The Bureau of Land Management has approved a plan this month to acquire about 4,000 acres of private land in Sherman County.  The land is located on the west side of the John Day River, approximately 14 miles east of Wasco.  The area is generally referred to as McDonald’s Ferry and is on the west side of McDonald’s Crossing, which was used in the 1800’s as part of the Oregon National Historic Trail.  The BLM says the lands would be managed to provide the public with a wide range of recreational opportunities, including boating access, camping, and hiking, and maintain and restore healthy rangelands and wildlife habitat, including the restoration of critical habitat for the Mid-Columbia Summer Steelhead.  The BLM will acquire the lands from the Western Rivers Conservancy based on the parcels’ appraised fair market value with financial support from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.  The BLM still must complete the necessary realty transactions before obtaining the title to the land and will announce when public access is available.