Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 12/14/2000

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contributions by individuals, businesses, organizations and institutions to matching grants from various governmental agencies and foundations will receive higher consideration. E. Funding EligibiIity Under Existing Programs - There are a number of DNR programs, as well as other agencies and organizations which fund the protection and restoration of natural, scientific, and scenic areas. Sites eligible for funding through these programs should be considered for protection by the Metro Greenways program if: a) it is unlikely that funds from other programs are or will be available to protect the site, b) the use of Metro Greenways funds is not viewed as supplanting the budgets of other programs, and c) involvement does not jeopardize the Metro Greenways program or other program(s). Imminence of Threat -Many natural areas and potential corridors are threatened by development pressure, fragmentation and other factors. In some situations, only a short period of time may be available to protect an area from being permanently lost or significantly degraded. Higher priority should be given to those sites with an immediate or high level of threat. In some cases, immediate actions may be required to protect the site, necessitating the use of non-profit intermediaries. IV. Overall Program Goals Once all of the sites are evaluated, an additional set of criteria will be applied individually and collectively to the potential sites to help determine their final rating. A. Visibility - Certain sites, by virtue of their size, characteristics, location, and history can further natural resource protection and provide attention, identity, and stature to the Metro Greenways program. Sites and projects which bring these important benefits to the program will receive strong consideration. Range of Project Types - Many types of sites will need to be protected to achieve the vision of Metro Greenways. As part of an overall list.of.sites, it is advisable to have representative examples in each of the following categories: * Protection of regionally-significant natural area and/or corridor * Protection of locally significant natural area and/or corridor * Restoration of altered/degraded site Geo-Political Distribution - Protection sites should be distributed throughout the region. As part of the overall package, it will also be beneficial to have at least one site in each of the following categories: *Outside of the proposed MUSA boundaries *Within existing or current proposed MUSA boundaries *Within the fully developed urban core Page 3