Concerns surfaced after Redfin listing
An iconic Oregon waterfall, Abiqua Falls, was put up for sale through Redfin, prompting lawmakers to step in after the listing raised concerns about whether the public could still visit the remote site.
The falls, known for a 92-foot (28-meter) vertical drop over a columnar basalt cliff, are about 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of Salem and roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Portland. Access is described as involving a rough, unpaved road and a short, steep hike, steep enough that previous visitors have left ropes in some spots to help along the way.
Lawmakers approve $2.1 million for purchase
At the tail end of Oregon’s legislative session this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers approved $2.1 million to buy the falls and the surrounding land. The Associated Press reported that Republican state Sen. Fred Girod, whose district includes the waterfall, said the state is pledging the site will remain protected and accessible for generations.
In comments on the move, Girod said: “Oregon is pledging that Abiqua Falls will continue to be protected and accessible for generations to come.”
Conservation group members sought state acquisition
Travis Williams, president of the Willamette River Preservation Trust, said the listing on Redfin and Realtor.com with no price surprised many people. Williams said: “It’s not every day where you see a waterfall come up for sale on Redfin or Realtor.com with no price,” adding that “The public was really confused and fearful that the site would be closed off.”
Williams said his organization submitted a bid soon after the listing and has supported the state’s move to acquire the property. He also described the site’s appeal in personal terms, saying: “It has a sense of spirituality about it” and “It’s just gorgeous.”
Owner says it wanted stewardship and oversight
The AP reported that Abiqua Falls has been privately owned for more than a century but has been open to the public. The site has been associated with Mount Angel Abbey and later the Abbey Foundation of Oregon. Amanda Staggenborg, communications director for the foundation, said the transfer of stewardship was driven by a decision to ensure oversight.
Staggenborg said: “We just realized that it was time.” She added that, “There were a lot of people that were hiking on the property, and while we welcome that, we wanted to ensure that the proper stewardship was overseeing it.”
She said the foundation put the property up for open auction in early February, describing it as having no minimum or maximum bid. She said the foundation accepted the state’s offer under the bill that passed.
Due diligence required; state park status not guaranteed
Even after lawmakers approved the purchase, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department still must complete due diligence before the deal can move forward. In an email, spokesperson Katie Gauthier said the department must review environmental and archaeological information as part of the process.
Gauthier also said the property won’t necessarily become a state park, which would require additional funding. She said it could instead be managed by a local or tribal government or another state agency.
Gauthier said the agency has concerns about the management impact, saying: “Abiqua Falls is a beautiful but very remote and difficult-to-access site, and we are concerned about the impact managing a property like this could have on an already stretched state park system and our current budget shortfall,”