Klamath restoration negotiations delayed

Dam removal negotiators were unable to come to an agreement Tuesday, missing the deadline set for finalizing a plan to remove four aging dams on the Klamath River. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said Tuesday that an agreement is “within reach” and should be completed by the end of summer, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior. Negotiators from Oregon, California, the U.S. Department of Interior, and the utility company PacifiCor, had tentatively agreed to a dam removal deal in November 2008, with a deadline for a finalized agreement set for Tuesday. The efforts aim to rebuild the Klamath fishery and sustain agricultural communities who rely on the Klamath River. All parties have agreed to extend the deadline for a final agreement on the future of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project to September 2009. The tentative agreement from last year has since been joined by 22 other stakeholders...TimesStandard