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https://www.heraldandnews.com/members/forum/letters/sen-jeff-merkley-needs-to-talk-to-klamath-ranchers/article_4b827393-7e4d-54a4-a7fd-f4b9a8389484.html

Senator Jeff Merkley needs to talk to Klamath ranchers

Bill and Nedra Boyd, Chiloquin, for Herald and News 1/29/2020

Federal agencies consisting of representatives of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trout Unlimited, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Geological Survey, Oregon Renewable Energy Center, and more are gathered to discuss ongoing efforts in sucker recovery.

With no real substantial solutions to this problem since 2013, Sen. Jeff Merkley is now adding another $11 million to the Basin plus $5.1 million to the Klamath River this year, to be added to the $23.5 million given to the Basin in 2013 for this study. Something seems very wrong with this picture and the results given!

There are five difference species of fish in the Klamath Lake that are not having a problem surviving except the sucker. The agencies to date, are calling it a mystery and guessing at the problems they think are the cause, the water toxins being very big in the study, which brings me to the issue of the water. When the Tribes call our water to be shut off, they can do this without any proof as to what is causing the problem with the sucker. Until the facts are in place and it is a water issue, the Tribes and OWRD should not be able to shut off the water in the Basin.

Ranchers here in our district are having to bear the brunt of all the political and Tribal harassment being put on them. It needs to stop!

If Sen. Merkley is so concerned about the "endangered species," he needs to talk to the Klamath ranchers.

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