Hey! Lizzie is Paul Allen great or what?
Don't forget to buy his charter communications, which is just around the corner.
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By HUNTER T. GEORGE
.c The Associated Press
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) - Earlier this month, state timber regulators gave conservation groups three months to come up with another $3.4 million to help preserve a virgin tract of the Loomis Forest.
Thanks to Paul Allen, they needed only two weeks.
The billionaire Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist said Tuesday that he will cover the extra cost of protecting the forest from chain saws with a gift from the Paul G. Allen Forest Protection Foundation.
Loomis supporters raised $13.1 million from 5,000 donors. They were stunned when they were told that wasn't enough as the state set the asking price at $16.5 million two weeks ago.
``Quite frankly, Paul Allen has mastered the art of finding the exact right time to come in and save the day,' said Fred Munson, campaign coordinator for the Loomis Forest Fund. ``What do you say to somebody who calls you up and says they're going to save your campaign and donate $3.4 million?'
Environmentalists said Allen's gift guarantees that a 25,000-acre tract of the forest bordering Canada in north-central Washington will be protected from road-building or logging. They say the forest is home to rare and endangered species, including what is believed to be the healthiest population of lynx surviving south of Canada.
Allen's forest foundation had declined an earlier request to donate to the cause because supporters had nearly reached their goal, said foundation manager Pablo Schuguransky.
When the price went up $3.4 million, ``the family and the board felt strongly this was the right thing to do,' he said.
The state said the earlier price of $13.1 million was preliminary, and warned Loomis Forest backers not to stop fund-raising.
AP-NY-10-19-99 2258EDT<< |
