A checkerboard of federally owned parcels within the boundaries of the Young Life Washington Family Ranch east of Antelope is fueling talk of a trade.
"We're working on a very large land exchange between Young Life, a few other private landowners and the BLM," Forrest Reinhardt, a Young Life youth pastor who represents the Washington Family Ranch, told the Jefferson County Commission Oct. 14.
Reinhardt and Aaron Kilgore, John Day coordinator for the Oregon Natural Desert Association, outlined the proposal for the commission. Kilgore's association has been assisting ownership and land management issues along the Lower John Day River over the past few years.
Under terms of the proposal, the Bureau of Land Management would give up a total of 12,323 acres to Young Life. In exchange, Young Life would give 8,821 acres to the BLM to create two wilderness areas - Horse Heaven (8,015 acres) and Coffin Rock.
Two other property owners, Bud Shrum, and Bill Smith of Cherry Creek Ranch, would also be part of the exchange. Shrum would give the BLM 494 acres and receive 594 acres in return, and Smith would give the BLM 1,057 acres and receive 1,158 acres.
In total, the BLM would trade 14, 075 acres for 10,372 acres of private land.
"The final exchange numbers would be subject to an appraisal to ensure that the exchanges between three private landowners and the BLM are equal value," Kilgore noted.
"The fact that the total acreage reflects a net gain to private landowners is because the public would be acquiring higher-value lands along the wild and scenic river, while private landowners would be primarily acquiring uplands, at significantly lower value," Kilgore said.
The exchanges would give the public access to more than 10,000 acres of public land that had previously been surrounded by private land and unavailable for public access. At the same time, it would make the Young Life property, which hosts youth camps, safer for visitors, since hunters would no longer be attempting to access properties within its borders.
Over four miles of the Wild and Scenic John Day River would be converted to public ownership in the Coffin Rock area, "thereby expanding public access for river users including anglers, hunters and boaters in a popular area," Kilgore said.
Federal legislation must be enacted for the government to exchange land with private parties, Reinhardt pointed out. "Now the only way you can execute these large land exchanges with the BLM is through legislation. There has to be wilderness involved."
If Reinhardt can obtain approval from the three counties affected by the trades - Jefferson, Wheeler and Wasco - he intends to work on a bill with Oregon legislators in Washington, D.C.
"I'm heading back to D.C. at the end of this month to get the ball rolling on legislation," he added.
When commissioners asked if Young Life had run into any problems putting the land exchange together, Reinhardt responded that although there have been concerns expressed along the way, "It's a win-win-win, or no deal. There's been no opposition by an private landowner."
The commission unanimously agreed to write a letter supporting the exchange and creation of the Coffin Rock and Horse Heaven wilderness areas.
