Save Our Soils

Parks, open space, river greenways and quality education mean everything to my growing family. Our kids love to play at the parks and playgrounds near the Lombard site between the River Road and Whiteaker neighborhoods.

As someone trained in soils biology, forest ecology and geology, I know firsthand the vital role that rich, diverse, urban ecosystems play in the health of species preservation and expansion. For these reasons and so many more, it is essential that we maintain the heritage trees and top-quality Class 1 soils specific to the Lombard site along the Willamette River Greenway.

I find it shocking that Homes For Good would dump the long-held commitment to build context-sensitive affordable housing on this unique site, to sell to an out-of-state developer who specializes in making hefty profits and building clunky apartments at market-rate (expensive) rents.

As more and more open spaces are paved over for development, we need to be vigilant in our efforts to preserve open space and good soils in our densified urban areas. It takes thousands of years for these soils to develop — once gone and left un-nurtured, they are lost forever.

Kelly Ferguson

Springfield

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