Forest empire south and east of Sisters at stake in land trust bid

Thousands of acres of forest land between Sisters and Bend are up for grabs — and the Deschutes Basin Land Trust is trying to make sure it falls within its grasp.

If the land trust is successful in acquiring a massive block of land south and east of Sisters, it will create a “community forest,” a concept new to the western United States — and never before done on a scale such as the Land Trust is proposing.

At stake is a 33,000-acre block of land known as either the Bull Springs Tree Farm or Skyline Forest. It is part of the bankrupt Crown Pacific timber company empire and is expected to come on the market in the near future.

At a meeting in Sisters on August 18, Brad Chalfant, executive director of the Land Trust, outlined the main points of the trust’s campaign.

The Land Trust is working on several fronts to get a groundswell of local support for the acquisition and to prove to the Deschutes County Commissioners that there is financial and community viability in the project.

Widely used by recreationists who hike, cycle or horseback ride through the ponderosa forest, the forest is also a working tree farm. While the prospect of losing this treasure store of recreational opportunity to development is slim at present, Chalfant warned that that scenario is always possible.

The goal of the Land Trust is to keep the forest in a productive state, with timber sales funding repayment of bonds issued to finance the purchase. Rep. Chuck Burley recently led the charge to pass legislation in Salem allowing this to occur. Spin-offs of timber production are the creation and sustaining of jobs in the timber industry in Central Oregon.

The area is also valuable as wildlife habitat.

“This is a very important piece of property,” said Chalfant. “It is the heart and soul of the Tumalo Reservoir mule deer winter range.”

It also plays a part in songbird migration from Latin America to the Arctic. As part of the multi-faceted approach the Land Trust takes in managing their land, surveying and caring for the various aspects of wildlife habitat is as important as commercial sustainability of the forest.

Chalfant emphasized that keeping access open to various recreational users is also a priority of the Land Trust, something that may not be as important to another owner.

One of the questions those at the meeting had concerned possible development as either residential properties or a destination resort. Chalfant said that at present, that sort of development is not possible, but added that it may well be in five to 10 years if zoning changes.

Also addressed were ways interested citizens could become involved in shaping the future of the land.

In Chalfant’s view, the most urgent need is to alert Deschutes County Commissioners that there is community support for the proposed project. A committee has been formed which is circulating a petition, a grass-roots document that will show the commissioners that Central Oregonians are aware of and support the project. Chalfant stressed that no taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the project; funding is dependent on revenue generated by the forest.

Chalfant also urged attendees to talk about the project, to stay informed, and to alert friends and neighbors about it. It is an important part of the scenic view of Central Oregon, and encompasses most of the panorama residents view as they look from the south toward the Three Sisters Wilderness, he said.

Information is available at the Save Skyline Forest Committee Web site — http://www.skylineforest.org.