Umatilla County to facilitate potential sale of Spout Springs
By Terry Murry on Friday, December 19th, 2025 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
TOLLGATE – The Umatilla County agreed Wednesday to serve as the facilitator for the U.S. Forest Service as it seeks to sell a lease for Spout Springs, the former ski resort in Tollgate. Commissioner Dan Dorran said by agreeing to help it gives the county the chance to weigh in on the chosen offer.
“The county would like to look at the respondents whether we get one, or 10, or five,” he said. “(We can) make that decision fairly quickly.”
Dorran added that it would be important to see if people already located in the county wish to do it.
Under the agreement, the Forest Service would transfer all of the non-real property assets of the ski area to the county at no cost. Then, staff explains, the county would issue a request for proposals for developers of the ski resort.
The successful appraiser would then enter into a lease for the real property with the U.S. Forest Service, since the resort is in the Umatilla National Forest. Staff said there is no cost to the county for the proposal except for the time staff spends working on it.
MYCB file photo of Spout Springs ski area
