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WILLAMETTE RIVER ADVOCACY

Action Alert - Sample Letter

May 28, 2018

PLEASE PUT IN YOUR OWN WORDS AND VOICE TO SUIT HOW YOU FEEL OR MAKE NO CHANGES. THANK YOU!!

 

Deborah Kafoury, Chair mult.chair@multco.us 503.988.3308

 

Sharon Meieran, Commissioner-Dist.1 (Downtown) district1@multco.us 503.988.5220

 

Loretta Smith, Commissioner-Dist. 2 district2@multco.us 503.988.5219

 

Jessica Vega Pederson, Commissioner-Dist. 3 district3@multco.us 503.988.5217

 

Lori Stegmann, Commissioner-Dist.4 district4@multco.us 503.988.5213

 

Deborah, Sharon, Loretta, Jessica and Lori,

 

I write as a lover of the Willamette River, which is now swimmable (yay)! There is no scientific disagreement on this subject. Last summer, the City of Portland opened two downtown public beaches. This summer, 4-6,000 people are anticipated to participate in the 8th year of The Big Float, organized by Human Access Project. Momentum and hope are developing in our community for a new relationship with the Willamette River. Salmon runs have returned as well.

 

The Willamette River is Portland’s largest public open space and natural area. It’s a free, equitable resource for all our citizens to have relief from the built environment. It is nearly impossible to create new green space in our city. The Willamette River is our untapped “blue space" - a healthy source for recreation, both passive and active, and a chance to interact with nature.

 

I am grateful for the important work of the Multnomah County River Patrol. This is not the time to cut this essential service. Our river needs more supervision, not less, particularly with the busy summer ahead. Should this essential life safety function be cut, don’t be surprised when crime, nuisance, and heaven forbid, fatalities increase in our largest public open space. The source of this increase will be very easy to pinpoint:  the decision of Multnomah County to make further cuts to an already severely constrained safety service that provides protection to our river and to our people.

 

Thank you in advance for your reconsideration of this cut. We are grateful for your support of our river and the work to reconnect our citizens to it.

 

Thank you also for your consideration of viewing the link below. It’s a short presentation by Human Access Project, an organization I support whose mission is “Transforming Portland’s Relationship with the Willamette River”.

 

 https://vimeo.com/262128737 



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