AZBW News Breaks June 6, 2006

Southwest Region (602) 225-5200

www.fs.fed.us/r3/tonto/

For Immediate Release Contact: Angela La Monica, 1-888-472-5263), ext. 3430

June 5, 2006 Colleen Madrid, 480-595-3300

Sale briefing slated for national forest land sale

Scottsdale, Ariz. (June 5, 2006) – The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has announced the upcoming auction of approximately 17 acres of Forest Service land on the Cave Creek Ranger District, Tonto National Forest, located at the intersection of Cave Creek Road and Bartlett Dam Road in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The online auction is tentatively scheduled for June 20, 2006.

A sales briefing has been scheduled for June 8 from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Cave Creek Ranger District Work Center Conference Room, located behind the main ranger district office building, 40202 N. Cave Creek Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85262.

Property information, including an area map, may be downloaded online at www.propertydisposal.gsa.gov. The property can be accessed at other times by calling the ranger station and making an appointment: 480-595-3300.

The sale will be managed through an Internet online auction and by initial written bids by mail. The property will be offered as four separate sale parcels: Parcel A: approximately 4.98 acres; Parcel B: approximately 9.4 acres; Parcel C: approximately 2.8 acres; and Parcel D, which is the three parcels combined (A, B and C) of approximately 17 acres

Interested parties can register to participate in the sale and may do so as long as the auction(s) remain open. Interested parties should obtain an Invitation for Bids (IFB) at www.propertydisposal.gsa.gov or by contacting GSA at 1-888-GSA-LAND (1-888-472-5263), ext. 3430.

The IFB provides a description of the property, the requirements for auction participation including the terms of sale, the amount of the required registration deposit, and instructions on "how to bid" online at www.auctionrp.com, GSA’s online auction website.

Bidders who have completed the auction registration process by providing the appropriate registration deposit with GSA will be able to bid on the Cave Creek Administrative Site using a bidder ID number and bidder established password. GSA is conducting the sale of the Cave Creek Administrative Site on behalf of the USDA Forest Service.

The closing of the auction utilizes a "soft close" feature where if a bid is received on the date established and before the time specified the auction will roll over to the next business day under the same terms.

The auction will continue as long as new increased bids are received. If a bid is not received the auction will close on that business day at the time specified. This "call for final bids" procedure is outlined in the Invitation for Bids (IFB).

"Once the call for final bids is announced, the actual closing of the auction is really determined by the bidders," said Angela La Monica, GSA project manager of the auction. "As long as we get higher bids each business day the auction will continue.

This procedure gives bidders ample time to assess their bidding strategy, allows new participants to join the auction, and is designed to establish the true market value of the property based on the bidding activity of educated buyers."