Donate to MVCC for Give Big 2023

Just over a week ago we received a call from concerned neighbors about an expanding gravel pit next to Designated Scenic Highway 20. Permits for the pit were found to be expired or out of compliance, and neighbors were struggling to get attention or action from the applicable enforcement agencies. Immediately, our Program Director Lorah Super dug in behind the scenes, making calls to connect decision-makers with one another and the people they serve. By the following day, the county and state started coordinating more closely, and the permit-holder was notified that they were not authorized to continue expansion. The issue is not resolved yet, but it is back on track toward a process that will allow neighbors and the community to have a say in how essential functions like gravel mining are carried out in our scenic location.

This was just one small example of the thousands of calls, meetings and emails we engage in year after year, decade after decade in our efforts to protect the natural environment around us.  If it is hard and complicated, we step in. If it is contentious, we step in.  We take on everything from complex water law to thorny zoning issues in our efforts to protect the place we love.

Thanks to your support and the persistent support of hundreds of dedicated community members like you over the last 45 years, we’ve successfully prevented the development of a corporate ski resort outside Mazama, helped protect 340,079 acres of land from industrial-scale mining forever, and advocated for policies such as minimum lot sizes that protect our fragile local ecosystems.

While there is much to celebrate, the reality is that our work is just beginning. If the younger members of our community are to experience what we’ve all worked so hard to protect over the last 4 decades, we must continue to speak up for what we value and love about the Methow Valley.

As a grassroots advocacy organization, the Methow Valley Citizens Council is committed to amplifying the voices and needs of everyone that calls this place home. As this region experiences increased development pressure, population growth, and the impacts of a warming climate, it will be more important that our community has a voice at the table.

That’s why for Give Big 2023 we are asking you to show your love for the Methow–❤ for our landscapes, ❤ for our rural community, and ❤ for future generations–by making a donation to the Methow Valley Citizens Council.

Donate to MVCC for Give Big 2023