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Appendix B Procedure for Compiling Federal Land Acquisition Pnonty List I. DOf and USDA determine which proposed acquisitions meet mini- mum criteria. ~- 1 The property is (a) within the boundaries of an existing Federal conservation/recreation unit, if such boundaries are set by statute; or (b) contiguous with property now comprising a Federal conservation/ recreation unit, if the unit's boundaries are administratively deter- mined; or (c) the initial "building block" of a newly authorized Feder- al conservation/recreation unit. 2. The property presents no known health/safety/liability problems (e.g., hazardous waste contamination, unsafe structures). 3. There is no indication of opposition from current ownersks) to Federal acquisition of property (condemnations may be necessary in rare instances). 4. The cost of infrastructure necessary to make the property acces- sible, safe, and usable by the general public does not exceed ten percent of the estimated purchase price. Il. DO! and USDA score proposed acquisitions that meet minimum criteria. 237
238 SETTING PRIORITIES FOR land CONSERVATION Each potential acquisition is scored by summing points it receives from meeting one or more of the following "randcing criteria." The indicated number of points is awarded if the proposed acquisition: I. a. Prevents imminera (within 2-3 years) property develop- ment that is determined by the regional or State director to be incompatible with the affected unit's authorized purposes). 50 points b. Prevents short-to-medium term (within 4-8 years) property development Mat is determined by the Secretary to be incompati- ble wig the affected unit's authorized purposets). 25 points 2. a. Provides multiple recreation opportunities (seven or more of the activities listed on Attachment A) and is within a county with a population of one million or more. SO points b. Provides multiple recreation opportunities (seven or more of Me activities listed on Attachment A) within 100 miles of a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) 50 points c. Provides multiple recreation opportunities (seven or more of Me activities listed on Attachment A) between 100 and 250 miles from a Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) 35 points d. Provides limited recreation opportunities (one to six of the activities listed on Attachment A) within 100 miles of a SMSA. 35 points e. Provides limited recreation opportunities (one to six of the activities listed in Attachment A) between 100 and 250 miles from a SMSA. 20 points a. Preserves habitat of endangered species . 40 points b. Preserves habitat of threatened species. 30 points c. Preserves a recognized type of ecological community, for the purpose of promoting natural diversity. 20 points 4. Preserves a nationally significant natural or cultural feature of a type not now represented in any Federal conservation/recreation unit. 40 points
APPENDIX B 239 a. The principal benefit to be derived from the acquisition is its wetlands characteristics as defined in Me Emergency Wet- lands Act of 1986. 80 points b. The property contains a wetland or riparian area that is relatively scarce or unique. 60 points c. The property contains a wetland or riparian area that while not scarce or unique nevertheless provides substantial public benefits. 40 points 6. a. Includes existing infrastructure required to make property accessible to and usable by We general public and by elderly/ handicapped citizens. 40 points b. Includes existing infrastructure required to make property accessible to an usable by the general public, but not by elder- ly/handicapped citizens. 20 points 7. Expands a unit with a record of visitor-day growth exceeding five percent per year in at least three of the five prior years. 20 points S. Improves manageability and efficiency of a unit. 20 points 9. Results in Federal savings in acquisition costs through the use of land exchanges, donations and other alternatives to the direct purchase of a property at full value. Add five points for each estimated 20 percent savings in Federal acquisition costs up to a maximum of 25 points. 5-25 points 10. Involves Federal acquisition of less than full fee title to We property (e.g., purchases of scenic or conservation easements). lO pokes It. Involves significant non-Federal partnership. For each non- Federal pawner (State, local, or private) contributing significant re- sources (i.e., at least 25 percent of acquisition, development, or management dollars), add S points, up to a maximum of 15 points. S-IS points
\ 240 SETTING PRIORITIES FOR LAND CONSERVATION 12. Provides a Federal Leans Management Agency with an opportu- nity judged by the appropriate Assistant Secretary to be necessary to substantially further Me goals of a Presidential, Departmental, or Bureau MBO and to be essential to the fulfillment of the Agency's mission. (Each Agency will rank their 20 highest priority projects which implement their MBO and mission in descending order. The first priority project will be awarded 150 points, the second 142.5, Me third 135 and son on). 7.5-150 points Ranking criteria listed under a single number (e.g., " I .a. ," " ~ .b. ") are mutually exclusive; points may not be awarded for more than one. A proposed acquisition may score 40 points for meeting criteria 3.a., but cannot score 70 points for meeting both criteria 3. ~ . and 3.b. Each property proposed for acquisition is normally scored separately. However, if several related properties are proposed for purchase as a group to optimize use of funds, the group may be assigned a composite score (e.g., the criteria may be applied and a score assigned to the For- est Service Lake Tahoe project or the Park Service Santa Monica Moun- tains project as a whole.~. IlI. DOI and USDA tentatively rank acquisition proposals. The Departments jointly prepare a unified list of acquisition propos- als, ranked in descending order of points scored. A cut-off point is determined by summing costs associated with the ranked acquisitions until the cumulative cost reaches the land acquisition budget limit ($250 million, less administrative and emergency acquisition costs). IV. Review by Land Acquisition Working Group. The Land Acquisition Working Group, including representatives of Me Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Assistant Secretary for the Interior for Land and Minerals Management, and He Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, reviews and modifies the tentative ranking of land acquisition proposals to reflect (~) corrections of identified scoring er- rors, (2) proposed exceptions to the minimum criteria, and (3) subjective factors not taken into account in the scoring process.
APPENDIX B 241 Examples of subjective factors include, but are not limited to: the role of a given acquisition in a coordinated Federa1JState/Iocal effort to preserve recreation lands; the possible effect of an acquisition on State, local, or private efforts to offer competing recreation opportunities; the prospect Mat a private conservation group may desire to purchase the property. For each proposed acquisition added to the list on a basis other than points scored, We Working Group prepares a written justification ex- plaining why We acquisition has been afforded higher priority. /
242 SETTING PRIORITIES FOR LAND CONSERVATION Attachment A Recreation Activities Hiking Camping Picnicking Fishing Hunting Swimming Boating/Canoeing/Rafting Auto Touring Off-Road Vehicle Use Skiing/Ice Skating Snowmobiling Bicycling Horseback Riding Observing Wildlife
