Atkinson Lane Integrated Flood Management and Watershed Restoration Project - Phase I - Native Habitat Restoration

The Atkinson Lane Integrated Flood Management and Watershed Restoration Project – Phase I – Native Habitat Restoration is a local environmental initiative led by the City of Watsonville in collaboration with Watsonville Wetlands Watch, funded by a $545,000 block grant from the California Department of Water Resources through the Regional Water Management Foundation. The project focuses on restoring approximately four acres of native habitat around the wetland complex at 78 Atkinson Lane, with primary efforts directed toward the removal and treatment of two acres of invasive Himalayan blackberry, the planting of native riparian and upland species, and the installation of erosion control measures. All work is to be conducted using hand labor to preserve existing native vegetation and minimize disruption to the ecosystem. Essential protective measures include pre-work surveys for special-status wildlife, mandatory worker training in environmental protocols, and daily monitoring to ensure no adverse impacts on native species or their habitats. Completion of all Phase I activities is required by September 30, 2027, and performance is to occur exclusively on-site within the identified treatment areas outlined in Attachment A, which includes specific parcel numbers for the restoration zone. The project is governed by the 2021 Habitat Enhancement Plan and qualifies for a categorical exemption under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Section 15333, as it meets the criteria for a small-scale habitat restoration project with no significant environmental impacts. No federal acquisition regulations (FAR) clauses apply, and the initiative is not structured as a competitive procurement under federal standards; instead, funding was allocated non-competitively based on project eligibility and alignment with regional water management goals. Inspection and acceptance occur on-site at the Atkinson Wetland Complex, with shared responsibility between the City of Watsonville as the approving authority and Watsonville Wetlands Watch as the implementing contractor. No formal pricing line items, payment office details, invoicing systems, CAGE codes, or socioeconomic certifications are included in the documentation, reflecting its nature as a locally administered environmental grant project. The scope does not extend to Phase II, which involves stormwater best management practices and remains unfunded and undefined at this time. All contractual expectations center on ecological outcomes, regulatory compliance, and adherence to the project’s environmental protection framework rather than traditional federal acquisition metrics or administrative requirements.