November 1, 2007

Honorable Chris Gregoire,
Office of Governor
State of Washington
P.O. Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504

Dear Governor Gregoire:

The Stehekin Valley is one of Washington's most pristine and enjoyable areas for viewing wildlife, hiking, and fishing the unspoiled streams and rivers which flow into Lake Chelan. As you know, it is accessible primarily by boat or airplane. You could travel the world over and rarely see anything that equals the pure beauty of the area.

The history of the valley complements the ruggedness of the landscape and hardiness of the families, many of whom homesteaded the area and continue to live, work and raise their families in this beautiful environment.

Our family is one of those lucky enough to have spent many summers traveling the road from Stehekin to Cottonwood (the terminus of the road system in Stehekin). We have hiked, biked and traveled by personal vehicle many times. Reaching Cottonwood provided us access to Cascade Pass, higher elevation lakes for fishing and exploration of old mines and other historical landmarks.

However, since the flood several years ago, the road is not passable in many sections. The pubic can no longer enjoy the beauty of the upper valley and all that it offers to all citizens, regardless of physical conditions, age, or mode of travel. For many years, I would visit with senior citizens who traveled by vehicle or bus to the end of the road and campsites in between. They were not capable to hiking into the areas, but so enjoyed the opportunity to camp by a stream and enjoy the sounds and beauty of the area.

Families with small children were often seen camping at designated sites along meadows and at the intersection of streams flowing into the Stehekin River. This is not the case today. Again, lack of access to these sites restricts their ability to enjoy the Stehekin Valley.

Our family would like to ensure that others have the opportunity we enjoyed and strongly urge, and would fully support, your efforts to reopen the road to Cottonwood Campground. We will work with you in any capacity you need to allow this access to occur. We feel a strong sense of urgency to move forward quickly on this matter and ask for your assistance in working with the residents of the Stehekin Valley, Chelan County, and other key stakeholders to ensure this road is reopened.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and consider our sincere request.

Sincerely,
Gene and Carol Sharratt
7601 Lambert Road
Cle Elum, WA 98922