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preserve watershed functions in the Upper Yakima River Basin, protect the Upper Yakima River Basin habitat from degradation, preserve habitat for fish and wildlife in the Upper Yakima River Basin, and provide public recreational access to the CER Property and the state owned and managed TCF. G. CCF informally delineated CER lands into three phases to facilitate easier transfer into conservation status, however adherence to the Phase 1, 2, and 3 delineations is not required. TNC and KCT have explored and pursued several funding avenues for acquisition since 2014. H. KCT, in collaboration with TNC, pursued and secured a$3 million grant ("RCO Funds") for the acquisition of approximately 1,200 acres of the CER Property ("CER Phase 1 Lands")through the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office ("RCO")Community Forests Program. KCT has worked with the State TCF Owners, the County, TNC, and many others to develop a strategy to use the RCO funds to purchase the CER Phase I Lands but KCT does not wish to be the owner of the CER Phase 1 Lands. KCT would like to move forward on using the RCO Funds to acquire the CER Phase 1 Lands as expeditiously as possible. While KCT does not wish to be the owner of Phase 1 Lands,they will have ongoing responsibilities as the community partner. I. The Parties have worked together to develop an acquisition approach to CER Phase 1 through which KCT and the State TCF Owners would enter into a partner agreement authorized by RCO to use the RCO Funds to purchase the CER Phase 1 Lands from CCF and have DNR own and co-manage (with the State TCF Owners)the CER Phase 1 Lands as part of the TCF. The Parties all support this approach. J. TNC has identified a new and unique funding opportunity for the acquisition of the CER Property through the US Forest Service Forest Legacy Inflation Reduction Act Large Landscape funding program ("FL-IRA Funding Program"). Under the FL-IRA Funding Program, WDNR can submit one request for up to $50 million in funding in December 2023. TNC is submitting a proposal to DNR to seek funds from the FL-IRA Funding Program for the acquisition of the CER Property. K. TNC has asked the County, KCT and others to support TNC's application to WDNR for FL-IRA Funding Program to assist with the conservation purchase of the remaining CER Lands. DNR acquisition of the CER Property will likely require additional grant funding from the RCO Community Forest Program, in the spring of 2024. TNC seeks the support of the County, KCT, and DNR for this second grant proposal to RCO on WDNR's behalf. L. The FL-IRA Funding Program requires match funding as part of the process. The RCO Community Forest Funds are suitable matching funds for the FL-IRA Funding Program, and the FL-IRA Funds also provide suitable match for the RCO grant. M. The County has recently expressed concerns regarding the TCF management and how those concerns might be exacerbated by integrating the CER Property into the TCF. The 2