by
David Smith, Siskiyou Daily News May 7, 2010
Mount Shasta, Calif. — With a brainstorm
session underway in Mount Shasta on Thursday, various
governmental and tribal agencies met for an update on the
studies being done as part of two agreements on the Klamath
River and discussed the ways in which the public will be
involved in the processes and how to move forward.
The Klamath Secretarial Determination Stakeholder Technical
Management Team Briefing addressed the various issues under
analysis as part of the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement
Agreement (KHSA) and the Klamath Basin Restoration
Agreement, which set out a plan for the possible removal of
four dams along the Klamath River and a restoration plan for
the basin. Attending the meeting were a number of
representatives from various agencies, including the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the
Interior, Siskiyou County, Hoopa Tribe, Karuk Tribe and a
number of others.
Under the KHSA, the secretary of the interior is tasked with
deciding whether or not the removal of four dams along the
Klamath River – Iron Gate, Copco 1, Copco 2 and J.C. Boyle
– would increase salmonid fish populations and whether or
not the removal would be in the public interest.
According to Dennis Lynch, program manager for the science
team, the secretarial determination will be informed by two
“tracks” of research, composed of analysis in a secretarial
determination overview report and environmental review
according to the California Environmental Quality Act and
the National Environmental Policy Act.
With interactions from those in attendance, presenters gave
updates on the status of the economics, cultural and tribal,
real estate, hydrological, sediment and biological studies,
among others.
Throughout the next week, the Siskiyou Daily News will
feature articles detailing information provided to attendees
and the questions and concerns that were raised.
