The Pallette RanchThe Pallette Ranch Imnaha, OregonImnaha, Oregon

♦♦ 302 Acres302 Acres

♦♦ 1.3 Miles of Imnaha River1.3 Miles of Imnaha River

♦♦ Surrounded by National Forest Surrounded by National Forest

on three sideson three sides

Presented by Anette Christoffersen, Principal Broker

Office: (800) 597-7169 Cell: (541)398-1148

Email: achristoffersen@eoni.com

Web: www.wallowamountainproperties.com

The Palette Ranch – Historic Ranch in Imnaha, Oregon

INTRODUCTION

The Pallette Ranch is a 302 acre ranch located on the upper Imnaha River drainage in southeastern Wallowa County. This part of Oregon is truly a hidden gem that contains recreation such as horseback riding, pristine fishing, hunting and canyon views. The ranch is at an elevation of about 3,600 feet, the terrain is fairly flat, surrounded by spectacular canyon country. The majority of the ranch lies on the valley floor. Except along its edges, the property exhibits a smoothly shaped, gentle to mildly sloped terrain.

The ranch boasts a 1.3 mile stretch on the Imnaha River, engulfed by steep

canyons. Acres of irrigated lush green pastures, several creeks along with the river

create wonderful wildlife habitat for deer, elk, bear, cougar, wild turkey and

birds. The landowner can get two Landowner Preference Tags for hunting. The

climate in Imnaha is warm and dry summers and typically mild winters.

Eugene Pallette was an American actor that appeared in over 240 motion pictures between 1913 and 1946. He purchased at the time the 3,500 acre ranch in 1946 as a “mountain fortress” to use as a hideaway from universal catastrophe. The original Butler homestead from the late 1800’s is still on the property. The ranch has also been used as a dude ranch in the past.

There are three main structures and many outbuildings on the property. Henry Creek runs through yard and there is an orchard that produced 18 gallons of apple, plum and cherry last year. There is some merchantable timber, and the trees close

Shelley Tippet Photography

LOCATION/COMMUNITY

The private and semi-remote ranch is located approximately 80 miles East of Joseph (pop. 1,081), 85 miles east of Enterprise, Oregon (pop.1,940) and 26 miles from the Village of Imnaha (pop.167).

Both Joseph and Enterprise are vibrant communities with many businesses catering to the abundant recreational opportunities nearby. The main industry continues to be ranching, with strong agricultural values throughout the area.

Initially this area mainly relied on the timber industry for jobs, but after the timber collapse in the 80’s the town of Joseph became the site of three bronze foundries that helped stimulate the economy to the healthy standard that exists today. Since that time, Joseph has become an eclectic, artsy community with a true western feel and the Eagle Cap Wilderness as the background. The Village of Imnaha has a K-3 school, a post office and a tavern/general store.

ACREAGE

The majority of the ranch lies on the valley floor following the river. Except along its edges, the property exhibits a smoothly shaped, gentle to mildly sloped terrain. The vegetation is a mix of conifers, brush, and fields. The conifers are predominantly Douglas-fir and Ponderosa Pine. The brush is a mix of alder, willow, rose, and others. The fields are a mix of grasses used mainly for hay production. The field pattern is irregular.

One each side of the property, the area exhibits a slope of 60% to 90% on rugged, somewhat broken and rocky terrain dominated by pine-fir stands interrupted by grassy openings. Some of the lower laying areas towards the river appear to lie within FEMA Flood Zone A.

The property consists of two adjacent tax lots, each about one mile long and varies from 1/3 to 1/6 mile wide. One of the tax lots (400) has the farm-stead and now ranch headquarters. The other tax lot has no dwellings. The property has irrigation rights out of the Imnaha River and is partially fenced and cross fenced. The ranch borders National Forest on three sides.

SUMMARY

♦ 302± acres with irrigated pasture and some merchantable timber ♦ 1.3 miles of Imnaha River flowing through with several good fishing holes ♦ 28 acres of water rights from the Imnaha River ♦ 3,500-3,900 foot elevation ♦ Access from Imnaha River Road and USFS 3955 ♦ Year-round access ♦ Two creeks flow through the property ♦ Two LOP tags

AGRICULTURE

Last year the hay production on Pallette Ranch was about 40 tons. The irri-gation source is from the Imnaha River and it’s for 28 acres. The irrigation consists of one mobile sprinkler wheel line with a diesel pump and a large sprinkler head.

UTILITIES

There is a domestic well drilled in 1997 with 100 gallon/minute yield. The water is pumped from the well up the hill to a 1700 gallon cistern. Gravity pressurizes the supply lines to the building set. There are several water pickets with fire hoses around the dwellings that can be used in case of a fire.

STRUCTURES

Main Residence ♦ 976 sq. ft. one-story log home ♦ Two bedrooms and one full bath ♦ Wood stove ♦ Propane range ♦ New covered deck and railing

Guest house ♦ 836 sq. ft. guest house (manufactured home

with a wood frame extension) ♦ One bedroom and one small bonus room ♦ One bathroom with a tub/shower ♦ Wood stove ♦ Propane furnace

Bunk House ♦ 1240 sq. ft. with five bunk rooms that sleep

two-four people each ♦ Mess hall with kitchen with range and fridge ♦ Wood stove ♦ Electric baseboard heat

Wash Rooms ♦ Men’s; 416 sq. ft. with four shower stalls,

three toilets, large sink and urinal ♦ Ladies; 216 sq. ft. with a shower/tub,

toilet, sink and laundry facility with washer, dryer, utility sink and small

dressing area. ♦ Attached deck with hot tub/Jacuzzi

Old Butlers Homestead ♦ Charming 240 sq. ft. old log cabin with one

room and a loft built in the 1800s

Barn ♦ 1920 sq. ft. barn with 16’ high eaves ♦ Four stalls, feed room, tack room ♦ Board and bat structure with metal roof ♦ Full width loft with hay storage ♦ Corrals around the barn

Machine Shop ♦ 2,100 sq. ft. with 12’ high eaves ♦ 30’x70’ with two large barn doors ♦ Gravel floors and metal roof ♦ Power

Warehouse ♦ 4,800 sq. ft. ♦ 1 ½ story ♦ Concrete walls, wood floors, metal roof ♦ Power

Pumping Station ♦ There is a 263 sq. ft. pump house with a gas

pump that works, but is not currently hooked up. The tank is above ground.

Miscellaneous Outbuildings There are several outbuildings; a storage barn, a pantry with large walk-in fridge and freezer, wood shed, ice house and more. The cabins and the bunk house have covered porches and decks.

CLIMATE

High mountains in Wallowa County protect the valley from severe storms that cross this area. The mountains intercept a substantial portion of the moisture so the valley remains comparatively dry. The majority of rain falls in the spring and fall coming from dramatic thunderstorms which spread across the valley. Heavy snow produces year-round snow pack at the higher elevations. Snow in the valley starts in late November and continues through early April. Most snow melts within days, with snow remaining on the ground during January and February.

ROAD ACCESS

The property is accessible from Joseph via two routes off the Joseph-Imnaha Highway, SR-350. The preferred summer route is via the paved Wallowa Mountain Loop Road, Forest Rd. 39 to the Imnaha River where it joins Forest Rd. 3955 (gravel). The Pallette Ranch headquarters are four miles north of that intersection. The alternate and legal year around access is via SR-350 to the Village of Imnaha (paved). County road no. 727 (gravel) runs south 26 miles to the north boundary of the property, however the road continues on through the entire length of the ranch as Forest Rd. 3955, the Upper Imnaha Road.

AIRPORTS

The nearest commercial airport is located in Lewiston, Idaho, 75± miles to the north of Enterprise or Pendleton, Oregon, 95± miles to the west of Enterprise. There are two small airports: one outside Joseph with a 5,200 ft. asphalt runway, the second the Enterprise Municipal Airport with a 2,850 ft. asphalt runway.

WATER RIGHTS All appurtenant water rights will transfer (covering 28 acres). Water rights are on record.

MINERAL RIGHTS

All mineral rights appurtenant to the property and owned by the Seller will convey to the Buyer at closing. Mineral rights are not guaranteed. It is suggested that the Buyer conduct a mineral search with a title company.

RECREATION

Fly Fishing The trout fishing is good in the upper reaches of the Imnaha. The lower Imnaha River is a small steelhead stream with wild and hatchery fish. Access is limited with most of it requiring a hike or 4 wheel-drive to get to the holes. There are a number of good small streams in the area such as the Wallowa River, with its headwaters in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. It flows into Wallowa Lake, which is also one of the few places to access trail heads leading into the high mountain lakes of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The river flows from Wallowa Lake towards the Grande Ronde, which offers wonderful float trips for trout and migrating steelhead. Fishing for Kokanee in Wallowa Lake is good and for three years running, ending in 2002, State Kokanee records have been caught in Wallowa Lake (6.7 pounds and 26”).

HUNTING AND OTHER RECREATION

The ranch attracts a wide variety of wildlife with abundant deer and turkey. The Wallowa National Forest is home to a large number of elk and mule deer. Occasionally other game animals can be seen such as mountain goat, black bear, and mountain lion. The Eagle Cap Wilderness offers some incredible country to hunt with animal numbers looking good. Oregon has the second largest elk herd in the U.S. just behind Colorado. There are a variety of hunts in the area from general to controlled hunts. The land owner can get two LOP tags. There is a small ski resort close to the Eagle Cap Hay Ranch. Ferguson Ridge Ski Area, SE of Joseph in the foot hills of the Wallowa National Forest, features 8 trails with a vertical rise of approximately 640 feet.

QUICK FACTS

♦ 302± deeded acres ♦ 1.3 miles of river frontage ♦ 28 acres of water rights ♦ Several dwellings and outbuildings ♦ 40 ton grass hay yield ♦ Two LOP hunting tags ♦ Abundance of elk, deer and wild turkeys ♦ 68 miles from Joseph, Oregon ♦ 3,600 ft. elevation

PRICE $795,000

TERMS CASH

TAXES $3,213/yr. (2013)

CONTACT Please call Anette Christoffersen at (800)597-7169 or 541-398-1148 to schedule a showing. This is an exclusive listing. An agent from Wallowa Mountain Properties, Inc must be present at all showings. To view other properties that we have listed, please visit our web page at www.wallowamountainproperties.com.

NOTICE Offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale, change or withdrawal without no-

tice, and approval of purchase by owner. Information regarding land classification,

carrying capacities, maps, etc., is intended only as a general guideline and has been

provided by the owners and other sources deemed reliable, but the accuracy cannot

be guaranteed. Prospective purchasers are encouraged to research the information

to their own satisfaction.

AREA MAP

ASSESSORS AERIAL MAP

TOPOGRAPHY MAP