Friends of the Metolius celebrated its 20th anniversary with a dinner and awards presentation on April 30, 2011 at the Camp Sherman Community Hall. The evening began with wine and appetizers, followed by a delicious dinner, and culminated in two award presentations. The Toni Foster Activist Award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the preservation of the of the Metolius Basin demonstrating the characteristics of a passionate activist, with a view of the big picture, and a keen ability to identify strategic approaches to meet a goal. This award was presented to Representative Brian Clem for his role in the successful passage of the law establishing the Metolius Basin as the state’s first Area of Critical State Concern. The Becky Johnson Award is awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the preservation of the Metolius Basin through a long-term experience with, or understanding of the values of the Metolius and the surrounding basin, and of land management in support of those values, or financial support of positive environmental actions in the Metolius Basin. The Becky Johnson Award was presented to Paul Dewey, a local land-use lawyer who helped form the Friends of the Metolius and has spent 30 years effectively advocating for proper application of Oregon’s land use rules and regulations to balance environmental protection with the need to allow for smart and reasonable development.
