Wallowa County is now the owner of the 200-acre Ferguson Ridge ski area property, at least temporarily.

Under an agreement finalized at a special meeting of the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners last week, the 10-280 Corporation, which owned the property, donated all its corporate shares to Wallowa County.

The Dec. 29 agreement included a lease/option stipulation that the property be leased to the Enterprise-Joseph Lions Club and subleased to the Eagle Cap Ski Club, which will continue to operate the popular ski area. The five-year lease/option agreement allows for the eventual transfer of the Fergi real property to the Lions Club.

“We did this so Ferguson Ridge would continue to always be a ski area, so it will be there for our children and grandchildren,” said board chair Mike Hayward of the land transfer to the county.

The three county commissioners will now become the board of directors of the 10-280 Corp. “We own only the dirt,” said Hayward, adding that the equipment and improvements on the property all belong to the ski club.

Geoff Hayward, president of the Lions Club, said that the Lions Club will pursue a foundation nonprofit status before it exercises its option to become the owner of Ferguson Ridge.

Fergi, which is located about nine miles east of Joseph off Tucker Down Road, was open for the season for the first day Sunday, Jan. 1.

The 10-280 Corp. was formed by 10 Eagle Cap Ski Club members who took out a loan to purchase Ferguson Ridge at a sheriff’s sale in February 1985 on the courthouse steps in order to save the ski area.

“We accomplished what we set out to do. … It’s been successful and it was time for us to move on,” said Tom Butterfield, of rural Joseph, after the meeting. Butterfield was one of the nine 10-280 shareholders who transferred their shares. The others were Gardner Locke, Harold Klages, Larry Snook, Charlie Kissinger, John Gorsline, Rich Wandschneider, Dan Stein and Jim Russell. An original shareholder, Ted Winchell, was no longer involved.

The Lions Club became involved with Fergison Ridge several years ago, when the ski area was in dire need of a nonprofit that could provide insurance.

According to Charlie Kissinger, president of the ski club, the club will continue to pay property taxes for Fergi through the Lions Club. He said the ski area property transferred to the county is 200 acres, out of the original 280 acres. A few years ago some of the property was sold and the nine shareholders retain a few acres that aren’t part of the ski area property

“It’s a real partnership,” said Ken Gebhardt, a member of the ski club at Fergi Sunday about the county taking over the Fergi property, with the ski club operating it under the Lions Club umbrella . “I really credit the commissioners. They are truly interested in the youth of the county.”