County adds $200 tribal consultation fee to compensate tribes for early project review

The Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution on March 24 to add a $200 initial tribal consultation fee to the county Unified Fee Schedule to compensate local tribes when a project’s initial consultation qualifies for tribal review.

Staff explained the program’s intent — established previously as a pilot — is to recognize tribal expertise and ensure tribes are compensated for the time needed to assess project archaeological and cultural impacts. Under the process, Community Development & Infrastructure staff will send an initial consultation letter and qualifying questionnaire to tribes; if the tribe indicates a formal consultation is required, the county will pay $200 to the tribal representative and bill the applicant for that fee (and any additional, agreed compensation for extended consultation).

Supporters at the hearing, including the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, said the modest fee and formal protocol encourage early engagement and respect tribal stewardship of cultural resources. The board voted 5–0 to adopt the fee and directed staff to implement the consultation protocols developed during the pilot.

Next steps: staff will incorporate the fee into the unified fee schedule, begin issuing initial consultation letters with the qualifying questionnaire for applicable permit applications, and return with updates as the pilot expands.