Supervisors give tentative nod to Klamath River agreement

Feb 20 2008

Eureka Reporter 

The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, years in the making, got the tentative approval of the county Tuesday as a bevy of stakeholder groups continue to negotiate a key deal to remove four Klamath River dams.

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to conditionally approve the draft restoration agreement while a second, but integral agreement, is secured that would remove Oregon-based power company PacifiCorp’s hydroelectric dams.

The agreement, which would be brought back before the board later for final approval, is the product of lengthy closed-door negotiations by tribal members, fisheries scientists, government officials and environmental group representatives aiming to resolve a long-standing and contentious water rights battle between Oregon farmers and downstream tribes, fishermen and residents.

Board chairperson Jill Geist, who represented the county in the negotiations, called the agreement a pragmatic solution that provides mechanisms to reach solutions should disagreements arise in the future.

“The whole key here is adaptive management,” Geist said.

While there may be uncertainty about the agreement and what might happen if the dams are removed, Geist said there isn’t uncertainty that it would mean an end to the status quo on the river if the agreement is approved and implemented.

After an extensive review of the nearly $1 billion restoration plan released in January, Humboldt County Public Works Director Tom Mattson advised the board to sign on, saying his department feels it’s a good agreement that will vastly improve river conditions.

To arrive at his recommendation, Mattson told the board he looked over the draft document with a “fine-tooth comb” to identify any provisions that could affect the county.

Mattson said he checked to make sure that local control of county functions are maintained and there wouldn’t be negative impacts to the county’s road and bridge infrastructure if the dams were removed.

Because the dams aren’t designed for flood control, Mattson said there wouldn’t likely be any issues.

“We don’t feel you will have a problem with peak flow,” Mattson said.

Lastly, Mattson said he looked at whether there was a possibility of state and federal restoration funding for other rivers in the county being redirected to the Klamath as a result of the agreement — a concern also expressed by Supervisor Jimmy Smith.

Area attorney John Corbett, who represents the Yurok Tribe — one of three local Klamath-area tribes who have signed onto the agreement — said the language doesn’t re-allocate funding already earmarked for other river projects.

Corbett said the agreement seeks to build the support for new funding that would be sought through Congress.

Addressing other concerns, Corbett said he believes specific provisions in the agreement would restrict unforeseen water diversions and inter-basin transfers from the river in the future, as well as safeguard legal recourse for federally protected species.

For the Yurok people who have seen a drastic decline in the salmon they have depended on for centuries, it’s a chance to change history the tribe says can’t be passed up.

Yurok Tribal Chairwoman Maria Tripp called it the largest dam-removal project in U.S. history and a way “to right the wrongs” she said was done to the tribe when the first of the dams was constructed in 1917, which blocked hundreds of miles of salmon-spawning habitat upstream.

Emergency aid for Yurok Tribe addressed

The board also approved Tuesday to send letters to state and federal officials to help speed emergency funding for ongoing health and safety issues affecting Yurok Tribal members cut off from critical services as a result of the closure of Martin’s Ferry Bridge late last year due to structural problems.

After declaring an emergency earlier this year, Yurok Tribal officials have requested assistance from the county for emergency services and fire response support while requests for emergency funding aid from the federal government is being processed.

The board agreed to send along a letter stating its support for a state emergency declaration to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is reported to be considering the matter.

If the governor made the declaration, it would clear the way for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide financial assistance.

Although it has been stalled by rain, county officials said emergency funding has already been secured for road repairs to Dowd Road that would allow access to residents stuck on the opposite side of the river.

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Source:  http://eurekareporter.com/article/080219-supervisors-give-nod-to-klamath-river-agreement