Title
Apply for Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, 2025 Invasive Plant Grant (Ordinance S-52208) - District 7
Description
Request to retroactively authorize the City Manager, or his designee, to apply for and accept and enter into an agreement for disbursement of State of Arizona and United States Forest Service funding from the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management 2025 Invasive Plant Program. Further request to authorize the City Treasurer to accept, and the City Controller to disburse all funds related to this item. The total grant funds received will not exceed $200,000 and the City's local match will not exceed $52,000.
Report
Summary
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management Invasive Plant Program supports cooperative management of invasive plants that threaten native plant communities in forests, woodlands and rangelands throughout Arizona. This grant program focuses on prevention, control and eradication of nonnative invasive plants and aims to achieve the following objectives: 1) assist in preventing fire and flooding, conserving water, and restoring habitat for wildlife, 2) use the integrated weed management approach through the utilization of available tools including manual, cultural, mechanical, chemical, and biological control methods, along with re-vegetation of native plant species. With the awarded funds, the City of Phoenix Water Services Department will use the grant funds for the invasive species removal, control and prevention at the Tres Rios Ecosystem Restoration Area.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management Invasive Plant Grant submittal deadline was May 28, 2025. On July 9, 2025, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management notified the Water Service Department of selection for funding for the Tres Rios Invasive Plants Eradication, Prevention, and Control project.
Due to the timing of the deadline put forth by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, Water Services Department submitted an application prior to obtaining City Council approval. If City Council does not approve this retroactive request, the application and award funding will be withdrawn by the Water Services Department.
Financial Impact
The estimated total cost of the project is approximately $252,000. The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management has awarded funding in the amount of $200,00. The required local match, if approved, is 10 percent, and the Water Services Department plans to go beyond the match, providing an in-kind match of $52,000.
Funding for the local match is through in-kind staff and equipment services and is available in the Water Services Department's operating budget.
Location
Tres Rios at 91st Avenue Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Council District: 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Ginger Spencer and the Water Services Department.