Join the fight!
Update!
Proposed Sale of Cline Buttes – Thornburgh Resort
Will the 400 acres of public land ultimately go to the developers of Thornburgh Resort? We’ll need your participation to ensure the Land Board makes the right decision.
Cline Buttes recreation area: Bureau of Land Management
Take Action!
Submit public comment by July 29.
A decision on the proposed land sale is expected on August 9.
The record is still open for public comment, so we urge you to write in if you haven’t yet. If you have already submitted comments, the DSL notes that you may submit additional comments, which will be added to the record.
REQUIRED: Make sure to include the transaction number for this potential sale: 63509-LS
Public Comment Form 👇
https://www.oregon.gov/dsl/Land/Pages/LandComment.aspx
Email 👇
Arin.N.Smith@dsl.oregon.gov
realproperty.dsl@dsl.oregon.gov
WHERE IS THE LAND IN QUESTION?
Cline Buttes Recreation Area map
Map showing proposed tracts for sale. Source: Courtesy of Robert Sharpe
Department of State Lands: Notice of Potential Sale map
MORE ON THE CURRENT ISSUE!
The proposed resort has drawn widespread criticism from concerned residents across Central Oregon.
Over the past year, there has been mounting alarm over the resort’s proposed water use (using up to 6 million gallons per day) and the effects on fish, wildlife, and nearby groundwater levels.
Hundreds of you have participated in multiple Deschutes County land use hearings over the proposed development, which could add up to a thousand luxury homes and three golf courses to this rural landscape.
These beloved public lands don’t belong behind a fence.
WHAT IS THIS PUBLIC LAND WORTH?
Despite the outpouring of public opposition, the Department of State Lands claimed it needed to consider this sale of public land for financial reasons, out of a need for funding to supplement the Common School Fund. The Department of State Lands has spent the last few months completing an appraisal to determine the land value. The results are finally in.
You can read the complete appraisal here.
OUR TAKEAWAY
The estimated value for the 400 acres comes in at $912,000. Currently, the Common School fund holds roughly $2.2 billion dollars that generate investment revenue. This $912,000 from the potential land sale is nominal when compared to the overall Common School Fund (which distributes less than 4% annually). With the one-time monetary benefit to the Common School Fund, it is our firm belief that this land should remain public, given the widespread concern over public access and natural resources. The appraisal states that the highest and best use of these lots is “as an unbuildable recreational resource with limited seasonal access.”
The Department of State Lands is required by the Oregon Constitution to “manage lands under its jurisdiction with the object of obtaining the greatest benefit for the people of this state, consistent with the conservation of this resource under sound techniques of land management" (Article III, Section 5). When selling any state lands, DSL must also consider their scenic and recreational value to the public (ORS 273.051).
Based on the available information, we believe there is an even stronger case for keeping this land public for its recreational and natural resource values over and above sale to private developers.
HELP SPREAD THE WORD!
Do you know someone who may be interested in these issues? Please share with any individuals, groups, or organizations that come to mind. We have less than a week to get the word out and could use your help.
Information courtesy of Central Oregon Land Watch.
Find out more at https://www.centraloregonlandwatch.org/news
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Also in News
Developer of Thornburgh Resort withdraws request to buy 400 acres at Cline Buttes
According to Central Oregon LandWatch, the Central Land and Cattle Company withdrew their application last Friday to buy the land on the Cline Buttes tract. It’s owned by the department of state lands.
Proposed sale of Cline Buttes
The Department of State Lands is currently reviewing a request to sell 400 acres of public land at Cline Buttes to Central Land and Cattle Company LLC, the developers of the proposed Thornburgh Resort.
Such development has a projected use of upwards of 6 million gallons of water per day. If you aren't aware the Dept. of State Lands has extended the comment period for the proposed sale of 400 acres at Cline Butte to July 1st.