Caring For the River - Patti Johnson

Ladies and Gentlemen of The Oregon House of Representatives;

I am writing in support of SB 30.

Recently, letters and editorials have been feverishly written about SB 30. Residents of the Camp Sherman area and many politicians are very concerned that further development of the Metolius Basin will spoil the waters of the Metolius River, as well as further tax the already strained aquifer. This should not be a “Republicans vs. Democrats” issue. The issue should be to do what is right for the future and generations to come. There seems to be a serious lack of communication and lack of long term responsibility.

I grew up at the headwaters of the Metolius River. Since the early 1900’s, my family has owned the land surrounding the headwaters. My sister, Sen. Betsy Johnson owns it now. One might wonder why my sister owns that land and I do not. Our family decided it would be wrong to “overdevelop” it. By “overdeveloping” we would have divided it into two 75 acre parcels. That’s a far cry from what Jefferson County is willing to allow.

This area is unlike any other I have ever seen. It is also the most delicate area I have ever seen. Because of its fragility, my parents, Sam and Becky Johnson, donated the land around the headwaters to the State of Oregon. Our family simply could not care for it in the manner that it required. Well meaning visitors unknowingly did considerable damage to the ferns, foliage and natural beauty of the area. Sam and Mother wanted visitors to continue to enjoy the magnificent beauty of the headwaters.

Whenever I come back to visit “the river”, one of the first things I do is lie on the footbridge that crosses the river in front of the cabin and take a drink of water. Yes, I take that drink right out of the river. There are not many places in the world where this can be safely done.

The people who live in Camp Sherman know what I am writing about. They know how fragile it is. They love that beautiful place with their hearts and souls and do not want to see it harmed. To allow development to such a pristine and incredibly unusual place, no matter how “eco-friendly” is irresponsible beyond words. True, it might bring some tax revenue for Jefferson County in the short term, but the long term consequences will be very detrimental. I wonder if Jefferson County actually realizes what a jewel they have in the Metolius Basin. I do not believe they do.

As far back as I can remember, conservation and environmentalism is a way of life with our family. I still turn off the water while brushing my teeth in order to conserve. My parents, sister and I spent hours caring for the land around the river. When I was 11, my father paid to have fingerling salmon dumped near the headwaters, hoping to see them return to spawn as they did by nature in the past. (A few of them did return, and it was exciting)! I recall walking through the woods with Sam and learning the names of trees, how to care for the forest, and how to conserve. “This is not our land” he said. “It belongs to God. We are His caretakers.”

I encourage you to keep with the traditions of previous legislation that has kept Oregon nationally recognized as a conservation minded state. In this way, we can proudly continue to keep Oregon the gem of the United States of America.

Sincerely,
Patti Johnson
Edgewater, FL