A proposed sale of a beloved Sherwood woodland has turned into a court fight over whether a decades-old charitable gift can be treated like ordinary real estate. The dispute pits the Ladd Hill Neighborhood Association against the World Forestry Center and raises questions about public access, conservation promises and where sale proceeds could go.
The neighborhood association filed a lawsuit in Clackamas County Circuit Court against the World Forestry Center and the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, according to KOIN. The World Forestry Center initially listed Magness Memorial Tree Farm for auction at $977,500 in fall 2025, but later said it was offering the property exclusively to tax-exempt charitable organizations through a private sale.
The fight is rooted in the property’s 1977 donation by Howard and Panzy Magness. The complaint argues that the deed required the land to be maintained as a woodland management area and wildlife sanctuary, while a later provision said proceeds should generally be used for maintaining and improving the property, as detailed by the Sherwood Sun. An Oregon Historical Society archive likewise describes the gift as intended for an experimental tree farm, education and public access.
Why The Magness Property Became A Legal Flashpoint
The World Forestry Center said in its October 2025 update that it wanted to move the 77-acre property toward a sealed-bid auction so the nonprofit could focus on its core mission. The organization also said the land is zoned Timber District, which blocks large-scale subdivision and development while allowing uses such as education, youth camps and recreation, according to the World Forestry Center…