Meeting_Body
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
JULY 19, 2018
Subject
SUBJECT: REGIONAL ADVANCE MITIGATION PROGRAM
FEASIBILITY
Action
ACTION: RECEIVE AND FILE
Heading
RECOMMENDATION
Title
RECEIVE AND FILE report on Regional Advance Mitigation Program Feasibility (Attachment A).
Issue
ISSUE
At its January 2017 meeting, the Metro Board approved Motion #52 by Director Kuehl directing consideration of a Regional Advance Mitigation Program (RAMP) (Attachment B). As a result, staff has met with environmental stakeholders and representatives of regional and State agencies to discuss the interest in a multijurisdictional RAMP approach, and convened a working group to develop an early screening process.
Metro staff has spent the past year assessing its future mitigation needs and the wider feasibility of an advance mitigation program in Los Angeles County. This Receive and File presents the results of the Needs and Feasibility Assessment for Advanced Mitigation. The conclusion of the Needs and Feasibility Assessment recognizes the benefits from a multiagency partnership in developing an advance mitigation program.
Discussion
DISCUSSION
The Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Department prepared a Needs and Feasibility Assessment for Advance Mitigation (Attachment A) to understand previous advance mitigation efforts, the baseline conditions in Los Angeles County, costs, timing, and the tangible and intangible benefits of a County-wide consolidated advance mitigation program.
Between February 2018 and April 2018, comments were solicited on the report from stakeholders identified in the original motion (i.e., Caltrans District 7, the County of Los Angeles, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, State and federal fish and wildlife agencies), as well as participants in Metro’s Sustainability Council. The Sustainability Council includes members from non-governmental organizations, public agencies, and subject matter experts related to the Council’s mission.
Next_steps
NEXT STEPS
Staff will proceed with a continuation of work on two paths: (1) developing a more robust screening process to be used by agencies to evaluate level of effort and costs for participation; and (2) to additionally assess the feasibility of integrating greenhouse gas mitigation through habitat restoration in urban areas.
Staff will continue the Metro Internal RAMP Working Group meetings that consist of the Planning, Highways, Regional Rail, Program Management, Real Estate, and Environmental Compliance and Sustainability staff. Outreach to regional partners will commence including those that were originally engaged in the development of the RAMP approach. Staff will periodically report back to the Board on the progress of these efforts.
Attachments
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A - Metro Regional Advance Mitigation Needs and Feasibility Assessment, ICF, June 2018.
Attachment B - January 2017 Motion #52 (Kuehl)
Prepared_by
Prepared by: Cris B. Liban, Executive Officer, Environmental Compliance and
Sustainability, (213) 922-2471, LibanE@metro.net
Reviewed_By
Reviewed by: Richard Clarke, Chief Program Management Officer, (213) 922-7557
