Juneau — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service told the assembly it had determined an Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) buyout for View Drive is eligible and that funding has been set aside, subject to final cooperative agreements and timing.

Brett Nelson, the NRCS state conservation engineer, said EWP projects are reimbursement programs and described the usual cost‑share: 75% federal and 25% local. He said communities that meet a narrow “limited resource” test (lower housing values, low per‑capita income and high local unemployment) can qualify for 90% federal cost share; otherwise sponsors can ask NRCS national headquarters for a waiver of the 25% local match.

Nelson said NRCS had tentatively set aside funds after the August 2024–2025 events and that NRCS would hold the funds pending clarity on timing; he said appraisals for participating properties would follow Uniform Relocation Assistance procedures and be conducted either as of the day before the August 2024 outburst (the currently approved EWP baseline) or as of the appraisal date, but all participating properties must use the same appraisal date.

Cost, restrictions and timing

NRCS provided a working estimate of roughly $25 million to buy out the View Drive properties under a 100% participation scenario; that figure relies on Zillow‑type estimates and was presented as an upper bound. Buyout participants would receive market‑based appraisals, demolition and site restoration would be eligible costs, and any purchased parcel would be deed‑restricted in perpetuity to non‑structural uses (trails, open space) under program rules.

Nelson said the EWP program is flexible on how sponsors source their 25% share (state, local, nonprofit partners), and that NRCS can advance the purchase price component of property acquisitions to cover timing needs even though other project costs remain reimbursement‑based. He said NRCS recognizes that a typical EWP deadline (220 days) is not realistic for complex voluntary buyouts and that a one‑year target for completion would be expected for a project of this type.

Voluntary participation and appraisal timing

Participation is strictly voluntary. Nelson said the recommended sponsor approach would be: (1) solicit letters of interest from property owners, (2) complete appraisals and environmental due diligence, then (3) make formal purchase offers — owners would have the appraisal value in hand before deciding to accept an offer.

Assembly direction and next steps

After the NRCS presentation the assembly gave unanimous consent to direct staff to submit a waiver request to NRCS national headquarters seeking relief from the 25% local match. Assembly members also voted 7–1 to keep the Phase 1 local improvement district (LID) open for another outburst‑flood season so staff can refine cost figures and evaluate funding mixes before levying final assessments.

Evidence: NRCS presentation and Q&A; program rules cited by NRCS presenter.