Forest Service seeks comment on land exchange

The Sisters Ranger District is seeking public comment about a proposed exchange of federal and Deschutes County lands which could add 80 acres to the holdings of the Sisters School District.

Comments are due by December 15, and should be addressed to Jeff Sims, the ranger district's lands forester, 549- 2111, or P.O. Box 249, Sisters 97759. Sims will also answer any questions citizens might have about the proposed trade.

According to a letter from the ranger district, Deschutes County has offered two parcels, containing about 320 acres, in exchange for one Forest Service parcel that amounts to some 250 acres.

The National Forest land, part of which is adjacent to Sisters High School, is bounded on the south by Highway 242, on the north by the Tollgate subdivision, on the west by property belonging to Sisters Realtor Bill Reed, and to the east by McKinney Butte.

Deschutes County would retain approximately 170 acres of the federal land for public use, according to Sims. The 80 acres earmarked for the Sisters School District would be reserved for future school expansion.

In exchange, the Forest Service would receive 280 acres in the west half of Section 36 in the Plainview area, and 40 acres in the Vandervert Ranch area south of Bend which includes some Deschutes River frontage.

Sims said acquisition of the second parcel would tie National Forest lands to the east with forest lands to the west. Consolidating ownership in this way would reduce administrative costs, right- of- way needs and possible trespass problems, according to the letter.

By acts of Congress, the Forest Service is empowered to make land exchanges, provided land values are equal. This can result in exchanging parcels of different sizes.

In addition to a public comment period, the Forest Service is required to complete an environmental assessment to determine whether the proposed exchange would be beneficial to the government. The assessment is now in progress and will consider vegetation, archeological and wildlife factors, among others, Sims said. Appraisals of the lands involved must be finalized as well before an exchange can take place.