Skyline Forest open for 'test drive'

The Deschutes Land Trust still has a long path to tread before the Skyline Community Forest becomes a reality. But if wishes counted for anything, it would already be a done deal. Earlier this year, the Oregon Legislature approved a potential land deal that would bring 30,000 acres of the Bull Springs Tree Farm under the stewardship of the Deschutes Land Trust.

Although planning and negotiations are moving forward, no deal has yet been struck to change the property's ownership. However, that legal hurdle hasn't prevented the land trust from starting to "move in."

The trust's executive director, Brad Chalfant, explained that the current owners have been supportive of the land trust's growing role on the property.

"We're leading tours out here to help educate our supporters and the public in what we have out here," Chalfant said.

Last week was a busy one for the land trust, with an annual meeting and several group tours at various sites. Multiple tours were conducted on the Skyline Forest site, and Chalfant led one group of about 35 to the headwaters of Bull Springs Creek - source of the name for the present Bull Springs Tree Farm and, hopefully, future Skyline Forest.

The land trust wants people to know more about the area because public support will be important as the community forest initiative heads into the final stretch. The goal of a community forest is an ambitious one, in which the forest is held and managed for the benefit of the community. Although the legislature's bill provides a five-year window for the deal to be closed, Chalfant expects a final agreement to be reached much earlier.

Chalfant believes that, when the deal is finalized, Skyline Forest will become the largest community forest in the country. "The land trust would be the holder of the land," he said, "but it would be the community's land."

The trust is looking at a wide variety of options in management of the land and considers it important that traditional public uses of the land be retained and even improved.

Chalfant left the door open for a variety of public uses but said that management of wildlife would be the number-one priority. The second priority is forest health management, and number three on the list is recreation. He gave several examples of recreation possibilities including hiking, hunting, camping, trail biking, picnicking, visitor tours and community education.

Chalfant's tour actually turned into a hike of about three miles, and he explained highlights of the plan at several stops along the route. At one point, he stopped in a grove of very large ponderosa pines.

"This land has been logged for generations," Chalfant told the group, "but it is still well stocked with trees. The landowners have left a lot of fairly good-sized trees. I frequently hear people say there are no trees left up here, and that's just not true. We still have some big trees up here. They're well-spaced and ready to put on girth."

Chalfant's hiking tour ended just in time for the participants to attend the land trust's annual meeting at Aspen Hall in Shevlin Park, west of Bend. Other land trust tours were held earlier the same day at Camp Polk (north of Sisters), and near Trout Creek Butte, southwest of Sisters.

The land deal would allow development on about 1,200 acres near Sisters, most of which would be an undeveloped buffer zone. The remaining 30,000-plus acres would be sold to the land trust at the current timber value of the land. At present, that would only be about $300 per acre but would depend on market value at the time.

The proposed development near Sisters would be in the northernmost portion of the large private holding. Although close to Three Creek Road, south of Peterson Ridge, the principal access would be to the east, off Highway 20 near the rodeo grounds. This access plan was created in response to concerns about traffic pressure on Three Creek Road and the transition to South Elm Street in downtown Sisters.

The trust will be conducting even more tours in the weeks ahead and is encouraging public participation. Two upcoming tours already on the schedule will be conducted on Monday, November 2.

Chalfant will lead a driving tour through Skyline Forest in the morning and another hiking tour in the afternoon. That hike will be about three to five miles. The tours are free, but registration is required. For more information contact the Deschutes Land Trust at (541) 330-0017 or visit http://www.deschuteslandtrust.org (see link below).