Klamath stakeholder groups

By STEVE KADEL

H&N Staff Writer

February 15, 2008

A group of about 75 people listen to Klamath Water Users Association executive director Greg Addington during a public meeting at the Merrill Civic Center in January.

   The following is a rundown of stakeholder groups involved with the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. 

   Klamath Water Users Association: Represents water users who are part of the Klamath Reclamation Project. There are 17 member districts or companies with a total membership of more than 1,000 family farms and ranches. 

   Klamath Off-Project Water Users: A nonprofit organization representing agricultural power users in Klamath County who are not part of the Klamath Reclamation Project. 

   Bureau of Reclamation: Owns and operates the Klamath Reclamation Project in cooperation with partners, who are the irrigation districts. 

    U.S. Forest Service:  Manages 60 percent of the Klamath River Basin in California and Oregon , said forest supervisor Karen Shimamoto. That includes the Fremont-Winema Forests in Oregon , as well as the Trinity, Klamath and Six Rivers national forests in California . 

   U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Has Endangered Species Act authority over listed suckers in Upper Klamath Lake and Lost River , said Phil Detrich, Klamath issues coordinator for the Fish and Wildlife Service. 

   Bureau of Land Management: The Klamath Falls resource area of the BLM administers about 224,900 acres of public land in Southern Oregon . That includes the Wood River wetland, Topsy Recreation Area, support facilities for J.C. Boyle Dam, and property bordering the Klamath River . 

   Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: The department’s primary concern is the reintroduction of salmon to the Upper Klamath Basin , said Chip Dale, high desert regional manager. He emphasized the importance of salmon to the Klamath Tribes. 

   Oregon Water Resources Department: The agency is involved in the talks to ensure the resulting agreement is consistent with Oregon water law. Department officials support the proposed agreement because they believe it will rebuild fisheries, sustain agricultural communities, and resolve other longstanding disputes related to the allocation of water. 

    Klamath County : Commissioner John Elliott attended the settlement negotiations representing Klamath County ’s interests. “We have a stake in the economic future of agriculture in the Basin,” he said. “We also have to measure the impact of all of this action on the Tribes, who are our constituents, and the environmental groups, who also are our constituents. We are obligated to look at this in as many different directions as we can.” 

   Klamath Tribes: The Tribes include about 3,800 members. “We’ve been here since the beginning,” said Jeff Mitchell, a member of the Tribes’ negotiating team. “This has been our home since the Creator put us here. Our relationship has been defined through a treaty still in effect today. Natural resources still fundamentally meet the needs of the tribes.” 

   Karuk Tribe: Administrative offices are in Happy Camp nestled along the Klamath River in the Klamath National Forest of Northwestern California. The tribe, which has about 4,500 members, seeks changes that will provide a healthy Klamath River habitat supporting an enhanced salmon fishery. 

   Yurok Tribe: The largest Indian tribe in California with almost 5,000 enrolled members. The Yurok want a restored salmon fishery and healthy Klamath River to promote the health of its community, said tribal spokesman Troy Fletcher. 

    Hoopa Valley Tribe: About 2,500 Hoopa people live in the Hoopa Valley Reservation. The tribe has traditionally occupied land in the far northwestern corner of California . Clifford Lyle Marshall, tribal chairman, said they would not endorse the settlement because it lacks adequate water assurances for fish. 

   American Rivers: Founded in 1973, the nonprofit river conservation group has offices in 10 locations nationwide with 65,000 members. The group’s mission is to restore and protect the nation’s rivers for communities, fish and wildlife. 

    North Coast Environmental Center : The Arcata, Calif. ,-based organization is dedicated to conserving, protecting and celebrating terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems of Northern California and Southern Oregon . The center advocates establishing a healthy salmon fishery on the Klamath River . 

   Trout Unlimited: The organization has more than 150,000 volunteers in 400 chapters nationwide. Its mission is to conserve, protect and restore the nation’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds, including that of the Klamath River and Klamath Basin . 

    Klamath Forest Alliance : Based in Orleans , Calif. , the nonprofit organization supports sustainable ecosystems and communities. The group primarily works in the Klamath Falls area and the middle segment of the Klamath River , including the Salmon River drainage. 

   Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations: The fishing industry trade association has a goal of increased salmon runs for its members. 

    California Trout: The organization is a water quality advocacy group in San Francisco that is committed to improving wild trout and steelhead habitat. 

   Other stakeholder groups: Also at the negotiating table were: the National Marine Fisheries Service; the Bureau of Indian Affairs; California Department of Fish and Game; Oregon Department of Environmental Quality; Humboldt County, Calif.; Siskiyou County, Calif.; and Friends of the River. 

   PacifiCorp: The wholly owned subsidiary of Mid-American Energy Holdings of Des Moines, Iowa, was not a formal stakeholder in the negotiations, but spurred the talks when it began dam re-licensing procedures. Mid-American is majority owned by Berkshire Hathaway, which is run by Warren Buffet. PacifiCorp operates four dams on the Klamath River that would be removed to allow fish passage under the Klamath water settlement.

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