Mt. Emily Recreation Area - Action Alerts

The Mt. Emily Recreation Coalition and Union County would like to share the purchase options with the community at a public information meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 29th at 7:00 p.m. in the Blue Mountain Conference Center, located at 404 12th Street in La Grande.  Details about the proposed acquisition will be made available at the meeting.  Representatives from the Mt. Emily Recreation Coalition, Union County and Forest Capital Partners will present details about the purchase opportunities and be on hand to answer any questions the public may have at the meeting.  A questionnaire will be circulated at the meeting to ask county residents about their position on the acquisition and to gather their additional input on the purchase. 
Please plan to attend this very important meeting!  Only with sufficient positive public participation at this meeting will Union County proceed with acquisition of the recreation area.  If you are unable to attend the meeting, you can learn more about terms of the acquisition and download and fill out the questionnaire here on this web site.  In either case, questionnaires MUST be returned by Tuesday, Feb. 12th.

In a Feb. 5th meeting with Union County Commissioner Steve McClure, Forest Capital Partners officials stated their commitment to work with Union County to pursue opportunities for public ownership of MERA.  According to Hanley Jenkins, Union County planner, their message was loud and clear, "we will work with County and Coalition to make this happen--it is a priority for us".  FCP agreed to give the County adequate time to explore and secure funding; with FCP to provide the County with an appraisal in April 2007.  The area will not be put up for sale by Forest Capital's real estate arm, Westslope Properties! Please consider communicating FCP staff and Union County elected officials, thanking them for their commitment and encouraging them to take the next necessary steps.

Forest Capital Partners, current owner of the MERA property, has been unwilling to work seriously with the Coalition on the fate of the Mt. Emily holdings.  We want them to understand the importance of this area to the people of Union County.  Please send them a letter giving your opinion of the Mt. Emily Recreation Area and asking them to seriously negotiate with Union County and the MERA Coalition on a reasonable price and terms for purchase.  To strengthen its impact, forward copies of your letter to County and State officials and make sure they are listed in your letter.  FCP needs to know that we care, and the our elected officials know about it!