02:09 PM PST on Saturday, March 12, 2005

Associated Press

Retail giant Wal-Mart is facing a fight from some Oregon communities.

Wal-Mart company photo

First, plans to put Wal-Marts in Medford and Hood River were shouted down by local opponents. And now, the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retailer is also running into trouble with its plans to put new stores in the Portland area.

One Wal-Mart is proposed for a partially used lot in Gresham. The other is in Beaverton, near a busy intersection.

Wal-Mart said the stores would help serve existing and new Wal-Mart customers.

But residents in Beaverton are protesting that the store would cause traffic jams and would hurt livability.

Meanwhile in Gresham, neighbors are worried about the environmental impact of putting in the new Wal-Mart near a creek and wetlands.