Proposed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement raises hackles,
and hands, at first hearing
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Photo by Deborra
Brannon - After the Board of Supervisors held a lengthy
first public hearing on the proposed Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement and planned a second public hearing,
opponents to the agreement raise their hands. |
Proposed agreement says that
removal of four lower Klamath dams ’is a necessary part of
overall restoration effort’
By Deborra Brannon, Siskiyou Daily News 1/23/08
SISKIYOU COUNTY - Opportunity for public comment on the proposed
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement drew a crowd to the Yreka
courthouse yesterday.
The board of supervisors held the first of what will likely be
several public hearings on the proposed agreement during their
regular meeting.
Among the members of the public who packed the board chambers
for the hearing, there was clear majority opposition to the
document, although one person spoke in favor of it.
The proposed agreement is one of two that would need approval
taken together in order to provide the ’comprehensive solution’
envisioned by the settlement group.
PacifiCorp representative Toby Freeman said Tuesday that the
proposed agreement reached by the settlement group involves a
’host’ of other Klamath basin issues, and is ’predicated on an
agreement yet to be reached with PacifiCorp.’
Supervisor Bill Overman invited Freeman to
speak on behalf of PacifiCorp as the public comment period began
’I think the motivation behind this is to force us into an
agreement that would involve dam removal,’ Freeman said. ’I’m
not saying that a dam removal agreement is definitely off the
table, but thus far there is no indication that dam removal is
the least costly solution.’
A summary provided at the Web site
www.edsheets.com/Klamathdocs.html
states the intention behind the agreement as being ’effective
and durable solutions’ which will restore production of fish
species
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