The Homer City Council passed a resolution at their last regular meeting on Nov. 24 approving the acquisition and conservation of 160 acres of land within the Bridge Creek Watershed area.
The City of Homer recently accepted a $1.5 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which was directed towards funding land acquisition and work related to the Bridge Creek Watershed Protection District. An Oct. 13 memorandum to the council from Community Development Director Julie Engebretsen highlighted the 160-acre parcel as the “priority” land purchase under the grant program, as well as additional properties identified by the city and approved by NOAA should the priority acquisition fall through.
Engebretsen also noted in the memo that city staff would bring forward a resolution to initiate the first land purchase under the grant program before the end of the year, and that it would take approximately a year to complete a land purchase.
Resolution 25-101, which was approved by the council last Monday, authorizes the city manager to negotiate and execute the appropriate documents to acquire the prioritized 160 acres of real property in the watershed area. According to the resolution, all property acquisition costs will be covered by funds from the NOAA grant, and the purchase price will not exceed either the appraised value of the property or the $1.2 million budget allotted for land acquisition in the grant.
The property will also undergo “due diligence” including a Phase 1 Environmental Assessment and an appraisal that meets federal guidelines. If acquired, the property will include a deed restriction and “shall be managed for conservation in perpetuity.”
In a separate resolution, the council also approved a $60,000 contract with Kachemak Heritage Land Trust for their assistance with acquiring properties in the Bridge Creek Watershed Protection District. KHLT is also authorized to assist with “other grant activities” outlined in Ordinance 25-62, which accepted the NOAA grant in the first place.
Resolution 25-102 notes that KHLT is specifically included in the NOAA grant award as a subawardee as the organization has “specialized knowledge and skills” with conservation land acquisition and public outreach. The council had also previously passed a resolution in 2024 supporting a partnership between the city, KHLT and the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve to submit the grant application in pursuit of the Bridge Creek Watershed conservation project.
Resolutions 25-101 and 25-102 were passed on the Nov. 24 consent agenda. No council discussion was held on these items.
Find the resolutions in full at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citycouncil/city-council-regular-meeting-336.
