county of santa barbara community services department

County of Santa Barbara

Community Services Department

Sustainability Division

Request for Proposal

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY 2030 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN: NATURAL AND WORKING LANDS COMPONENT & TERRACOUNT ADOPTION

June 5, 2020

Deadline for Submission: July 17, 2020

5:00 PM.

Late Proposals Will Not Be Accepted

Contact:


Sustainability Division Frank Chen

[email protected] 123 E. Anapamu Street

Santa Barbara, CA 93101 805-568-3577

Integrating Natural and Working Lands Into the ECAP Request for Proposals of 15

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Table of Contents A. Selection Schedule ..............................................................................................................................................5

B. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................6

C. Background .........................................................................................................................................................6

1. County’s Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP) ............................................................................................6

2. The Department of Conservation Local and Regional Planning Grant ............................................................7

3. University of Santa Barbara Bren School Master’s Group Project ..................................................................7

D. Project Roles .......................................................................................................................................................8

E. Scope of Work .....................................................................................................................................................8

Task 1. Project Kick-Off ...........................................................................................................................................8

Task 2. Stakeholder Outreach Strategy ...................................................................................................................9

Task 3. Land-based GHG Emissions Inventory & Landscape Carbon Stock Inventory .............................................9

Task 4. Baseline Reference Scenario .................................................................................................................... 10

Task 5. Complementary Benefits Assessment...................................................................................................... 10

Task 6. Review of TerraCount Scenarios .............................................................................................................. 11

Task 7. Integrate Natural and Working Lands into the County’s CAP .................................................................. 11

Task 8. Internship Program ................................................................................................................................. 11

F. Project Timeline ............................................................................................................................................... 12

G. Grant Budget .................................................................................................................................................... 12

H. Proposal Requirements and Contents ............................................................................................................. 13

I. Contract ........................................................................................................................................................... 14

J. Cost .................................................................................................................................................................. 14

K. Submission ....................................................................................................................................................... 14

L. Additional Information ..................................................................................................................................... 14

M. Attachments .................................................................................................................................................... 14




Request for Information for Conducting a Land-Based Carbon Inventory on Santa Barbara County’s Natural &

Working Lands

A. Selection Schedule

Milestones Tentative Date (May be subject to change)

Request for Proposal Release 6/5

Last Day for Written Questions 6/12, 5 PM

RFP Replies Due 7/17, 5 PM

Notification of recommendation 7/24

Board of Supervisors Hearing Week of August 8/18

Submit a digital copy of the proposal, no later than the date and time listed on the cover page of this RFP.




Frank Chen, Climate Program Specialist

123 East Anapamu Street

Santa Barbara, California 93101


B. Introduction

The County of Santa Barbara is requesting proposals from qualified consultants to provide project management

and peer review services as part of the project implementation for the Department of Conservation’s (DOC)

Proposition 68 Regional and Local Planning grant. The consultant shall offer project management and peer review

services to County staff and five Master’s Candidates from the University of Santa Barbara to:

1. Develop a natural and working lands (NWL) component for the County’s 2030 Climate Action Plan (CAP),

and

2. Adopt TerraCount and management and conservation GIS planning tool. The County is seeking a

consultant with a background in climate action planning and expertise in developing land-use models.

To accomplish the above tasks, the County is seeking a consultant with the following qualities:

• Keen interest in climate mitigation strategies on natural and working lands

• Experience with climate action planning and greenhouse gas accounting

• Experience developing or working with existing scenario planning tools, e.g., TerraCount

• Knowledge of ArcGIS and Python programming language

• Experience working with stakeholders from the agricultural sector

• Experience developing agricultural land-use practices and policies that can reduce or avoid GHG

emissions

• Experience working with academic institutions

• Experience implementing state or federal grant programs

• Knowledge of the ecology, economy, and demographics of California’s central coast

C. Background

1. County’s Energy and Climate Action Plan (ECAP)

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors adopted the County’s ECAP in 2015, establishing a goal to reduce

greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 15 percent below 2007 by the year 2020. The 2015 ECAP marked the County’s

first comprehensive climate mitigation plan, which studied the carbon footprint of nine sectors in the

unincorporated County. This work provided insights that led to the development and adoption of 53 emission

reduction measures.

With the ECAP expiring at the end of 2020, the County is setting its vision toward the coming decade. In 2018,

the County Board adopted a goal of reducing emissions by 50% below 1990 levels by 2030 (50x30). To meet the

2030 target, the County is updating the GHG inventory, emissions forecast, and new emission reduction measures

that cover the unincorporated parts of the county.

This project supplements the 2030 CAP update by expanding the scope of the inventory and emission reduction

measures. However, because this project is grant-funded with specific programmatic constraints such as differing

timeline and methodology, the development of the NWL component will occur separately from the 2030 CAP

update. For more information on the 2030 CAP, please refer to the RFP (Attachment 4).


2. The Department of Conservation Local and Regional Planning Grant

In November 2019, the DOC awarded the County $154,327 under the Local and Regional Planning grant to fund

this project. The objectives of the grant program, as outlined in the Working Lands and Riparian Corridors

Program Guidelines, entail the following:

• Protect agricultural and working lands from conversion to more intensified uses

• Protect natural resources

• Support local governments achieving statewide objectives that

o Reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions

o Improve air and water quality

o Increase infill and compact development

o Reduce automobile usage and fuel consumption

o Promote water conservation

o Promote energy efficiency and conservation

To meet the grant objective, the County has two main work scopes.

1. Adopt TerraCount Following the Methodology Under in the Resilient Merced Guide

Adopt TerraCount. The Department of Conservation and The Nature Conservancy developed TerraCount

to help planners quantify how changes in land use, land management, and land cover affect landscape

carbon storage. In addition to quantifying carbon storage, Terracount also accounts for a variety of

complementary benefits such as soil health, water retention, and air quality. The methodology to adopt

TerraCount is outlined in the Resilient Merced Guide (Attachment 8).

UCSB Bren school will be responsible for the data collection and analysis necessary for adopting

TerraCount. The consultant selected will manage and advise the student’s work. Task 8 in Section E.

further describes the scope of the internship program.

2. Climate Action Plans, Natural, and Working Lands Component

This project will incorporate a Natural and Working Lands component into the County’s 2030 CAP. The

Natural and Working Lands component will include an emissions inventory detailing the natural and

working lands sector. The component will also include a set of GHG emission reduction measures and

policies that can be quantified and used for progress tracking.

The development of the Natural and Working Lands component will be occurring separately from the

2030 CAP update. Therefore, the consultant selected will need to collaborate with the project team

working on the broader 2030 CAP update. Task 7 in Section E. provides information on integrating the

NWL component with the 2030 CAP.

3. University of Santa Barbara Bren School Master’s Group Project

To develop stronger relationships with local academic institutions, the County submitted a Group Project proposal

to the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. The 2020-2021 Master’s Group Project is part of the

http://bren.ucsb.edu/research/masters_gp.htm


school’s curriculum, which allows students to work on real-world projects while offering a cost-effective service to

clients. Five students will take on the bulk of the technical analysis for this project. The consultant shall advise the

students and maintain quality assurance and control of the student’s work product. For more information on the

Group Project, refer to Attachment 3.

As a condition of the Master’s Group Project, the Bren School requires the client to provide an internship program

for the students. However, due to COVID-19, the County is experiencing capacity constraints with hiring. The

County is seeking a consultant to take on the recruitment and management process. The State has approved a

budget allocation of approximately $30,000 to fund the internship. Initial estimates suggest the allocated sum of

money is sufficient to support 1,500 hours. The total internship budget could be split amongst the five Bren

Students working part-time over a period of 10 weeks.

D. Project Roles

E. Scope of Work

The County has committed to accomplishing a set of deliverables in the grant agreement with the DOC. The tasks

below represent the anticipated workflow. We encourage respondents to propose approaches that can best meet

the objectives of the grant, as stated in section C.2. Suggestions may include revisions to the work plan, schedule,

and project team roles.

Task 1. Project Kick-Off

The consultant shall familiarize themselves with stakeholders, work efforts, and research methodologies relevant

to this project. The consultants will work with the County and UCSB Bren Students to refine the work plan during

the project kick-off phase.

The consultant shall:

County Sustainability Staff

•Vision and goal setting

• Stakeholder coordination

•Grant administration

Consultant

• Project management

•Bren Team/Summer Internship

•Quality assurance/Quality control

• Technical advisory and troubleshooting

•GHG varification

UCSB Bren Master Candidates

•Data Collection

• Techinal analysis

•Reporting


• Conduct a kick-off meeting with the County and UCSB Bren students

• Reaffirm project goals and outcomes with the County and UCSB Bren students

• Reaffirm roles and expectations with the County and Bren Students

• Update the project work plan and schedule

• Advise students on data needs

• Advise students on GHG quantification methodology

Deliverable(s): Kick-off meeting agenda and summary notes; if necessary, revised project work plan and timeline;

list of data needs.

Task 2. Stakeholder Outreach Strategy

Stakeholders must be engaged in all phases of this project. There are various public forums to engage

stakeholders. For example, the Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC) meets monthly and is a primary

stakeholder. Other stakeholders might include the County Agricultural Commissioner, Cachuma Resource

Conservation District (CRCD), the University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), the California

Department of Conservation (DOC), and the California Nature Conservancy. To ensure a strong line of

communication with stakeholders, the County will take the lead in convening a Technical Advisory Committee

(TAC) representative of the NWL sector. The TAC will ensure that the data assumptions used in the TerraCount

model are reflective of the region. The TAC will also play an integral part in developing quantifiable emission

reduction measures and policies.

The consultant will work with the County early on to establish an engagement plan to define outreach goals and

objectives further.

The consultants shall:

• Work with the County to develop a stakeholder engagement plan

• Lead/participate in periodic calls and meetings

• Lead/participate in the TAC meeting (approx. 4-5 meetings)

• Attend AAC meeting (approx. 2-3 meetings)

Deliverable(s): Stakeholder engagement strategy/schedule; agenda and summary notes from meetings

Task 3. Land-based GHG Emissions Inventory & Landscape Carbon Stock Inventory

The Bren students will be collecting data and performing the technical analysis of this task. Consultants will advise

Bren students on conducting an NWL inventory and provide QA/QC of the work.


• Advise Bren students with conducting a jurisdictional carbon stock inventory of Santa Barbara County.

The inventory will encompass unincorporated and incorporated areas of the County.

• Advise Bren students with obtaining historical and present-day spatial land cover data using the U.S

Department of the Interior’s LandFire program or similar dataset.


• Advise Bren students with the identification and development of land classifications tailored to Santa

Barbara County.

• Advise Bren students with identifying classification errors by comparing LandFire data to an independent

spatial data source. An example of a reference data source is the county field-level pesticide use permits,

local government-produced maps, and satellite imagery.

Deliverable(s): Provide QA/QC for the following deliverables: LandFire dataset processed for Santa Barbara County

(GIS shapefiles), carbon stock inventory by land cover, and emissions inventory by land cover. Provide a memo

reviewing the data analysis and findings produced by the Bren students.

Task 4. Baseline Reference Scenario

The consultant will advise the Bren students with developing a baseline reference scenario. The baseline

reference scenario is a jurisdictional projection of business-as-usual landscape carbon stocks and emissions. It

serves as a reference against which the effects of activities or policies can be measured. Depending on the quality

and availability of data, a baseline reference scenario should align with the County’s 2030 CAP target and Santa

Barbara County Association of Government’s (SBCAG) preferred land use scenario. The Santa Barbara County

preferred land use scenario represents the county’s official preferred vision for land development through 2040.


• Review and advise the development of a Baseline Reference Scenario using two historical years

• Review SBCAG’s preferred land use footprint scenario

• Review the methodology used for carbon stock and emissions forecast

• Review appropriate policies and development trends for the carbon forecast model

Deliverable(s): Provide QA/QC for the baseline reference scenario forecasting out to 2030. Provide a memo

reviewing data analysis and findings produced by the Bren Students.

Task 5. Complementary Benefits Assessment

The Consultant shall advise and assist the Bren Students in identifying complementary benefits relating to land

management activities. Examples of co-benefits include, but are not limited to, hedgerow planting, compost

application, and cover crops. The Complementary Benefits Assessment shall provide quantitative metrics that

account for factors such as, but not limited to, groundwater recharge, habitat connectivity, and crop value.


• Advise the selection and development of GHG reduction actions and policies developed by the Bren

students and stakeholders

• Review the quantification methodology of co-benefits associated with the identified actions and policies

Deliverable(s): Provide QA/QC complementary benefits assessment. Provide a memo reviewing the data source,

quantification methodology, and findings produced by the Bren Students.


Task 6. Review of TerraCount Scenarios

TerraCount is a Python script in the ESRI’s ArcGIS Desktop software. The tool estimates how changes in land use,

land management, and land cover affect carbon storage and influence various co-benefits. The tool was

developed under the Resilient Merced Guide to help planners quantify and weigh different land-use scenarios.

TerraCount requires data inputs from tasks 3, 4, and 5.


• Advise Bren students on how to run the TerraCount Tool

• Recommend practical land-use scenarios based on the likely hood of implementation measures

Deliverable(s): Provide QA/QC of TerraCount inputs and outputs; all associated GIS files (historical, existing, and

future scenarios). Provide a memo detailing the review and validity of the analysis and findings from the Bren

students.

Task 7. Integrate Natural and Working Lands into the County’s CAP

Integrate findings and deliverables with the County’s 2030 CAP. For this task, the consultant may need to

coordinate with the consultant working on the 2030 CAP update. Traditional CAPs have historically left out natural

lands. This project expands the scope of the 2030 CAP update by including a carbon stock and emission inventory

of NWL.


• Ensure methodologies such as Global Warming Potential (GWP) factors are consistent with 2030 CAP

• Develop an NWL CAP chapter/component. Compile findings and deliverables from the previous tasks into

a report consistent with the 2030 CAP format.

o Introduction to the NWL sector

o GHG carbon stock and emissions inventory

o 2030 emissions forecast

o List of quantifiable policies and strategies (i.e., emission reduction measures)

▪ Implementation and progress tracking mechanism

Deliverable(s): Develop an NWL chapter/component that can be integrated with the 2030 CAP

Task 8. Internship Program

As part of the Bren School’s Master’s Group Project program, the County is expected to provide at least one paid

summer internship to a student(s) working on this project. The intent is to further the goals of the project and

help the student(s) develop professional skills. Due to limited bandwidth, the County seeks to outsource the

hiring and management of the interns to the consultant. The County has budgeted approximately $30,000

through the DOC grant to fund all direct project cost performed by the interns.



• Hire one to five part-time summer interns from the Bren School for a limited duration, approximately

between July and September 2020

• Provide project management and QA/QC support for the interns

• Develop a work plan for the interns

Deliverable(s): Develop a work plan for the internship program

F. Project Timeline

The project milestones below may not align with this RFP. At the time of developing the RFP, the Bren students

have already begun working on Tasks 1 through 3.

Mile Stones Date

Task 1- Kick-off July 2020

Task 2- Stakeholder Outreach Strategy July 2020

Task 3 & 4- Landscape Carbon Inventory/ Baseline Peer Review

Jul-Aug 2020

Task 5- Emission Reduction Measures Co-Benefit Assessment

Aug-Sept 2020

Task 6- Run TerraCount Oct-Dec 2020

Task 7- Adopting NWL component to 2030 CAP Jan-May 2021

Project Closeout May-Jul 2021

G. Grant Budget

The total budget of the DOC grant is $154,327. The cost proposal below accounts for the entirety of the grant

project; this includes county staff time, tools and services, travel, and administrative costs. Please use this budget

as a reference for the cost proposal response in Section H.1.e. The respondent may suggest revisions to the

budget. However, keep in mind, significant changes will need approval from the State through a budget

amendment process.

Please note, the line item tasks below refer to the grant tasks and not the Scope of Services outlined in Section E.

Task 1 Project kick-off $4,920.23

Task 2 Stakeholder Outreach Plan $17,560.41

Task 3 Landscape Emissions Carbon Inventory & Landscape Carbon Stock Inventory $21,736.00

Task 4 Baseline Reference Scenario $4,521.18

Task 5 Complementary Benefits Assessment $20,809.18

Task 6 Running TerraCount $16,408.18

Task 7 Integrate Natural and Working Lands Component with County ECAP $29,583.81

Task 8 Project Close-Out $3,174.60

Contingency and Administrative Indirect $35,614.08

Total $154,327.66


H. Proposal Requirements and Contents

Proposals should contain sufficient detail to allow for thorough evaluation and comparison. They should be as

brief and concise as possible without compromising clarity. Proposals should include the following information, in

sectionalized format:

1. Format and Content

a. Introduction. Showcase overall understanding of the project and approach; include any issues that

may require special consideration for this project. If a joint venture, please identify the prime

contractor and all subcontractors. Please keep introduction brief and concise (500 words maximum)

b. Qualifications. Firm capabilities, brief history, organizational structure, top management (similar

information for each joint venture participant and subcontractors, and approximate percentage of

contribution), and relevant experience. Include the firm(s) type and tax identification or social

security number. (500 words maximum)

c. Staff. Proposed project manager and relevant background; an organizational chart showing project

manager, key staff, and all supporting staff to be assigned; brief resumes highlighting relevant

qualifications; staff responsibilities, estimated hours, and percentage of total hours. Staff identified

to perform the work for the project must perform the work. The selected consultant must obtain

County approval before making any staffing changes during the contract performance period.

d. Implementation Approach. Approach toward accomplishing the work program; define each task

describing the implementation approach. Identify any recommended changes to the scope of work

outline and basis for suggestions. A list of assumptions should be included that clearly define the

limits of the scope of work. (500 words maximum per task description)

e. Cost Proposal. Itemized budget breakdown by task, deliverable, and cost proposal with estimated

hours (total hours and project manager hours) and salary; administrative and overhead expenses; and

indirect expenditures. The cost proposal should be presented separately from the technical proposal.

Please include a 10% contingency in your cost estimate. The contingency fund would only be

released if the selected consultant performs functions or carries out work that is requested by the

County and is outside the contracted scope of work.

f. Timeline. Proposed timeline summary based on an estimated project kick-off date of July 20, 2020.

The consultant’s ability to meet or expedite the proposed timeline is one of the selection criteria for

evaluating proposals.

g. References. List of former clients receiving comparable services to what is requested in this RFP,

including the project manager’s name and telephone number.

h. Insurance. Summary of the firm’s (and sub-consultants) insurance coverage. Minimum coverage and

types of insurance that are required to be maintained throughout the term of the project are

identified in Attachment 12 (Standard Indemnification and Insurance Provisions).


The selected consultant must provide workers compensation insurance for all of its employees. The

consultant must submit a certificate of insurance with the proposal to establish coverage if such a

certificate is not already on file with P&D.

I. Contract

Acknowledgment of terms and conditions and the ability to conform to these terms, as addressed in the

County’s standard contract, has been included as Attachment 13 (Standard Terms and Conditions for

Independent Contractors working for the County).

J. Cost

As stated in Section H.1.e of this RFP, the estimated cost of the requested services shall include a 10%

contingency.

Please include a cost proposal that includes involvement from the Bren School. In this scenario, the

consultant will primarily serve an advisory role and maintain quality assurance.

K. Submission

i. The proposal must be signed by an official authorized to commit the firm, along with a statement that

the contents, including not-to-exceed cost, remain effective for a period of not less than 60 days from

the proposal due date.

j. Submit a digital copy of the proposal, no later than the date and time listed on the cover page of this

RFP.




ATTN: Frank Chen, Climate Program Specialist

[email protected]

L. Additional Information

1. The County reserves the right to modify or cancel this RFP, in part or its entirety, and to reject all proposals.

The County reserves the right to negotiate with the selected consultant to make any necessary changes to the

scope of work.

2. All responses to this RFP will become the property of the County. All data, documents, and other products

used or developed during the project will remain in the County domain upon completion of the project.

3. The County’s Standard Provisions for Purchase Orders and Standard Anti-Discrimination Clause will be

specified in the contract.

M. Attachments

Available on Box.com:


1. Prop 68 Working Lands and Riparian Corridors Program, Local and Regional Planning Grant Guidelines 2. County of Santa Barbara Working Lands and Riparian Corridors Grant Application 3. Bren School Master’s Group Project Application 4. Santa Barbara County 2030 Climate Action Plan RFP 5. 2015 Energy & Climate Action Plan 6. 2016 Greenhouse Gas Inventory 7. 2017 Energy & Climate Action Plan Progress Report 8. Resilient Merced 9. Guidelines for the Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act 10. County of Santa Barbara Environmental Thresholds and Guidelines Manual 11. Agreement for Services of Independent Contractor 12. Standard Indemnification and Insurance Provisions 13. Standard Terms and Conditions for Independent Contractors

https://cosantabarbara.box.com/s/aq7qc8eigxsx2cxtym8kdhj4bkgma5zq

https://cosantabarbara.box.com/s/qkk0p4ot7bzzt2aescjizdiq2004jvhr

https://cosantabarbara.box.com/s/fsz1099reej2njczeojswlimtwdzbp36

https://www.countyofsb.org/csd/asset.c/315


https://cosantabarbara.box.com/s/na4o0ouf6txw2x8em7jdnuva2fcx50ve


https://maps.conservation.ca.gov/terracount/downloads/ResilientCountiesGuide.pdf

https://cosantabarbara.app.box.com/s/mlaiha851p7027uxw3ob8lpn4mqrxl7f

https://cosantabarbara.app.box.com/s/vtxutffe2n52jme97lgmv66os7pp3lm5

https://cosantabarbara.box.com/s/r96ynh9ebkape3z91clb8nial079kugl

https://www.countyofsb.org/gs/asset.c/138

https://www.countyofsb.org/uploadedFiles/gs/Content/Purchasing/Documents/tncind.pdf