Connelly: Thank you, Paul Allen, for the view atop Chopaka Mountain
The summit of 7,887-foot Chopaka Mountain, in Okanogan County, is a rather unusual place to appreciate the co-founder of Microsoft and owner of the Seattle Seahawks.
Were it not for Paul Allen, however, the view west toward Cathedral and Amphitheater Peaks would today be a patchwork of clear-cuts and damaged wildlife habitat.
The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation put up the final $3.4 million, in 1999, needed to ransom the 25,000-acre Loomis Forest from logging plans of the state Department of Natural Resources. The Allens joined 6,000 other people who gave to preserve the forest.
"Mr. Allen and his foundation have restored the art of waiting for the right moment to give, and it's extraordinary for us," Mitch Friedman of Conservation Northwest, who spearheaded the Loomis campaign, said at the time.
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