Posted on 10/12/2006 9:18:57 PM PDT by calcowgirl
California Governor Schwarzenegger and Oregon Governor Kulongoski today directed their respective state agencies to organize a Klamath Summit to be held before the year ends. The governors have joined forces and are holding the summit to resolve a multitude of complex issues related to the health of the river that impact salmon fishermen, tribes, hydroelectric power and a host of environmental and habitat concerns.
“We have the problems of water quality, water supply, listed species, energy generation, and agricultural sustainability expressed in countless ways in the Klamath Basin,” Governor Kulongoski said. “We must forge a consensus on a sustainable approach to the Klamath.”
“Both our states are recognized leaders in protecting our environment,” added Schwarzenegger. “I look forward to working with Governor Kulongoski and his team to develop a plan that will protect these valuable natural resources while balancing our needs as responsible stewards of the environment.”
The summit follows a partnership between Washington, Oregon and California that was announced on Sept. 18 during California and the World Ocean ’06 in Long Beach, Calif. the three governors signed an agreement to create a partnership that would work to protect the entire Pacific coast. Organizing and holding the summit fulfills a part of that agreement.
Last month, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a Draft Environmental Impact Report that would allow several dams along the Klamath to be relicensed if certain environmental conditions were met. It estimated that the PacifiCorp hydroelectric project would operate at an annual loss of $27 million if fish ladders were installed. At the same time, the decision of an administrative law judge, acting in a new trial-type proceeding under the 2005 Energy Policy Act, ruled that fish ladders would have to be installed on Klamath River dams, suggesting that PacifiCorp will now have to decide between installing fish ladders or decommissioning dams.
The Governors of Oregon and California well recognize the environmental and natural resource challenges within the Klamath Basin. The summit will bring all groups with Klamath River Basin interests together, states, federal partners, fishermen, Tribes, PacifiCorp and other groups to resolve issues and return the Klamath River Basin to health.
To date, resolving Klamath issues has been a challenge because of the interconnected nature of water, energy, fishing, wildlife habitat, tribal land use and farming needs. PacifiCorp is currently seeking relicensing of its Hydro Project on the Klamath River, while many parties are calling for dam removal and river restoration. At the same time, commercial salmon catch in California and Oregon is expected to drop this year from recent averages, the state and federal lawmakers said in a recent letter to Senate appropriators.
Both Governors have been signatories to letters requesting Congressional relief for west coast commercial fisheries. And Governor Kulongoski has previously extended an invitation to federal agency heads to participate in a Klamath Summit. The joint announcement with Governor Schwarzenegger sets that plan in motion, and expands the Summit invitation focus to include members of Congress who share their concern over the lack of meaningful progress.
“We believe there is an important role for the federal government to play in crafting a long term solution to these challenges,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “It is appropriate that the Federal agencies and Congress take an active role shaping a sustainable approach to protecting these vital resources.”
In more recent communications to Governor Kulongoski, the Secretaries of Interior and Commerce have voiced their support and commitment to resolving Klamath Basin issues, and in a Klamath summit.
To ensure that the Klamath Summit produces results, the Governors expect interested stakeholders to come prepared to present and discuss specific concepts and proposals, including possible legislative solutions. In advance of the summit, stakeholders will work to identify and prioritize issues and where possible, outline areas of agreement and disagreement, if meaningful progress is to be made.
PacifiCorp operates seven hydroelectric generating facilities along 65 miles of the Klamath River from the Link River Dam at Upper Klamath Lake to Iron Gate Dam. Recently, PacifiCorp has expressed their willingness to consider dam removal, provided that shareholder property rights and cost recovery issues are appropriately addressed.
In recent testimony before the California Public Utilities Commission, PacifiCorp noted that during the past 100 years, circumstances in the Klamath Basin have changed dramatically, impacted by Endangered Species Act requirements, Tribal Trust requirements, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation water management policies.
According to PacifiCorp, “these and other restrictions cause PacifiCorp to operate the Klamath Hydroelectric Project more for compliance than for generation. Making matters worse, return flow from the Klamath customers is unpredictable, unmanaged, and often occurs during high-water periods. Each of these factors has negative effects on PacifiCorp’s ability to use the Klamath River to generate hydroelectric power.” The testimony continues, “The result at best; PacifiCorp must adjust generation schedules to maintain system balance, compliance with ramp rates, reservoir elevation commitments, and downstream minimum flow requirements; at worst, PacifiCorp must spill water throughout its system and incur risk management costs; and, in no event can PacifiCorp rely on flow from the Klamath Irrigation Project when it schedules generation.”
“In light of PacifiCorp’s characterization of the value, it seems only appropriate that dam removal be explored as part of the discussion and quite frankly, as part of the eventual solution to restore Klamath River health,” said Schwarzenegger.
A date for the Summit will be determined once various schedules can be worked out.
That was John Adams:
Alaska and Russia.
Here, HERE! Super-BUMP!
These massive land conservancies operate like drunken sailors who answer to no one.
And are more than happy to live off your taxes!
Now our stupid Governor is going to try to stick it to 'em! Geeze!!!
Now our stupid Governor is going to try to stick it to 'em! Geeze!!!
The fish were only two weeks late this fall(early to mid August was peak of the second run reds). Shouldn't take that long to get fish to America from Alaska.
The MSM supports these leftist with the phony "consensus process" and helps drive the most devastating stuff right past the people... Even those being hurt most by it until it's too late to help them!!!
I sincerely wish that any FReepers that were either involved in any part of the Jarbidge, NV road re-opening or the Klamath Tea Party or the Bucket Brigade here on FR, even if you just lurked or actually showed up would check in on this thread to contribute thoughts, prayers, or even actions!
We all knew when 9-11 rightfully sucked all the oxygen out of this issue that it would be back with all the remorseless, relentless, ruthless leftists pounding away at these righteous, actual victims who only want to be good productive Americans!!!
Excuse me. I have to step out for a couple of minutes to run to the store and buy a bag of Lays Potato Chips, grown in Klamath Falls!!!
Exactly. Just wait until this european jackass no longer has anything to fear from the voters. He's going to get worse; much, much worse. It's going to be Arnold Angelides...
* ping *
Any plan to re-balance the needs are simply designed to starve the farmers of water and rights to it that they bought and paid for and thereby own and control by law. Now these CONsensus seeking snakes are going to try to steal their legal control by over-riding the law with supposed environmental "CONcerns" and pure Hollywood generated/created emotionalism!!!
What a fantastic and entirely appropriate find!!! I congratulate you, FairOpinion!!! For you to find your Governor's press release being picked up by the People's Weekly World web-site and heralded by this authentic Commie web-site as a "Victory for Klamath River Salmon" is especially ripe, coming from the most vociferous screamer for Schwartzenegger on FreeRepublic.com!!! Geeeze!!! OMG!!!
Hey! That's perfect!!!
I noticed one post in 2004 that exposed Schwartzenegger's bias toward the fishing industry and their bogus claims against the farmers regarding water use. I also notice a post in 2005 by snopercod... ARE YOU STILL OUT THERE SNOPERCOD???
Thanks for pingin your list! You graphic isn't makin it through my browser for some unknown reason... just the dreaded red "X" is all I see.
I've seen that problem with other categories from the old bump lists- they don't go back as far as I know they used to.
Found this:
Posted by snopercod to Calpernia; SAMWolf; snippy_about_it
On News/Activism 06/20/2005
???
Now I'm gonna go look for the 2004 post about Schwartzenrenegger bein all for the fishing industry and against the farmers position. That ought to make him one hell of an "honest broker!" (Yeah, right!)
That line is kindergarten drivel compared to any phrase that contains "CONSENSUS BUILDING" as represented in the govs quotes...
I can just see the 48pt headline on the Sacramento BEE...
SCHWARTZENEGGER
SINGLEHANDEDLY
SAVES LOST
SUCKERFISH!!!
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