as
an extension. The first year of the contract is usually absorbed
by securing approval for the proposal and permitting, thus leaving
one remaining year, on an average contract, for project implementation.
The remaining year actually results in one or two short seasons—a
very short window of several months—to implement the project.
This is widely believed to be inadequate. Watershed restoration
projects limited to several months are often not conducive to
planning and implementing a comprehensive watershed recovery plan,
including monitoring, up-slope stabilization and road decommissioning,
in-stream habitat improvements, revegetation, and other restorative
needs.
What are the benefits from S.B. 297?
S.B. 297 will benefit the natural environment, communities, and
restoration workers.
- Five-year contracts will create a contracting process that
will be able to address a variety of ecological needs in a single,
more complex project, allowing efforts to be developed with
a greater benefit to key ecosystems.
- Five-year contracts will increase the potential for higher-quality
work and decrease the potential for adverse ecological impacts,
such as increased sediment loads to impaired watersheds.
- Five-year contracts will allow for better opportunities for
monitoring that result in positive modifications of restoration
projects while they are in-progress.
- Five-year contracts will enable more consistent and realistic
work planning for community-based restoration groups, making
if easier for these groups to participate in watershed restoration
efforts.
- Contractors and community-based restoration groups will be
able to engage in longer-term watershed planning and invest
in training skilled workers to do high-quality work.
- Restoration workers will experience heightened continuity
from season to season, allowing them to make long-range professional
commitments to the trade.
