I'm sick of paying my hard-earned money to help pay for private projects I do not support.

Why should I be forced to subsidize private developers for the millions of dollars in infrastructure and other costs required to build speculative, densely packed residential housing units in the one place in my neighborhood where it does not belong - the Chuckanut Community Forest (aka the Hundred Acre Wood)? Such a project will not only destroy the value of my previous Greenways tax investments in protecting this publicly owned and accessible wildlife habitat and recreation corridor. It will effectively destroy the ability of the city's last remaining intact mature forested wetlands ecosystem to function properly.

Instead of helping pay for development costs to bulldoze, blast away and fill in a big chunk of this highly valued public parkland, I choose to support its long-term protection by voting yes for our forest on Feb. 12. It's worth it to me to pay the $5.45 per month for 10 years (based on my properties' assessed value) which this Chuckanut Community Forest Metropolitan Park District will cost me, rather than bear the greater "hidden" costs of development.

It would be great if private donors suddenly appear with the $3.2 million needed to pay the city's debt to ensure this property is not parceled out to developers, but I'm not banking on that unlikely scenario.

Mark McKenzie

Bellingham