County reviews possible last Title III requests.

Lincoln County Commissioners last Wednesday, June 4, reviewed what could be the last Title III requests under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act.

The act, originally passed in 2000, was enacted to provide schools and governments with the transitional funding to compensate from timber harvesting revenues on federal lands.

“It is a real shame, and we’ll be with a real sense of sadness if we end up approving this list and it does, indeed, turn up to be the final list of Title III projects,” Lincoln County Commissioner Bill Hall said. “These are very worthwhile projects.”

Seven projects totaling an estimated $496,000 made the proposed list to receive a share of $500,000 set aside by the county per law, according to County Counsel Wayne Belmont.

Community Services Consortium Summer Natural Resource Crew, which consists of high-school aged youth who learn about forest conservation and management in relation to Oregon coast’s ecosystem, was one of the programs. Requesting $61,204, CSC is seeking another funding source should Title III money dry up as anticipated.

The Cooperative Wildlife Services Program seeks up to $15,100 to resolve animal and human conflict, reduce wildfire risk, and provide forest-related education. The program was implemented three years ago with the help of the state and federal government. Commissioner Terry Thompson explained this program is essential to rural communities. Also known as the county’s trapper program, services provided include the handling of urban raccoons and mountain lions, to the reduction of fire risk due to trees damaged by bears.

“If we lose that program, it goes back into the Oregon Department of Agriculture and gets divided up amongst other counties,” Thompson explained. “If you lose that program, you lose it forever.”

The commissioners agreed that if funding for the trapper program were no longer available, room would be made within the general fund to compensate.

The third project proposed is the 4-H Forest Stewards program, which seeks $69,890. This is an after school, weekend and summer education program for fourth through eighth graders based on programming via 4-H and Oregon State University.

Requesting $150,000 is the Lincoln County Land Legacy Program.

“We put a lot of effort into this,” Thompson said. “We got the program up and running.”

The program is in place to purchase access and conservation easements and helps to leverage donations by covering ancillary costs. If funding does not come through via Title III, the money will still be carried over year to year in a special fund, but eventually the county would have to rely on the donations of easements and money in the future to continue it, Commissioner Don Lindly said.

New on the list is a light detection and ranging data acquisition of $75,000. The acquisition would continue geographic information system and aerial photography projects that look at urban forest interfaces for fire protection, as well as other uses.

Also to assist with the prevention of forest fires is the Lincoln County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which is earmarked for $50,000. The money is to allow the county to complete a wildfire plan under the Healthy Forests Restorations Act.

The final request is for $75,000 for search and rescue activities.

A 45-day period is under way to allow for public comment. After this period elapses, the commissioners should issue a final order. All commissioners agreed on the proposed projects’ funding.

Kendall S. Cable is a reporter for the Newport News-Times. She can be reached at 265-8571, ext. 212, or kcable@newportnewstimes.com.