Why, with the global climate crisis, is Eugene Water and Electric Board planning to log more than 300 trees in one of the only remaining forested areas in south Eugene? Recently, with no public input, the EWEB general manager arbitrarily decided to build two 7.5 million gallon water tanks now on the 40th and Patterson Street site. This requires logging, blasting and hundreds of dump truck trips through town for months. EWEB PR erroneously asserts that it’s all necessary and claims any opposition is limited to a few complaining neighbors. Wrong. This is a major public land issue with huge environmental impacts.

The fact is neighbors supported long-range EWEB plans to build one water storage tank near 40th and Patterson while saving the forest grove at the easternmost edge of this public property. Since one water tank needs about 2 acres, there is ample space on this nearly 11 acre site to locate one tank and save the trees. It’s not an either/or situation.

So far all the decisions on this massive construction project have been made by staff. Please contact EWEB Commissioners, our elected representatives, and ask them to reconsider this staff decision and vote on whether or not they agree to destroy this forest to build two tanks now at this site. 

David Zupan

Eugene