Deschutes Market Road Parcel to Remain with BLM
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Bend, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has made the determination that 1,577- acres commonly referred to as the “Deschutes Market Road” parcel should be retained by the BLM and not transferred to the State of Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL).The BLM and the State have a long-standing relationship in Oregon, and when Oregon was admitted into the Union in 1859, the Federal government granted sections 16 and 36 within every township to the state for support of public schools. In townships where those sections had been conveyed, the State was allowed to select other lands “In Lieu” of the “school sections.” DSL has been working with the BLM since the early 1990s to resolve the State’s entitlement under a joint Memorandum of Understanding.In February 2008, the DSL filed application with the BLM to select public lands on the BLM’s Prineville District to largely satisfy this entitlement. Some of the lands identified in the DSL’s application required the BLM to reclassify the land as “suitable for disposal” prior to transfer to DSL.The BLM made the determination not to dispose of the Deschutes Market Road parcels for a variety of reasons, including: the lands contain scarce values including wildlife habitat, scenic values, and historic resources; the area contains an Area of Critical Environmental Concern; and the lands continue to be valuable for the purposes for which they are currently managed.“The BLM remains committed to fulfilling statehood land grant rights by transferring the remaining acres, and we’re going to work with the State to look at other lands that might be of interest to them,” said State Director Ed Shepard.Actions to satisfy BLM’s obligation include the transfer of the Cline Buttes and Juniper Canyon acres that were recently transferred to the State in April 2008, and in 2008 the BLM also transferred lands located in the Roseburg District in western Oregon. The State of Oregon currently has approximately 1,594 acres remaining as a part of their entitlement.This classification decision is subject to protest by interested parties for a 30-day period. Interested parties may submit protests to: U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar LLM 320 Washington, DC 20240 Additional information about the State of Oregon in lieu selection process is available online at: blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/plans/state-in-lieu/index.php
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.