Merlo Foundation withdraws from $22M Qapqapa wildlife-area deal in Union County

The Harry A. Merlo Foundation pulled out of a purchase-sale agreement to sell 11,438 acres near Starkey, about 10 miles southwest of La Grande, halting the planned Qapqápa wildlife-area acquisition and leaving planned public access and restoration work on hold. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation announced the stall in a joint press release, and residents should expect no immediate opening of the property while agencies assess next steps.

ODFW had secured $22 million in federal funding through the Forest Legacy Program to buy the tract, according to agency statements and local reporting; Elkhorn Media Group reported the Forest Legacy award dated to August 2025. ODFW officials were completing an appraisal with hopes of closing the sale in 2026 and planned to enroll the property into the department’s wildlife area program to convert private timberland to public ownership.

The parcel at issue was described in coverage as roughly 11,438 acres—sometimes rounded as “more than 11,400 acres” and once described as about 17 square miles—and sits in the Blue Mountains where it would have connected to portions of the Wallowa‑Whitman National Forest. East Oregonian reporting and the agencies identified key conservation values on the property, including migration routes for elk and mule deer and waters that host bull trout, Chinook salmon and steelhead.

ODFW and the CTUIR had planned a co-management arrangement that some outlets called the first state-tribal wildlife-area collaboration in Oregon. The project was led by a coalition that included the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and drew support from elected officials, sports groups and conservation organizations. In their joint statement, ODFW and CTUIR said, “While it is with heartfelt regret that we share this news, we remain committed to pursuing opportunities — here or elsewhere — that benefit wildlife, habitat and public access.” They also thanked supporters, saying, “Our organizations remain grateful to the elected officials, community members and agency partners whose overwhelming support made this effort the top-ranked project in nation.”

Reporting to date says the Harry A. Merlo Foundation had signed the purchase-sale agreement and was described as supportive before withdrawing “for undisclosed reasons.” OPB reported a foundation spokesperson declined to comment. News outlets published the agencies’ March 2, 2026 press release announcing the stall and the withdrawal.

Key questions remain unanswered for Union County: whether the $22 million federal award can be reallocated to another parcel, the legal status of the purchase-sale agreement, and what timeline ODFW and CTUIR will set for identifying alternatives. Until those items are resolved, plans to open the Qapqápa area—pronounced cop-COP-a—remain paused and the fate of public access and habitat protections for the 11,438‑acre tract is unsettled.