City parks to designate priorities for grant funding

Carson City recreation staff members have assembled a list of preservation and conservation projects in and around Carson City and will take its first steps toward paying for them Monday.

The first on the list, a project that calls for a land acquisition and conservation easement of 610 acres of the Horse Creek Ranch on Kings Canyon Road, will also be discussed.

The Horse Creek Ranch project would require the city to enter an agreement with several agencies, including the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service and the Nature Conservancy, who will work together to preserve the open space.

"The most important thing is that we would be able to preserve the value of Horse Creek Ranch," said Juan Guzman, Carson City's open space program manager. "It's a really, really beautiful meadow. It's incredible."

The city will seek monies from the fund created by Ballot Question 1 in 2002 authorizing the state to sell $200 million in general obligation bonds to preserve water quality, protect open space, lakes, rivers, wetlands and wildlife habitat and improve parks and other recreational areas and historic sites.

The project may cost from $1.5 million to $2 million, depending on property appraisals and purchasing costs, Guzman said. The project may require the use of Nevada Public Land Management Act monies or the use of Open Space funding to match grant awards.

Cities and counties are eligible to apply for state Question 1 finding to pay for preservation and conservation projects.

Over the past eight months, the Parks and Recreation Department has been working with advisory boards to develop priority lists for project construction, property acquisition and resource restoration.

At subcommittee meeting July 23, staff approved a final list for consideration by the Parks and Recreation Commission recommendation and final approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Projects ranked according to priority:

Year 1:

1. Upper Kings Canyon/Voltaire Canyon. Properties: Fagen Conservation Easement/Swafford/Hutchinson (970 acres)

2. Carson River Streambank Stabilization Project. Riverview Park to Empire Ranch Trail, pedestrian bridge over Carson River

3. Carson River Park, (Phase 2 - West), 2 acres

4. Lake Tahoe Path System in Carson City

Year 3

5. Eagle Valley Creek Enhancement Project. Eagle Valley Creek Park, Eagle Valley Creek Restoration and Multi-Use Trail Development (Butti Way to Carson River)

6. Lower Ash Canyon Land Acquisitions & Public Access Easement to Ash Canyon (286 acres)

7. Carson River Land Acquisitions and OHV Access & Trailhead Development to the Pine Nut Mountains (962 acres)

Year 5

8. Combs Canyon Area Land Acquisitions and V&T Multi-Use Trail Development (511 acres)

9. Carson River Park (Phase 3 - East)

10. Upper Ash Canyon Land Acquisitions (156 acres)

11. Carson City Fairground/Fuji Park Clear Creek Habitat Improvement Project

Year 6

12. Acquisition of lands between Ash Canyon and Kings Canyon (250 acres)

13. C-Hill land acquisition (466 acres)

14. Silver Saddle Ranch Area: River Recreation Multi-Use Trail Development and Habitat Improvement Project

IF YOU GO

What: Carson City Open Space Advisory Committee

When: 6 p.m. Monday

Where: Sierra Room, Carson City Community Center, 851 E. William St.