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Sisters council says no to forest land swap
By Jim Cornelius

The Sisters City Council has weighed in against a proposed exchange of Squaw Creek lands for property in the Steens Mountain Wilderness.

Landowner George Stroemple pulled the controversial exchange proposal off the table the day before the council meeting on Thursday, June 27.

However, the council decided to take an official stand responding to strong public sentiment against the exchange expressed at a public hearing on June 18 (see "Residents speak out against land swap proposal," The Nugget, June 26, page 1).

The council's non-binding resolution not only opposed the Stroemple exchange; it also declared that the lands in the "Squaw Creek Corridor" are "of vital interest to the residents of the Sisters community" and that taking any of those lands out of public hands would have a negative impact on Sisters' livability.

"The main concern was that the public doesn't want public lands to go into private ownership," said councilor Deb Kollodge. "That's the bottom line."

Councilor Lon Kellstrom cautioned against taking a "we're against 'em all" approach to land exchanges, a caution that other councilors accepted. However, they believe the council's resolution was specific to the Squaw Creek corridor and conforms to the city's stated policy that development should not grow toward the south.

Kellstrom also raised concerns about the health of the forest in the area under Forest Service management. He cited assertions that Stroemple might do a better job managing the land.

"Do we let him clean it up and prevent a fire in five years that wipes out the whole corridor?" Kellstrom said. "It's a hard decision to make."

Stroemple had scaled back the proposed swap, reducing the Squaw Creek acreage he seeks from 690 acres to 462 acres. Stroemple owns 1,240 acres of in-holding in the Steens Mountain Wilderness that the federal government and many environmentalists want brought into the wilderness.

Though he withdrew the proposal, his letter asked the council to "take a careful look at the revised offer... I would propose using this approach as a starting point for future discussions."

Stroemple also asked "those concerned with the exchange to look at the conservation easements we have offered, because they are permanent easements that will be held by the Forest Service and will apply not only to me but to all future owners of the land. They cannot be cancelled or revoked."

Mayor Steve Wilson said that Stroemple's land use consultant Andy Wiessner of Western Lands Group, a Colorado firm, had contacted him and urged the council not to make a formal statement on the proposal.

But Wilson and his fellow councilors argued that the council had an obligation to respond to public input and make a stand.

"At some point we need to put an end to the 'let's make a deal' process and state our philosophical position," Wilson said.

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