Clarifications on the Klamath agreements

The Cascade Policy Institute and Sustainable Northwest share some common values: economic well-being and environmental health can run hand in hand; and, working with incentives can yield better results than regulation.

But our direct work in Klamath since 2001 leads us to a different interpretation on the Klamath Basin settlement. Also, CPI's opinion printed earlier this week mischaracterized several issues that merit correction:

1. The Klamath settlements are built on Oregon water law — no changes in water law are made with settlement. What does happen is water sharing where parties manage rights to serve both fish and farms.

2. No party is required to participate in the settlement. Irrigators in the Off Project who don't like the settlement incentives can disregard them and even litigate — but others want the option to move on and achieve security.

3. There are no "direct monetary ties" between the Klamath Tribes and any leader of pro-settlement Off Project irrigation interests; it's a widespread myth among those who oppose, but still a myth.

4. While proprietary interests were discussed in private (as they should be), the strength of our democratic system is that major change requires legislation, which must be debated in public.

Further, the basic settlement agreement has been available since 2008. We welcome constructive criticism, but to date no critic has provided a viable, alternative path to resolve the Basin's issues.

The finer points of the Klamath agreements are complex, and it is understandable that commentators can make mistakes in analysis. But the big picture is straightforward: The Klamath agreements represent a five year effort by local leaders to break free from crisis and conflict, and to establish a working balance between the environment and the agricultural economy.

James Honey is a program director with Sustainable Northwest. Sustainable Northwest brings people, ideas and innovation together so that nature, local economies and rural communities can thrive. Visit www.sustainablenorthwest.org.