Today lawmakers introduced a bill that would direct funds from PacifiCorp power bills to remove dams instead of paying millions more for federally mandated dam upgrades. Affected Tribes, fishermen, conservationists, ratepayer advocacy groups, and even dam owner PacifiCorp, support the legislation. The legislation is a first step to restoring fisheries and stabilizing tribal, agricultural and fishing economies in the Klamath Basin – as mapped out in the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. “Governor Kulongoski has helped negotiate a win-win-win situation that we hope legislators will support,” said Jeff Mitchell, Klamath Tribal council member and long time dam removal advocate. “Tribes and fishermen win because we will recover salmon runs, farmers win because dam removal is a cornerstone of our water sharing agreement, and PacifiCorp and their customers win because they control costs.” The legislation is based on a dam removal “agreement in principle” signed by PacifiCorp, Oregon, California, and the United States last November...
From North Coast.
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