A board is forming to oversee $7 million in anticipated tax revenue from Measure Q in Santa Cruz County. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)

SANTA CRUZ >> Applications are open to oversee about $7 million annually for environmental projects through Measure Q in Santa Cruz County. 

County voters approved the measure in November for wildfire, water and land management projects on public and private land. At its Jan. 28 meeting, county supervisors opened the application process for five spots on the nine-member oversight advisory board.

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The Measure Q ballot initiative established an $87 annual parcel tax. It exempts parcels “designated as Agricultural Land Use and Public Agency” and does not allow seniors or people with disabilities to apply for exemptions, according to its fiscal statement.

The oversight board is expected to:

  • Advise county staff on a five-year plan for Measure Q spending. 
  • Hold public meetings to receive public input on spending. 
  • Receive spending reports from the county, the cities and the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County.
  • Select a nonprofit partner to receive direct funding. The measure does not prohibit nonprofit employees from sitting on the advisory board.
  • Report to the board of supervisors on Measure Q spending.

The advisory board will include one appointee from each of the five county supervisors and the cities of Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz and Capitola. Members cannot be elected officials, and they must have expertise in a relevant field such as natural resources, wildlife or environmental justice.

Those interested can apply for supervisor-appointed positions on the county’s website. The cities of Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz and Capitola will have their own selection processes for their board representatives. As with most county advisory bodies, advisory board members are eligible for $75-per-meeting stipends.

The county supervisors are set to approve advisory board appointments at the Feb. 25 board meeting. The board is expected to first meet in March.

Measure Q states that 60% of the money is split between the Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County, the four city governments in Santa Cruz County, and the county’s Department of Parks, Open Space and Cultural Services.

The remaining 40% — about $3 million annually — would fund county-administered grants to nonprofits or public agencies. The grant program would favor projects that support resilience to climate change, have matching funds or serve disadvantaged communities.

At least $600,000 of the grant money would go to San Vicente Redwoods, an 8,900-acre privately owned forest managed by the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, Peninsula Open Land Trust, the Sempervirens Fund and Save the Redwoods League. At least another $600,000 of the grant money would fund projects near South County rivers, streams and wetlands.

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Reporter / California Local News Fellow |  + posts

Jesse Kathan is a staff reporter for Santa Cruz Local through the California Local News Fellowship. They hold a master's degree in science communications from UC Santa Cruz.