The Klamath Basin agreement: seizing a chance to move forward

January 18, 2010

Oregonian Guest Commentary

By Martin Goebel

Years ago, Wallace Stegner hoped that we in the West would "finally abandon single-interest individualism and work together to build a society to match our scenery." In Oregon, that's a very tall order given the strong sentiments and uses that people near and far have for our spectacular rivers and lakes, verdant and productive forests and grasslands, and rugged and inspiring coastlines and deserts. But today, in an example of that collaborative way, a diverse group of former adversaries has put forth the first viable plan to settle differences and promote prosperity in the Klamath Basin -- a jewel of the American West.

The plan, called the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, is a strong example of local people coming together to chart their future. Yes, they were brought together by a series of crises (most notably the 2001 drought and its subsequent water war) in which single interests ruled as ranchers, farmers, fishermen, conservationists, Native Americans and government agencies clashed over water allocation. But they have found a new way to work and accomplish their goals.

What leaders in the Klamath Basin have crafted is an allocation of water that irrigates fields and provides for fish and wildlife, as well as an agreement with PacifiCorp to remove dams in the Klamath River. It advances restoration strategies that will fuel economic growth and create much-needed jobs while also restoring rivers, guaranteeing (for the first time) water for wildlife refuges, and reviving what was once the third largest salmon fishery on the West Coast.

When economic and environmental goals align like this, the possibilities are enormous. The Klamath agreement will cause ripple effects that will be felt throughout the region. It will stabilize farming and ranching, chart a path to more robust commercial and tribal fishing economies, and invest significantly in renewable energy development -- all sources of green jobs that sustain resource-dependent communities.

Once stakeholder groups sign the agreement -- which we strongly urge them to do -- legislation to help fund some of the changes it calls for will go before Congress. Oregon's elected officials must unite around this effort.

The federal government has spent hundreds of millions in the Klamath watershed responding to emergencies with no coordinated approach to resource management. In recent years, commercial salmon fishing has been restricted or entirely halted from Coos Bay in Oregon to Monterey Bay in California because of poor runs of Klamath salmon. In response to these chronic fishing closures, federal and state governments have had to spend significantly on Band-Aid disaster relief. Rather than funding random acts of rescue and restoration, the Klamath agreement capitalizes on recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences and institutes a watershedwide, coordinated approach to complex resource management.

For 20 years the Klamath has lagged. Now it's poised to lead. We can all learn from this effort as more and more rural communities tackle problems stemming from conflicting and often unsustainable demands on limited amounts of natural resources. There will never be 100 percent consensus -- the interests in our rural communities are too diverse -- but when faced with the potential of moving forward, we must seize it.

Let's support this courageous group of people who are making this happen. Their desire to create a watershed community in which their children will choose to stay, to live and to work as stewards of their place is indeed all about creating "a society to match their scenery."

Martin Goebel is president of Sustainable Northwest.

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Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/01/the_klamath_basin_agreement_se.html