Pond Ranch turns back the clock

The soon-to-be new owners of the Pond Ranch are poised to turn back the clock 135 years.

In early July, the Deschutes Basin Land Trust (DBLT) will finalize its purchase of the 145 acre property. The Hindman Barn was constructed within the holding on Camp Polk circa 1865, becoming the first structure built by white settlers between the Deschutes Basin and the Cascades.

DBLT plans to rebuild the barn and to enlist community support in restoring the fragile riparian and meadow ecosystem to its pristine, pre-settlement state.

Brad Chalfant, DBLT Executive Director, says the wishes of the owners and the resources of DBLT perfectly dovetailed.

"The Andersons realize the importance of the property to our restoration efforts at Squaw Creek," he said.

He is also talking to other land owners.

"The key is to act soon, before properties get broken into small pieces, he said.

Chalfant says Pond Ranch, as well as the three previous Squaw Creek watershed parcels acquired within the past four years, are linchpins to the DBLT goal of restoring steelhead salmon to the river.

"To lose this window of opportunity now would mean we won't be seeing those fish again in Squaw Creek within our lifetimes," Chalfant said.

The flows of the Crooked, Deschutes, and Metolius Rivers are controlled by the dam at Lake Billy Chinook. Of the three, Chalfant says the Deschutes, and its principal tributary Squaw Creek, provide the best environment for steelhead re-introduction.

Chalfant says the length of Squaw Creek makes it a manageable project and, besides, "it's a magnificent natural resource that runs right through Sisters."

He said "it's a rare opportunity to galvanize people to appreciate, and protect, their community."

This is a sentiment shared by Mary Anderson who is selling the property for half its assessed value and who is re-locating two houses from the property. Anderson says the property has been heavily used in the past as a working ranch and now "it needs to rest."

Anderson is pleased with the pending sale, the result of two years of working with DBLT.

"We see the property as an ecosystem, not a ranch," she said. "As private land owners, we realized we didn't have the resources to realize our dream of rehabilitating the property as a wildlife preserve."

But, she cautions, "nice people have been coming forward to fish the creek. People need to know that unlimited access will just further injure this fragile ecosystem."

DBLT plans for Squaw Creek include an educational center in the restored barn as well as weekly walks on a permission basis, guided by trained docents.

"If Squaw Creek is seen as a recreational area, it, and we, will lose its wildlife value," Chalfant observed.

"Our acquisition at Indian Ford is a park -- Squaw Creek is not.

"It's a wildlife area."