Land trust reacts to large tract going on market
The leader of the Deschutes Land Trust is still hopeful for a path toward conservation as a 33,000-acre tree farm, the Bull Springs Skyline Forest, is put on the market for a whopping $127 million.
BEND, Ore. - (Update: Adding C.O. LandWatch reaction, concerns; Deschutes Land Trust statement)
It's not every day that 33,000 acres of timberland just northwest of Bend -- a parcel larger than the city itself, and one of the largest contiguous properties in the West -- goes up for sale in a public offering. But that just happened with the Bull Springs Skyline Forest, the focus of a public conservation effort in recent years, and the asking price is a hefty $127 million.
"Bull Springs Skyline Forest, located just minutes west of Bend is an active privately held tree farm and recreational wilderness covering 32,995+/- contiguous, deeded acres bordering the Deschutes National Forest," Tuesday's sale announcement stated...