In a bid to own lands donated by Pacific Gas and Electric Co., Amador County likely will face stiff competition from the federal government.

A decision on which applicants are eligible to own and manage utility lands is only weeks away, according to Mary Adelzadeh, regional land conservation manager of the Stewardship Council, a nonprofit founded in 2004 to oversee PG&E's land-conservation commitment established in a bankruptcy settlement. PG&E must give up parcels in three wild or semi-wild areas in the Sierra Nevada, some in a pair of Amador County river drainages, the North Fork Mokelumne and the Bear. Around 40 people attended an Oct. 7 session in Jackson that updated progress in the land-divestiture work.

A pair of federal agencies with track records overseeing public resources on wildlands - the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management - will join forces toward owning the donated lands, said Doug Barber, district ranger on the Eldorado National Forest.

"We're putting together a combined federal application," Barber said. "If we're eligible, we'll present a joint proposal."

Adelzadeh said, "We have all the statements of qualifications. We expect a determination soon."

Other applicants for land ownership on all or part of the territory concerned include Amador Water Agency, the state Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Amador County Resource Conservation District, which is overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A cut among the applicants should be made by mid-November, Adelzadeh said.

PG&E will divest to the selected candidate or candidates the following lands:

- 2,607 acres in the North Fork Mokelumne watershed

- 914 acres in the Lower Bear River watershed; and

- 1,028 acres in the Blue Lakes drainage area in Alpine County.

Public-benefit resources to be conserved and enhanced on the lands include recreation, sustainable forestry, open space, wildlife habitat, agriculture and cultural resources.

After eligible candidates are announced, a next step for the Stewardship Council will involve writing and publishing a document known as a Land Conservation and Conveyance Plan, Adelzadeh said. Public comment will be taken in its preparation.

The conservation and conveyance plan will address topics including parcel splits, enforcement responsibilities, hazardous-materials issues, an analysis of property-tax neutrality regarding affected counties, long-term monitoring and an implementation schedule, according to Stewardship Council documents.