Trust still hopes for piece of forest

A deal that could have landed 28,000 of Skyline Forest southeast of Sisters in the keeping of the Deschutes Land Trust may have died, but DLT Executive Director Brad Chalfant remains confident his organization will still be able to protect a sizeable portion of the forest.

"I'm actually a lot more confident than I have been for three, four months," Chalfant said.

Fidelity National Timber Resources, the owner of the forest land, had tried to put together a proposal to develop a 5,000-acre piece of the forest in return for turning over 28,000 acres to the care of DLT. The proposal would have required legislative action to change forest zoning requirements.

The idea never gained traction. The State of Oregon sent mixed signals and Fidelity's team assembled to conduct public outreach on the idea couldn't gain traction.

Without clear public support, legislators would not climb on board.

All that made the deal falter and finally die last week. But for Chalfant that just means a new commitment to buying as much of Skyline Forest as Fidelity is willing to sell.

Numbers have yet to be determined. Fidelity may seek to develop some of the forestland under existing forest zoning requirements, limiting residential construction to one home on 200 acres.

Chalfant believes that would still leave a lot of forest available for DLT to protect for recreation - and for use as a "working forest."

DLT is in the running for major grants from the Federal Forest Legacy program, which would help fund a purchase. However, Chalfant acknowledges, DLT will have to run a capital campaign to secure sufficient funds.

"This is not the time I'd choose for a capital campaign," Chalfant said, acknowledging that economic hard times will make the work harder.

But he believes Central Oregonians are eager to see the forest remain a forest, available for hiking and riding and for sustainable wood products - and he thinks there will be support for a direct purchase.

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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