Acquisition Tool Kit

Project sponsors acquiring real property in any RCO grant program may use the information below to successfully complete their acquisition projects.

Buying without a Signed RCO Contract?

You will need a Waiver of Retroactivity if you plan to purchase real property before having a signed RCO grant contract in hand. You must submit your request before closing on the property, preferably at least thirty days in advance. See Section 2 of Manual 3 for more information.

General Procedure

Below are resources that may help you stay organized and ensure you meet RCO grant requirements.

Required Acquisition Documents

When Applying

All RCO grant applications for acquisition projects must provide a signed RCO Landowner Acknowledgement Form for each property proposed for acquisition:

• Landowner Acknowledgement Form

Grant applicants in any category of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program must include documentation that they have reviewed and conferred with the local jurisdictions where the lands are located. Below is a sample letter that may be used to initiate this requirement and a sample Conferral Documentation form to document completion of this process:

• Sample Letter
• Conferral Documentation Form

After Grant Award

Follow “Acquisition Procedures” in Section 4 of Manual 3. Below are specific tools to meet the requirements on the checklist.

Habitat and Salmon Recovery Resources

RCO requires certain elements to be incorporated into all habitat and salmon recovery conservation easements. In addition, if the landowner has a lien or mortgage on the property, RCO requires a subordination agreement from the lender. RCO also requires a baseline inventory for each conservation easement.

Agricultural (Farmland and Forestland) Conservation Easements

RCO has developed a model agricultural conservation easement template. If the landowner has a lien or mortgage on the property, RCO requires a subordination agreement from the lender. RCO also requires a baseline inventory for each conservation easement. Below are RCO’s model agricultural conservation easement and requirements for baseline inventory reports.

Need RCO to Deposit Funds into Escrow Account?

RCO can deposit grants into an escrow account under certain circumstances. Learn more:

• Escrow Payment Requests.