Richard Goche: Dealing with an ongoing disaster

By LEE JUILLERAT

H&N Regional Editor

March 14, 2008

    CHARLESTON , Ore. — Richard “Rick” Goche never planned to run for political office.

   But the 52-year-old commercial salmon and albacore tuna fisherman based out of the Oregon Coast town of Charleston , recently agreed to run for Oregon state

representative for District 1 after working with Klamath Basin farmers, Indian tribal representatives and others over historically divisive water issues. Participants came together to form the Klamath Common Ground Alliance. 

   “The Alliance experience is kind of the seed,” he says of his decision to seek public office. “Being able to proceed in a positive, proactive way like that — we agreed to put partisanship aside — showed me things can be done.” 

   Goche is among coastal fishermen who worked with Merrill area farmer Dick Carleton. Two years ago, Carleton launched efforts to have farmers, fishermen and tribes meet to better understand each other’s needs and concerns about Klamath Basin water issues. 

   “Our destinies are tied and entangled with tribal fishermen and irrigators,” Goche says, noting the Pacific Fisheries Management Council sets commercial fishing seasons based on fish populations for the Klamath River . 

   Involved in fisheries and fishing since he was a teenager, Goche and his family operate Peso II, a 52-foot troller. 

   “We’ve been dealing with an ongoing disaster in the fishing industry for about 20 years,” he says, noting the 2006 shutdown of commercial fishing was “a disaster that was truly breathtaking.” He and others helped obtain $60.4 million in federal disaster relief funds. “That really saved us.” 

   He also believes the dialogue with farmers, who supported the relief effort, has been positive. 

   “One of the things I found out in this process is finding out none of us are demons and that we have more things in common than we have differences,” he says, laughing and noting his son has called the Klamath Basin “The Middle East of the Pacific Northwest.” 

   “We’ve been fighting and litigating and listening to the media for generations,” Goche says. “What we all want is thoughtful and conservative access to resources.”

Side Bar

Richard Goche on the agreement: 
   
   What he likes: “I like the fact we as a community of interested individuals and business people are at least making a real attempt at reconciling the differences we have.” 

   Goche, who did not participate in settlement talks, sees it as a positive step. “A big part of the settlement was to reconcile the conflicting needs of water for irrigation and for fish.”
   
What he worries about:  “The hot button topic is dam removal,” he says. 

   “My personal opinion is removal of four dams without knowing the impact of the removal of one dam is scary. I would prefer they consider removing one and then evaluating that impact.” 

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