Developer of Thornburgh Resort withdraws request to buy 400 acres at Cline Buttes

The following is a statement released by Central Oregon LandWatch: 

On July 29, a private developer withdrew an application to purchase 400 acres of state-owned land at Cline Buttes near Redmond, Oregon. After months of widespread opposition to the proposed public land sale, this withdrawal is a resounding win for Central Oregon communities. 

Nearly a year ago, the private developer initiated a request to purchase the Cline Buttes Tract from the Department of State Lands (DSL). Central Land and Cattle Company LLC, the developer of the proposed Thornburgh Resort, applied to purchase these 400 acres of public land, which would expand their current private land holdings in the Cline Buttes area.

The purchase application drew widespread criticism from Central Oregonians, concerned about the future of public access and natural resource impacts on the tract of land.

The 400 acres are currently being leased to the developer, which includes terms that keep the land available for open space and public access. 

THE FUTURE OF THE CLINE BUTTES TRACT

The State Land Board, which oversees DSL, was expected to issue a final decision on the sale during their August 9 meeting. Because the developer withdrew their application for the purchase of the Cline Buttes Tract, the item was removed from the August 9th agenda.

While the DSL will not need to announce a final decision, it's clear that Central Oregonians value this area for its public benefit, recreational opportunity, wildlife habitat, and more. That’s what won the day.

While the applicant could, in theory, initiate another request for purchase down the road, the state has done its research. We now know that the land has limited economic potential and is weighed against far-reaching environmental and social values. It would be a hard sale to justify.

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WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE PROPOSED RESORT DEVELOPMENT?

These 400 acres are currently leased to the developer, and that lease extends for several more years.  Under the lease terms, the land must remain available for open space and public access.  If the sale were to have gone through, the resort developer would own the land outright, expanding current private land holdings in the Cline Buttes area and allowing the developer whatever it chose to do with the property.

While this is a clear win for public land at Cline Buttes, there are still many outstanding concerns over the controversial resort development. The developers still own a large area of land in the Cline Buttes area and are trying to move forward with plans for development.

Currently, a number of legal appeals continue, and the public continues to voice its worry over water use in the high desert. LandWatch has been working for over a decade to ensure Deschutes County complies with land use and water laws in reviewing proposals for Thornburgh Resort.

Stay up to date on what's going on with the proposed resort's use of water by clicking https://www.centraloregonlandwatch.org/news

 

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