Chock-O-Block With Resorts - D.W. McBride, MD and Family (Bend, OR and Gambier, OH)

[Sen to the House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and Reps. Boone, Merkley and Rosenbaum:]

It is devoutly to be wished that you will support SB 30 to preserve the Metolius Basin. We believe there are enough destination resorts in Oregon and we don' need another in theMetolius Basin is one of them. This bill should be passed without compromise.

The Metolius River has been enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year because of it's quiet beauty, clear water and magnificent forests. It has remained this way because it is mostly federal land well managed by the US Forest Service. The private inholdings are mostly occupied by small cabins and houses on large lots and the locals, about 250 residents, are good stewards of the land. Their presence does not degrade the area. Large destination resorts with hundreds of homes and rental units would destroy the charm of the village and absolutely affect the ambiance of the Wild and Scenic river. The developers' and Jefferson county's desire for money should not be allowed to carry the day on this issue. Central Oregon is chock-a-block with destination resorts which in actuality are towns outside the urban growth boundaries of Bend, Redmond, Sisters, etc.

The proposed resort on the east boundary of the Metolius Basin would be many times larger than Sisters only 10 miles away. The impact on water, roads, traffic, schools, wildlife habitat would be huge! The smaller proposed resort is right smack in the middle of Forest Service land. The Deschutes Forest Plan recognizes the special values of the basin and Sisters Ranger District does an excellent job implementing the plan. This private 627 acre parcel should be part of the National Forest and certainly not some sort of major development dressed in ecological clothes.

Your support is strongly urged. If paved and developed, Oregon will have lost a natural treasure which connot be reclaimed.

D.W. McBride, MD and Family
Bend, OR
Gambier, OH