Forward Thinking - Ervin Siverson, Portland

Dear Senator Westlund:

Thank you for your insight and forward thinking in creating and drafting SB30. As you are acutely aware, the Metolius River is a special place that deserves its designation as a Wild and Scenic River and should remain that way. I am an avid fly-fisherman and spend 15 weekends a year at the Metolius and there are not many places on the planet that can compare to its unique beauty. With the increase in population in Bend/Deschutes county, the Metolius already is showing signs of stress, I personally have witnessed an increase in visitor traffic and trash around the river and I worry what the impact of having two resorts within the Metolius Basin would do to the water quality and water flows of the Metolius. In an article published by the Oregonian newspaper on 3/25/07, you state you might be "open to compromise" if you can be assured that the resorts would not take water out of the Metolius; yet how can you assure water flows given that the Metolius is spring-fed thus vulnerable to the effects of wells needed to satisfy the demands of two large destination resorts with accompanying golf courses? Please continue to support SB30 in its current state so that generations of future Oregonians can enjoy the special beauty of the Metolius River, because once it is gone, it is gone.
Ervin Siverson
Portland, OR