Metro buys 1,143 acres of undeveloped forest land

Metro purchased 1,143 acres south of Forest Grove on Thursday, its largest acquisition ever.

Metro, Portland’s regional government, bought the land for $6.1 million from The Trust for Public Land.

The land is in the Chehalem Ridge Natural Area in Tualatin Valley and features Douglas fir forests and mountain views. It’s one of the area’s biggest patches of undeveloped forest.

Metro has not finalized a plan for the land’s use. It will likely serve as a scenic and recreational area.

The Trust for Public Land is a nonprofit conservation group. The organization negotiated the deal on behalf of longtime owner Portland-based Stimson Lumber Co.

The property is the starting point for a number of streams and will also provide Metro an opportunity to improve water quality.

The Trust for Public Land pledged $90,000 for land management over three years.

Metro funded the purchase with proceeds from a 2006 measure that approved $227.4 million in bond financing for purchasing and preserving natural areas.