A number of people have reached out regarding concerns about the homeless camps at the Sandy River Delta – known locally as Thousand Acres. It is a concern and frustration shared by the City of Troutdale’s Code Compliance Department, as well the mayor and city council.
Despite those concerns, there is very little the City can do directly to remedy this. The Sandy River Delta lays outside of Troutdale city limits, and as such we have no jurisdiction over it. The Oregon Department of State Lands (DSL) owns a big chunk of the riverfront property on the east side of the Sandy where most of the illegal camping happens. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) controls the bulk of the rest of the property as part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area . The City has been working with both DSL and USFS for several years to get that area improved.
Here are some actions you can take:
- If you feel threatened or believe prohibited activities are occurring, contact the Multnomah Sheriff's Office
- Report illegal camps near the Sandy River - Oregon Department of State Lands.
- Report illegal camps near trails - U.S. Forest Service
- Report illegal camps underneath the interstate - Oregon Department of Transportation
- Report illegal camps south of the interstate - Oregon State Parks
- Report dumped trash on public property - RID Patrol
- Report abandoned vehicles - Multnomah County Sheriff's Office
- Contact Multnomah County Sheriff's Hope [at] mcso.us (HOPE Team)
- Find temporary shelter and other resources - 211.org
- Find ways to help or donate - Portland State University
If you are unsure about which agency to contact, you can fill out the form on our Report a Code Issue page.
A great advocacy group for the Delta is Friends of the Sandy River Delta. They are a non-profit comprised of volunteers and users of the Sandy River Delta. The Friends help the Forest Service maintain and manage the Delta by performing trail maintenance, managing the in-field trash cans (for dog waste), and providing education and outreach to the users.