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Voters to voice opinions on KBRA
County government involvement in agreements to be determined
By ELON GLUCKLICH
H&N Staff Reporter
September 28, 2010
Ask four people what they think about the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, and the chance of getting four different answers is highly likely. It’s also just as likely that the ordinary person on the street might be confused or unsure what difference any of it makes.
An advisory
ballot measure this coming general election will ask voters if
they want county government to be involved with regards to any
local decision-making that might be called for concerning the
KBRA or dam removal.
The county commissioners could be told to be involved or not be involved even though the agreements would proceed regardless.
Stakeholders on all sides are taking issue with various aspects of the agreements. But all sides seem to agree on one thing: The KBRA is important, both to career farmers and to people who have never set foot on farmland.
“The bottom line
is that the KBRA is going to have an impact on the economy
Basin-wide,” said Hollie Cannon, executive director of the
Klamath Water and Power Authority.
Local control, concerns
Klamath County Commissioner Cheryl Hukill said the KBRA has the potential to impact everything from power rates to the quality of schools. Local agriculture provides around 4,500 jobs, while pumping $300 million into the economy, she said. That money helps fund public education. It also gives farmers more disposable income, boosting the local economy through a ripple effect.
Hukill added that the KBRA could help locals claim control over how much water agricultural producers can receive.
“We do not want another 2001, where the federal government is the sole decision-maker in shutting the water off,” Hukill said. “We want local control.”
Klamath Falls City Council member Bill Adams said all residents should be aware of what impacts the KBRA will have, especially when it comes to power rates.
Pacific Power, which owns the dams, is mandated to provide the lowest power rates possible to consumers. But Adams said he feels removing the dams and restoring fish flows in the Klamath River is not the best way to go about lowering rates.
“Everybody out
there should be concerned about what’s happening,” Adams said.
Disagreement over jobs
Cannon said he feels confident that a restoration agreement will bring jobs to the community, through a more vital agricultural economy.
“The bottom line is, it means jobs through all sectors of the community,” he said.
But Adams said that notion might be a fallacy.
“I know they talk about KBRA equals jobs, but the only thing I see coming out of this is more government jobs, people trying to regulate,” Adams said. “I think it’s a problem.”
Benefiting from agreement
Most acknowledge the plan is far from perfect. Trey Senn, executive director of the Klamath County Economic Development Association, said a restoration plan cannot please everyone. But he feels both farmers and city residents can benefit from any agreement that is adopted.
A crucial element that has flown under the radar, Senn said, is the willingness of lenders to support farmers when water supplies — and profits — are uncertain. He said the KBRA, if implemented properly, could ensure water flows, and help farmers secure crucial loans to grow their operations.
“The probability
of certainty is alluring for the economy,” Senn said.
Side Bar
About the KBRA and
the upcoming vote
It would cost roughly $1.5 billion to implement all aspects of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and its related dam removal agreement. Among its key provisions:
• Removing four hydroelectric dams, owned by PacifiCorp, pending studies that will determine the feasibility of removal, to improve passage for endangered fish species.
• Establishing sustainable water supplies and affordable power rates for irrigators.
• Helping the Klamath Tribes acquire a 92,000-acre parcel of private timberland called the Mazama Tree Farm
• Funding for habitat restoration and economic development throughout the region.
Klamath County Commissioners agreed to place an advisory measure on the KBRA and dam removal on the November general election ballot after hearing from opponents of the document. A similar measure will appear on the general election ballot in Siskiyou County.
The Klamath County advisory measure asks voters whether they want the commissioners to continue participating in the KBRA or dam removal processes.
Regardless of the outcome, the vote cannot legally bind the commissioners to a decision on continued involvement and will not stop processes examining the feasibility of dam removal or implementation of the KBRA.
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