Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.

www.heraldandnews.com

City won’t take water deal stand

By Jill Aho and Ty Beaver, Herald and News 2/7/10

Although four of the five Klamath Falls City Council members have publicly opposed the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, and the fifth has come out in support, the elected body will take no official stand.

The Council has discussed taking an official position on the agreement, which aims to settle water disputes throughout the Klamath Basin and is tied to dam removal on the Klamath River, but chose not to as a body.

Council member Bill Adams said at a work session Monday night since four of the Council members had signed on with former Klamath County Commissioner Bill Brown’s campaign against the KBRA, he hought the Council should take an official position.

“I don’t believe the general public has been represented in this agreement. I think that we’re all stakeholders whether they want to call us that or not,” Adams said. “Our saying something is the only way they get any voice at all.”

Council member Bud Hart said while he is a taking a personal position against the KBRA, he did not feel it was appropriate for the Council to take a position.

“We’re free to take positions as individuals, but as a Council we’re not going to take a position,” Hart said.

Council member Trish Seiler is the only Council supporter of the agreements.