Visiting For 35 Years - John Kennedy, Portland

Dear Senator Dekert [And copied to the Senate Committee and Education and General Government:]

My family has been going up to the Metolius Basin for the past thirty five years. Since my retirement fifteen years ago, my wife, children, and now grandchildren have spent most of their summer there. My Portland based children and grandchildren make many skiing trips to the area. Needless to say we have seen many changes to the area. The traffic on Route 20-22 has increased to the point that you may wait 5-10 minutes to get on the road and even longer on the weekends. We have seen some of the springs at the head waters of the Metolius dry up. The flow of the Metolius River, above Lake Creek, has drop some summers so that the cabins (with water rights) have trouble getting water out of the river. It is still one of the most beautiful and peaceful area in Oregon. It is public land that is open to all that come to visit. A comprehensive plan for the area was drawn up by a very diverse group (US Forests Service, cabin owners, environmentalists, Warm Spring Indian representatives, and many more) who all agreed on the plan for the preservation on the then designated scenic water way, the Metolius River. For the benefit of a few developers, who will be long gone after their projects are completed, it would be tragic to destroy this beautiful gift given to us by nature.
Sincerely,

J. Halisey Kennedy MD
Portland, OR