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Water
users president pulls name
Luther
Horsley rescinds signature on letter seeking reopening of talks
By
TY BEAVER
H&N
Staff Writer
Luther
Horsley, president of the Klamath Water Users Association, signed a
resolution Monday rescinding his signature on a letter demanding
stakeholders reopen negotiations on the proposed Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement.
The
resolution states the association’s board of directors would support,
defend and promote the agreement in its current form. It also says the
association’s board would oppose any attempt to reopen settlement
negotiations.
Horsley
said the other letter he signed did not reflect the spirit of the
discussions he had with opponents of the agreement. Another irrigator
who also signed the letter said there were no hard feelings and he
understands Horsley’s situation.
“He’s
between a rock and a hard place,” said John Wells, an irrigator with
property on and off the Klamath Reclamation Project.
The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement allocates
resources in the
Ten irrigators — Horsley, Wells, Bill Kennedy, Glenn
Barrett, Tracey Liskey, Don Rajnus, Karl Scronce, Roger Nicholson,
Andrea Rabe and Linda Long Bourdet — with land on and off the Project
provided a letter to county commissioners calling for the reopened
negotiations and listing issues that would need to be included in the
agreement before they would sign on.
Demands
Those demands included removing financial assistance
to purchase the Mazama Tree Farm for the Klamath Tribes. Instead, they
proposed providing $21 million for tribal economic development. They
also wanted further assurances for water and power rates for off-Project
water users. Wells said the coalition is not opposed to any group
prospering from the agreement, but he thinks all groups should prosper.
Addressing
concerns
Horsley said he met with group members over several
days more than a week ago in hopes of addressing their concerns so they
would be able to support the agreement. The letter he ended up signing
did not reflect the discussions of those meetings, he said.
Greg Addington, executive director of the Klamath
Water Users Association, said Horsley’s signature on that letter
garbled the association’s position on the agreement, prompting the
creation of the resolution.
“It’s under the bridge now so we’re going to
move forward,” Horsley said.
The association is not trying to shut the door on any
dialogue, believing further discussions can take place with regard to a
section of the settlement, and Horsley was working with the coalition in
that context.
“He just wants to figure out a way to have everyone get
along,” Addington said.
Side Bar
Executive director defends commissioner
Greg
Addington, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association,
said he was disappointed in negative comments directed toward the
Klamath County Board of Commissioners during a Monday night public
hearing.
The
board, especially Commissioner John Elliott, was criticized for not
thoroughly representing all the interests of the county during talks on
the proposed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.
Addington said he sat at the table with Elliott during
many of the talks and considered him a statesman who refused to take
sides.
“I believe he was looking out for the best interests
of the whole county,” he said.
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