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OWEB land acquisition program: nine applications seek $12.2M as staff outline review and risk approach
Summary
OWEB staff told the committee the land acquisition program received nine applications requesting about $12.2 million this cycle; staff outlined evaluation criteria, public involvement steps, and the need to balance risk tolerance versus program undersubscription when setting restoration expectations.
Miriam Forney, OWEB land acquisition coordinator, presented an overview of the land acquisition grant cycle and the program’s evaluation framework. She said the program has spent about $60 million on land acquisitions historically and that nine applications requesting $12.2 million were submitted in the current cycle; staff anticipate $4.25 million for the current cycle within a $6.5 million biennial allocation. Forney told members that proposed projects range from 1 to 3,300 acres, with grant requests between $287,000 and $3.7 million.
Board members pressed staff on how to treat match and phasing of projects; Forney and other staff said match is a complex evaluation factor and that the review committee considers phasing, previous investments and connectivity, but avoids favoring excessive proposed match over a standard secured match (25%) because funding circumstances often change between application and closing. Staff and board also discussed public involvement and monitoring, and staff described management plans, baseline inventories, and the agency’s use of a risk matrix to identify when restoration commitments are appropriate and enforceable.
