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Public Works Funding Sources
Funding Sources
The many of projects designed and constructed under the public works are at least partially funded by the State and/or Federal government through various programs that serve different purposes. While these funds can only be utilized to serve their intended purpose as determined by the state or federal agency, these external funding sources allow the county to design and construct projects benefitting the public while saving local tax dollars. This is not a comprehensive list of all funding sources or agencies administering funding available to the county, but should provide context for most projects listed on the public works projects website page.
The Active Transportation Program (ATP) was created by the state government to encourage increased use of active modes of transportation, including walking and biking. Many groups, including county agencies, can apply for funding by submitting applications to the California Transportation Commission (CTC), who in turn determine if the project will be funded in a future ATP Cycle, which occurs every 2 years.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is a state agency that provides multiple unique grant opportunities for projects that help protect and manage the state's fish and wildlife. Information on the various grants can be found on the CDFW grant opportunities webpage.
Due to our geographic location and geologic conditions, the county of Humboldt often experiences heavy storms and significant earthquakes. When a disaster is declared by the State of California and the damage to county owned facilities or cost of the emergency response exceeds a certain dollar threshold, Cal OES may partially reimburse expenses for projects that repair county owned facilities damaged by these disasters. Even if another federal agency becomes involved in the disaster repair process, Cal OES will often still provide reimbursement and support to the county. The California Disaster Assistance Act webpage explains the role Cal OES plays in state-declared disaster recovery.
FEMA is a federal government agency that assists the county during large disaster events through Public Assistance (PA) grants. FEMA will provide partial reimbursement for disaster repair projects on county owned roads off of the Federal Highway system, which consists of all county roads rated as a rural minor collector or local road as shown on the California Road System Map.
The Federal Highway Administration assists the county during large disaster events through the Emergency Relief (ER) program. FHWA will provide partial reimbursement for disaster repair projects on county owned roads on the Federal Highway system, which consists of all county roads rated as a principal arterial, minor arterial, or major collector as shown on the California Road System Map. FHWA provides funding for multiple other programs besides ER.
The Highway Bridge Program is federal and state run safety program that provides federal-aid provided by FHWA to Local Public Agencies for replace and rehabilitate structurally-deficient, locally-owned public highway bridges or complete preventive maintenance on bridges that are not deficient. Programs under the HBP include the Bridge Inspection Program, Local Bridge Seismic Retrofit Program, Bridge Preventive Maintenance Program, Bridge Rehabilitation and Replacement, Bridge Painting, and Scour Countermeasure.
The Highway Safety Improvement Program is a federal aid program administered by FHWA with the purpose to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads, including county roads. In order to apply for HSIP funds, the county must update and validate a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) every five years to ensure that the proposed HSIP projects address the existing safety problems while implementing effective safety improvements.
Measure O is a local sales tax passed by votes and approved by the Humboldt County board of supervisors for providing funding to fix and repair local roads. More information can be found on the county Information About Measure O webpage.
Measure Z is local sales tax passed by voters and approved by the Humboldt county board of supervisors for providing funding for public safety services, which includes improving county maintained road surfaces to improve emergency vehicle response time. More information can be found on the county Measure Z information webpage.
The State of California Coastal Conservancy is a state agency that offers grants for projects that protect, restore, and/or increase public access to coastal areas. After submitting applications to the SCC, the applications will be evaluated and grants provided based on the SCC's project selection criteria. Information on the various grants can be found at the SCC website.
The State Highway Operation and Protection Program is a federal and state funded program limited to capital improvement projects related to the maintenance, safety, operation, and rehabilitation of the state highway system that do not add new capacity to the system.
The State Transportation Improvement Program is a state program for funding capital improvement projects on and off the state highway system. STIP projects are recommended and funded based on a list of projects submitted as regional and state priorities.
For local roads on tribal lands, the county and tribe may fund or administer different parts of a single project. The scope and division of these shared projects must be agreed upon by the county and tribe.