A big thank you is deserved by the Bitterroot College, George Furniss and Heather Barber from the Bitterroot Water Forum for sponsoring the great Bitterroot Water Symposium on Friday. It was a great day of learning from knowledgeable speakers about our Bitterroot water, the source of life.
As the protections of our water are eroded through elimination of protective laws regarding our river and streams by our local leaders, we find that we the people must step up to save our resources. We must be mindful of keeping our water clean by using pesticides/herbicides/fertilizers sparingly, protecting our riparian areas from overgrazing, keeping our flood plains functioning, keeping road sediment out of the waterways and allowing for a healthy beaver population.
We are lucky to be the guardians of this beautiful valley which borders the National Forest and Wilderness areas. These federally held lands are unique in all of the world and the water that flows from them is our responsibility to protect. These wild lands connect to our waterways and house an amazing array of wildlife.
We are grateful for the many citizens who care deeply about these wild resources which provide habitat and thus the economic livelihood for the fishing, hunting and recreational industries that support so many of our citizens. By protecting our water we will continue to be the “Last Best Place” which draws so many to our area.
Thank you to the educators of the symposium and also to you, the citizens who care about our clean water.
Sarah & Andy Roubik
Corvallis