The Wilks Brothers are looking to sell $150 million worth of property across south-central Idaho.
The parcels are scattered across Valley, Adams, and Boise Counties and total more than 94 square miles of private land. Most of the land is covered in timber, and portions were acquired from various sources starting in 2017. Much of the land was once owned by Boise Cascade and passed through several buyers since the turn of this century before the Wilks of Texas started buying land in Idaho.
Dan and Farris Wilks’ holding company DF Development closed access to some of the land it acquired that had previously been open under prior owners. The company currently touts recreational activities, including motorsports, hunting & fishing, and hiking on its land.
Estimates on the Wilks’ total holdings vary. The Idaho Statesman calculated in 2019 the land totaled more than 300 square miles, but as BoiseDev has reported, DF Development has listed a number of properties for sale in recent years.
‘Blank canvas’ with ‘development potential’
“Located in the picturesque Salmon River and Boise Mountain Ranges, between Boise and McCall, this 60,285 ± acres of private deeded land is being offered for the first time at this size,” the sales flier notes.
The sales pitch says the land could be used for things other than timber. It notes that the land has “development potential” and recreational and hunting features.
“Very few large Rocky Mountain timber acreages are located within a highly desirable growing populous area that supports other higher and better uses outside of timber. Of those, very seldom do they become available on the market for acquisition. These properties are essentially a blank canvas with amazing views of mountains, lakes, and towns. “
The properties include a network of more than 65 miles of river and streams, the flier claims, including portions of the North Fork of the Payette River.
The parcels include:
- The ‘Smokey Boulder’ area of Adams County, with three parcels totaling 10 square miles near Highway 95 north of New Meadows
- A set of six parcels dubbed Middle Fork in Adams County totaling 7.1 square miles in Adams County.
- Two large properties surround Smiths Ferry in Valley County, adding up to 23.1 square miles. The larger of the two parcels is bisected by Highway 55 and the Payette River and includes much of the land you see while driving 55 south of Smiths Ferry.
- About 11 square miles of land near Horsethief Reservoir east of Cascade.
- An area dubbed Boise Ridge in Boise County north of the City of Boise southwest of Centerville that totals more than 16.4 square miles.
- To the east of Centerville, another property called Pioneer Valley totals nearly 20 square miles and is the largest single piece of property in the portfolio.
The offering is the fourth-largest currently active land sale by dollar value, according to Land Report Magazine.
The Wilks have a combined net worth of $3.5 billion, according to Forbes, after selling their fracking company in 2011. Forbes says they are the nation’s 12th-largest landowner.
