Are you looking to acquire property or purchase an easement from a voluntary seller within the Chehalis Basin that will result in benefits to aquatic habitat restoration, flood damage reduction, and/or agricultural viability? Several OCB programs fund fee simple and less-than-fee voluntary acquisitions in support of the Chehalis Basin Strategy’s goals. These programs include:
- Aquatic Species Restoration Program (ASRP)
- Community Flood Assistance & Resilience (CFAR) Program
- Multi-Benefit Acquisition Program (MAP) – see information below
- Erosion Management Program (EMP)
In March 2025, OCB published a handbook to provide basic information about policies and protocols for acquiring real property from willing sellers with funding from the Chehalis Basin Strategy:
Note that Individual Chehalis Basin Strategy programs will continue to make decisions and manage acquisition projects that they fund and will retain the flexibility to approach acquisitions differently based on differing needs and operational contexts. Use this handbook, along with the awarding program’s funding guidelines and Ecology’s Administrative Requirements for Recipients of Ecology Grants and Loans (Yellow Book), for all Strategy-funded acquisition projects.
Acquisition Forms and Templates
Click on the tabs below to view forms and templates by phase of the acquisition process. Note that this is not a comprehensive list of all that may be required for submittal. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact the awarding program manager for additional information.
Application Requirements
- Landowner Acknowledgement Form
- Voluntary Acquisition Notice to Owner (example)
- For proposed acquisitions within jurisdictions subject to Growth Management Act requirements:
Due Diligence
- Preliminary Title Report Checklist
- Cultural Resources Consultation Checklist
- Appraisal Instructions and Review Appraisal Instructions
- Baseline Inventory Outline
- Property Assessment Checklist
- Hazardous Substances Certification Form
- Landowner Donation Statement (example)
- Notice of Just Compensation and Relocation Notice to Owner (example)
Sample Covenants, Easements, and Funding Agreement Language
- Conservation Covenant (example)
- Agricultural Conservation Easement (RCO example)
- Example Acquisition Terms and Conditions in Ecology funding agreements
For additional covenant and easement instructions, contact the awarding OCB program manager.
Long-term Stewardship and Monitoring
Do you need funds deposited into an escrow account? For more information, see Ecology’s process for Escrow Payment Requests.
Multi-Benefit Acquisition Program (MAP)
In 2024, responding to the Chehalis Basin Board’s desire to fund integrated, multi-benefit voluntary acquisition project opportunities, OCB officially launched the Multi-Benefit Acquisition Program (MAP). The program funds voluntary acquisitions, including fee simple and less-than-fee (e.g., conservation easements) purchases that address two or more goals among the pursuits of habitat restoration, flood damage reduction, and working lands viability.
The 2023-25 biennium budget for this program has already been allocated. Applicants interested in pursuing funding in the 2025-27 biennium are encouraged to contact the MAP Program Manager, Kat Dickey, kat.dickey@ecy.wa.gov to discuss project ideas and funding availability.
- MAP Application Form
- MAP Grant Funding Guidelines (forthcoming)
For More Information
Nat Kale
Principal Planner
nat.kale@ecy.wa.gov
(360) 706-4277