U.S. Accepts Offer for 762 Acres as Preserve

Conservation forces emerged the apparent victors Friday in a battle over the fate of 762 environmentally sensitive acres on the edge of the San Bernardino National Forest, as federal officials notified a San Bernardino government group that its bid for the land would be accepted.

The price offered by the San Bernardino Assn. of Governments was not made public, but the land has been appraised at more than $7.3 million. The umbrella group for area municipalities intends to turn the parcel, known as Oak Summit, over to a government or private conservation agency for use as a nature preserve.

The property’s owner, the federal Resolution Trust Corp., had been pressing for county approval of a golf course and 620-home luxury development on the parcel even as federal and state wildlife agencies were attempting to purchase the property to forestall construction.

Agency officials said they had no choice under federal law but to try to get the most money possible for the land. Environmentalists wanted to protect Oak Summit, which is home to several species of endangered plants and animals and is one of California’s last tracts of a habitat known as Riversidean alluvial fan sage scrub.

Sealed public bidding on the property ended Tuesday and the RTC notified the association of governments of its tentative victory Friday, sources told The Times. RTC officials were unavailable for comment.

The association of governments was intent on buying the land to fulfill environmental requirements for the extension of the Foothill Freeway across San Bernardino County. Federal and state rules require that the environmental impact of such public construction projects be balanced by preservation of similar habitats in the region.

One association of governments official had called the purchase of Oak Summmit “a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to mitigate damage caused by the freeway project.

The association’s apparent victory leaves open the question of why the RTC pressed so vigorously for approval of the Oak Summit golf course development.

As recently as Wednesday, RTC representatives met with San Bernardino county planners to push the development ahead.