The Cleek family lives in Yamhill County on more than 40 acres of farmland. Most of their property is planted in field crops and the acreage adjoining the two creeks is in a special resource enhancement program.

The Cleeks did not support measure 37; however, Barbara says, “we can understand why someone would want to build a home in the country or be allowed an additional home for a family member.”

“But that is a far cry from opening farm and forest land to developers to subdivide or develop commercially, putting huge strains on already limited farm water supply, roads, and wildlife,” she says.

In March of 2006, the Cleeks were notified of a public hearing for a Measure 37 claim by their neighbor, which proposed to subdivide their 349-acre property. The claim describes the subdivision this way: “various sized lots to be used for residential development, RV and camping sites, a restaurant, sales and educational purposes.”

Several dozen concerned neighbors crowded the courthouse room. They learned that the land proposed for the Measure 37 claim holds federally protected wetlands. These are critically important to the environment – filtering pollutants before they reach streams and offering food and shelter to birds and other wildlife.

For now, the claim is limited to subdividing and developing 100 plus acres into several home sites. But the county commissioners allowed the owner the ability to reopen the claim, including the additional commercial possibilities, in the future.

“As citizens, we have obligations to protect the land and the property of others. Oregon’s land use laws were created to help us all live together and have respect for each other’s rights. Measure 37 threatens that principle. Measure 49 will help to preserve Oregon the way we know and love it”. Barbara says.