TROUTDALE, Ore. — Homeless camps at a popular recreational area in Troutdale has hikers concerned about safety and the impact it could have on the sensitive waterway. However, before the issue can be addressed there is confusion over who is responsible for the land.
The Sandy River Delta, commonly known as Thousand Acres Park, is one of the most popular off-leash parks for hikers and their dogs. But not far from the trails are dozens of homeless camps along the banks of the river.
Russell Glaser is an avid hiker at the park and he is worried about the environmental and humanitarian impacts of these camps.
"There's broken glass everywhere and sharp metal, syringes,” Glaser said. “To me, we have a real crisis on our hands of an environmental nature.”
Glaser said these camps return each spring. He took KGW into the woods riddled with trash and tents to see the camps first-hand.
“It’s no secret we have a lot of folks living outside in the Portland metro area, but most of the time it’s not in a really sensitive, natural area,” he said. “We’re talking about a wetland waterway, part of the Sandy River that’s in the flood plain below the high-water mark.”
There's no camping or fires allowed in the park, but Glaser showed KGW sever several burned-out areas and passed by a burning campfire Wednesday.
“There's actually scorched forest floor and scorched trees,” he said.
Glaser’s concern is wide-ranging. There are about 1,400 acres at Sandy River Delta and he wonders what would happen if someone ventures off course.
“It'd be really easy to get lost and if you wind up walking on the wrong path – you're in somebody's home,” Glaser said. “And it could potentially be a dangerous situation.
He wants officials to manage these camps for the well-being of those living there and for the sensitive waterways.
“I just feel like this is something that should not be overlooked,” he said.
Before a solution is found, the state needs to figure out who is responsible for this specific area. Right now, it is unclear.
“It's kind of a convenient way for these agencies to not have to deal with the crisis out here,” Glaser said.
The U.S. Forest Service manages the park, but along the Sandy River banks, where these camps are located, jurisdiction gets a bit muddled. The Oregon Department of State Lands is in the process of determining if it is happening on state land or not.
On Friday, March 29, the department sent a staff member to analyze the area to find out. They have not determined if is their legal responsibility.
“If it is taking place on state-owned land then we will work with our law enforcement partners to address the issue and if not, we'll make sure that information about what's happening gets to whoever the landowner is,” said Ali Ryan Hansen, communications manager for the Oregon Department of State Lands.
There are multiple potential owners because there are several pieces of property that intersect where these people are camping, according to Ryan Hansen.
Determining who is responsible is the first step, but Glaser wants to see action now and have the management of these homeless camps continue.
“I’d just like to see it get cleared out, get the folks taken care of, get the trash taken care of,” he said. “And then try to determine, on an ongoing basis, who is really responsible for keeping the folks out of here, for keeping it clean on an ongoing basis, for managing this area and making sure this doesn’t continue to happen every year.”
The Sandy River Watershed Council is also aware of the issue. Executive director Steve Wise said the camps are in an area that fosters many natural habitats. He is concerned about the impact of waste on a fragile ecosystem.
Without a solution to the overall issue of homelessness, these camps will likely continue to return in years to come. How exactly the homeless camps will be addressed once ownership of the land is determined is still unclear.
KGW did reach out to the U.S. Forest Service but did not hear back.