Klamath dam protesters return to Berkshire meeting

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – A group representing American Indian tribes and commercial fishermen from California and Oregon that has protested at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. shareholder meetings in the past are back again this year.

But this time the group will be praising Berkshire, led by billionaire investor Warren Buffett. They are in Omaha to show their support for the decision by the company’s utility unit to back a preliminary agreement to remove four dams on the Klamath River near the California-Oregon border.

Representatives of the tribes and a spokesman for the PacifiCorp utility owned by Berkshire said they are optimistic a final deal on the future of the Klamath River can be reached before a June 30 deadline.

“I think we’re on course for something that’s going to be beneficial for all parties,” said Craig Tucker, a spokesman for the Karuk Tribe.

Removing the dams is widely seen as a key to restoring dwindling West Coast salmon runs. The four dams, built between 1908 and 1962, block salmon from 300 miles of spawning habitat while producing enough electricity to power about 70,000 homes. In recent years, toxic algae has plagued the river, and river advocates have sued PacifiCorp to fix the algae problem.

The Pacific Fisheries Management Council has recommended calling off California’s commercial chinook salmon fishing season for the second year in a row because of concerns about the fish population.

The preliminary deal announced last fall calls for all four of PacifiCorp’s dams on the Klamath to be removed over time as long as a federal study shows dam removal is feasible and cost-effective. But the deal limits the amount PacifiCorp’s customers would pay through higher rates to $200 million, and it gives the utility time to add other renewable energy sources to replace the dams.

Besides the costs ratepayers will cover, the state of California will ask voters to approve a $250 million bond. Surcharges would be about $15 to $20 a year to PacifiCorp’s 500,000 customers in Oregon and 45,000 customers in California. Any dam removal costs over $450 million must be worked out later.

PacifiCorp also pledged to give California $500,000 a year for fish habitat improvements until the dams are removed.

But some of the details could change in a final agreement.

PacifiCorp spokesman Art Sasse said a number of groups concerned about the river have been working on an agreement.

“We’re optimistic we’ll be able to meet the deadline,” Sasse said.

Fourteen protesters concerned about the Klamath River will be among the more than 35,000 people expected to attend Saturday’s Berkshire shareholders’ meeting in Omaha.

Georgiana Myers, who is a member of the Yurok Tribe, said the protesters plan to use a more positive tone this year to encourage PacifiCorp to deliver what it agreed to last fall.

“We’re here to keep encouraging them to do the right thing,” said Myers, who also works with the Klamath Riverkeeper newsletter.

Berkshire’s Des Moines, Iowa-based utility division, MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., owns PacifiCorp, which serves 1.7 million customers in six western states.

PacifiCorp is one of more than 60 Berkshire subsidiaries. Omaha-based Berkshire owns more than 60 subsidiaries including insurance, clothing, furniture, and candy companies, restaurants, natural gas and corporate jet firms. Berkshire also has major investments in such companies as Coca-Cola Co. and Wells Fargo & Co.