Cline Buttes: What does this mean for the controversial resort development?
Cline Buttes, overlooking a portion of the 400 acres of land to remain in the public trust
400 acres will remain in the public trust
Last week, 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, Central Land and Cattle Company LLC, the developer of the proposed Thornburgh Resort, initiated a request to purchase the Cline Buttes Tract from the Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL).
These 400 acres would have expanded their current private land holdings in the Cline Buttes area and made public access uncertain.
Many assumed the sale was a done deal, but we knew that the community would have something to say about it. We worked to get the word out and asked: Should 400 acres of public land go to Thornburgh Resort?
Central Oregonians had a resounding unified response: No.
GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY OPPOSITION TO THE SALE
Central Oregon LandWatch recently submitted a community letter to the Department of States Lands, with 4,764 signatories opposing the sale. 373 local businesses, community groups, and organizations were represented.
During the March hearing held by the Department of State Lands, hundreds of concerned residents wrote in opposing the land sale. In over two hours of public testimony, every person spoke opposing the land sale.
“When we heard about this application to convert land from the public trust to private development interests, we knew the community would want a say in the process. The court of public opinion has weighed in on this one. Central Oregonians came together in unequivocal agreement that this proposed land sale was not in line with public interests.”
A view of Mt. Jefferson from Cline Buttes
What did the state find?
In addition to the outpouring of opposition to the sale, the Department of State Lands spent months doing its due diligence to consider the funding potential. These land sales supplement the state’s Common School Fund that benefits public schools, and DSL wanted to consider the economic potential in addition to the social and environmental concerns.
In July, a third-party appraisal valued the 400 acres at only $912,000. Currently, the Common School Fund holds roughly $2.2 billion that generate investment revenue, making this $912,000 from the potential land sale a nominal, one-time contribution to the fund in exchange for public land held in trust. When weighing the limited income potential against the social and environmental benefits this tract has for residents and wildlife alike, LandWatch advocated for this land to remain public.
DSL takes community input and value into account. The Oregon Constitution charges the department 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). Additionally, when selling any state lands, the department is also required to consider their scenic and recreational value to the public (ORS 273.051).
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.
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.
What’s going on with the proposed resort’s use of water? We’ll have an update coming next week.
Sunset in the Ochocos: Gary Marsh
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