Magical In Its Mood - Steve and Kathy Bachelder, Portland

Dear Distinguished House Leadership and Members of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee,

The Metolius River Basin is recognized as one of the most special places in the country, if not world. A river of unmatched beauty, magical in its mood and pristine character. If you have any doubts about this, please drive over there and take a stroll along its banks- it will be impossible for you to not want to protect it!

Allowing destination resorts nearby will tarnish it with overuse, fertilizer run-off, litter, noise and general degradation of what is Oregon's crown jewel of quiet beauty. We cannot allow such a precious resource to be swallowed up just for the sake of Jefferson County tax revenues and developers' profits!

And speaking of that, are you aware that the sudden change in Jefferson County development rules last year could increas the value of the two developers' holdings overnight by perhaps as much as a hundredfold? For example, Dutch Pacific purchased its square mile just a year and a half ago for $1.1 million. Shortly thereafter, the development rules change made it worth at least $100 million once it sells individual lots. (250 lots times $400,000) The Green Ridge development is ten times larger (worth $1 billion?).

The legions of lobbyists and lawyers money like that can field are hard to fight, and hard for a county with its own economic problems to resist. But it's a big county with lots of private developable land that does not threaten a national treasure. Please support SB 30 and encourage development where it is less harmful.

Thank you,

Steve and Kathy Bachelder
Portland, OR