On behalf of the ECO2 Commission, Douglas County Commission and the Lawrence City Commission are issuing a Request For Proposal (RFP) for Open Space Preservation Projects within Douglas County. More information, including the application/nomination form, is available at www.douglas-county.com under ECO. 

The required and preferred selection factors for projects are discussed in detail in the ECO² adopted plan available on the above mentioned web site.  Potential projects can include outright purchase of

property or the purchase of conservation easements, but all require the

consent of landowners and must be voluntary.  In particular, proposals

that involve matching efforts from individuals or partnering

organizations are particularly encouraged.

First consideration will be given to proposals received by January 31, 2008.  Proposals will be reviewed by the open space committee of ECO2, then by the full ECO2 Commission.  The ECO2 Commission will make recommendations to the City and County Commissions, which will then make the ultimate decision about which project(s) to fund, if any. Proposals that are not recommended for funding will continue to be eligible for funding at a later date.  Also, proposals that are submitted after January 31, 2008 will be eligible for review at a later date.

We encourage you to consider making a proposal and to make this

information available to others who might be interested.  Questions or

concerns can be directed to Trudy Rice, chair of the ECO2 Commission, or

any member of the Commission (a list of Commissioners and contact

information is available at douglas-county.com ).

Sincerely,