Earlier this week, an article by Gregory Thomas, travel editor at the San Francisco Chronicle, highlighted a recent analysis by economic consulting firm EcoNorthwest that put a dollar amount on the revenue that might be generated by draining the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and reopening Hetch Hetchy Valley to tourism. The economic potential—calculated to eventually top $100 billion—is suggested to be yet one more argument for the restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley to “a more natural state — of the variety that stirred John Muir’s soul a century ago.” The EcoNorthwest study was commissioned by Restore Hetch Hetchy. [Read more…]