Thompson Bill
Targets Klamath River Water Crisis!
by Dan Bacher
Dissident Voice
November 2, 2002
In an ambitious attempt to resolve the water crisis in the
Klamath Basin that resulted in the needless deaths of 40,000 to 50,000 salmon
and other fish in September, North Coast Congressman Mike Thompson has
introduced a bill, H.R.5698, that needs the strong support of everybody
concerned about fisheries and the environment in California!
The Klamath River Basin Restoration and Emergency
Assistance Act of 2002 allocates $200 million to landowners and tribes
throughout the Klamath Basin who participate in water conservation projects and
$20 million in emergency financial assistance to communities affected by the
2002 fish kill.
Thompson’s bill merges the upper and lower Klamath Basin
working groups into one to ensure that North Coast communities are at the table
when decisions are made. It also increases the water flows to levels
recommended by the California Department of Fish and Game as necessary to
protect the salmon, steelhead and other fisheries and requires the U.S. Bureau
of Reclamation to prepare quarterly reports to Congress on the progress of
conservation projects in the Klamath Basin.
“It is time we work together to find workable solutions
that take all affected communities into consideration,” Thompson said. “This is a comprehensive
effort to help both the upper and lower basin communities. Nobody wants to
repeat the disasters we experienced this year with the devastating lower basin
fish kill, or the impacts the drought had on the producers in the upper basin
last year. This bill encourages basin residents to conserve water with
financial incentives and brings all the parties together to find feasible
solutions for years to come."
The Yurok tribe and fishery conservation groups are in
strong support of the badly-needed legislation to stop the continuing
destruction of Klamath River fisheries by Bush administration policies that
favor Klamath Basin farmers over the Yurok, Hupa, Karuk and Klamath tribes,
recreational anglers and commercial salmon fishermen.
Troy Fletcher, executive director of the Yurok tribe, said
the tribe supports the legislation as “a good first step towards resolving the
issues of the Klamath Basin.”
“Most previous activity has focused on the Upper Klamath
basin, while this legislation looks at the issues basin wide,” stated Fletcher.
“The problem is that in the past, people have tried to protect their own turf,
not appreciating the impact of their actions on the fish and people downriver.”
“In MikeThompson's legislation we see the thought of a
statesman, one who understands Klamath/Trinity issues and would implement
action that is imperative if fisheries are to survive,” said Byron Leydecker,
representing Friends of the Trinity River and California Trout. “He is saying
the Administration cannot continue to act to benefit only a small powerful
group of heavily taxpayer -subsidized irrigators by ruining California's
fisheries and the economies they support.”
John Beuttler of the California Sportfishing Protection
Alliance said, "The Klamath fish holocaust will long serve as a testament
to the over allocation of the river's water. This legislation, when passed,
will provide a huge step forward in better conserving the river's flows, while
helping those most economically impacted by the government's incredible
ineptitude.”
The over-allocation of Klamath River water by 100,000 acre
feet each year, in conjunction with a poor water management policy by the
administration, have caused the catastrophe in the lower Klamath Basin.
Other groups backing the legislation include the Pacific
Coast Federation of Fisheries Associations, Trout Unlimited, Defenders of
Wildlife and Earthjustice.
The $200 million can be used, but is not limited to,
conservation projects such as incentives for using less water intensive crops,
restoration of streams, lining and piping of earthen irrigation ditches and
more efficient water delivery and monitoring systems, according to Jonathan
Birdsong of Thompson’s office.
Some right wing “wise use” advocates have criticized the
bill for just “throwing more money” at the Klamath River problem, but in my
opinion the bill is absolutely necessary to counter the Bush administration’s
strong preference for Klamath Basin subsidized farmers at the expense of all
other water users.
The Klamath River farmers and their allies in the “wise
use” movement have tried to falsely frame the Klamath River as a conflict
between “suckers and coho and farmers and jobs.” In reality, it is a conflict
between the farm-based jobs of the Klamath Basin in Oregon and the fishery and
recreation based jobs of the Klamath River and North Coast communities.
Just 15 years ago, the commercial salmon fishery in the
Klamath Management Zone along the southern Oregon and northern California coast
was worth $1.25 billion per year. The value of the recreational salmon fishery
to the local economy is even higher, when you consider all of the motels,
campgrounds, lodges, grocery stores, gas stations and sporting good stores that
depend upon Klamath River salmon and steelhead
for their livelihoods.
The recent testimony of whistleblower Michael Kelly,the US
Fish and Wildlife Service fisheries biologist whose two scientific reports
advocating higher flows for coho salmon and other special were squashed by the
Department of Interior, makes the need for Thompson’s legislation even clearer.
"Because the Bush administration has chosen to ignore
the needs of fish, Tribes, and fishermen, Rep. T
"Representative Thompson has stepped in to fill the
leadership gap,” said Kristen Boyles, Earthjustice attorney representing
commercial fishing and environmental groups in court. “Rep. Thompson's Klamath
legislation is a positive step in the right direction.”
Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), a supporter of reaching
common sense solutions to the Klamath basin crisis, is cosponsoring the
legislation. The bill will be referred to the House Resources Committee for
consideration.
I urge everybody concerned about the future of Klamath
River and North Coast fisheries to support this legislation by calling or
writing their Senators and Congress Members. Call the Congressional Switchboard
at (202) 224-3121.
Daniel
Bacher is an outdoor writer/alternative
journalist/satirical songwriter from Sacramento California. He is also a
long-time peace, social justice and environmental activist. Email:
danielbacher@hotmail.com