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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">County leaders
advocate Klamath dam removal<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><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
– 11/15/06<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><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Humboldt</SPAN></FONT></st1:PlaceName><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday in favor
of removing four of the <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place>'s dams,
riding what many say is a wave of public opinion and political will toward
restoring salmon runs and economies on the river. <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 resolution comes as
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hears communities' concerns about the
continued operation of the hydropower dams. The agency, which will decide
whether to issue Pacificorp a new 50-year license, has not considered removing
the dams as a viable option. <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'">But several key
developments recently have provided momentum toward such an end.
<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'">Pacificorp lost an
administrative hearing challenging federal fisheries agencies' orders to build
expensive fish ladders over the dams. A bond measure just passed by voters holds
millions that could be used for restoring the Klamath. California Coastal
Conservancy studies have found the cost of dam decommissioning relatively low,
and also found few toxins in sediment trapped behind the dams.
<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'">”This is really the
Berlin Wall of fisheries issues on the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">North</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Coast</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>,” Tom Weseloh of California Trout
told the board. <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'">Several speakers said
the amount of electricity the dams produce isn't worth the damage done by the
dams. The dams block several hundred miles of potential spawning habitat for
salmon. Fisheries biologist Pat Higgins said the reservoirs also pollute the
river by prompting toxic algae blooms, which can also be dangerous to people.
<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'">FERC is holding a public
hearing on its draft environmental impact statement on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the
Red Lion Inn in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Eureka</st1:City></st1:place>. <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'">Pacificorp has lodged
its own solution to getting fish around the dams by trapping them and trucking
them up above Upper Klamath Lake, then doing the same for young fish getting
ready to migrate downstream. Ross Taylor, a McKinleyville fisheries biologist,
said that trapping and trucking programs have been a failure on the <st1:place
w:st="on">Columbia River</st1:place>, and won't work on the Klamath either.
<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 also doesn't address
water quality problems on the river, said Erica Terence with the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Northcoast</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Environmental</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. <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'">”These dams present a
massive obstacle to improving water quality,” Terence 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'">Fifth District
Supervisor Jill Geist said that removal of the dams will help salmon and
upstream economies, and that the loss of power generation will be made up with a
planned large natural gas power plant in the region. It's also become clear that
the dams do not play much of a role in flood control, she said. Available bond
money and political support from both <st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>'s governors are critical.
<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'">”Now is the time,” Geist
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'">The board voted 4-0 in
support of the resolution. Supervisor Bonnie Neely was absent.
#<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'"><A
href="http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_4662498">http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_4662498</A><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></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>