Carbon County is moving along on the open space program.

Last month, the county officially hired Anna Shigo of Jim Thorpe as the open space coordinator.

On Thursday, the commissioners approved the program’s guidelines. The guidelines will help both the program, as well as applicants when applying for funding for preservation.

Shigo said that the county is currently working to set up an online form on the county website for the application process.

Qualified applicants are land owners who want to preserve land that would protect water quality, wildlife and natural areas.

There is no official timeline set for the online form, Shigo said, noting that the open space advisory board meeting was taking place Thursday evening.

During the advisory board meeting Thursday night, the group discussed the guidelines, noting that applications would be in two rounds, as well as doing a pilot program to begin with for land trust applicants while working out the bugs for how the program will work going forward.

Dennis DeMara explained to the board that they needed to decide what Dave Bodnar, director of planning and development, can take back to the commissioners as to the timeline for a grant workshop for already eligible applicants like land trusts and municipalities and the initial “out of cycle grant (pilot) program.”

After much discussion, the board approved making a recommendation to the board of commissioners that the initial grant application round for the pilot program with applications due Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. and to recommend the county hold a workshop for land trusts and conservancies that are eligible on Oct. 10.

With regards to a $10 million bond that a referendum vote by residents voted in favor off two years ago, the commissioners said that now that the guidelines and coordinator have been established, the county will determine how to move forward on the what is needed now through a bond.

Commissioner Michael Sofranko said that they are not going to be putting a $9 million bond out there right away because, even though there was overwhelming support from the residents, the cost would still be too much for them in a tax raise.

He added that financial decisions are still being worked out at this time.