Program: Santa Monica Bay and Watersheds Program (RMC)

Bond Act: Proposition 84

Agency of Appropriation: San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy

Bond Statute: 75060(d)(3)

Implementing Statute: Division 22.8 of the Public Resources Code.

  • Front-end
  • In-progress
  • Follow-up (Audit)

The Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC) established a grant program in FY 02/03 with the passage of Proposition 40. The program is administered by the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and awards funds to public agencies and non-profit organizations to provide open space, low impact recreational and educational uses, water conservation, watershed improvements, wildlife and habitat restoration and protections and watershed improvements within the San Gabriel Mountains, Lower Los Angeles River watershed and San Gabriel River watershed. Grant guidelines, including project evaluation criteria, have been developed with public input and will be updated for the Prop 84 program in accordance with bond requirements. The Rivers and Mountains Conservancy is expected to adopt updated grant program criteria in the fall of 2007. This information will be posted on the RMC website.

Projects selected for funding under the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy Grant program are required to spend grant funds according to the approved project scope and budget. Quarterly progress reports and expenditure projections are required for all projects and staff conducts site periodic site visits during construction for each development project. Payment requests must include a certification by the grantee that each expense complies with requirements outlined in the grant agreement. Grantees must also submit supporting documentation for each expense, with reimbursements approved only for eligible expenses pursuant to program guidelines and contained within the approved project budget. For most grants the RMC also withholds up to ten percent of each payment request to be released upon project completion.
All projects funded via the Capital Outlay Grant program receive a close-out visit conducted by the RMC staff at the time the project is complete and prior to releasing final grant funds, usually the 10% withhold. The purpose of the close-out field visit is to ensure all project components were completed according to program guidelines and the terms of the grant agreement, including project scope and budget. All grantees are required to submit a project completion certification form and for acquisition projects must also file with the County Recorder’s office an `Unrecorded Grant Agreement` that gives public notice of RMC`s rights as specified in the grant agreement. All grantees must comply with all current laws and regulations which apply to the project and submit documents summarizing total project costs and all additional funding sources.

Projects within this Program: