In Corvallis, Oregon, the controversial Witham Oaks Development Project - which involves Matrix Homes replacing over 50 acres of oak savanna, oak forest, and other delicate ecosystems with a big new dollop of urban sprawl - has reached a new level of environmental negligence.  Matrix Homes has submitted an application to Oregon's Department of State Lands, asking permission to obliterate two acres of wetland.  Whether you live in Corvallis or not, please take a couple of minutes to help ensure that the permit is denied.  You can write to both the Department of State Lands (accepting public comments until September 15th) and the Army Corps of Engineers (accepting comments until September 10th).  Ask that the permit be rejected, and that a public hearing be held over the wetlands issue; the Army Corps of Engineers has indicated that they might hold a hearing if enough people demand one.  Below are the addresses for both the Army Corps and the Department of State Lands:

US Army Corps of Engineers/ ATTN: CENWP-OP-GP (Jaimee W. Hammit)/ PO Box 2946

State of Oregon/ Department of State Lands/ PO Box 4395, Unit 18/ Portland, OR 97208-4395

Matrix is trying to do just the sort of thing we need to prevent in Oregon: creating more urban sprawl in our cities, and ensuring that the oil-dependent culture of the automobile is entrenched still deeper in Oregon's communities.  It is time to move away from this kind of development, and build a sustainable future free of fossil fuels.  Promoting just such an alternative future is what this blog is all about; and progress is being made - the Cool Washington County campaign continues to roll forward, while this month we saw Bend, Oregon become our state's 11th Cool City.  There is so much to be gained from a sustainable future, and allowing a project like Matrix's Witham Oaks development would be nothing less than backtracking on progress that has been made.  Please write to the Department of State Lands, and the Army Corps of Engineers!