NATURAL JEWELS HAVE REAL VALUE.(PERSPECTIVE)

Byline: PAUL BRAY

The snow-capped peaks of Mount Hood in Oregon and Mount Rainier in Washington punctuate the horizons of the cities of Portland and Seattle, respectively.

Seeing the peaks this summer brought to mind a lecture some years ago at Union College by architectural historian Vincent Scully, who talked about ancient cities sited with mountain peaks on the horizon. In his book, ``The Earth, the Temple and the Gods,'' Scully wrote that ``the landscape should ... be regarded as the complement for all Greek life and art.''

The Pacific Northwest landscape of rivers and mountains has a strong influence on public expectations and opinion. Ed …