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<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=articleheadline1><B><FONT face=Tahoma
color=black size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: windowtext">Diverse
Groups and Interests Support Klamath Bill in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>
Legislature</SPAN></FONT></B></SPAN><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><BR></SPAN></FONT></B><SPAN
class=sidesubhead1><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: windowtext">Dam removal is first step in
realizing comprehensive <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Klamath</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Basin</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> Agreement to benefit farms and
fish</SPAN></FONT></B></SPAN><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><?xml:namespace
prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=articlebyline1><FONT face=Tahoma
color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: windowtext"><!-- Start ApplyTools code -->Yubanet.com
– 2/4/09<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN class=articlebyline1><FONT face=Tahoma
color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: windowtext">By: Karuk
Tribe<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN
class=articletext1><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Salem</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></st1:City><SPAN
class=articletext1><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">,
<st1:State w:st="on">OR</st1:State></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></st1:place><SPAN
class=articletext1><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">,
Feb. 3, 2009 - Today lawmakers introduced a bill that would direct funds from
PacifiCorp power bills to remove dams instead of paying millions more for
federally mandated dam upgrades. Affected Tribes, fishermen, conservationists,
ratepayer advocacy groups, and even dam owner PacifiCorp, support the
legislation. The legislation is a first step to restoring fisheries and
stabilizing tribal, agricultural and fishing economies in the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Klamath</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Basin</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> - as mapped out in the Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><FONT size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt"><BR><BR><SPAN class=articletext1><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"Governor Kulongoski
has helped negotiate a win-win-win situation that we hope legislators will
support," said Jeff Mitchell, Klamath Tribal council member and long time dam
removal advocate. "Tribes and fishermen win because we will recover salmon runs,
farmers win because dam removal is a cornerstone of our water sharing agreement,
and PacifiCorp and their customers win because they control
costs."</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN class=articletext1><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The legislation is
based on a dam removal "agreement in principle" signed by <st1:City
w:st="on">PacifiCorp</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State>,
<st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State>, and the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
last November. The legislation essentially caps PacifiCorp ratepayers'
contribution to dam removal at $200 million. Without the legislation
PacifiCorp's ratepayers would have to pay the full cost of relicensing the aging
dams, including mitigation measures such as fish ladders that, at a minimum,
will cost the same as removal. Additional costs for addressing water quality
issues such as toxic algal blooms are yet to be determined by regulatory
agencies, but could add millions more. Groups argue that dam removal solves
these problems in a more cost effective
manner.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN class=articletext1><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">A broad-based
coalition of organizations representing diverse interests has been working since
2005 to bring peace and sustainable 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>. This bi-partisan, cooperative
effort deserves support, say participants:</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN
class=articletext1><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">"Legislative solutions
should offer benefits for more than just one interest," says James Honey,
Program Director for Sustainable Northwest. "This legislation and the companion
Restoration Agreement is the most promising option to end the Klamath crisis."
Dam removal is a key feature of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement released
early last year. However, the Agreement also settles many long standing water
disputes between Tribes and farmers, increases flows for fish, invests in rural
economic development to support tribal and agricultural communities, and
provides a coordinated approach to fisheries restoration, from the Klamath's
headwaters to the sea.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN
class=articletext1><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Klamath Water
Users Association, which represents farmers and ranchers who lost access to
irrigation water in 2001, supports the bill. Executive Director Greg Addington
explains, "We see the legislation as one component of the Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement, which can bring stability to a region known mostly for
its instability. The package of measures provides increased water security for
farmers, helps us with energy issues, and provides landowners with tools to
ensure that reintroduction of salmon to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Upper</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Basin</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> doesn't make it even harder to earn
a living in agriculture."</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><BR><BR><st1:State w:st="on"><SPAN
class=articletext1><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Oregon</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></st1:State><SPAN
class=articletext1><FONT face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> fishermen also
support the bill: "<st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State>'s commercial salmon
fishery is worth more than the small amount of power these particular dams
produce," says Mike Becker, a commercial salmon fisherman from <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:City>. "We can replace
the relatively small number of megawatts from the hydro project. But we can't
replace the salmon runs on the <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place>.
When the fish suffer, so do our coastal
communities."</SPAN></FONT></SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN class=articletext1><FONT
face="Times New Roman" color=black><SPAN
style="COLOR: windowtext; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">While not a part of
the coalition of groups working in the Basin, the Citizen's Utility Board (CUB),
a ratepayer advocacy group, also supports the Governor's
legislation.#<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></P>
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