Sold! 80,200 Acres of Wisconsin Timberland

JANUARY 3 UPDATE:

In late December, a deal was struck to sell the 80,200 acres of timberland in northern Wisconsin for $42.9 million dollars to two companies that manage timberland throughout the U.S.

According to LandVest, Inc. broker David Speirs, the Lyme Timber Company, which is based in Hanover, New Hampshire, has an agreement to purchase 72,800 acres. The Forestland Group, headquartered in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is set to purchase the remaining 7,400 acres.

NOVEMBER 17 POST:

The Wausau Paper Timberlands offer approximately 80,000 acres of prime timberland located throughout the northern half of the state of Wisconsin. A leading producer of fine printing and writing papers, towel and tissue products, and specialty papers, Wausau has been divesting non-strategic timber holdings since 2005. Most of these 80,000 acres have been sustainably managed by Wausau since the 1940s for the production of wood fiber.

The acreage consists primarily of natural and planted northern pine species. In addition to timber value, the acreage offers an extensive number of land uses, including recreational and conservation opportunities.

This property is available through LandVest . For more information, contact David Speirs at (207) 874-4982 or dspeirs@landvest.com.

Land Report Top Ten: November 2011

From Hawaii to the Lone Star State, here are America’s priciest properties, led by $175 million Jackson Land and Cattle Ranch, pictured here, which is listed by Hall and Hall.

1. Jackson Land and Cattle: $175 million

These 1,750 acres are simply the most phenomenal property to come to the market in the Teton Valley in decades. Jackson Land and Cattle is one-of-a-kind in every respect: world-class improvements, including an equestrian center designed by Jonathan Foote, AIA; lack of any development restrictions; and don’t forget the stunning Teton views. Hall and Hall’s John Pierce has the listing.

2. Walton Ranch: $100 million

This 1,848-acre working cattle ranch was pieced together by the Walton family beginning in 1958. The family placed the ranch under conservation easement in 1983. Billy Long and Ron Morris of Ranch Marketing Associates have the listing.

3. Ranch Dos Pueblos: $84 million

This oceanfront parcel is on the market for the first time in three decades. Spanning 2,175 acres just west of Santa Barbara, it’s one of the largest remaining ranches along the breathtaking Gaviota Coast. Kerry Mormann & Associates has the listing.

4. Tranquility Estate: $75 million

These 210 acres on Lake Tahoe are crowned by a 20,000 square-foot mansion. Owned by Tommy Hilfiger co-founder Joel Horowitz, it was originally priced at $100 million in 2006. Listed by Shari Chase and Sue Lowe of Chase International.

5. Aspen Valley Ranch: $59 million

Billed as the largest ranch near Aspen in the Roaring Fork Valley, this ranch boasts senior water rights as well as over 800 acres and is located just 10 minutes from the Aspen airport. Joshua Saslove of Joshua & Co. has the listing.

6. Robert Taylor Ranch: $56 million

112 acres in Los Angeles’s tony Brentwood enclave. The roomy ranch house, which was designed by Robert Byrd, features 17 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms. Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker Previews International has the listing.

7. Hana Ranch: $55 million
This 4,500-acre working ranch on eastern Maui surrounds the town of Hana. The property boasts two miles of Pacific oceanfront and rises over 2,200 feet up the slopes of Haleakala. Dan Omer of Island Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.

8. Rockpile Ranch: $54 million

For only the third time in over a century, this 55,374-acre cattle ranch in the Davis Mountains of Far West Texas is on the market. Since 1992, the Rockpile has been owned by McCoy Remme Ranches (No. 41 on the 2011 Land Report 100). James King of King Land and Water is the listing agent.

9. Dana Ranch: $45 million

With only two distinguished owners in nearly 100 years and an unmatched record of profitability, the Dana is considered by many to be the finest operating and recreational ranch in the Rocky Mountain West. Supporting 3,000 animal units on 59,000± acres, it boasts over 13 miles of superb fisheries and an incredible diversity of wildlife resources from elk to waterfowl to upland birds. Listed by Dave Johnson with Hall and Hall.

10. Flying Dog Ranch: $40 million

This 245-acre Aspen landmark features nearly a mile of Collins Creek and Woody Creek and borders the White River National Forest. Morris & Fyrwald Sotheby’s International Realty has the listing.

Click here to download a copy of the November 2011 newsletter.

Sold! Nebraska’s Circle Cross Ranch

Update 12/2011

Forty-three minutes into the auction, the entire Circle Cross Ranch in Valentine, Nebraska sold for $11.75 million. The winning bidders, cattlemen Danny Weinreis of Minatare, Neb., and Gene Weinreis of Golva, N.D., along with their brothers, plan to continue operating Circle Cross as a cattle ranch. According to Danny Weinreis, “It’s really great cattle country here. We’re cow-calf operators. That’s what we’re looking for: a good feed base and a place to run mother cows.”

Auctioned by Hall and Hall, the auction attracted some of Cherry County’s largest landowners and about 30 bidders from across the country.

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Nestled in the Sandhills region of Northwestern Nebraska lies the spectacular 40,520± acre Circle Cross Ranch. Tucked in against the Niobrara National Scenic River, the Circle Cross  is located about 20 minutes southwest of the Nebraska town of Valentine. The Circle Cross includes 12,020± deeded acres, a 16,500± acre permit in the McKelvie National Forest, 3,400± acres of private and state lease,  and some 8,600± acres of additional private leases.

The ranch is irrigated by several wells on the property as well as pumps drawing water from the Niobrara. Approximately 1,100 acres of the ranch are irrigated through 7 pivot irrigation systems. The water is of excellent quality and abundant. Several stock tanks and ponds also dot the landscape around the ranch.

Cattle thrive on the Circle Cross’s vast grasslands and prairies. In addition, hay, corn, and other crops can be easily grown thanks to the well-developed irrigation system on the property.

Driving through the ranch you’ll find open plains, rugged terrain, and scenic trails following the river and through its many wooded areas. The land use permits on the adjacent Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest add additional grazing and recreational opportunities.

The Circle Cross is an ideal setting for operating a cattle operation, for crop production, or for a country gentlemen’s ranch and getaway.

Date: 10:00 a.m. Central Time, December 2, 2011

Location: Valentine, Nebraska

For more information or to receive a detailed brochure:
Hall and Hall Auctions
(800) 829-8747
www.HallandHall.com 

Larry Ellison Expands Lake Tahoe Holdings

Larry Ellison, a man who “views prime real estate as scare commodity that can’t easily be replicated,” is expanding his holdings in the Lake Tahoe area, a region well known for its pristine waters and world-class skiing.

Regarded as one of the country’s largest consumers of trophy real estate, Mr. Ellison is the third-richest American with a net worth of $33 billion according to Forbes. Since the mid-1990s, Mr. Ellison has amassed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of top-shelf properties around the world, including five adjacent lots in Malibu; a mansion formerly owned by the Astor family in Newport; a historic garden property in Kyoto, Japan; and a 249-acre estate in Rancho Mirage that includes a private 19-hole golf course.

Once Mr. Ellison finds an area he likes, he will typically purchase multiple properties that are adjacent to one another and then combine them into a single, sprawling compound. He also purchases other lots nearby to increase his total holdings in a specific area.

According to public records, Mr. Ellison began purchasing in the Lake Tahoe area in 2006 and since then has created three noncontiguous lakefront parcels in eight separate deals.

Click HERE to read the full article in the Wall Street Journal

Vistas: Maine’s Chadbourne Tree Farms

Selected from what is undeniably one the finest White pine ownerships in the Northeast, Chadbourne Tree Farms is a 2,470-acre portfolio located in Western Maine near Bethel. The property consists of six tracts ranging in size from 111 to 687 acres, all well-stocked with timber. Collectively, it boasts an impressive 17,407 MBF of saw timber, more than half of which is white pine.

Total stocking averages 29 cords per forested acre, with over 40% of the sawtimber volume in trees 18” DBH and larger. In addition to its superb timber resource, the portfolio includes nearly three and a half miles of water frontage, most notably a mile and a half stretch along a pristine 155-acre cold water trout pond. This superior timberland investment opportunity is poised for strong performance well into the future.

$5.9 million
www.landvest.com

Sold! Texas’s Camp Cooley Ranch

SEPTEMBER 6 UPDATE:

Camp Cooley Ranch sold at auction for $28.5 million to Circle X Land and Cattle Company August 4. Twenty-two qualified bidders, along with their families, attorneys, lenders, and consultants, attended the auction, which was held at the Robertson County ranch. The $28.5 million sale price included surface and mineral/royalty interests. All equipment and personal property was offered through a separate transaction.

According to Bernard Uechtritz of Great Estates Ranches, Camp Cooley ranks as one of the most beautiful ranches in the nation, thanks to its topography, abundant waters, and multi-million-dollars of improvements. “In the cattle industry, Camp Cooley is a major brand name,” he said. Uechtritz coordinated the extensive marketing campaign leading up to the auction; the auction itself was overseen by Hall and Hall Auctions.

Read more details HERE.

JULY 25 UPDATE:

In the midst of a statewide drought that is crippling Texas farms and ranches, Camp Cooley Ranch continues to thrive.

“Camp Cooley is an oasis,” says Bernard Uechtritz during a telephone conversation from the headquarters of the Central Texas ranch. “Every other ranch I’ve seen over the last few weeks has browned up, but not Camp Cooley. It continues to irrigate, to fertilize, and to bale hay. Take a look at that aerial video at Camp Cooley.com. We shot that two weeks ago, and everything was still green. Still is. Name another ranch in Texas that is baling hay in late July.” According to Uechtritz, Camp Cooley Ranch has a year round carrying capacity of 4,000 head, and as recently as two weeks ago was running 4,700 head.

As the August 4 auction deadline approaches, Uechtritz reports that multiple stalking horse bids have been received for specific assets as well as for the entire ranch. “The action has been terrific. We’ve easily had 20-plus parties tour the ranch and given it a serious look,” Uechtritz says.

Leading the list has been a large number of cattle companies that recognize Camp Cooley’s turnkey potential. “Readers of The Land Report would immediately recognize the names of many of these famous ranch operators. These guys know what a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity Camp Cooley presents,” Uechtritz says. Other parties who have toured the ranch have eyed the mineral rights, the water rights, royalty revenues, the hunting preserve, and the possibility of developing a wetlands mitigation bank.

“Watching the interest build around Camp Cooley has been extremely exciting for Hall and Hall,” Scott Shuman says, head of Hall and Hall’s Auction Division. “When you get a property with the history and the potential of Camp Cooley and combine it with such close proximity to major metropolitan areas such as Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, it’s bound to generate a ton of interest. And we’re definitely seeing that. I expect the pace to pick up even more as the auction date approaches.”

Buyer’s registration forms and bidder’s packets for the invitational auction are being released on Friday, July 22. Bidders must pre-qualify and be invited to attend the August 4th auction, which is presently scheduled to take place at Camp Cooley Ranch. Through the protected buyer process that was approved by the court, there is also the possibility of a private treaty sale prior to the August 4 auction.

Learn more HERE.

JULY 15 POST:

A Texas icon goes on the block this August as Camp Cooley Ranch is to be auctioned off by Hall and Hall Auctions. At 10,600± acres, Camp Cooley is one of the largest properties in close proximity to Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. A sophisticated multi‐level turnkey cattle and commercial hay operation, Camp Cooley generated more than $700,000 in grazing revenues, more than $1.5 million from commercial hay operations, and more than $1.4 million in gas royalties in 2010. In addition, there are considerable untapped revenue streams associated with existing gas and water rights. Located in the heart of the Lone Star State near Franklin, Camp Cooley will be auctioned by Hall and Hall as a single tract on August 4, 2011.

Download a comprehensive presentation with complete details via PDF HERE, or take a tour online at Camp Cooley.com.

LOCATION

Camp Cooley Ranch is located in Robertson County in the heart of Central Texas and is bounded by the Navasota River to the east. Approximate drive times are as follows: Bryan-College Station, 30 minutes; Austin, 90 minutes; Houston, two+ hours; Dallas, two+ hours; San Antonio, three hours.

HISTORY

The ranch takes its name from the Civil War

Houston entrepreneur Bert Wheeler assembled Camp Cooley from dozens of neighboring tracts. As Camp Cooley’s renown grew, Wheeler hosted such Texas luminaries as John Connally and Lyndon Johnson.

Under current owner Klaus Birkel, Camp Cooley Genetics has become one of the country’s best known seedstock cattle operation, running up to 4,500 cow/calf pairs and as many as 2,000 bulls.

ASSETS

Ranch headquarters is a 8,590-square-foot lakeside main residence. Improvements include a 15-suite executive office complex, meeting rooms, and security and communication systems to monitor the ranch.

The entire ranch is served by a computer-monitored water well system, including all residences, barns, workshops, a multi‐use sale pavilion, and the breeding and cattle workstations. There are approximately 84 miles of roads in place on Camp Cooley.

Camp Cooley boasts rolling terrain that boasts numerous lakes, abundant woodlands, as well as wetlands that are ideal for development as a mitigation bank. The ranch’s 1,000‐acre exotic game preserve is among the oldest in the state and could be increased in size.

OPPORTUNITY

Qualified bids need to be submitted by Wednesday, July 27 at 5 p.m. (CST). For more information on this auction, contact Bernard Uechtritz at (214) 608-8567 or Scott Shuman at (800) 829-8747.

Ask the Expert: Chip Lenihan

2011 Market Update: Chip Lenihan has been fly-fishing Colorado’s best waters for 40 years. His side gig? Running the Telluride office of Fay Ranches as lead broker. The Land Report turned to this former mayor of Telluride for an update on today’s recreational properties market.

Describe today’s market in one word.
Value.

How is that manifested?
Buyers are willing to sit back and wait until they get real value for their money.

Who’s driving today’s market?
The biggest part of my business is families. Men tend to drive the decision-making on hunting properties and ag land, and women trend more in the direction of resort sales, ones that are closer in to town and that feature more amenities. But come rain or shine it’s families who are looking to enjoy the sort of lifestyle you can only find out in the great wide open.

What’s been the biggest surprise of 2011?
The number of investors parking their money in land. The capital is out there. But after what happened in 2008, no one is in a hurry to put it in traditional markets.

Elaborate.
Five years ago, land was a hot commodity. Everybody wanted to get on board before the train left the station. And that brought a lot of buyers with short-term horizons into our market. Today, investors recognize the value inherent in current markets. A good number of them are looking at land as a smart buy, one with proven returns, long range stability, plus big upside from a personal standpoint.

Public land. Do buyers want to border national forest or BLM, or should they steer clear?
Great question. if you’re scouting a potential property and it borders public land, it’s absolutely essential to determine how intensely it’s used. Are you up against an unused corner of a national forest? Great. That will add a 10% to 20% premium to the value of your property. Does a hunting outfitter operate a base camp right across your fence line that’s going to bring in 25 guns for deer and elk season? Might not be your cup of tea.

For Sale: NC Waterfront Development Opportunity

Ever considered owning your own business on the water? Then take a close look at this one-of-a-kind opportunity to acquire a prime .66-acre parcel on the Atlantic seaboard in the heart of one of North Carolina’s most popular tourist venues.

IMPROVEMENTS

The structures consist of a fully restored 1926 Sears & Roebuck Craftsman home and an adjacent boathouse. The home features 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, kitchen, dining and living rooms. There is a covered front porch and a large deck on the rear of the house. The house itself has been highlighted in promotional literature for the area and is ideally suited for development as a bed and breakfast.

The large 30′ x 40′ boathouse was used by the original owner for building boats. This is a unique structure and would be ideal for many different uses.  On the water at the back of the property stands a pier with six boat slips. Currently there are six sailboats moored in the slips and and a seventh at the end of the pier. The slips rent for $1,000 per year (payable in January) and produce a steady revenue stream.

LOCATION

Manteo can be found in the heart of North Carolina’s Outer Banks on the eastern side of Roanoke Island along Shallowbag Bay. Dare County is prime tourist destination. These .66 acres are adjacent to downtown Manteo within walking distance of the waterfront boardwalk and a short distance from Festival Park. Nearby tourism interests, businesses, and parking are already in place. The Lost Colony and the beaches of the Outer Banks are only a few minutes away, including high traffic attractions such as Nags Head and Kitty Hawk.

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

This .66-acre tract is zoned B-1, which includes bed and breakfasts, apartments, hotels, motels, and similar businesses that provide overnight accommodations. B-1 also includes restaurants and retail businesses.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Please contact Briggs Neal at (252) 480-1200 or email Briggs at sailmanteo@gmail.com.

 

For Sale: Canadian River Ranch

Anyone familiar with the history of the American West knows the legend and lore that surrounds the historic XIT Ranch, whose 3 million acres encompassed the bulk of the western edge of the Texas Panhandle. The Canadian River Ranch covers some 111 square miles of the old XIT, including substantial frontage on both sides of its namesake, the Canadian River. The ranch’s varied topography rises from wide river bottoms to iconic mesas, but throughout its history it has been operated as a commercial cattle outfit.

Located 65 miles northwest of Amarillo, the ranch can also be accessed via a paved 4,500-foot land strip situated close to the headquarters. The ranch’s 7,000-square-foot, 6-bedroom, 6½-bathroom lodge is just one of many well maintained improvements, which include a ranch manager’s house, pilot’s quarters, barns, pens, and housing for the hands.

These 71,059 acres combine to form one of the largest contiguous land holdings inthe Texas Panhandle. The ranch is watered by 26 miles of the Canadian River. Not surprisingly, the Canadian River Ranch boasts exceptional hunting. Two state record mule deer have been recently harvested, and elk, bear, and mountain lion have also been sighted.

$33.753 million ($475 per acre)
(806) 763-5331
www.chassmiddleton.com

For Sale: Elk Song

My journey to Elk Song began with a dream: a dream cut short by an old war injury. The dream belonged to my grandfather, who owned a fine sub-irrigated sandhill cattle ranch in Eastern Colorado that I cheated for more than 25 years, cheated against beef in favor of a waterfowl and upland bird paradise. Population growth and pressure to turn it into an irrigated farm dictated that I walk away from the only home I had ever known and seek a new world.

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROSS SEYFRIED
PUBLISHED SUMMER 2011

Several years of searching led me to the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon and another dream; one tarnished by abuse but not without hope. I found a magnificent raw canvas, canvas smeared with overgrazing and unreasonable logging, but it was a canvas that begged for a gentle hand that might return it to its pre-European glory. My dream began the day after Thanksgiving some 15 years ago with a pre-dawn ride over a goat-trail road that topped a ridge and offered a vista of several miles. Before me I saw four broad open ridges. Each was cut by dark timber, and all were covered with elk. I had just found 7,000 acres crisscrossed by 12 miles of flowing streams and cloaked with 4,000 acres of timber. That was the good news.

The bad news was that down low a substantial portion of the riparian areas resembled dirt ditches. Overgrazing had taken a terrible toll. Higher up, half of the timber had been plundered in the most irresponsible way. And the native elk herd? It had been savagely overhunted. No matter how hard I looked, I could find no branch-antlered bulls. The small forest folk were also missing. What to do? The first thing I did was buy the property. Then I brought my son on board to help. I had hunted much of the western United States and a good bit of the rest of the world, and I had never seen any- thing that approached the majesty of this ranch, even in its abused state. To the east, it was four miles to a hospital, a four-year university, grocery stores, and an interstate. To the west, one could ride a horse 100 miles and not cross a highway. My next step was the logging contract: stop the greedy plunder that cut all of the good and left only a little bad timber. I forced the logging company to implement the sort of sustainable practices it preached in its advertisements but failed to follow on my land. It would log in a sustainable and responsible manner. Doing this would leave significant stands of high-quality timber and millions of young, healthy trees for the future. Now it was time to face my cattle dilemma.

A good number of locals and even some game department personnel believe that “if you take the cows off, the elk will leave.” According to this old saw, livestock eat bad grasses and leave the good for the elk. After nearly 50 years as a cattle rancher, I have yet to encounter the Hereford that chooses to abide by this theory. Thus, no cattle grazed on our mountain that first spring. Elk numbers soared. Many hundreds of cow elk had wee spotted calves that scampered in the tall grass and wildflowers that reached their mamas’ bellies. To say that the elk were delighted with the absence of the bovines is an understatement. These happy elk were the most vocal I had ever heard; their sounds resembled humpback whales and created the soul, and name, of Elk Song. That fall dozens of rifles were silenced. I am not anti-hunting. I am a licensed guide and professional hunter. But the boys of Elk Song needed a break. When autumn returned we saw a few four-point bulls. A year later we thrilled when we saw a six-point. At the end of the third year, the September rut was a sight to behold. Instead of the occasional squeal of a yearling spike, dozens of deep bugles echoed across the ranch. The nearly perfect grazing habits of the elk allowed native grasses and forbs to repopulate and the general condition of the range to greatly improve. The entire ecosystem began to thrive. Black bears fattened on the berries in hawthorn thickets in the creek bottoms. Coyote returned. Snowshoe hares and red digger squirrels enticed eagles. The occasional cougar track suggested all was well. Grass and sedges returned and gave the wild rainbows shelter and more insects. On the fourth summer we brought in 175 cow-calf pairs to graze. They came in May and left in mid-June while all of the grass was green. This kept the cattle from destroying the riparian areas in late summer. Domestic cattle have a place in paradise, but they don’t rule Elk Song.

After 15 years we are almost there, almost at a state of pure wildness. Now we almost do not notice a big six-point bull. Most days we see dozens of them along with bear, deer, turkey, grouse, rabbit, squirrel, coyote, cougar, and trout. One evening last September, we counted 200 cow elk on a ridge. There were 43 six- and seven-point bulls with them, and the bugles and screams of a hundred more bulls echoed out of the canyons and thickets. Yes, the timber is still young, but it is thick and wonderful. Elk Song is indeed wild, and ever evolving toward 200 years ago. And now it is time for change once again. To the many who question our sanity for leaving the paradise that is Elk Song I say it is not by choice, but to bring an end to hostilities caused by a family member. It is time to pass the torch, to allow another to hold the reins and experience the wonder of Elk Song. We will begin again, returning to our roots on the Great Plains where waterfowl and upland birds thrive, and find another canvas on which to create wildness once more.

Elk Song’s 7,198 acres are listed with Oregon Land and Wildlife for $8.585 million.
For more information, contact:

Tim O’Neil
www.landandwildlife.com
(541) 480-3682

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