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Water
pressure grows
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AP photo
- Members of the tribes along the |
Four
Basin city councils endorse proposed agreement
By TY
BEAVER
H&N Staff Writer
Four
The cities of Merrill, Malin, Chiloquin and Tulelake agreed to
officially support the settlement following presentations by proponents.
Stakeholders also plan to meet with the Klamath Falls City Council,
Klamath County Chamber of Commerce and other businesses.
Klamath County Commissioner John Elliott said the board would likely
wait for a hydropower agreement with PacifiCorp and a recommendation
from the county’s natural resources advisory committee before making a
decision.
There is no indication when a hydropower agreement with PacifiCorp would
be reached. Some stakeholders, including Klamath Tribes attorney Bud
Ullman, have said that a crucial development could come mid-month.PacifiCorp
spokesmen have said the company would remove the dams or put in fish
ladders, depending on which option impacts customers the least.
Last
stakeholder
Agreement supporters hope drumming up support from other local
governments and organizations will show Klamath commissioners that the
agreement is good for their community.
“We’ve got a lot at stake here,” said Jeff Mitchell, Klamath
Tribes council member. The Tribes’ General Council has voted to
support the agreement.
Representatives of agricultural, environmental, tribal, fishing and
government interests spent two and a half years crafting the 256-page
document in closed-door meetings. Released Jan. 15, it calls for a
variety of projects and actions to allocate water among Basin
communities, including dam removal. Money to help pay for the purchase
of private land for the Klamath Tribes and establishment of a stable
power rate for irrigators also are included.
Among supporters are 13 irrigation and drainage district and companies,
three tribes, coastal fishermen, many environmental groups, the
government of
Opponents include the
The need to shore up support for the agreement and address
misinformation led representatives of the two most visible supporters in
Klamath County — the Klamath Water Users Association and Klamath
Tribes — to meet with local groups.
Mitchell and Steve Kandra, a Klamath Water Users Association board
member, have met with the councils of the county’s towns, businesses
and other organizations to answer questions and secure endorsements.
Kandra said there is a lot of misinformation, and other groups had no
information on the agreement.
“We’re trying to deal with what I call the little red herrings,”
he said.
Tribal leaders are continuing meetings with off-Project irrigators to
address their concerns and gain their support, Mitchell said. The Tribes
so far have met with at least 40 to 50 of those irrigators.
Those opposed to the agreement also are staying involved. Ed Bartell,
president of the Klamath Off-Project Water Users, said he continues to
work and push for a more equitable settlement.
He said he doesn’t have plans to meet with local groups to seek
support and is waiting to see what happens next.
“We don’t see a great deal of movement,” he said.
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Source: http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2008/05/09/featured_story/