A partisan political witch-hunt  

* Congressman Greg Walden speaks out about hearing

By Lance Waldren
Pioneer Press Staff Writer

Pioneer Press

Fort Jones , CA

530-468-5355

mailto:pioneerp@sisqtel.net

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Page E1, Column 1 

KLAMATH BASIN - Last week Congressmen Greg Walden testified before the House Natural Resources Committee in Washington D.C.    The intention of the hearing was to determine if in 2001, Vice President Cheney, used political pressure to influence science regarding the shut off of water to farmers and wildlife refuges in the Klamath Basin .

The Bush Administration and the return of water to the Klamath Project in 2002, have been blamed for a large scale die-off of salmon near the mouth of the Klamath River .

The Pioneer Press spoke with Walden to hear his view on the hearing and to talk about the positive changes happening in the Klamath Basin .

"I believe we thoroughly made the case that the Klamath farmers had no fault in the die-off,"  said Walden.   "The review of all the evidence by the National Academy of Science proved that.   There was no new credible evidence that the committee had not already seen.  Lots of smoke, not much fire."

This was a partisan political witch-hunt and a waste of the committees time.   They need to be looking at problems, asking questions about what they can do to help, then working on finding real solutions, he said.

Walden went on to say that these allegations were without merit and he did not know what purpose the hearing served.

"The Klamath Basin has a new attitude and the different groups are working together to find solutions," said Walden.  "No one wants to repeat the hard times of the past.  The farmers and refuges were hurt when the water was shut off, the fisherman were hurt when they lost their salmon season and the tribes were hurt with the die-off."

One of the major concerns Walden had about the hearing was that it had the potential to upend the ongoing settlement talks.   He said he did not want to see salt poured into old wounds, when so many different groups are working hard to come up with a negotiated agreement on Klamath Issues.

"I asked the committee to wait to hold the hearing until the settlement group had come to an agreement,  said Walden. 

The diverse group of 24 is made up of county, state and federal agencies, basin farmers, tribes, fisherman, environmental and conservation groups.   These negotiations were organized to discuss the future of four dams on the Klamath River .   Pacific Power, which owns the dams, is trying to renew the license of the dams and the settlement group is part of that process.

"The settlement talks should come out with an agreement this November.   I don't want to see outside agitators interfere," said Walden.

One of the good things to come from the hearing was another chance to make the case that the farmers were not at fault here.   It brought this issue once again to the Nations spotlight. 

"We got to bring it back and show them all of the accomplishments of the basin," said Walden.  "There has been over 500 million dollars spent on improvements.   I have even invited the committee to come to the basin and see for themselves what is going on."

There has been a lot of misinformation regarding the salmon die-off and other Klamath issues.   According to Walden even the number of salmon that died is in dispute.   The media coverage and facts of these events seems to be effected by political agendas.

"I am an eternal optimist," said Walden.   "The truth will win out in the end."

(Permission to post from the publisher.)