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4/2/08 by Lee JuilleratStakeholders react to Siskiyou decision
The impacts of Tuesday’s decision by Siskiyou County supervisors to oppose the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement likely won’t kill the settlement process, stakeholders said.
The supervisors also passed a resolution opposing removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. Three of the dams are in Siskiyou County.
“I’m disappointed. It’s difficult because more is better,” said Greg Addington, the Klamath Water Users Association’s executive director, referring to efforts to gain widespread support. “When you talk about a county government, that’s significant. I do hope there’s a chance some of their issues can be addressed.
“ I do think we’ve worked too hard and way too long to give up on the process.”
Pacific Power spokesman Toby Freeman said the vote helped the power company determine what its customers in that area think.
“… I think it’s significant that the community where most of the hydropower is generated doesn’t want to see that project go away.”
During a February question-answer session about the settlement, Sue Knapp, a member of the natural resources office for Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, indicated the broader the support for the agreement the better the chances for state and federally financed programs.
The proposed agreement was released in January after 26 stakeholder groups, including Siskiyou County, met in closed sessions for more than 2 1/2 years.
Implementation of the recommendations is expected to cost nearly $1 billion over a 10-year period, with most of the funding proposed to come from federal and state governmental agencies.