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Sisters, Oregon
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The contents of the on-line edition of The Nugget represent a selection among the stories that appear in the weekly print edition.

Trust raises funds for Metolius preservation
By Jim Cornelius

If salmon runs are ever to be restored in the Metolius River, Lake Creek will play a vital role. That's why the Deschutes Basin Land Trust (DBLT) is working to protect land along the three arms of the creek from development.

"Lake Creek is a whole order of magnitude more important than any other (tributary) in terms of Chinook (salmon)," said Brad Chalfant, DBLT executive director.

The four-mile stretch of Lake Creek is also an important link in restoring sockeye runs.

To preserve the vital historic spawning habitat between Suttle Lake and the Metolius River, DBLT is trying to raise a total of $3 million to purchase 1,240 acres of forest land optioned from Willamette Industries just before the company was taken over by Weyerhaeuser.

DBLT plans to provide for public recreation such as hiking and cross-country skiing and for interpretive facilities on the land.

"These lands are likely to be developed if we don't acquire the property," Chalfant said. "If it's developed inappropriately it could have a huge impact on the whole Metolius."

Chalfant believes the most likely type of development for the area would be a destination resort. He said there is a back-up offer waiting in the wings if DBLT fails to exercise the option, but he has no specific information.

The Trust has some help from major international players. Orvis, a purveyor of quality fly fishing gear and clothing, has promised to match donations from its clients. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will match those contributions in turn, exponentially increasing the impact of even relatively small donations.

"Their target is $30,000," Chalfant said.

The DBLT fund-raising effort has been operating rather quietly, mostly through grant writing, since the organization announced the project on April 17, 2002. Now, Chalfant said, the Trust is preparing to launch its public fund-raising campaign.

Another matching-fund opportunity is on the horizon. The Maybelle Clark MacDonald Fund has pledged to match $125,000 in contributions.

Individual contributions are critical if DBLT is to take advantage of these opportunities.

"It's a big chunk of money, but we've got to have matches for it," Chalfant said.

The MacDonald Fund match will come for contributions of $1,000 or more.

The deep appeal of the Metolius River -- renowned the world over for its beauty and the challenges and rewards of its fishing -- has drawn serious attention to the DBLT project. A New York Times article on Sunday, February 9, extolled the virtues of the effort.

That broad interest and support is important, but Chalfant says community support in Sisters and Camp Sherman is vital.

"We've got people in New York, in fact we've got people all over the world... that know about the project and I don't know if enough people right around Sisters know about it," Chalfant said.

The stakes are high. The proposed acquisition is part of the Land Trust's "Back to Home Waters" campaign designed to restore salmon and steelhead to the upper Deschutes River watershed.

Biologists believe Lake Creek is the most critical stretch of salmon habitat in the Metolius Basin.

"We have a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring salmon back to the Metolius," Chalfant said. "It's a one-shot opportunity. We signed on and we're bound and determined, but we've got to have the community support."

According to Chalfant, DBLT has raised or has commitments for $1.6 million of the $3 million needed by mid-July in order to complete the transaction.

For more information on the Deschutes Basin Land Trust and the Metolius Project call 330-0017 or visit www.deschuteslandtrust.org.

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