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County staff seek grant partners to stabilize Jeremy Ranch stone cabin
Summary
County Lands & Natural Resources staff described surveys at the 910 Ranch and asked the commission about partnering as an applicant for cultural tax or alternative grants to stabilize and interpret the deteriorating Jeremy Ranch stone cabin.
County Lands & Natural Resources staff presented the findings of an ongoing cultural survey on the 8,588-acre 910 Ranch and sought guidance about funding to stabilize a deteriorating stone cabin on the property.
“For the record, Rachel Bridal, International resources program and project administrator,” said Rachel Bridal, who outlined that the county is conducting baseline documentation and that consultants have already found prehistoric and more recent artifacts on the ranch. Bridal said the project team intends to determine whether the cabin is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and requested the commission's input on possible grant partners.
Commissioners and presenters focused on whether a RAP (sales-tax-funded recreation and arts/cultural) cultural grant could pay to stabilize the building. One commissioner with long experience applying for RAP grants warned the committee that RAP policy typically excludes capital improvements: “There is a very, very strict policy with the RAP cultural grant that they do not fund capital improvement projects,” the commissioner said, urging staff to check eligibility before preparing a full application.
Presenters said they currently have funding for reconnaissance and baseline archaeological work but not for structural rehabilitation. One presenter said the cabin's condition, including a missing back wall and replaced planking, may hinder National Register eligibility: “We don't know positively who built it or when,” the presenter said, adding the site's proximity to early trails could be relevant but is not yet documented.
Commission members recommended alternatives and next steps: consult the RAP cultural committee before submitting, consider the Rocky Mountain Power Foundation for capital seed funding, and obtain cost and structural estimates from consultants (several commissioners suggested contacting consultant Kirk for competitive pricing and Ron Slade for on-site updates). Rachel Bridal said the county will follow up with the cultural committee and coordinate with consultants.
The presentation concluded with staff agreeing to check eligibility with the RAP committee and to pursue possible phased approaches that prioritize stabilizing the cabin first and programming later.
