kbc restoration funds 090204

http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2004/09/01/news/community_news/cit3.txt

Funds available for restoration projects

Wednesday, September 1, 2004 2:18 PM PDT

Published September 1, 2004

Basin ecosystem office given twice the budget for projects this year

By DYLAN DARLING

Federal officials want to help landowners in the Klamath Basin get restoration projects going on their land.

And they have more money in the coffers this year to fund them.

Dave Ross, restoration supervisor for the Klamath Basin Ecosystem Restoration Office, said the office will have twice the budget for fiscal year 2005. The budget will be $2.1 million for the fiscal year that starts at the beginning of O ctober.SPANP

The money is less than the office expected to be coming in after initial announcements from Washington last winter, but it is a good amount of money, Ross said.

But, officials at the office, which is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife's Klamath Falls office, plan to spend the money wisely, he added.

Ross said officials want to find projects "where we can get more bang for our buck."

At the top of the priority list is recovery of endangered Lost River and shortnose sucker fish.

So, the focus will be on improving Upper Klamath Lake, Sprague River and Lake Ewauna, Ross said.

Projects already on the slate include adding wetlands to the shores of the lakes and putting in riparian fencing on the banks of Sprague River, he said. The Chiloquin Dam could be coming out July 2005, so getting sucker habitat on the upper stretches of the river is important, he added.

Restoration is returning the form and function of habitat back to the historic or close to historic condition needed to support the different species in an ecosystem, he said.

"Can we return to 1860? No, we can't, but we can get going in that direction," Ross said.

The office can help landowners and other groups come up with ideas for restoration projects, he said. Proposals should be submitted by Dec. 7 to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Klamath Basin Ecosystem Restoration Office, 6610 Washburn Way, Klamath Falls, OR 97603.