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Dear Senator Cantwell, I write this letter urging you to help in the efforts to reopen the Upper Stehekin Valley Road. I have spent over 30 years visiting the Stehekin area and find great pleasure in exploring the upper valley with friends and family. Currently, due to the road closure, most visitors to the valley are unable to enjoy the natural beauty the Upper Stehekin Valley offers. The road is a historic journey for me and many others. I fondly remember spending time with my parents and grandparents fishing the streams and hiking trails in the upper valley. The Upper Stehekin Valley Road is an enormous component of the cultural heritage of Stehekin. In the past, it was possible for folks to drive, walk or ride bikes along the primitive road. The campgrounds in the upper valley made it possible for entire families to enjoy lunch or spend a night in this unique area of the North Cascades. The beauty and natural splendor of the entire upper valley is now unavailable to the average weekend adventurer. What used to take a day would now require multiple days or weeks. What used to be available to the handicapped is now not within reach. The proposed plan reestablishes the road on an old detour without a net loss of Wilderness. The plan also provides for the road to be located in less sensitive areas away from the Stehekin River. The value of a reestablished road to residents, visitors and public safety is impossible to quantify. Please support legislation that gives back this beautiful part of our State. If you have had a chance to visit Stehekin and the Upper Stehekin Valley, I know you would agree it is the right thing to do. Sincerely, Jerrod
Stafford
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