Posted on 02/20/2003 10:21:45 PM PST by farmfriend
Trinity County will support Klamath River suit
By John Driscoll The Times-Standard
Trinity County will join with Humboldt and Del Norte counties and other cities as a friend of the court in a lawsuit being waged against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation over the bureau's Klamath River operations.
The Trinity County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to support the lawsuit pressed by fishing and environmental groups. The lawsuit claims the bureau's operations violate the Endangered Species Act, and was refiled shortly after 33,000 salmon died on the Klamath River. About half of those fish were bound for the Trinity River.
The vote came after Humboldt County Dupervisors Jimmy Smith and John Woolley sent a letter to Trinity County asking for its support. On Tuesday, Trinity County replied in a letter, and while it agreed to support the suit and acknowledged damage to its economy and fishery, the board said it was somewhat reluctant to join.
"It would seem to us that correcting problems with the Klamath River fisheries is an issue with Klamath River water users, not Trinity County water users," Trinity County Supervisor Ralph Modine wrote.
Modine also expressed concern about diverting the U.S. Interior Department's attention to defend in court a decision to return more water to the Trinity. But he also said that if joining the suit can encourage Klamath River users to "get their act together, so be it."
Trinity joins Humboldt and Del Norte counties, Arcata, Eureka and Fortuna in support of the lawsuit.
Humboldt County has been a longtime ally of Trinity County in the effort to restore flows to the Trinity River. Modine wrote that the two counties will stand united on the goal of having healthy, natural resource-based economies.
"It's probably one of the most important parts of the partnership (on the Klamath issue) because Trinity County is dependent on a strong, healthy fishery," said Smith. "They have in the past been a primary advocate of restoring the system and rebuilding the fishery."
Trinity had no chose but to join as they need Humboldt County to argue the Trinity diversion. Thanks for the ping.
Thanks...I think you may have done that before. The Times-Standard has many timely articles on the Klamath and enviro issues. At this moment we have 25 to 28 tree sitters on PL land.
Shoot, you know how it is here. If a guy stabs you in the back, you elect him governor.
Does the term "understatement" mean anything?
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