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SRRC votes to sign Klamath Restoration Agreements

Local Watershed Restoration Group Sees Agreements as “best way forward”
                                                                                                  

February 15- 2010 -- Forks of Salmon, CA – Today the Salmon River Restoration Council (SRRC) announced its decision to sign on to the Klamath Restoration Agreements. The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement are sister agreements that together would effect the removal of 4 dams on the main-stem Klamath River, provide a new water management plan for the Klamath River to the benefit of fisheries and farms, and resolve many long standing disputes in the Klamath Basin.
 
The SRRC is a local community based watershed restoration group that has for over 15 years advocated for the restoration of the Klamath and Salmon rivers and the recovery of endangered runs of fish such as spring Chinook salmon.
 
“Our experience on the ground has taught us that restoring fisheries requires active participation by landowners and everyone else living in the watershed. The Klamath Agreements involve irrigators and landowners in a positive way while taking on bold restoration objectives like dam removal.” said SRRC President Petey Brucker.
 
The agreements call for dam removal in 2020, however the plan must be approved by congress and environmental reviews completed before the project can go forward.
 
“The agreements are a big step forward, but we know we still have work to do in order to pass legislation and go through the appropriated environmental reviews to make sure the at the dam removal is done right,” add Brucker.
 
As a local grassroots organization with a long history of hands on restoration project development and implementation, the SRRC has a unique perspective among Klamath Settlement parties.
 
“Whereas many environmental groups just do advocacy, we actually get our feet wet implementing projects. Ours is a remote rural community and we understand the value of good neighbors. One reason we like the Klamath Agreements is that they represent a commitment between culturally and economically diverse communities to be good neighbors. After all, we all have to share this remarkable place and its resources,” concluded Brucker.
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Editor’s note: for more information including previous press releases, copies of the agreements, summaries and fact sheets, go to www.klamathrestoration.org
 
Learn more about the Salmon River Restoration Council at: http://www.srrc.org/
 
 
 
 
 
 
S. Craig Tucker
Klamath Coordinator
Karuk Tribe
cell: 916-207-8294
home office: 707-839-1982
 
ctucker@karuk.us
 
www.karuk.us