Daughter convinces father to pass up millions for their property and do something amazing with it instead: ‘As a family, we talked a lot about this’

The Kehoe family in Portland, Oregon chose to forgo selling their $14 million property and instead donated the 22 acres to the Portland Audubon Society. The decision was influenced by Katie Kehoe, who convinced her father, Marty Kehoe, a developer, to preserve the wildlife habitat rather than construct 32 homes on the land. 

The area renamed the Katherine Lynn Kehoe Sanctuary, was considered one of the largest, most ecologically valuable, and most at-risk parcels on the periphery of Forest Park. Portland Audubon had to pay off the property’s $200,000 mortgage to receive the donation. The City of Portland also contributed $350,000 for a conservation easement and $150,000 for removing invasive plants and protecting water quality. 

This generous gift increased Portland Audubon Society’s forest holdings to 172 acres, providing a valuable wildlife corridor and contributing to the restoration of stream banks. The Kehoe family’s donation, worth millions, was regarded as one of the most significant gifts to Portland Audubon Society.

For more information see Mike Taylor “Daughter convinces father to pass up millions for their property and do something amazing with it instead: ‘As a family, we talked a lot about this’”, Yahoo!, December 5, 2023.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.