In an attempt to return local tax dollars to Amador County, the board of supervisors has submitted requests for project funding to Congressman Doug Ose's office.

The project funding requests, which were due to Ose on Monday, include the California Department of Forestry (CDF) fire lookout towers, the Amador County Recreation Agency (ACRA) and the Amador County regional wastewater analysis. Additionally, the board chose to request funding for the Amador County Jail expansion. The board voted unanimously to approve the funding requests.

The proposals were precipitated by a letter from Ose inviting the county to submit requests for assistance for specific federal grants or appropriations. According to Ose's letter, a member of his legislative staff will contact the county for additional information when the requests arrive.

The county submitted similar requests during the last legislative session but received no appropriations.

"These are all worthwhile projects," Supervisor Louis Boitano said during the meeting.

In terms of the fire lookouts, the county's funding request notes that the state has just experienced its most catastrophic fire season in history and the lookout towers have played an instrumental role in preventing that fire damage from being worse. "Untold millions of dollars of resource losses, including highly valued watersheds in Northern California, have been averted because of the dedication, skill and vigilance of fire lookout operators," the county's proposal states. "Although California currently finds itself in a fiscal crisis it is imperative the invaluable service provided by the fire lookouts continues to be funded to man those lookouts with seasoned veterans that are critical in defending our state's natural resources from further catastrophic devastation."

The county estimates necessary funding for the Mt. Zion and Blue Mountain towers to be approximately $100,000.

As for ACRA, the county's proposal explains the necessity of providing recreation planning for the county's citizens. According to the proposal, ACRA is a joint powers agency consisting of members from each of the county's five incorporated cities, the Amador County Unified School District, the Volcano Community Services District and the county itself. The purpose of the organization is to plan, finance and operate recreation programs and facilities benefiting citizens in all areas of the county.

The county has provided funding for ACRA through the end of the fiscal year, however, with the state's current fiscal atmosphere and the as yet unknown effects that will have locally, future funding for the agency is uncertain.

"Recreational possibilities in Amador County are endless and providing opportunities for all residents to participate in those activities is an important role the agency has assumed," the county's proposal to Ose reads. "Any consideration you give to supporting funding for the agency in its efforts to maximize recreation opportunities here and to ensure the sustainability of its long-term planning and goals is crucial to its future."

As for the countywide regional wastewater analysis, the county's proposal notes the long history of the county's various wastewater agencies working together to identify innovative solutions for wastewater treatment and disposal. "Recently these agencies have begun meeting collectively and through these discussions have identified a need to complete a master plan for wastewater disposal in the Amador County watersheds," the proposal states.

The proposal adds that the local wastewater agencies have made steady progress in updating equipment and treatment methods to enhance wastewater disposal, thus enhancing water quality. "Future population growth, however, combined with increasing regulatory attention to water quality requires the Amador agencies to plan for the future," the proposal reads. "A regional master plan will allow the wastewater entities to evaluate the most effective alternatives from a watershed perspective. Unfortunately, these agencies, while able to provide some financial resources, cannot fund the entire cost." The county estimates the cost of the study to be roughly $200,000.

Ose's office should inform the county of its decision regarding the funding proposals sometime in the near future.