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<DIV><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Klamath water
deal snags on environmental group's
opposition<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><B><FONT face=Tahoma
size=4><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">Sacramento</SPAN></FONT></B></st1:place></st1:City><B><FONT
face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> Bee –
3/4/08<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">By David
Whitney, staff writer</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN
lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><st1:State w:st="on"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=4><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">WASHINGTON</SPAN></FONT></st1:State><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> – A plan to end
fighting over Klamath River water along the California-Oregon border took a hit
Monday when 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> said the $1 billion deal doesn't
provide enough help for salmon.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The NEC said it cannot
support the agreement, still in flux, which guarantees water for up-river
farmers in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State> but gives no such assurances for
endangered salmon trying to make their way up the 260-mile river to
spawn.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Participants touted the
January deal as benefiting both fish and farming because it would complement
separate negotiations to get Portland-based PacifiCorp to remove a series of
dams impeding fish passage. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"This agreement would
lock us into supporting water allocations for agriculture that could result in
stream flows so low as to cause extinction," said Greg King, the center's
executive director.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">He said his group wants
to reopen the water allocation talks, one of the stickiest parts of the
deal.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Arcata-based NEC's
opposition, based on scientific studies it commissioned, will complicate, if not
kill, the chances of a deal getting to Congress in time for enactment this
year.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"It's disappointing,"
said Craig Tucker of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>'s Karuk Tribe, a leading advocate
of the deal. "It's a big deal for congressmen like Mike
Thompson."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Thompson, D-St. Helena,
represents the area with most of the river in <st1:place w:st="on">Northern
California</st1:place>, and Tucker said it would be difficult for him to back a
deal opposed by his district's leading environmental
organization.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Thompson could not be
reached immediately for comment.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The NEC announcement
will put pressure on the 26 groups involved in the talks to amend key principles
that have taken more than two years to draft. Talks resume
Wednesday.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Glen Spain, who
represents commercial fishermen in the talks, said his group agrees that
fish-friendly changes will have to be made.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"Clearly there are
uncertainties about what the fish in the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">lower Klamath</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> get out of this in the long term,"
he said.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Those on the other side
of the bargaining table, however, expressed little interest in reexamining the
down-river concerns.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Greg Addington,
executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association that relies on the
federal irrigation water, said his bigger concern now is trying to shore up
support among irrigators.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"I can't spend more time
on that," Addington said of the NEC's concerns. "I've got to spend time in my
own backyard at this point."<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><SPAN lang=EN
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 lang=EN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Time may be the bigger
factor. Advocates of the deal are trying to get it wrapped up in the next month
or so in order to get it through Congress and signed by President Bush before he
leaves office in January. #<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
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color=#666666 size=4><SPAN lang=EN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: #666666; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><A
href="http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/757874.html">http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/757874.html</A></SPAN></FONT></B><B><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=#666666 size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: #666666; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></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></DIV></BODY></HTML>