Those of us fortunate enough to live in the Snoqualmie Valley

cherish and hold dear the great beauty that surrounds us. One of the assets that

is never taken for granted is the “rural character” of our communities.

The friends of Snoqualmie Valley went to bat on behalf of the

citizens and fought diligently to keep the project WRECO had on the table

from destroying that “rural character.”

They were successful in limiting the otherwise devastating impacts

Snoqualmie Ridge was destined to impose on our communities, but the Ridge

project continues to erode and erase the word “rural” from the Snoqualmie Valley

as a whole.

The impacts of the Snoqualmie Ridge project have not even begun

to be apparent, yet WRECO is moving forward with their plans to develop

the rest of the property south past I-90 along the Highway 18 corridor.

This is contrary to the Growth Management Act, and that type of growth is

not scheduled for discussion until the year 2014.

It seems that different groups are honoring the “father of

Snoqualmie Ridge” as he prepares to retire

from WRECO. James Nyberg may have done something good for the

community, but what that is escapes me. It is one thing to show a great

accomplishment such as seeing the Ridge become a reality, but unleashing such a

monster on rural King County may not evoke honor to this person from

the citizens at large.

Keep in mind that Mr. Nyberg’s position is just one brick in the

wall and will be refilled with his departure. Knowing this, it is appropriate to

wish him well as he moves on to other things, hopefully far from here.

Tim Noonan

Snoqualmie