Drafter
Clerk 04/01/2014
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A MOTION stating King County's election for the distribution of funds for federal fiscal year 2013 under the reauthorization of Public Law 106-393, the Secure Rural Schools and Self-Determination Act of 2000, and identifying a project to be funded in 2014 under Title III of the act.
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WHEREAS, on October 2, 2013, Public Law 113-40 was enacted, extending and amending Public Law 106-393, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-determination Act of 2000, and
WHEREAS, the law calls for each county in which a national forest is located to elect to receive either the full funding amount under the act or a share of the state's twenty-five percent payment, and
WHEREAS, if an eligible county elects to receive the full funding amount, not less than eighty percent and not more than eighty-five percent must be expended for schools and roads, as described in Title I, and
WHEREAS, the county decides the percentage of the full payment to be expended on Title I and the percentages to be allocated to projects in accordance with Title II, Special Projects on Federal Lands, and Title III, County Funds, with not more than seven percent of the total payment allocated to Title III, and
WHEREAS, since 2008, King County has elected to receive the full funding amount and has allocated eighty-five percent of the full funding amount to Title I, eight percent to Title II and seven percent to Title III because this allocation provides the maximum revenue to the county, and
WHEREAS, one half of Title I funds go directly to the state for schools and the remainder will provide approximately one hundred and forty-six thousand dollars to county roads, and
WHEREAS, all of Title II funds go directly to the U.S. Forest Service for projects on federal lands, and
WHEREAS, Title III provides for county funds to be used to carry out activities under the Firewise Communities program, to reimburse for search and rescue and other emergency services performed on federal land, or to develop community wildfire protection plans, and
WHEREAS, in 2006, King County initiated its Firewise Forestry Initiative, which meets the requirements of Title III, and since 2010, has dedicated all of its Title III funds to the Initiative, and
WHEREAS, seven percent of the full funding amount for federal fiscal year 2013 is expected to be approximately twenty-four thousand dollars, and
WHEREAS, Title III requires a forty-five day public comment period before approval of Title III projects by the county, and King County published a description of the proposed project forty-five days before the passage of this motion;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. King County hereby elects to receive the full funding amount for the 2013 fiscal year.
B. King County hereby elects to allocate the full funding amount as follows: eighty-five percent for Title I, eight percent for Title II and seven percent for Title III.
C. King County hereby authorizes the use of twenty-four thousand dollars of Title III funds for continuation of the Firewise Forests Initiative in the forestry program of the water and land resources division of the department of natural resources and parks,
which will assist rural communities to develop community wildfire protection plans and promote the use of practices that reduce the risk of wildfire.