Barton G Barlow,
Certified Professional Soil Scientist and Hydrologist
64302
Mt Glen Rd., La Grande, Oregon 97850 {541.963.9740}
John Warness, Region Manager January 20, 2007
Forest Capital
Partners, LLC
1607 27th
Street
La Grande,
OR 97850
RE: Proposed
Mt Emily Recreation Area—Please Work With the Mt Emily Recreation Coalition
Dear Mr. Warness:
The proposed Mt Emily Recreation
Area represents the face of Union County—whether viewed from I-84, from
downtown La Grande, from Cove, Oregon, or from FCP’s office in La Grande—it is
the community’s signature. At the
public hearing that the Union County Commission/Coalition (Coalition)
held in La Grande on May 9, 2006 regarding creation of the proposed Mt Emily
Recreation Area (MERA), which was attended by more than 250 residents of
Union County, the Coalition documented overwhelming public support for the
proposal. Not only is MERA the face of the community, it also provides critical
long term wildlife habitat, timber and related watershed resources, and is a
close-to-town public recreation site. MERA has provided these tangible and
intangible resources since the Grande Ronde valley was settled. The vast
majority of Union County’s residents believe this treasure is now seriously
threatened.
In the past 18 months you and I
have met many times to discuss, but not negotiate, terms regarding acquisition
of the proposed MERA by the Coalition.
In all of those meetings you have indicated that negotiations were “not
an option.” During that time period,
and on multiple occasions, however, you stated that information regarding
property valuations, timber valuations, dates to negotiate, etc, would be forthcoming, but none of the
information was provided. On November 17, 2006, you informed the Coalition that
further discussions regarding acquisition of the property were no longer an
option, and that on March 30, 2007, MERA would be placed on FCP’s real estate
web page (www.westslopeproperties.com). With this sale date looming close, and no
commitment from FCP to work with the Coalition, I believe you can understand
why frustration levels among members of the Coalition and residents of Union
County are now very high.
Although I too am very frustrated
with the overall process, I still have immense respect for you and the rest of
the FCP staff in La Grande. As former
co-workers, I believe you and the FCP staff in La Grande have deep ties to the
community, and have been fair and up-front with the Coalition throughout this
process. Unfortunately, the process has been greatly flawed—those FCP staff who
apparently are “calling the shots” have not made a commitment to the community.
To the Coalition and the public, it appears that those individuals in FCP who
have the authority to work with us are not concerned about their long term
business dealings here.
However, it is not too late for FCP to solidify its place in the community
and to make this a “win-win project” for everyone. To this end, I am making a
formal request to you as follows:
1) Please sit down in a sincere and
collaborative manner with the Coalition and negotiate a purchase price for the
MERA. The goal should be to agree on a selling price by March 1, 2007. FCP has detailed timber cruise data that it
can bring to the table, and the Coalition has timber cruise data and a land
appraisal that it can bring to the table.
2) Once we agree on a price for the acquisition,
please agree to give the Coalition time to put together the overall funding
package. We now have heightened interest in this project at the state and
federal level, and funding opportunities are emerging we had not previously
thought possible. However, many of these funding opportunities will require
proposals and actions that will extend beyond the stated March 30, 2007 sale
date.
Two quotes from FCP’s web page (www.forestcap.com) give me great optimism that we can,
collectively, preserve the “face of Union County” for enjoyment by the public
and as a perpetual producer of sustainable natural resources and recreation:
“Forest
Capital Partners is owned by professional foresters with a deep commitment to
the land, the environment, and the communities in which we live and operate.”
“As a large well capitalized organization…FCP is not
forced to over-harvest or sell land to meet debt obligations.”
Whatever happens to the MERA will
be FCP’s legacy. If the area is sold, the timber liquidated and the acreage
subdivided—the highly probable fate if the property is sold via the www.westslopeproperties web
site—that will be FCP’s legacy.
Conversely, if FCP, in good faith, negotiates a price and terms
with the Coalition and the dream of the Mt Emily Recreation Area becomes
reality--that will be FCP’s legacy. FCP
has the sole ability to make this happen.
Please work with the Coalition to
negotiate a price and terms for the acquisition of MERA. Once agreed upon, if
the Coalition is unable to meet those terms and conditions, it will not be the
fault of FCP, and MERA could be sold to
the public on the real estate market. However, because MERA is indeed the “face
of the community” I believe a state-wide effort and commitment will emerge and
will ensure that those terms and conditions can be met. Please call me if you
have questions, concerns or ideas. I look forward to hearing from you in the
near future.
Sincerely,
Bart Barlow
cc: see attached page
Attachment: Via USPS Mail, Color Photo, Mt Emily
Recreation Area (Gildemeisterâ)
CC’s: Letter to John Warness from Bart Barlow 1/20/2007
Matthew W. Donegan, Co-President,
Forest Capital Partners, LLC, 111 SW Fifth Avenue, Suite 3650, Portland, OR
97204. Phone: 971.244.8660, Email: mdonegan@forestcap.com
Kevin
Boling, General Manager, Inland, 6500 Mineral Drive, Suite 101, Coeur d’Alene,
ID 83815, 208.292.2462, ext. 102 kboling@forestcap.com
Colleen
MacLeod colleen@union-county.org; Nellie
Bogue Hibbert nhibbert@union-county.org
Steve McClure smcclure@union-county.org
The Observer City of La Grande OregonParks And Recreation
1406 5th St
Steve Clements, Mayor Wayne
Rawlins, Grant Manager
La Grande, OR 97850 PO Box 670 725 Summer Str, NE Suite C
541.963.3161
La Grande, OR 97850 Salem, OR. 97301
news@lagrandeobserver.com 541.962.1309 503.986.0705
State of Oregon
Greg Smith, Representative David Nelson, Senator
PO Box 219 1407 NW Horn
Heppner, OR. 97836 Pendleton, OR. 97801
541-676-8719 541.278.2332
rep.gregsmith@state.or.us sen.david.nelson@state.or.us
Ron Wyden, US Senator
Gordon Smith, US Senator
105 Fir St #210 116 South
Main, Ste 3
La Grande, OR 97850
Pendleton, OR 97801
541-962-7691
541-278-4109
wyden.senate.gov gsmith.senate.gov/webform.htm
Greg Walden, US
Representative
Ted Kulongoski, Governor
843 E Main St, Ste 400
254 State Capitol
Medford,OR 97504
Salem, OR 97310
800-533-3303
503-378-3111
walden.house.gov
governor.oregon.gov
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Grande
Ronde Bowmen, Ron Babcock and Teddy Nickerson |
Eastern
Oregon ATV Association, Mark Barber |
|
Blue Mt
Backcountry Riders, Lance Coburn |
Blue Mt
Singletrack Trails Club, Rick Bowen, Susan Geer, Bart Barlow |
|
Rocky Mt
Elk Foundation, Scott Wilson |
Oregon
Hunters Association, Rod Spears |
|
Blue Mt
Nordic Club, Mark and Dianne Lewis |
National
Wild Turkey Federation, Darin Larvik |
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USFS,
Wallowa-Whitman, Kurt Weidenman |
Oregon
State Parks, ATV, Ian Caldwell |
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Oregon
Dept of Fish and Wildlife, Leonard Erickson |
Grande
Ronde RoadRunners, Darla VanLeuvan |
|
La
Grande Lions Club, Larry Berg |
Citizens
at Large, Norm Paullus |
|
Mt Emily
Landowners Assoc., Linda Carter |
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|
Union
County, Steve McClure or Hanley Jenkins |
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