Great Spaces: Butte Falls Land Purchase

Butte Falls: a small town with a big plan—that came to fruition! Nearly ten years ago, Butte Falls, home to 450 residents, started conversations around land acquisition. Now, in early 2022, the town will at last purchase the ‘donut’—the 430-acres that form a ring around the town. Why? Butte Falls sees the forestland as an opportunity, not only to practice good stewardship, but to become a sustainable economy. Specific goals for the new property include the following:

• Increase the town’s wildfire resilience.
• Promote tourism and recreation.
• Preserve drinking water, fish, and wildlife.
• Support education and research in forestry stewardship.
• Create economic opportunity.

Butte Falls was not alone in this endeavor. The Trust for Public Lands worked long hours with the Town of Butte Falls, wanting the dream of more land to become a reality. In 2018, Oregon Solutions got involved as well, championing the project on a state level. For the actual purchase of the land, donors included the US Forest Service, the State of Oregon, the Elwood Foundation, Medford Water Commission, numerous Butte Falls citizens, and others. “Pasting together enough money for the purchase took a while,” said Linda Spencer, Butte Fall’s mayor. However, Mayor Spencer also explained that it was exciting to see how community-driven the project was. At the first land meeting, fifty Butte Falls citizens showed up. Considering the fact that the town only has 450 people, that’s a huge level of involvement!

The new 430-acres are managed by the Community Forest Commission. The town council oversees the committee, which is formed of numerous sub-committees surrounding topics such as natural resources, special projects, communication, etc. According to Mayor Spencer, hearing from people on the sub-committees is wonderful. “Some of these people have lived here their whole lives. They have a deep understanding of forestry and know every road and space in the area.” Of course, the committees are also in need of tech savvy grant writers or social media experts, so for now, outside partnerships with such people and organizations are especially crucial.

The same can be said of the town’s wildfire resilience goals. After the Obenchain fire in 2020, which affected the outskirts of Butte Falls, the town is committed to implementing healthy land management practices that will not only make the town more defensible against fire, but hopefully help prevent fires in the first place. This is also good news if you’re into hiking or the outdoors, since Butte Falls eventually hopes to add trails to the nearby woods. These will serve as a fire break—and maybe one day tie the town to the Sky Lakes Wilderness and other popular trail networks in the region. The town’s namesake, Butte Falls (the waterfall), was also included in the 430-acres, so there’s potential for a public park overlooking the waterway.

If having a waterside picnic intrigues you, it should also be noted that Butte Falls welcomes those from outside the town to join their committees or ‘forest chats.’ (These are held the first Saturday of every month at 2pm). Besides, on a clear day when you can see the snowy peak of Mt. McLoughlin rising over the highway, the drive out to Butte Falls itself is a scenic event. So, head into town and see the new 430-acres for yourself!

Strategy 4.4.2. (Diversify Outdoor Recreation Offerings to Include Shoulder, Low-Season, and Off-Season Opportunities and Promote Tourism at Lesser-Known Destinations, such as Butte Falls and Cave Junction)

Strategy 5.2.4 (Champion Projects that Create Community Amenities)