GovTrack.us is an independent tool to help the public
research and track the activities in the U.S. Congress, promoting
government transparency and civic education through novel uses of
technology.
Support, opposition given for dam removal
Chiloquin meeting equally attended by
tribes, irrigators
By TY BEAVER
H&N
Staff Reporter
July
13, 2010
CHILOQUIN — Those
attending a meeting in Chiloquin Friday about Klamath
River dam removal did not just stick to suggestions
about how government officials conduct the project’s
environmentalreview.
Pete Lucero, a
spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said the
roughly 50 people who attended dedicated the bulk of
their comments to supporting or opposing dam removal, as
many did at a similar meeting in Klamath Falls Thursday
night.
Courtesy
reminder
However, government
officials running the meeting reminded attendeesthat
they were to be courteous of others and the meeting,
unlike Klamath Falls, did not include racially charged
comments.
“The crowd in
Chiloquin was respectful of each other,” Lucero said.
Removal of four
hydroelectric dams on the river is a key aspect of the
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the Klamath
Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement. Stakeholders and
state and federal officials signed the documents in
Salem in February.
2012
deadline
The U. S. Secretary
of the Interior has until June 2012 to determine whether
dam removal is feasible and the environmental review
process is meant to inform that decision.
Chiloquin meeting
attendees were evenly split between members of the
Klamath Tribes and irrigators off the Klamath
Reclamation Project.
Lucero said that while those who spoke at
the meeting focused on their positions on dam removal,
officials were able to glean some ideas that could
inform the environmental review, such as how water
quality issues surrounding the dams are investigated.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NOTE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107,
any copyrighted
material herein is distributed without profit or
payment to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this
information for non-profit
research and educational purposes only. For more
information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml