Members of the unhoused community at Seneca Camp in West Eugene have been fighting in community court over tickets for trespassing. Since their court appearances, Seneca Camp has been making efforts to clean the area while city and Union Pacific officials discuss the legality of the encampments.
Since the February 7 court case involving Seneca Camp members, the community has focused on cleaning up trash and asking the city for waste removal resources. The central issue is whether Seneca Camp lies on private land or on property owned by Union Pacific.
Jetty, an advocate for the houseless community, who uses an alias for protection, believes that Seneca Camp is on privately owned land, and that the residents have permission from the owners to live there.
Officials from the Eugene Police Department (EPD), however, say the camp is on railroad property. EPD uses GPS mapping tools to determine land ownership when responding to camping or property-related claims. “There have apparently been campers trespassing for an extended period on railroad property between Seneca Road and Bertelsen Road,” said Melinda McLaughlin, public information director at EPD. She added that EPD typically responds to Union Pacific’s requests for assistance but provides ample notice and offers resources and referrals to the campers.
So far, around 28 individuals from Seneca Camp have been ticketed, and one person has been arrested for trespassing.
The nearby businesses JH Baxter and McCracken are also involved, with some community members claiming they have permission from these companies to occupy the area. As the debate over the legality of the camp continues, Jetty has led clean-up efforts, asking sanitation companies to donate dumpsters, but they have refused.
Jetty has asked Kelly McIver of Eugene’s community development division for trash removal services, but the city declined because the land is privately owned by Union Pacific. McIver explained the challenges of providing waste disposal for unhoused camps, especially on private property, and cited concerns about public safety and property damage.
Union Pacific has temporarily suspended its removal activities at Seneca Camp while the camp undergoes treatment for a scabies and lice outbreak. Medical outreach workers are helping treat the residents with a multi-course pharmaceutical.
“Homelessness is a growing social problem that state and local governments are struggling to address,” said Meg Ronspies, corporate communications manager at Union Pacific. “Unlawful encampments on our property put lives at risk and often result in people treating the property as a dump site.”
