State delays decision, extends comment period on proposed land sale to Thornburgh Resort
Vote pushed back to at least August; needs more time to appraise market value
REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon Department of State Lands has extended until July 1 the public comment period on the potential sale of the 400-acre Cline Buttes Tract to the controversial Thornburgh Resort west of Redmond, saying it needs more time to complete its appraisal of the property, and now expects a Land Board decision no earlier than August.
DSL said in Friday's notice that it originally anticipated all due diligence materials would be complete and available for public review in April.
"Additional time is needed to complete a comprehensive appraisal of the tract’s market value," the agency said. "Extending the public comment deadline to Friday, July 1 ensures adequate time for the public to review and provide feedback on all due diligence materials. DSL will provide email updates as remaining materials are available."
The August 9 meeting of the State Land Board is now the earliest a sale decision will be made, officials said.
More than 200 people attended last month's virtual meeting and all who spoke were resort opponents who testified against the proposed land sale.
Caitlyn Burford, communications and outreach manager for Central Oregon LandWatch, which also has opposed the proposed sale, noted it was the second extension of the comment period.
"On the one hand, our reaction is that any time given to the public to weigh in is a good one," Burford told NewsChannel 21 on Monday. "Before either of the extensions were made, the Department of State Lands noted that there had already been 1,800 comments submitted to the record before the hearing on March 10th. We can only assume that number will be higher as this is an issue of widespread public concern across Central Oregon."
Land Board meetings include time for public testimony. Meeting details, including information about providing spoken and written testimony, are posted one week before the meeting on the Land Board meeting website. Sign up here to receive Land Board meeting notices: https://www.oregon.gov/dsl/News/Pages/Subscribe.aspx
Submitting New Comments
New comments may be submitted, even if you have previously submitted a comment. For information on how to comment, visit the Department’s State Land Sales webpage at https://www.oregon.gov/dsl/Land/Pages/Sales.aspx and select Cline Buttes Tract under “Properties Open for Review or Comment.”
Additional Due Diligence Materials Available
The deed to tax lot 5300 and a report on Peck’s milkvetch are now available for download from the due diligence materials list, which can be found by visiting the State Land Sales webpage and selecting Cline Buttes Tract under “Properties Open for Review or Comment.”
Background and How to Learn More
The Department of State Lands has received an application from Central Land and Cattle Company, LLC to directly purchase the Cline Buttes Tract, 400 acres of school lands in Deschutes County. DSL is currently conducting a due diligence process that involves gathering information about the land and comments from the public to help inform a sale decision by the State Land Board.
More details regarding the potential sale are available on DSL’s State Land Sales page, including background about the request to purchase the lands, information on how to comment, and a recording of DSL’s March public meeting on the potential sale.
