Wow! You have been busy. This is quite an in-depth response you have sent out (below).  I don't see anywhere in our op-ed that we claimed that "advocating for long-term solutions is equivalent to finger pointing".  We clearly make a distinction between the two. You seem a little defensive about all this.    

I wonder how come you didn't bother sending any of this information to me or other water users.  I know you are busy trying to convince fishermen that things are a mess here, but if you have a problem with fishermen and farmers talking, you should let us know.  I thought we were trying to work together on this kind of thing?  

I won't go into detail rebutting every point you try to make, but I could.  Just as you seem to take issue with our positions and science, I could easily point out the flaws in yours. But I frankly don't have the time or inclination to get into that with you at this point and I don’t think it would do a bit of good or get us closer to solutions.   

I think you should really go back and re-read the Op-ed piece. Let me go ahead and quote it for you here:  

“It was somewhat of a revelation that not a single fisherman at the meeting pointed to the Klamath Project as the cause for the fishery closure. Instead, they offered up other explanations, including:  

            *Insufficient hatchery production and failure to count hatchery fish.

            *Disjointed stock management by state and federal agencies.

            *Sea lion predation.

            *Unfavorable ocean conditions and several years of drought”  

Those items did not come from us. They are issues that were identified by the folks on the coast. We are certainly not saying this is all there is to it, but those are clearly issues that need some consideration if a comprehensive solution is to be gained.  

If people and organizations want to continue to focus on weakening and eroding agriculture in the Basin and specifically the Klamath Reclamation Project, then we will continue to defend ourselves.  

I hope you realize that KWUA is committed to solutions and specifically toward making a settlement happen that benefits all stakeholders. I am frankly surprised at your reaction to an op-ed that was primarily about the fact the two of these groups of stakeholders are talking to each other.  

Is ONRC planning on any kind of relief effort for fishermen and coastal communities? If not, please feel free to direct your membership to The Klamath Relief Fund for Commercial Fishermen at P.O. Box 5252 , Klamath Falls , OR 97601 .  

Greg Addington

Klamath Water Users Association