California Trout, along with other organizations, extended our thanks to Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley and California Senators Feinstein and Boxer for their work on drafting legislation for the Klamath Basin settlement agreements.
CalTrout is a signatory to the Agreements which will, among others things, restore access to over 400 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and steelhead through the removal of four dams on the mainstem Klamath, provide certainty to water users, promote economic stability and help resolve decades of water disputes.
We will continue to provide updates on the bill’s progress. You can read more about the legislation in today’s Times-Standard article.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2014
CONTACT
Severn Williams, 510-336-9566
AGREEMENT STAKEHOLDERS SUPPORT SENATOR WYDEN’S KLAMATH LEGISLATION
Klamath Falls, Ore. – Senator Ron Wyden introduced a bill today in the United States Senate aimed at implementing hard-won negotiated agreements among a wide variety of stakeholders in the Klamath Basin. The agreements establish a water sharing plan aimed at supporting ranchers and farmers, Tribes, native fisheries and bird refuges in the basin.
In response to Senator Wyden’s leadership in establishing a brighter economic and environmental future for all Klamath Basin residents, agreement stakeholders issued the following statement:
“We thank Senator Ron Wyden for working tirelessly to help us find a lasting solution to our water sharing challenges in the Klamath Basin. We are hopeful that this legislation will finally bring an end to more than a century of challenging times in our community. People came together from all corners of the basin to hammer out these agreements, and the give and take has not always been easy. We are grateful to Senator Wyden, Senator Merkley, Senator Feinstein and Senator Boxer for sponsoring this important legislation. Similarly, Governor Kitzhaber and other leaders who have supported our local process have given all basin residents a reason to hope for a brighter future here for our children, our grandchildren, and the fish and wildlife that rely on this region’s natural resources for survival.”
This statement was released on behalf of:
American Rivers
California Trout
Institute for Fisheries Resources (IFR)
Karuk Tribe
Klamath Water Users Association
The Nature Conservancy
Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA)
PacifiCorp
Salmon River Restoration Council
Sustainable Northwest
Trout Unlimited
Upper Klamath Water Users
For those interested in the history and details, you can read Senator Wyden’s address to Congress here.
