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Draft 10/8/99 <br />G. Stewardship -and Post-Acquisition Structure <br />Once lands are acquired, there are a number of responsibilities that <br />begin for the County as the owner (or, to a different degree, as the <br />holder of an easement):. <br />- .What are the. maintenance needs for, the property? Will any <br />prescribed. burns be needed? Are there diseased trees that will <br />require removal? <br />- Are there any liability concerns beyond those noted in the <br />purchase evaluation? <br />- How frequently will the property need to be monitored? <br />- Will adjacent land uses affect the status of the property? <br />- If an easement, is the owner.- well-informed of his/her <br />responsibilities on maintaining the property? <br />These and other questions will require careful attention to <br />monitoring and maintenance of the. property. Many of these issues <br />can be identified by the Land Resource Manager and addressed by <br />the County, with the assistance. of stafF such as the County <br />Engineer and Public Works Director. <br />One possible recommendation to make in this area is to require a <br />thorough assessment of the likely stewardship issues as a part of <br />the purchase site evaluation, and instruct the Land Resources <br />Manager to prepare an assessment of these needs. and the <br />property status on an annual basis. <br />H. Use and Access to County-Owned Lands <br />In addition to maintenance, the .issues of use :and access to <br />:County-owned lands will be of key importance. This issue will-apply <br />primarily. to lands the County holds in fee-simple, as most <br />conservation. easements will include language limiting the access to <br />the property. to .the.. County's stewardship and monitoring <br />responsibilities. <br />The. use of the property, in order to be as clear with the seller as <br />possible, would be best addressed at the time of purchase, with the <br />understanding that, as :other .needs arise, flexibility to consider. <br />different uses on the property may be needed. <br />Access issues should also be .addressed at the time of purchase, <br />and .may vary depending on the rationale for purchase. If the <br />45 <br />