HH Tortenson Ranch sold

[hank4elk]

Heard a rumor that RMEF had put the HH ranch up for sale. The Augustine Ranch LLC has been trying to buy up all the water rights in the Datil area to pump millions of gallons of water to sell,basiclly speculation sales of ground water to Texas,or Alb. It was denied a permit to do so by the state,as that is illegal. That would have ruined a lot of wells in the whole area. Rumor had it that RMEF had concidered selling water rights to the LLC. Last week I was told by a neighbor that it had indeed been sold. Don't know for sure who bought it, but I was under the impression that the HH ranch was RMEF's crown jewel of land acuisitions and had been left to RMEF in a trust to preserve it forever. Sounds to me the rich/lawyer syndrome that has tainted RMEF in the early years is back, in a big way. I had been RMEF member for a number of years but now I'm not so sure what to think of them. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

 

[DoeNob]

I'd be suprised to hear that they sold it, you got a link?

 

[lapntap]

I don't know about them either. I haven't been a member for several years either. Looks to me like places they have aquired such as HH are just good hunting spots for RMEF big-shots and celebs! Can't recall seeing the average RMEF member getting to hunt there or any of their other properties!

 

[hank4elk]

I have no online info that I can confirm. But the guy that told me had been able to get gravel from a pit there, but not any more. The county was cut off to. Last day was last week. His wife is a local realtor and she said it had been sold too. I know some RMEF staff folks that say they couldn't afford to hunt there. One guy was the head of private land acquisitions, but he was laid off after years of working for them, replaced by 2 young guys. I'm just wondering what is going on and if anyone else has heard anything. I do know it has been heavily overgrazed. I first heard of it being for sale a few months back by several locals.

 

[WapitiBob]

The HH has been on the block for over a year now.
The HH has been a money pit for a long time and the bleeding has to stop. They have looked at numerous options but cattle and hunts won't pay the bills so a buyer has been hard to find.

 

[passthrough]

+1 WapitiBob. Know of several groups that looked at buying it last year, but tough to make the economics work, plus they were stuck on their price and wouldn't go down. Too bad the State couldn't pony up, hopefully some greeney that wont allow hunting didn't buy it.

 

[ELKMAN]

Blake Shelton can sure hunt there, and a couple of boyscouts for cows!

NICE!

 

[OCHOA505]

Amazing a donated piece of land is being sold?!! Wow... I wonder what the RMEF would do with the funds being that they are loosing a huge habitat land area for elk. St Augustin tags are usually UW...

 

[leftturnabq]

It will remain "elk habitat" for a long time. It just won't be accessible to the public, but then again, was it really ever?

 

[nmhntr]

who bought it? what did it sell for?

 

[WapitiBob]

The funds went into a special account where the princpal can't be touched, only the interest, and then only a small percentage of that. That limited amount can then only be spent on "mission" related projects; no salaries, benefits, etc.
The ranch was, and remains, in a conservation easment so it will be protected, and the RMEF has funds to do projects related to their core mission rather than try to run a cattle/hunting ranch.

 

[UNIT15]

23 million is what it sold for!!

 

[DoeNob]

$170 an acre...I wonder if they sell me 100 acres in the middle of it, heck I'll pay $200 an acre.