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Don't neglect Klamath refuges

02/09/04

Former refuge manager Robert C. Fields' call for reforming the Bureau of Reclamation's massive Klamath Irrigation Project is a welcome addition to the Klamath debate ("Only new legislation can secure Klamath Basin refuges," Feb. 3).

For too long, the six national wildlife refuges in the Klamath Basin have been the last in line for the region's scarce water. Without adequate water, wetlands habitat for millions of migratory birds will continue to be imperiled. But simply adding fish and wildlife to the purposes of the Klamath Project will not be enough to solve this complex problem.

The federal government also should end the practice of leasing more than 22,000 acres of land within the wildlife refuges for commercial agriculture. Restoring habitats within these national wildlife refuges would not only help migratory birds, but also could benefit the region's imperiled fish.

Restoring the natural water storage function on lands within and adjacent to the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge would help to address the needs of salmon and other aquatic resources of the Klamath River.

LESLIE CATHERWOOD Wildlife refuge program associate The Wilderness Society Washington, D.C.

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