For those of you who love Central Oregon ( A Threat to Public Access - Got to act fast )

[Draketake]

Please consider signing this opposition letter.

Should 400 acres of public land go to Thornburgh Resort? — Central Oregon LandWatch

Right now, 400-acres of public land at Cline Buttes might get fenced off, sold to a private luxury resort development. Luckily, the Department of State Lands is asking for public input. Have something to say? So do we.

www.centraloregonlandwatch.org

I believe the closing date is March 17, 2022.

Its a horrible idea, especially with the continuing drought and the loss of access to public land.

Thank you.

Bob

 

[SKYKO]

Agree with Draketake on this, please comment against if you are so inclined.

 

[Evan B]

Passed on to a few I know with homes nearby.

 

[mcswny]

@RyRy82 Close to home I assume?

 

[RyRy82]

Five minutes away. I don’t know much about this project other than it has been in the works for many years. We are short on water here as the deschutes aquifer is not getting recharged at the same rate it has in the past. Climate change, irrigation district piping, and mass population increase account for a lot of the decline. The shollow wells around here are going dry. 6 million gallons a day is a lot of water. The city of Redmond with 30k residents uses 14 million a day in the summer months and about 3 million in off irrigation months. I suspect these golf courses will be watered with deep well water which accounts for that large amount of water for not many houses. I don’t believe there are irrigation water rights to this land. The maston trail network is popular for mountain bikers, hikers, and horse riding. I believe it’s within the scope of this project.

 

[Long_Rod_Silvers]

Signed and bump.

 

[mcswny]

Just got an email saying this didnt go through.

A win for public land at Cline Buttes!​

Thanks to you, these 400 acres will remain in the public trust​

This is the update we’ve been waiting to share with you. We are so excited to deliver the great news that last week, the private developer withdrew their application to purchase 400 acres of state-owned land at Cline Buttes.

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 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? You answered with a resounding and unified response: No.

Last week, we submitted the community letter you signed to the Department of State Lands. In total, there were 4,764 signatories opposing the sale. 373 local businesses, community groups, and organizations were represented.

“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.” - Ben Gordon, Executive Director

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.

​ Cline Buttes as seen from Redmond

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 they 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. This doesn’t mean we’ve heard the last from Thornburgh Resort. 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 your way soon.

In the meantime, this is a win worth celebrating. It shows the power of public participation and grassroots community organizing. Your voice mattered; that is good news for Central Oregon’s public lands and access this week. Thank you for your continued advocacy for Central Oregon's livable future.

 

[mcswny]

apologies for the formatting

 

[Josh]

Nice to hear a bit of good news these days!

 

[Draketake]

Gotta stay vigilant on this though. The Developer is still determined to make this happen on these 400 acres or on the other land that he/she/they own. The fight aint over.

 

[mcswny]

Gotta stay vigilant on this though. The Developer is still determined to make this happen on these 400 acres or on the other land that he/she/they own. The fight aint over.

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