Commissioners approve Carbon County Open Space match for water-authority property after extended debate

The Carbon County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt and execute a resolution authorizing county match funding for an Open Space grant application to preserve roughly 1,187 acres of water authority property in the Pine Run/Upper Lehigh River watershed.

Planning staff and Open Space advisers presented the application and told the board the project qualifies as a focus-area protection for drinking-water resources and that a foundation has pledged $800,000 as local match funding that would be lost if the county did not act. Anna, a planning staff member identified in the meeting, said the funding and the project's timing are unique: "This application came forward because it's in what we consider a focus area ... we had a foundation that is earmarking the $800,000 as the match," she said.

Commissioners extensively discussed whether providing county funds for a water authority's bargain sale was appropriate and whether the county should limit future awards to individual water authorities. Multiple commissioners voiced concern that awarding 30% of the project cost on a large parcel could deplete the open-space program's available funds and leave fewer resources for other priority projects such as trails and farmland preservation. One commissioner said, "if we wind up doing this, we're going to be out of money before we even get projects that are going to connect the trails," and urged consideration of caps or per-authority limits.

Supporters at the meeting, including representatives of the Open Space Advisory Board and Dawn from the nonprofit Wild Things, said the parcel is contiguous with permanently protected land and would protect critical drinking-water resources in perpetuity. An Open Space adviser said the project qualifies for the program's priorities and that the county's requested share is 30% of the total project cost.

Planning staff and advisers told commissioners they have sought an extension for the $800,000 foundation match but that time is limited. Staff also said other water authorities might apply for future funding, but there are no other comparable, ready-to-go projects in the pipeline. As one planner summarized, "we do not know of any applications that are going to come in. We know of 0 projects ready to go." Several commissioners requested that the Open Space Board review and return with specific criteria or limits for future water-authority applications.

After discussion, the board voted to adopt and execute the resolution and asked planning staff and the Open Space Advisory Board to consider commissioners' concerns about per-authority limits and per-acre or per-project caps and to bring recommended criteria back to the board.

Ending: Commissioners asked staff to report back with recommended language and criteria for how Open Space funds should be applied to water-authority properties and other large holdings; staff said they would return to the board and work with the Open Space Advisory Board on the requested guidance.