| All of us are aware that the suburbs are growing | | | | The residents who are complaining have the |
| while the central cores of most of our larger cities | | | | boundary line running next to their yards. The |
| are dying. This growth of the suburbs means that | | | | area where the duck hunting is taking place is just |
| land that was formerly available for wildlife and/or | | | | outside of the city limits, so it is outside of this |
| farming has disappeared at an alarming rate. We | | | | growth line, in the country. County commissioners |
| see the results of this growth all the time when | | | | are frustrated by an Oregon law that mentions |
| people report bears, mountain lions, or coyotes in | | | | "hunting and fishing preserves". Unfortunately, |
| their yards. Another result of this growth has | | | | when the lawmakers passed the hunting |
| been increasing conflict between suburban | | | | regulations, they forgot to mention what exactly |
| residents and hunters in the town of Sherwood, | | | | makes up one of these "preserves". This leaves |
| Oregon. Sherwood is about 25 miles from | | | | the commissioners unable to step in on the |
| downtown Portland, Oregon. It used to be a | | | | resident's behalf, when the state is so vague. |
| farming town, but now it's a bedroom suburb of | | | | . As is often the case in a conflict such as this, it |
| Portland. | | | | sounds like both sides may be exaggerating. |
| At the heart of the current conflict are city | | | | Residents say that the farmer is running a hunting |
| residents who live on the fringes of Sherwood | | | | club. This would be illegal since the farmer doesn't |
| and are saying that during duck hunting season | | | | have a business license. The farmer says that |
| (October through January) they hear shotgun | | | | residents knew that duck hunting was taking place |
| blasts and find empty shells in their backyards. | | | | in the field when they bought their houses. |
| These urban residents are upset and want the | | | | The curious thing is; for some reason, the farmer |
| duck hunting to stop. The farmer that owns the | | | | sold the land to the developer to start all this. Did |
| land that is being hunted on says that his family | | | | he forget to tell the developer about the duck |
| has been hunting on the land for generations and | | | | hunting? Are the city dwellers being extra |
| nobody is going to stop him. | | | | protective of their children? |
| To be fair, if people really are finding empty | | | | It is important not to forget that as hunters we |
| shotgun shells in their backyards, that is not right. | | | | have to be careful when hunting close to |
| If what the residents are saying is true, then | | | | developed areas. This means not taking some |
| hunters are litterbugs and are shooting at ducks | | | | shots, but remember, people will freak out if |
| from people's yards. Neither of which is too likely. | | | | buckshot falls within 200yds of their kids. |
| What is probably happening is that the residents | | | | The bottom line is that both sides are right and |
| are trying to protect their families, so they are | | | | both sides are wrong, so it sounds like a |
| willing to say anything. If people's kids are outside | | | | compromise is in order. The conflict in Oregon is |
| and they her gunfire, they will probably say that | | | | surely being played out in many other states, |
| their kids almost got shot. | | | | especially those with lax planning laws that allow |
| Residents of Sherwood are looking to the state | | | | suburbs to gobble up all the land they want. One |
| of Oregon and the county for help. The State of | | | | of the county commissioners in Oregon summed |
| Oregon has been a pioneer when it comes to land | | | | up the situation in Sherwood best when he said," |
| use planning. Every municipality in the state has its | | | | people need to be tolerant of other people's |
| own urban growth boundary. All building must take | | | | activities". |
| place within this boundary. | | | | |