Wednesday, September 23, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
23
Check before you cut trees
Dear
Property Guy
By Mike Zoormajian
Dear Property Guy,
I live in downtown Sisters
and recently cut down some
sick trees near my house.
A neighbor advised that I
needed a permit to cut trees.
I told her to get off my lawn
and to mind her own busi-
ness, but now I9m curious
what the real deal is.
4 Sisters Lumberjack
PHOTO BY DOUGLAS BEALL
The smallest falcon, the Merlin (Falco columbarius)
Sisters Country birds
By Douglas Beall
Correspondent
The smallest falcon, the
Merlin (Falco columbar-
ius), primarily hunts smaller
birds while flying 4 flush-
ing birds from thickets and
chasing them using their
amazing speed and maneu-
verability to catch their prey
on the wing.
During their breeding
season the Merlin inhab-
its open upland and low-
land prairies. Merlins do
not build their own nests;
instead they use old stick
nests built by hawks, mag-
pies or crows. Occasionally
they nest on ledges or tree
cavities. The nest contains
three to six brown eggs,
which are incubated for 27
Do you
have a story
idea for
to 32 days.
The male provides all
food for the brood and
female until the young
begin to fledge. The young
leave the nest about a month
after hatching and leave the
area within five weeks to
begin their adult life.
There are Merlins pass-
ing through Central Oregon
now, as they will stop and
hunt before heading south,
although a few may remain
in our area.
In the past the Merlin
was called a pigeon hawk.
Groups of Merlins are
referred to as a <leash,= a
<brace,= or an <illusion= of
Merlins. For more Merlin
photos visit http://abird
singsbecauseithasasong.
com/recent-journeys.
SUDOKU
SOLUTION
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editor@nuggetnews.com
Dear Jack:
Property Guy is happy to
help with your trees, but has
nothing to offer as far as your
neighbor goes.
This question is so far out
of Property Guy9s world, I
had to go to my local expert.
I contacted my friend, Sisters
City Manager Corey Misley,
who was super helpful in get-
ting me smart on the subject.
I learned that many cities
in Oregon require permits to
cut trees of a certain diameter
even on private property. But
Sisters currently isn9t one
of them. That said, Sisters
may take up a potential code
amendment regarding larger
trees in the future.
Problems (and hefty
fines) have arisen when peo-
ple have cut trees that appear
to be on private property, but
are actually on City property
or right-of-way. So best to
check in with the city and get
something in writing before
89 ¢ per. lb.
Assorted Pears, New Crop
Comments? Email
editor@nuggetnews.com
$1.79 per lb.
engaging in any cutting or
significant trimming
<Preserving our urban for-
est is part of what has made
Sisters a special place,= said
Corey. <We have City staff
who can help with the review
process.=
But wait there9s more&
If there is a development
application or building per-
mit outstanding, the city
does regulate tree removal
and can require replacement
of trees at a 3:1 ratio. So if
you9re removing trees as part
of a new build or addition,
you9ll need to work through
the city.
So long story short: You
were cool in your scenario.
Trees = Good. More trees
= Better. Cutting your own
trees = Good. Cutting trees
on city property = Bad.
Check in with City first and
everything should be fine.
4 Mike
Dear Property Guy:
A tenant we really, really
liked just exited our rental
in Bend. They left the house
in perfect condition except
for some deeply scratched
areas from their dog on the
a couple sections of wood
floor. We want to be fair, and
want future tenants to be able
to have pets, but it9s going to
be pretty expensive to repair.
4 Doggie Landlord
Dear Dogs:
You got a couple issues
here. The tenants are legally
liable for damage above
<normal wear and tear.= So
let your conscience be your
guide here.
I generally advise my cli-
ents that doggies and wood
floors don9t mix. Especially
if it9s a soft wood. If you
want to continue to rent to
pet owners, I9d advise cover-
ing the real wood floor with
an engineered product to
save the natural wood. Then
uncover and repair the wood
when it comes time to sell.
4 Mike
Mike Zoormajian is prin-
cipal at WetDog Properties in
Sisters. Providing local prop-
erty management and investor
services. Questions, comments
to letters@wetdogpnw.com.
Free legal advice is worth what
you pay. Consult an attorney
before doing anything crazy.