GOOD NEWS! The City of Gresham struck a deal to buy the Shaull woods!
An announcement came out on Friday, June 18 saying that the City made a deal with "all parties" to buy the Shaull woods and wetlands! This has been an ongoing effort for many local tree-lovers over many, many months and it looks like we've been successful! Read more: Good news – the City made a deal!

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!  IT HAS BEEN AMAZING!

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Sign the petition below addressed to the Mayor of Gresham and City Council members. Help us preserve the last unprotected habitat at Grant Butte Wetlands near Portland, Oregon. We hope to see the site turned into a nature park so it can continue to provide migratory sanctuary for thousands of birds.

Background

A pending development threatens the forested site next to Southwest Community Park, the former home of the deceased Helen Shaull. Mrs. Shaull wrote in her will that she wanted her environmentally-sensitive property to be protected.  

However, the property was sold to SGS Development, and plans were made for housing development. 267 trees are planned to be cut down, and construction will be occurring next to wetlands that are a habitat conservation area. At the time of this writing, plans are moving forward.

Where is the Shaull property?

The Shaull property address is 3535 W. Powell Blvd. It is a little less than 8 acres, but combined with the adjacent Southwest Park, the protected area would be over 40 acres. See a map at https://tinyurl.com/y9j5s7hv

Why is this important?

The site includes mature forest and wetland habitats, and it is a migratory sanctuary for thousands of birds including the American Bittern, Blue Heron, Green Heron, Bald Eagle, and Red-tailed Hawk. It is the last relatively intact and unprotected habitat of the larger Grant Butte Wetlands natural area.

The possible solution

The City of Gresham, Portland Metro, and East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District could potentially buy the Shaull acreage to protect it as a natural area. They must be encouraged to do so.