If you don’t care about environmental conservation in Oregon, just move on and ignore this post.
But for those who stayed….
In my hometown, we’re engaged in a fight to save Liberty Hill Bluff, the most beautiful spot in the county. It’s a remnant camas meadow, one of the few in the region that hasn’t been destroyed by development, in fact the largest one left in all of northwest Oregon. The bluff is incredible, a huge butte that lifts the meadow and its oak woodland up above the surrounding area, with rock formations popping out as streams cut through the middle and then fall off the cliff in a 20+ foot waterfall.
The geology is cool enough but the biodiversity is remarkable. The meadow is covered in camas and erupts in the most amazing variety of wildflowers. The wetland plant diversity is unparalleled, the reptile diversity is unparalled, there are both plant and animal species here that you are unlikely to find anywhere else within 30 miles. It is the single most unique and significant habitat around.
A mining company wants to destroy the bluff, so they can make crushed rock for construction fill. The same crushed rock that you can get from dozens of other bluffs and quarries nearby that don’t have irreplaceable beauty and biodiversity.
There is a public comment period to submit comments to oppose the mining. The comment period ends on January 15th. You can go to the following link for more details on how to submit a comment:
https://www.oregoncamas.com/pending-removal-mining-permit
If you want to watch a 5-minute video with more information about the uniqueness of the bluff and a lot of neat video of the bluff, wildflowers, and its wildlife, enjoy the following:
And if you want to read more, please take a look at any of the following links:
Thank you much for reading. Let me know via email, message, or comments if you have any questions or want advice writing a comment.
Stranger in a Slum 