<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><!--StartFragment--><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_18929674">http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_18929674</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:26.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:#0B2A4E">Salazar: Klamath dam <o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:26.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:#0B2A4E">removal will cost far less<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:26.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:#0B2A4E"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:#434343">By MARCUS WOHLSEN Associated Press<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:#434343"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:#716D6D">Posted: 09/19/2011 12:37:46 PM PDT<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:#716D6D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:#00007B">Updated: 09/19/2011 04:01:30 PM PDT<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:13.0pt;mso-pagination:none;
mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:Arial;color:#00007B"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">SAN
FRANCISCO—The cost of removing four dams <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">on
the Klamath River in California and Oregon will <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">be
far less than first believed, Interior Secretary Ken <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">Salazar
said Monday as he worked to rally support <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">for
several massive federal water projects. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">An
environmental report to be released Thursday <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">will
show that the proposed removal project will <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">cost
about $290 million, not $450 million as <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">initially
estimated, Salazar told an audience at the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">Commonwealth
Club in San Francisco. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">"We
today have real hope for a healthier basin and <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">stronger
economy on the Klamath," Salazar said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
dam removal proposed for 2020 is part of an <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">agreement
to restore historic salmon runs while <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">maintaining
irrigation for the region's farmers by <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">dismantling
the hydroelectric dams. Three of the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">dams
are in Northern California and the fourth in <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">Southern
Oregon. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">More
than 550,000 Oregon customers of Portland-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">based
dam owner PacifiCorp are paying an extra 2 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">percent
per month on their electric bills to cover the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">cost
of dam removal. The utility's 40,000 California <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">customers
will soon start to see the same surcharge. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
drastically lower cost will not mean lower utility <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">bills
for those customers, since PacifiCorp is on the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">hook
for the first $200 million the removal will cost <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">under
the terms of the removal agreement, said Bob <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">Gravely,
a company spokesman. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
state of California has agreed to cover any costs <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">above
the first $200 million. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
dams generate <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">enough
electricity to power about 70,000 homes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">PacifiCorp
was confident alternate sources to make <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">up
for the loss power could be found by 2020, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">Gravely
said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
draft environmental impact statement will show <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">that
removing the dams will cost about 50 jobs, all <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">tied
to generating electricity at the dams, Salazar <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">said.
Removing the dams would create about 4,600 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">jobs,
including about 1,400 for the dam removal <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">itself
and between 70 and 695 farm jobs owing to a <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">more
reliable water supply, he said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">An
advocacy group for the region's farmers said <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">they
believed the number of farm jobs created by the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">dam
removal would be even higher. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">"We
believe that the draft EIS numbers underestimate <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">the
jobs and gross income that farming and <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">ranching
provides to the (Klamath) Basin," said <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">farmer
Steve Kandra in a statement issued by the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">group,
Partnership to Restore Stability and <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">Prosperity
to the Region. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
report will show that Coho salmon will reclaim <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">nearly
70 miles of historical habitat and steelhead <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">420
miles, Salazar said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">The
secretary said he planned to make a final <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">decision
by March 2012 on how to proceed with the <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:14.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial">dam
removal plan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<!--EndFragment-->
</body></html>