How a Sisters resident showed the way to protect the Metolius
Carla Axtman
Linda Davis is a native Oregonian. For the past 10 years, she and her husband Tom have lived in Sisters. They've got a particular love for the Metolius River and the surrounding wilderness.
Davis spoke with me by phone the other day, conveying her passion for Oregon and the area around the Metolius in particular.
"I went to the river as a child. It's a special and beautiful place" said Davis. " My husband isn't from Oregon so I showed him around and took him to my favorite spots. When we came to the Metolius, he fell in love with it."
Ten years ago they moved into the house in Sisters where her parents had lived since 1981.
"It's an area that's really drawn us", she said.
But Linda Davis isn't just any run-of-the mill citizen who loves her state. She's an expert on land-use in Oregon. In the early 70's, Davis was a land-use planner for the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments. During that time she mostly focused on the Salem region, working with the city's first urban growth boundary. She was also around during the McCall era, remembering well the Governor's famous 1973 speech in support of Senate Bill 100 on protecting Oregon from “sagebrush subdivisions, coastal condomania, and the ravenous rampages of suburbia.”
She fondly recalls McCall's 1974 testimony in front of the Oregon legislature when McCall said that the Metolius should be declared an Area of Statewide Critical Concern (ASCS), just as had been designated for the Columbia Gorge.
After a six year relocation to Idaho, Linda and Tom returned to Oregon where Linda became the Planning Director for the City of Beaverton. She spent a lot of time in that job working with Arnold Cogan, who McCall appointed as the first director of the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD).
Davis said she sent information to the Big Look Task Force on the ASCS, too. "I've looked at the statutes over the years. A lot of people probably know about this," said Davis. "I thought the ASCS provision should be looked at".
When the latest effort to build destination resorts at the Metolius came up, Davis said she and her husband "became very involved". She says her husband Tom has a special expertise on how the water in the area functions. Tom Davis in fact holds an MS in civil engineering, hydrology and water resources from the University of Idaho. He has spent his career in both public agencies and private consulting conducting water resource and hydrology studies, watershed studies (including groundwater), storm water run-off and management, floodplain studies, wetland and riparian studies, fish habitat and restoration, non-point source water pollution studies, among others. Most of his work has been in Idaho and Oregon. Tom is the Native Fish Society river steward for the Upper Deschutes watershed and is on the Friends of the Metolius Board. He's been deeply involved in the Deschutes River system and fish/habitat.
"We felt this was a classic candidate for this (ASCS) provision in the law", said Linda.
The Davis's attended a general destination resort hearing in October of 2008, where several legislators, including Rep. Brian Clem (D-Salem) were present. At that meeting, Linda stood up and asked if the ASCS had ever been considered as a part of the process to protect the Metolius.
Clem credits Linda Davis for reminding legislators of the ASCS, and McCall's original effort to keep the Metolius safe from large scale development:
"Not 15 miles from where Tom McCall grew up, in the middle of a nearly 5 hour public hearing, along comes Linda Davis from Sisters with the one idea that brings his vision of Oregon to life once again. Her testimony stopped the meeting in its tracks and while I probed the DLCD staff on this provision of law from SB 100 in 1973, I made a note with a little star next to it, which I keep in my office as a reminder that listening to the public is always where the best ideas come from."
Davis also has a great deal of respect for Clem. "I'm not used to a politician just wanting to do the right thing." she said.
Davis expresses frustration with some of the claims from resort ban opponents. "This is a statewide issue," she said. It's not a NIMBY (Not-In-My-Backyard) issue. It's not a "west-side" issue".
"We see value in this. That's why we live here."
 |
More Recent Posts | |
Albert Kaufman |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
Kari Chisholm |
Final pre-census estimate: Oregon's getting a sixth congressional seat |
Albert Kaufman |
Polluted by Money - How corporate cash corrupted one of the greenest states in America |
Guest Column |
|
Albert Kaufman |
Our Democrat Representatives in Action - What's on your wish list? |
Kari Chisholm |
|
Guest Column |
|
Kari Chisholm |
|
connect with blueoregon
Apr 23, '09
Thank You Carla! Linda and Tom have been tireless workers to protect the Metolius. I can always count on Tom's emails to keep me informed.
11:30 a.m.
Apr 23, '09
I'm certainly grateful to Linda and Tom for demonstrating the confluence between citizen involvement and expertise that has made Oregon such a great state to live in.
Would it be premature to launch a "Clem for Governor" website?
12:11 p.m.
Apr 23, '09
Great post Carla.
One factual note: It's Arnold Cogan who McCall appointed as the first director of the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). You spelled his last name Colgan.
12:16 p.m.
Apr 23, '09
Jonathan..thank you for that correction. I'll fix it in the post.
Apr 23, '09
Let me add my compliments to Linda and Tom for all the work they have done for the Metolius and other places.
Apr 23, '09
Former Governor Bob Straub here--back from the dead to help save the Metolius. In life, I too favored creating an area of critical state concern for the Metolius.
Just wanted to quickly remind all of you out there among the living to take time to contact not only your Oregon House Member, but your Oregon State Senator too. It looks from my vantage point, (being in the spiritual realm, it's darn sure an interesting one) like the Senate is certainly going to have to vote on this before it can become law. Remember, it's not the same Senate as 2007 that passed SB 30 with some powerful floor speeches. They need to hear your stories about why the Metolius is special to you. Write 'em a letter. Send 'em one of those newfangled electronic-mails (whatever those are).
It wouldn't hurt to tell them why you believe an 'eco-resort' that is actually a large rural subdivision of 450 single family residences plus 120 'overnight units' (that could in fact actually be 120 rental homes) in the Basin and upstream from the Metolius is not such a great idea, too.
It's for your kids and grandkids to enjoy, just like we were able to. And it's at stake.
Ack, I think that's the riggormortis back again.... Good luck...Write your Reps and Senators!!!!
Apr 23, '09
The latest news from Salem is that environmental activists are picketing the homes of and sending out negative mailings about Democratic legislators.
The resulting backlash appears to have killed the Metolius protection bill, Senate Bill 80, and other environmental priorities.
Smooth move.
9:03 p.m.
Apr 23, '09
Anon:
I've heard nothing about any picketing of anyone. I've spoken to several people in the know on this stuff today, so that seems weird.
Where did you hear this?
Apr 23, '09
Spirit, as someone who campaigned for Bob Straub for Gov. and had been to his farmhouse (before Mahonia Hall, the Gov. residence was where the Gov. lived), you did a great job of sounding like Bob Straub.
Apr 23, '09
I think the biggest source of water pollution is Industries. Who are releasing large amount of hazardous waste into our water resources. In order to do proper treatment of this waste water consultant like JNB must be contacted
Apr 24, '09
Some would argue that a tourist trap like Sisters is no different than the proposed Metolius resort-- except that it's already there. Just like the sticker I saw "Immigration Causes Problems, Just Ask Native Americans." NIMBY, NIMBY, NIMBY!
How about a post on HB 2184 to renew OR's Bottle Bill? This is a no brainer test of true progressivism and environmentalism, but it's been watered down in committee with a wimpy 5 cent increase that will not occur until 2016. I've heard that is to make it acceptable to a few Senate D's including a Melolious loving Coastal Senator whose name is often evoked in conjunction with the issue at hand.
This Melodious horse has been beat enough on Blue Oregon that I think it's time to butcher it, throw the meat over the fence on that pristine one mile stretch of the Metolius, and make ourselves some jerky!
Apr 24, '09
As a Sisters resident I want to thank Linda/Tom for stepping up. If I had their insight and expertise I would join them. The stench of builder/realtor/developer is so strong in Sisters that the smell drowns out any thought of controlled growth/resource sustainability and indeed sustained livability.
Apr 24, '09
This Melodious horse has been beat enough on Blue Oregon that I think it's time to butcher it,...
The answer to that cute comment is, "Not as long as the Metolious is threatened." The people who appreciate the pristine qualities of this river and who want to keep it that way are not quitters. Unfortunately, there are others who are only interested in making a buck and don't care about the consequence of their methods are not quitters either. To make matters worse, the latter are supported, if thoughtlessly, by some people who should know better.
9:09 a.m.
Apr 24, '09
What Bill said...!
Apr 24, '09
The environmentalists picketed the home of Rep. Tobias Read, chair of the House Sustainability and Economic Development Committee.
Stupid, stupid.
Apr 24, '09
Which environmentalists and on which issue? If this even happened, those would be uhh important details to know don't you think?
Apr 25, '09
They picketed Rep. Read's home and mailed out hit pieces to his constituents earlier this week about some LNG-related bills.
Definitely a stupid, inappropriate move.
2:08 p.m.
Apr 25, '09
Read can stand a little heat. He comes from the activist side himself and, if I'm not mistaken, was the prime mover on the ill conceived million percent beer tax increase.
He can consider it "home schooling" by former pals......
<hr/>I always reference something Kurt Schrader told me once while we were discussing another Salem lawmaker. Roughly:
"She came in as an activist, but is learning to be a good legislator."
<h2>I'm sure the same will be true of rep. Read.</h2>