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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><?xml:namespace prefix =
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Irrigators
appeal key Klamath decision<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Eureka</SPAN></FONT></B></st1:place></st1:City><B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> Times-Standard
– 11/14/06<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">By
<st1:PersonName w:st="on">John</st1:PersonName> Driscoll, staff
writer</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Irrigators in the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Upper</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Klamath</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Basin</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> are going back to a federal appeals
court in an effort to overturn a ruling that provided more water to threatened
salmon. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Klamath Water Users
Association lodged its argument to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San
Francisco, which had ordered a district court judge to write the injunction the
irrigators are appealing. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Farmers say that while
there was enough water to irrigate during a wet 2006, it drew down Upper Klamath
Lake, and they worry that during a drier year sending more water to salmon could
jeopardize supplies. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">”If that happens in a
wet water year,” said water users' Executive Director Greg Addington, “what's an
average year hold for us?” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The group claims that
the U.S. District Court in <st1:City w:st="on">Oakland</st1:City> overreached
its authority and imposed higher flows downstream of <st1:place w:st="on">Upper
Klamath Lake</st1:place> than federal agencies had determined were needed for
coho salmon. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation -- whose plans were the original aim of a lawsuit by fishermen,
environmentalists and tribes -- are not part of the new appeal.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Addington said he was
aware that the appeal could potentially endanger a growing spirit of cooperation
in the region. But he said that irrigators need something to hold onto in a
strained basin. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">”It's important that we
send a message that we don't think there's adequate resources in the system to
do it all,” Addington said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">That's been the
sentiment of tribes and fishermen for years. It was also the take of the 9th
Circuit Court when it took up the first appeal of the case, writing that the
government's plan for river flows could wipe out coho salmon eight years into
the 10-year program. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">”All the water in the
world in 2010 and 2011 will not protect the coho,” wrote the court, “for there
will be none to protect.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Both young and mature
chinook salmon have also struggled in the river in recent years, with high rates
of infection from diseases biologists believe are made worse with low water.
Water purchased from farmers by reclamation has boosted flows in the spring, but
also cost millions. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Reclamation spokesman
Jeff McCracken was unable to reach federal attorneys about the appeal. He said
that the agency intends to meet with the fisheries service to hammer out the
guidelines for flows to the river by the end of this year or early 2007.
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Kristen Boyles, an
attorney with Earthjustice that was among the groups that sued the federal
government, said the appeal is probably futile. It's unlikely the court would
even hear the petition for nine months or longer, she said, at which point a new
plan may be in effect. She also questioned irrigators' intentions and signals
toward cooperation while taking the legal action. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">”They don't want to
change any of their irrigation projects and they want the first take of water
from the river,” Boyle said. #<BR clear=all><A
href="">http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_4655750</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Klamath
Farmers Appeal Order Over Salmon<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">San
Francisco Chronicle – 11/14/06<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">By
Jeff Barnard, Associated Press staff writer</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Klamath</SPAN></FONT></st1:PlaceName><FONT
color=black size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Basin</st1:PlaceType></SPAN></FONT></st1:place><FONT color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"> farmers are going ahead with
their appeal of a federal court ruling that gave more <STRONG><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">water</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG> to salmon, raising
doubts among salmon advocates that farmers are really interested in solving the
region's environmental problems.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Attorneys for the Klamath
<STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">Water</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG> Users Association,
which represents about 1,000 farms irrigated by the Klamath Reclamation Project,
filed a brief Monday with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in <st1:City
w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:City> in their appeal of an injunction speeding up
the timetable for the government to increase <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath
River</st1:place> flows for threatened coho salmon.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">The appeal came after the
Bush administration withdrew its own appeal and four weeks before a summit
organized by the governors of <st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> and
<st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State> to find solutions to the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Klamath</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Basin</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>'s long-standing environmental
problems, particularly four hydroelectric dams widely blamed for hurting
struggling salmon runs.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">"While we're getting close to
turning the corner and getting along a lot better, we're not quite there yet.
Until we get there, we have to keep our options open," said Greg Addington,
executive director of the association.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">In 2001, irrigation
<STRONG><B><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">water</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG> was shut off to
most of the Klamath Reclamation Project to provide <STRONG><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">water</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG> for threatened coho
salmon in the <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place> during a
drought.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">After irrigation was restored
the next year, tens of thousands of adult chinook died of gill rot while stuck
in low warm pools in the river.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">Last summer, commercial
salmon fishing was practically shut off along 700 miles of <st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> and <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>
coastline to protect struggling <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place>
chinook.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">The Klamath summit is
tentatively set for the middle of December in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Klamath Falls</st1:place></st1:City> with representatives of state and
federal agencies, farmers, tribes, conservation groups and
fishermen.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: black">The appeal seeks to lift an
injunction imposed last May by U.S. District Judge Saundra B. Armstrong, which
says that irrigators will have to do without <STRONG><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: normal">water</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG> in years when there
is not enough for both farms and fish. #<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=headingstory><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><A
href="">http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/11/14/financial/f011656S07.DTL&hw=water&sn=015&sc=451</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN class=headingstory><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">####</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>