Photo submitted by Juan Guzman/Carson City Deer can be seen on the Wilson Property, located on the west side of Carson City near the end of Ash Canyon Road. The city is preparing to purchase the 111-acre site to preserve it as open space.
Carson City is preparing to purchase 111 acres near the end of Ash Canyon Road for open space preservation.
"It's an important location," said Juan Guzman, the city's open-space manager.
Along with its beauty, it's important to the city's watershed and offers a motorized access point to the state park from this side, he said.
"It's the gateway into the backcountry," he said.
On Thursday, the Board of Supervisors will consider naming an appraiser to evaluate the site and determine its value.
The site, west of the city's center and known as the Wilson property, consists of two parcels at the top of the Carson Ridge where Ash Canyon and Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park come together, Guzman said.
Funding for the land purchase may come through the U.S. Forest Service Legacy Program, which provides money to protect private forest lands considered environmentally important that could end up developed.
Sought through this source is $500,000, he said.
The site is No. 17 among dozens of other locations and city officials hope the funding won't stop at a higher number, such as the top 10, when federal legislators decide where the money will go, Guzman said.
Mayor Marv Teixeira and City Manager Linda Ritter discussed the matter with the area's federal legislators in March during a trip to Washington, D.C. Acquisition of the Wilson property was one of many funding requests. Waterfall fire reforestation, programs to stop methamphetamine abuse, and assistance to upgrade the Marlette-Hobart water system were also discussed.
The city's Open Space Advisory Committee recommended the site for Legacy funding in October.
The state's Conservation and Resource Protection Grant Program, also known as "Question 1," is another potential source of funding for the Wilson land. It authorizes the state to issue up to $200 million in general-obligation bonds to protect open space, waterways and wildlife habitat, and improve parks, recreational areas, historic and cultural resources.
• Contact reporter Terri Harber at tharber @nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111, ext. 215.
if you go
What: Carson City Board of Supervisors meeting
When: 8:30 a.m. Thursday
Where: Sierra Room, Community Center, 851 E. William St.