ORS 271.725: Acquisition and creation of conservation or highway scenic preservation easement.

(1) The state, any county, metropolitan service district, soil and water conservation district, city or park and recreation district or a county service district established under ORS 451.410 to 451.610 to construct, maintain and operate service facilities in Washington or Clackamas County for the purposes specified in ORS 451.010 (1)(a) and (b) and in Washington County for the purpose specified in ORS 451.010 (5) may acquire by purchase, agreement or donation, but not by exercise of the power of eminent domain, unless specifically authorized by law, conservation easements in any area within their respective jurisdictions wherever and to the extent that a state agency or the governing body of the county, metropolitan service district, soil and water conservation district, city, park and recreation district or county service district established under ORS 451.410 to 451.610 to construct, maintain and operate service facilities in Washington or Clackamas County for the purposes specified in ORS 451.010 (1)(a) and (b) and in Washington County for the purpose specified in ORS 451.010 (5) determines that the acquisition will be in the public interest. (2) Except as otherwise provided in ORS 271.715 to 271.795, a conservation easement or highway scenic preservation easement may be created, conveyed, recorded, assigned, released, modified, terminated or otherwise altered or affected in the same manner as other easements. (3) The state, any county, metropolitan service district, soil and water conservation district, city or park and recreation district or a county service district established under ORS 451.410 to 451.610 to construct, maintain and operate service facilities in Washington or Clackamas County for the purposes specified in ORS 451.010 (1)(a) and (b) and in Washington County for the purpose specified in ORS 451.010 (5) may acquire by purchase, agreement or donation, but not by exercise of the power of eminent domain unless specifically authorized by law, highway scenic preservation easements in land within 100 yards of state, county or city highway rights of way. These easements may be acquired only in lands that possess significant scenic value in themselves and contribute to the overall scenic beauty of the highway. (4) No right or duty in favor of or against a holder and no right in favor of a person having a third-party right of enforcement arises under a conservation easement or highway scenic preservation easement before its acceptance by the holder and recordation of the acceptance. (5) Except as provided in ORS 271.755 (2), a conservation easement or highway scenic preservation easement is unlimited in duration unless the instrument creating it otherwise provides. (6) An interest in real property in existence at the time a conservation easement or highway scenic preservation easement is created is not impaired by it unless the owner of the interest is a party to or consents to the conservation easement or highway scenic preservation easement. [1983 c.642 §2; 1985 c.160 §2; 1997 c.249 §79; 1999 c.208 §2; 2003 c.467 §2; 2005 c.368 §2; 2023 c.9 §13]