Oregon's proposed ranch purchase on hold after ranchers, counties object

The state has delayed a decision on buying a ranch in Eastern Oregon, a purchase supported by anglers and hunters but opposed by local ranchers and county leaders. The spread of 1,075 acres in Malheur County would be added to the 3,798-acre Riverside Wildlife Area near Juntura in a sparsely populated region between Burns and Ontario. The purchase price hasn't been disclosed. The seller is 51-year-old rancher Sam McDaniel, who said he wants to focus on a smaller place near John Day. The money would come from millions paid by Houston-based El Paso Corp. to offset wildlife habitat lost when it ran a natural gas pipeline from Wyoming to a Southern Oregon hub. The 680-mile Ruby Pipeline was reported in service as of July. "People don't think that the government should be buying more acres in rural Oregon," said Steve Grasty, Harney county judge, the title being the equivalent of chairman of the county commissioners in most of Oregon. His Malheur counterpart, Dan Joyce, said most of the county is already state or federal land, and adding more to public holdings takes away from the economic opportunities of private ownership...more