Department of Interior draws ire of Siskiyou County supervisors

The rift between the United States Department of the Interior and Siskiyou County may have widened over a recent letter from DOI representative John Bezdek. Bezdek has been the point of contact for DOI regarding two Klamath River agreements. The first, the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, allows for the possible removal of four dams on the river, and the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement allows for the funneling of federal funds to numerous restoration projects in the basin. The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors has long expressed its opposition to the removal of the dams, but the way Bezdek characterized that opposition stoked an impassioned response earlier this month. Bezdek, who has met with individual supervisors behind closed doors in recent weeks, mailed a letter April 24 in order to update the board on events related to the two agreements. He noted in his letter that legislation required to authorize execution of the agreements – Senate Bill 133 – now includes language that would allow for compensation to property owners if dam removal occurs and depresses their property values. The specific language states that the costs of dam removal would include “reasonable compensation for property owners whose property or property value is directly damaged by facilities removal, consistent with State, local and Federal law.”  The bill states that those additional costs would have to fall within the $450 million cap on funds raised through a California bond measure and through dam-owner Pacificorp’s surcharges on customers’ bills. Bezdek notes other possibilities for future changes to the bill, including safe harbor provisions under the Endangered Species Act for landowners in the Shasta and Scott valleys. “As discussed in our meetings, we believe there is the potential for real benefits to Siskiyou County regarding lands, water, and power resources as part of the overall package with the Klamath Agreements. These benefits are real, they are meaningful, and they will add to the quality of life in Siskiyou County,” he stated in the letter. Bezdek went on to state that he believes the county would like to maintain the status quo for Klamath River resource management, drawing the ire of the board in a follow-up letter on May 12. The board’s letter calls Bezdek’s characterization “simply inaccurate,” stating that for “the past two decades, Siskiyou County has supported and implemented a multitude of actions to improve water quality, water supplies, and aquatic habitat in the Klamath River watershed.” The letter notes that the board’s biggest objection has long been tied to dam removal, noting that potential negative impacts to the county are part of the push for “more focused and pragmatic resource management alternatives for the Klamath Basin.”...more