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SAVE SKYLINE FOREST

Between grand mountain peaks to the west and the vast expanse of high desert that spills out into the east, the 33,000-acre Skyline Forest landscape provides us with bountiful opportunities for outdoor adventure and is essential to our unique quality of life here in Central Oregon. Saving Skyline Forest from unsafe and unwise development is vital to Central Oregon wildlife, wildfire safety, water, and outdoor access.

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WATCH: FACES OF SKYLINE FOREST

A new video series about the Central Oregon communities with a stake in the future of Bend’s backyard forest.

Skyline Forest is central to what we love about Oregon

Skyline Forest is an indelible part of Central Oregon to community members and visitors who have lived beside and explored this special landscape. The effort to save Skyline Forest is nearly two decades in the making. It has always been an important place for our community, but now there is renewed urgency to protect this place once and for all.

Central Oregon’s real estate market is booming. The impacts of climate change on this landscape are mounting. The recent elimination of long-standing public access to Skyline Forest due to fire risk and the unprecedented drought gripping Central Oregon are both linked to and exacerbated by rising average temperatures in a warming world. Iconic Central Oregon wildlife species that depend on Skyline Forest are facing new threats and shrinking habitats.

Now is the time to ensure this special place remains a vital, intact part of Central Oregon’s livable future.

A community conservation campaign

The Save Skyline Forest campaign goal is to permanently conserve this area for wildlife, wildfire safety, water quality, and outdoor access that is paramount to the wellbeing of Central Oregonians and our communities.

Central Oregon LandWatch, community partners, and conservation organizations in Central Oregon are working diligently to forge a path towards a lasting and equitable solution that will meet the needs of the ecosystem, prioritize water quality and wildfire safety, and ensure sustained public access to Skyline Forest for all.

Ready to step up for the place you love? Join the effort to Save Skyline Forest.

Updates

September 2023

Saving Skyline Forest was highlighted as a ‘Game Changer’ project in Envision Bend’s five-year Vision Action Plan.

November 2022

Over 1,100 Central Oregonians and 63 local businesses and organizations called on elected leaders to help save Skyline Forest.

September 2022

The listing price for Skyline Forest was reduced from $127M to $95M.

Explore Skyline Forest

Unsafe & Unwise for Development

We have a responsibility to evolve where our communities grow and avoid unsafe development on land in the wild-urban interface. Due to its fire-prone ecology and current zoning, Skyline Forest is not a safe or wise place for development.

Water & Wildlife

Many species of Central Oregon wildlife depend on the resources and habitat Skyline Forest provides for their very survival, including a stream network that supports the Deschutes River with high-quality water.

Outdoor Access Nearby

One thing that makes Central Oregon so appealing is the abundance of readily available opportunities to get outside. Skyline Forest offers respite and adventure aplenty for residents and visitors alike.