Skyline Forest is a vast and intact forest that borders the Deschutes National Forest and our communities in Bend and Sisters. The mountain vistas to the west of town rise above this swath of ponderosa forestland. The area is beloved by many locals who affectionately refer to it as “Bend and Sisters’ backyard.”

This massive area includes places like Three Creeks Butte, topping out at 5,489 feet of elevation. Over a dozen intermittent and ephemeral streams flow through Skyline Forest from the Cascades foothills into Tumalo and Whychus Creeks. These waterways are essential sources of cold, clean water for the iconic Deschutes River. This connected system of streams and tributaries is the lifeblood of our region, providing water for our communities and supporting regional fish and wildlife species.

The forest also provides access to the outdoors located just minutes west of Bend in the form of rugged ridgelines and rocky outcroppings that delight outdoor enthusiasts. Bikers, hikers, birders, and day-trippers alike enjoy Skyline Forest for recreational opportunities.

And each year, mule deer and elk migrate from higher elevations in the mountains to their winter range in Skyline Forest. Here, they are able to escape some of the snow and find the nutrition they need to make it through the harsh Central Oregon winter.

Surrounded by public lands and the Deschutes National Forest, it may surprise many a Central Oregonian to discover this beloved 33,000-acre area is actually privately owned. For generations, Bendites and visitors have enjoyed informal access to these lands granted by various private landowners. Historically, Skyline Forest was managed as commercial timberland known as Bull Springs Tree Farm. Since 1988, local conservation and community groups have been working to conserve this iconic area from development. During this time, the working forest has balanced timber production with recreational and ecological values.

But now, that balance - and Skyline’s future - is uncertain. The recent fire risk closure is an unprecedented change to the broad public access that has been afforded to the area for decades.

Ownership of Skyline Forest has changed hands multiple times over the past four decades. In 2015, all 33,000 acres were acquired by the international investment group Whitefish Cascade Forest Resources LLC., which has since become known as Shanda Asset Management LLC. The Bull Springs Skyline Forest property is currently for sale on the market for $95 million. This is well above the property’s timber value, and it is being advertised as a prime development opportunity for a destination resort or large-scale, luxury development. This means that any future buyer would need to develop the tree farm for sale in some capacity to recoup their sizable investment and make a profit.

Large development projects would pose serious threats to the forest’s value for wildlife, water, and wildfire safety. The effects of certain types of developments can negatively impact the quantity and quality of water available to Central Oregonians, fish, and wildlife. The Deschutes River system depends on an inflow of cold, clean water from both Tumalo and Whychus Creeks. These seasonal flows bring fresh, cold water into the upper Deschutes, lowering the overall temperature during the hot summer months when temperatures could otherwise reach lethal levels for fish.

The forest’s recent closure due to fire risk, active fire history, and close proximity to Bend also illustrate the escalating risk posed to our growing cities and towns by climate change-driven wildfires. Large-scale fires have burned through thousands of acres of Skyline Forest over the past decade. Some have burned alarmingly close to Bend, prompting evacuations of entire neighborhoods near Shevlin Park. It is critical that Skyline Forest remains free from large-scale, luxury development because of its highly fire-prone conditions. Whether Skyline Forest is conserved or developed will have a direct impact on our community’s ability to navigate the changing reality of wildfire in Central Oregon.