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Klamath Dam Removal Agreement is the cornerstone for a comprehensive plan to restore the Klamath Basin

– Collaborative plan designed by tribes, farmers, ranchers, and conservation groups can now move to implementation with dam removal promise – Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement could provide model for other restoration projects nationwide

Agreement in Principle to remove four Klamath River Dams is an important step to achieving the goals of the larger Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement and achieving sustainability in the Basin.

Today’s news of an “Agreement in Principle” by PacifiCorp is the first indication that the utility is willing to remove four dams in the Klamath Basin – an important step in the most significant restoration opportunity in the West.  But dam removal by itself won’t help fish, farms and rural communities, emphasized Martin Goebel, President of Sustainable Northwest, an organization that contributed to the development of a comprehensive recovery plan, the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.
 
“Sustainable Northwest hopes the Agreement in Principle will motivate state and federal decisionmakers to seize this historic moment and implement the whole Basin agreement,” said Goebel. “With such a broad and diverse base of support, the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement is an example of a ‘unity’ approach we hope will be championed by the new administration.” Goebel added that this type of holistic approach would be the largest restoration project in the West and could serve as a model for other restoration projects nationwide.
 
The proposed Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA), released in January, was developed collaboratively by a solutions-focused alliance of agricultural, tribal, and conservation groups. Sustainable Northwest provided facilitation, technical assistance and resources in support of local leaders at a number of key junctures in the process (http://www.sustainablenorthwest.org/klamath/klamath-agreement).
 
“Dam removal of this scale is the cornerstone of a broader comprehensive restoration plan,” said Jane O’Keeffe, Sustainable Northwest board chair and a former Lake County, Oregon commissioner. “We must continue to work toward implementation of the entire Restoration Agreement so that dam removal is supported by increased flows and large-scale habitat restoration for fish, irrigation certainty for farmers and ranchers, and targeted economic development for communities.”
 
There is much work to be achieved before a final agreement on dams is reached, stressed Goebel. But today’s announcement signals willingness by PacifiCorp, California, Oregon, and the federal government to move affirmatively in the right direction. 
 
“Changes of this magnitude are made in stages; the next step is to ensure that the dam removal happens on a timeline that genuinely works to help the salmon,” said Goebel. 
 
Sustainable Northwest helps people and communities restore and maintain ecological health, balance diverse interests, and promote economic opportunities. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the organization fosters collaboration to bridge rural and urban interests, encourage entrepreneurship, and build trust in sustainable natural resource management and utilization in the western U.S.

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