County staff: finding non-encumbered replacement land for LWCF conversions is difficult and costly

Parks staff told the board that suitable replacement parcels—land that is not already encumbered by LWCF or other restrictions—are rare and that acquiring replacement land can create long-term operating costs for the county. "We have to be careful that we don't acquire a bunch of new property that then is gonna cost us on the operating side to manage," the Parks Department representative said.

Staff recounted approaches they tried: purchasing adjacent parcels, swaps with state agencies, and looking at sites near the Rogue River (downstream of Gold Ray Dam above Nugget Falls). The presenter said some potential parcels were rejected by state staff as ineligible because they had historic purchase intent for river access or other legacy restrictions. The county reiterated that replacement purchases must be equal or greater value than the original LWCF-encumbered parcel, a constraint that limits options and increases cost.