Oregon lawmakers have taken the first step toward acquiring a 92-foot waterfall east of Salem, as well as the private land surrounding it.

A new budget bill includes investing $2.1 million toward potentially acquiring Abiqua Falls, a dramatic basalt cliff cascade that drops into a pool encircled by ferns and mossy rocks.

Visitors have long treated this natural landmark as a public space, but it’s been privately owned for the last century. The Abbey Foundation of Oregon — the fundraising nonprofit arm of Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary — listed the 40-acre property for sale on Redfin earlier this year, first reported by the Salem Statesman Journal.

The nonprofit changed the listing’s status to “pending” after Monday’s announcement of a potential agreement with the state.

The deal includes $600,000 for Abiqua Falls and $1.4 million for another 160 acres of rapids and forestlands near the falls.

That land is owned by Weyerhaeuser, the timber company that owns roughly 2.5 million acres of forests in Oregon and Washington.

“The very low purchase price relative to the beauty of the asset makes it a pretty great deal for the state,” said House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, a Democrat from Tigard. “We’re setting ourselves up to own this in perpetuity and be a place that can attract visitors and be a place where Oregonians can spend time forever.”

Oregon’s potential to absorb private land comes as many conservation groups worry about an opposing trend: the privatization of public lands, particularly under the Trump administration.

During his tenure, President Donald Trump has tried to increase industry access to mining and logging on federal lands.

His administration also attempted to sell millions of acres of federal land in the West to private buyers.

Oregon lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that would prohibit state agencies from helping the federal government sell or transfer federal lands to private owners, like by providing data, funding or staff time.

Questions remain over whether Oregon’s land agencies can afford to manage additional land under the state’s looming budget cuts.

Oregon State Parks has been partnering with private businesses to offset budget shortfalls. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has increased some of its fees and postponed construction projects.

The Oregon Department of Forestry is looking at risks to some insurance coverage and to its wildfire detection camera system due to a 5% funding reduction.

Nonetheless, the proposal to acquire Abiqua Falls and the surrounding acreage has gained widespread support among lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

“The acquisition of the Abiqua Falls property ensures that it will be in the public domain into the future for all to enjoy,” state Rep. Rick Lewis, a Republican from Silverton, said in a statement. “This will be a valuable resource and a treasure for the enjoyment of generations to come.”

Sen. Fred Girod, also a Republican from Silverton, has also helped lead efforts to acquire the falls.

“Following the example set by the late Governor Tom McCall, Oregon is pledging that Abiqua Falls will continue to be protected and accessible for generations to come,” Girod said in a statement. “It is the Oregon way.”

Bowman said this is just the first step to acquiring the property. Lawmakers and state officials still need to iron out many other key details, like which state agency will take charge of management, and what public access to the falls would look like.

“I would love to see Abiqua Falls become a state park and be a place where families can take their kids,” Bowman said Monday during an interview with OPB. “There is some work that will need to be done to get us to that level, and we are not there yet.”

The land deal is tied to a massive bonding bill that dedicates billions of dollars to various projects, including $365 million in capital improvements to the Moda Center.

If this bill dies, the Abiqua Falls deal goes with it. Still, lawmakers who are advocating for the land purchase say they are confident it will go through.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/02/treasured-waterfall-up-for-sale-oregon-lawmakers-propose-deal/