Rare In Ecological Splendor - Joe Kuehn, Salem

Dear Senator Morse,

I am retired military and a Republican. After attending the hearing and listening to all the testimony I am even more convinced of the necessity to pass SB 30 without compromise. This is my testimony which was not permitted because of time constraints.

• I've traveled on six continents to places as varied as a South America International Biosphere in Patagonia, New Zealand's Milford Track, and mountain wildernesses on remote Indian Ocean islands.
• These rare places are sanctuaries of nature protected from damaging human encroachment.
• The Metolius River Basin although more developed, is equally rare in ecological splendor.
• The location of the proposed destination resorts on the Basin's perimeter would in my opinion, do severe damage to the delicate Metolius environment.

You represent an area in which there are many special natural places similar to the Metolius. I hope you consider the need to keep these environmental lands protected from exploitation. Those who propose these destination resorts have become very skillful in couching their justification by devising ways to convince us that their projects are ecologically positive when they are not.

I thought from the way you participated in the hearing that you were carefully weighing the testimony before making a decision. As the time for the vote nears I hope you will take my comment into consideration.

Please vote “yes” for passage of SB 30 as written.

Sincerely,

Joseph W Kuehn Jr.
Salem, OR