Wildlife habitat use may impact your land

By Betty L. Buford

, Mar 12, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009

ADVERTISEMENTS

Property owners: The city (of Lake Oswego) wants to prohibit your use and enjoyment of a portion of your land in order that it may be reserved for wildlife habitat. Do you want this to happen?

City data indicates there are approximately 1,800 property owners in the city of Lake Oswego which may have this happen to them. Are you one of them? We believe that many of these 1,800 property owners have no idea what may happen to them. Are you one of these property owners? Control of a portion of your land by the city of Lake Oswego for the purpose of wildlife habitat will be a major encumbrance on your property. You will absolutely lose a portion of the value of your property as a result of this encumbrance. Are you one of these property owners?

We first became aware of the current process by the city of Lake Oswego to update its map of high —quality wildlife habitat and water resources in a letter from the city dated Feb. 26, 2008 and by attendance at an open house for city landowners and residents on the evening of March 6, 2008. Since then, we have found the information provided by city staff to be confusing and misleading. Most recently, we have supported a proposal and request by affected property owners to the planning commission and city council to allow the formation of a task force to review and study the implications and impacts on private property owners by the current proposals by city staff.

We believe protection of land for wildlife habitat can be accomplished without control of private property by the city, and without the loss of private property rights by the landowner. The city of Portland will be implementing a program involving Three Rivers Land Conservancy and Oregon State Master Gardeners to provide their skills and knowledge to homeowners to improve wildlife habitat on private property without the exclusion of the property owner. We believe the city of Lake Oswego should move in this direction. We feel this is the only way to improve the environment of the city of Lake Oswego in a community effort. The Three Rivers Land Conservancy and the Oregon State Master Gardeners are willing to provide education and training for property owners of Lake Oswego to accomplish this objective.

We need the support of all affected property owners in order to move this ahead in a positive direction. You can contact me at bettylbuford@msn.com if you have any questions that are not being answered.

Betty Buford is a Master Gardener and a resident of Lake Oswego.