Klamath Basin Water Crisis Upholding Americans

http://www.heraldandnews.com/articles/2003/11/14/viewpoints/letters/letters.txt

No special consideration,
Herald and news letter 11/14/03

In their bid to take over the Winema National Forest, the Klamath Tribes cite their environmental record and claim they can better manage the forest and wildlife.

I have been managing Wildlife Ranch, a rehabilitation center for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife for eight years. This is being done under state and federal permits.

I have contacted the Tribes many times asking for their support and assistance. With the exception of a few individuals associated with the Tribes, I have not received one jot of help or support. But they have asked me to conduct wildlife programs for their Head Start program, which I have freely done.

My biggest supporters are the agricultural community, and the staffs of the Winema National Forest and the departments of fish and wildlife, both state and federal.

The farmers and ranchers of Klamath have provided release sites. They trap, rather than poison, gophers and give them to me to use as food for injured raptors. They have given cash donations to defray the cost of care. They capture and bring in injured raptors.

The farmers and ranchers of this region go out of their way to protect this land and its wildlife. The fish and wildlife people show similar concern. They plant browse for the deer, they trap gophers in the ponderosa pine plantations.

These people have demonstrated their concern over the land by their actions.

Until the Tribes can demonstrate the same by their actions, without the assistance of federal money, they should not receive special consideration.

Terri Mander

Sprague River