As longtime Central Oregonians know, the Land Trust has worked for nearly 20 years to permanently protect Skyline Forest—the 33,000 acre forest between Bend and Sisters. Those efforts produced many conservation options and multiple pieces of state legislation to support conservation of the forest, which in turn have helped protect the forest for the last 20 years and through several real estate booms. Because the Land Trust can only move at the pace and will of the landowner, we still have yet to find a permanent conservation solution for Skyline Forest. But we haven’t given up, and we believe the solution is out there!

Towards that end, the Land Trust is leading a new effort to develop a community vision for Skyline Forest. Together with a coalition of community groups, we are working to create a robust, community-wide effort that engages local organizations, leaders, and community members in creating a shared vision for Skyline Forest’s future conservation and management. This visioning process will include:

• Stakeholder sessions: We will work with a professional facilitator to host a series of working sessions attended by stakeholders including recreationists, local nonprofit and conservation groups, tribal members, land managers, county/city/state government officials, neighbors, fire managers, and others. These sessions will be designed to identify and map current community priorities for Skyline Forest and also to solicit input for a vision for future management. March 2023 Update: See results from stakeholder sessions, the Community Vision for Skyline Forest.
• Tours: To learn more about Skyline Forest and its current and future value to the larger community.
• Community Input Survey: This survey tool will be used to gauge community support for conservation of Skyline Forest, and it will provide an opportunity for the local community to comment on future management and use. December 2022 Update: See results from the survey!

We expect this new visioning process will be ongoing from April through June. Look for more information in our monthly e-newsletter about how you can get involved. Skyline Forest protects important wildlife habitat, tremendous recreation opportunities, and the scenic green foothills that set off the Central Oregon Cascades. Together we can ensure that we find a conservation solution to permanently protect this treasure of Central Oregon.

Learn more:

• Join Land Trust executive director Rika Ayotte on May 5th for a virtual update on Saving Skyline Forest.
• About Skyline Forest.
• See the Skyline Forest timeline.
• See frequently asked questions about Skyline Forest.