Land swap for school nears completion

The Sisters Ranger District has given the green light. to a land exchange between the Forest Service and Deschutes County that would add 80 acres to the property of the Sisters School District.

The district issued a "finding of no significant effect," which recommended implementing an exchange of 250 acres of federal land adjacent to the Sisters Middle/High School for a 280 acre county-owned parcel east of Sisters and another 40 acre parcel south of Bend. Approximately 80 acres of the 250 swapped to the county will be deeded to the Sisters School District.

According to Sisters Ranger District Lands Forester Jeff Sims, the exchange consolidates the pattern of land ownership in the county and will make management of the affected parcels easier. He said the county and the school district sought the exchange to allow for future growth in the school district.

Sisters Schools Superintendent Steve Swisher said several alternative uses have been proposed for the additional 80 acres, including siting a new middle and/or elementary school there when needed, creating an outdoor amphitheater and building an interpretive center.

The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the land exchange January 8, 1997.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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