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Western Rivers asks Gold Hill to be applicant on $835,000 water-source grant for Madrone Ridge
Summary
Western Rivers Conservancy asked Gold Hill to submit an OWEB drinking-water-source grant application by Dec. 12 to help acquire Madrone Ridge; Western Rivers said Ashland would hold and manage the property and that the city's signature would carry no long-term management obligations but staff should confirm eligibility consequences and seek an MOU.
Gold Hill ' Western Rivers Conservancy representatives asked the Gold Hill City Council on Dec. 3 to authorize the city to apply for an Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) water-source protection grant to support acquisition of Madrone Ridge, a 1,974-acre tract the conservancy says is critical for watershed protection and wildfire resilience.
Elijah Dwoskin of Western Rivers said the nonprofit is under contract to buy the property and plans to convey it to the city of Ashland for long-term stewardship. He said Western Rivers would apply for $835,000 of a $5 million OWEB program targeted to protect drinking-water sources. "These benefits come at no cost to the city," Dwoskin said, adding the conservancy would reimburse staff time required to submit the application and would handle project completion and management if the grant is awarded.
Dwoskin said OWEB maps place the Madrone Ridge project inside the drinking-water source area drawn for Gold Hill, which makes Gold Hill the only eligible applicant despite the property's proximity to Ashland. The grant application deadline is Dec. 12, and Western Rivers requested an approval letter signed by the city no later than Friday of that week so the nonprofit could submit the application.
Councilors pressed staff to confirm whether signing onto the application would preclude Gold Hill from future funding opportunities and requested a formal memorandum of understanding to set expectations about property ownership, management and any administrative responsibilities. Staff said they would contact OWEB to verify Gold Hill's eligibility ramifications and recommended advancing a conditional motion that allows staff to partner subject to verification and an MOU.
The council signaled support for partnering but asked staff to follow up with OWEB and return with any constraints before final authorization.
