BY CHELSEA MULLER
February 25, 2008
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. --
Since the Klamath
Restoration Agreement
was made public in
January, dozens of
meetings and hearings
have taken place all
over the basin. Those
gatherings have brought
many questions about the
document's impact to
light.
Monday, Klamath County
commissioners attempted
to find the answers.
The commissioners have
held several countywide
hearings of their own,
but found that too many
questions had gone
unanswered.
Experts from state and
federal agencies
gathered at the Klamath
County Fair Grounds.
Several questions that
have been circulating
around the community
were discussed,
questions concerning the
possible dam removal and
its impact on the
environment.
"At least to understand
what the agreement does
and, perhaps more
importantly, what it
does not do," said
Commissioner John
Elliott.
"I
think it can be worked
out, but there's an
awful lot that's gotta
be answered and a lot of
protections put into it
before it's a done deal,
as far as I'm
concerned," said Steve
Rapelyea, who lives in
Klamath County.
The question and answer
session does not replace
other negotiations that
are still ongoing. The
commissioners are also
in facilitating talks
between on-and-off
project negotiators
One thing that has been
agreed upon is that more
time is need to come to
a final solution.
Elliott says they'll
organize another session
like this if it's
necessary in the future.
Starting this evening,
they will be taking
written comments.
They can be sent by
email to BOCC@co.klamath.or.us
or at the government
center downtown.