- March 8, 2012 Coalition Applauds Senate for Dedicated Conservation Funding
- February 13, 2012 Coalition Applauds President's Continued Support for Conservation Funding
- December 17, 2011 Conservation, Business and Sportsmen Groups Applaud Congressional Efforts to Protect LWCF Funding in FY12 Budget
- July 25, 2011- New Bipartisan Poll Shows Overwhelming Support Across America for Land and Water Conservation Fund
- July 13, 2011- National Bipartisan Poll Memo
- May 31, 2011- Over One-Third of the U.S. House of Representatives Sign Letter Supporting Funding for LWCF
- April 14, 2011- Conrad Anchor Testimony Release
- December 20, 2010 - Senate Urged to Join House and Pass Bill with Full Funding for Conservation Program »
- August 3, 2010 - Senate Urged to Join House and Pass Bill with Full Funding for Conservation Program »
- July 15, 2010 - House Committee Passes Bill Securing Funding for Conservation and Recreation Program »
- April 16, 2010 - America's Great Outdoors Conference Focuses on Need for Vital Land, Recreation Funding »
- February 1, 2010 - Obama's Budget Includes Key Funding for Land & Water »
- November 6, 2009 - Senate Bill Would Fulfill Longstanding Promise for Conservation and Recreation Program »
- September 17 , 2009 - Coalition Supports Conservation at House Hearing »
NC transfers Imnaha lands to USFS
During Senator Ron Wyden's town hall meeting in Wallowa on Saturday, June 4, Joseph business owner Rob Lamb thanked the senator for his help securing funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund enabling the United States Forest Service to continue a 6,695-acre land purchase from the Nature Conservancy along the Imnaha River in Wallowa County.
The land is primarily in the Imnaha River canyon but some falls within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Wallowa Valley District.
The Nature Conservancy purchased the property from Gazelle Land and Timber company in 2008 for $7.39 million with the intention of holding it until funds became available to the USFS from congressional appropriations through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.The transfer is taking place over the course of three years.
Before the purchase by the Nature Conservancy, Gazelle Land and Timber had offered the property for sale to private interests for development as separate 240-acre "ranchettes."
The USFS is making the purchase of the property from the Nature Conservancy for a total of $6.455 million.
"The beauty of the partnership with the Nature Conservancy is that it allows us the time we need to go through the process (for congressional appropriations to purchase the land)," said HCNRA District Ranger Mary DeAguero in a 2008 Chieftain interview.
In 2010, the Nature Conservancy reported that the USFS purchased 2,022 acres for $1,773,750. The 2011 purchase is reported at $3.13 million for 3,032 acres; and, the USFS has requested that Congress appropriate for the 2012 fiscal year an additional $1.58 million for the remaining 1,640 acres.
An appraisal was performed by Tyler Wood prior to the property being sold by Gazelle Land and Timber, LLC to the Nature Conservancy. "The appraisal was about $1,100 per acre," Wallowa County Commissioner Mike Hayward said. "They looked at other areas in other states as comparables and assessed the value as range lands and all were buildable sites," he said.
There was another appraisal performed at the request of USFS employee Cliff Curtis for the acquisition of Land and Water Conservation funds just prior to the USFS purchase from the Nature Conservancy.
"The appraisal by the USFS on the 6,695 acres set a total value of $6.455 million and was completed in April 2009. In May 2010 we concluded an agreement with the USFS to sell the properties to them at that price, over a period of several years, as their funding becomes available," according to Nature Conservancy director of communications Stephen Anderson.
Anderson explained that the Nature Conservancy had not intended upon profiting from the land transfer to the USFS and rather entered into the agreement in order to fulfill the mission of ecological conservation.
"The fiscal year 2012 Hells Canyon National Recreation Area project is slated by the Forest Service as the top priority for Land and Water Conservation funding. This speaks to the values the Forest Service has placed on habitat protection, public access, and management options in the Imnaha area," said Nature Conservancy program manager Jeff Fields from his Enterprise office.
Hayward estimated that the amount of property tax lost by the county due to the land transfer from private ownership to the USFS is about $3,000 to $4,000 per year. Hayward said the average annual property tax rate on the 6,695 acres was about 75 cents per acre.
Hayward said there was a debate weighing competing alternatives of selling the properties to the USFS or dividing them into 240-acre parcels for residential development. One question concerned the potential extent of Wallowa County's lost tax revenues.
"The proponents of the land transfer said the county is giving up tax dollars. Opponents said that if the parcels were sold individually and people started building homes, the infrastructure costs to the county would outweigh the tax revenues," Hayward said.
As stated above, the funding for the USFS purchase comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Congress established the fund through the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. The funds come from royalties earned by offshore Gulf Coast oil drilling operations.
At the height of full funding, the Land and Water Conservation Fund acquired $900 million per year from the oil drilling operations to distribute for inland conservation projects, according to Rob Lamb, who owns a fly-fishing tackle shop in Joseph. During the past several years the fund has received fewer and fewer dollars from the oil operations, said Lamb.
Lamb was recently chosen by the Nature Conservancy Enterprise office to travel to Washington, D.C., and urge Congress to once again provide full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
"I was part of a coalition supporting full funding of the program. We put on a lobby day fly-in to Washington, D.C. I met with the environmental staff of Oregon's two senators and five members of Congress," Lamb said.
NC transfers Imnaha lands to USFS
During Senator Ron Wyden's town hall meeting in Wallowa on Saturday, June 4, Joseph business owner Rob Lamb thanked the senator for his help securing funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund enabling the United States Forest Service to continue a 6,695-acre land purchase from the Nature Conservancy along the Imnaha River in Wallowa County.
The land is primarily in the Imnaha River canyon but some falls within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Wallowa Valley District.
The Nature Conservancy purchased the property from Gazelle Land and Timber company in 2008 for $7.39 million with the intention of holding it until funds became available to the USFS from congressional appropriations through the Land and Water Conservation Fund.The transfer is taking place over the course of three years.
Before the purchase by the Nature Conservancy, Gazelle Land and Timber had offered the property for sale to private interests for development as separate 240-acre "ranchettes."
The USFS is making the purchase of the property from the Nature Conservancy for a total of $6.455 million.
"The beauty of the partnership with the Nature Conservancy is that it allows us the time we need to go through the process (for congressional appropriations to purchase the land)," said HCNRA District Ranger Mary DeAguero in a 2008 Chieftain interview.
In 2010, the Nature Conservancy reported that the USFS purchased 2,022 acres for $1,773,750. The 2011 purchase is reported at $3.13 million for 3,032 acres; and, the USFS has requested that Congress appropriate for the 2012 fiscal year an additional $1.58 million for the remaining 1,640 acres.
An appraisal was performed by Tyler Wood prior to the property being sold by Gazelle Land and Timber, LLC to the Nature Conservancy. "The appraisal was about $1,100 per acre," Wallowa County Commissioner Mike Hayward said. "They looked at other areas in other states as comparables and assessed the value as range lands and all were buildable sites," he said.
There was another appraisal performed at the request of USFS employee Cliff Curtis for the acquisition of Land and Water Conservation funds just prior to the USFS purchase from the Nature Conservancy.
"The appraisal by the USFS on the 6,695 acres set a total value of $6.455 million and was completed in April 2009. In May 2010 we concluded an agreement with the USFS to sell the properties to them at that price, over a period of several years, as their funding becomes available," according to Nature Conservancy director of communications Stephen Anderson.
Anderson explained that the Nature Conservancy had not intended upon profiting from the land transfer to the USFS and rather entered into the agreement in order to fulfill the mission of ecological conservation.
"The fiscal year 2012 Hells Canyon National Recreation Area project is slated by the Forest Service as the top priority for Land and Water Conservation funding. This speaks to the values the Forest Service has placed on habitat protection, public access, and management options in the Imnaha area," said Nature Conservancy program manager Jeff Fields from his Enterprise office.
Hayward estimated that the amount of property tax lost by the county due to the land transfer from private ownership to the USFS is about $3,000 to $4,000 per year. Hayward said the average annual property tax rate on the 6,695 acres was about 75 cents per acre.
Hayward said there was a debate weighing competing alternatives of selling the properties to the USFS or dividing them into 240-acre parcels for residential development. One question concerned the potential extent of Wallowa County's lost tax revenues.
"The proponents of the land transfer said the county is giving up tax dollars. Opponents said that if the parcels were sold individually and people started building homes, the infrastructure costs to the county would outweigh the tax revenues," Hayward said.
As stated above, the funding for the USFS purchase comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Congress established the fund through the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965. The funds come from royalties earned by offshore Gulf Coast oil drilling operations.
At the height of full funding, the Land and Water Conservation Fund acquired $900 million per year from the oil drilling operations to distribute for inland conservation projects, according to Rob Lamb, who owns a fly-fishing tackle shop in Joseph. During the past several years the fund has received fewer and fewer dollars from the oil operations, said Lamb.
Lamb was recently chosen by the Nature Conservancy Enterprise office to travel to Washington, D.C., and urge Congress to once again provide full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
"I was part of a coalition supporting full funding of the program. We put on a lobby day fly-in to Washington, D.C. I met with the environmental staff of Oregon's two senators and five members of Congress," Lamb said.