Municipal watersheds, in particular, illustrate the vital human connection to the natural environmental, especially when those watersheds are muddied by clearcuts. Clear cutting is an expensive forestry tool. Sure, it costs less to get the trees out. But the real expense comes later-in restoration, in lost habitat, in disrupted ecosystems. With the rainy season upon us, we've already seen the terrifying loss of human life as slides from clearcuts crash through homes and highways, while simultaneously putting our drinking water at risk.
Water is a fundamental element in life.
I recently read an illustration that conveys how important and how difficult it is to get clean water. If tomorrow we discovered that the cure for AIDS was as simple as a glass of pure tap water, most patients could never be cured. ONRC will aggressively defend Oregon's natural environment to ensure you can get a clean glass of water. It's just part of a long tradition that's adding another generation. I am committed to ask the questions and push our leaders to protect our wild lands.