PRESS RELEASE: Interior Secretary Gale Norton Announces
Klamath Watershed Coordination Agreement ________________________________
Duluth, Minn. -
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton announced a landmark agreement
between four cabinet-level federal agencies, the President's Council on
Environmental Quality, and the States of Oregon and California, committing
to future cooperation and collaboration in Klamath River watershed
activities, and pledging to make those activities a priority in their
respective agencies.
"The people of the
Klamath Basin cherish the land and its natural beauty and desire to hand
their way of life down to future generations," Norton said. "Together, we
have an opportunity to work toward a vision that includes clear waters,
abundant fisheries, increased waterfowl, a vibrant agricultural community,
and an end to the legal fighting among the various interests, which
continues to poison the relationships among its people."
Norton made the
announcement this afternoon in a telephone conference call with
reporters. Participating with Secretary Norton was California Secretary
of Resources Mike Chrisman - representing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
-- and David Van't Hof, natural resource advisor to Oregon Governor Ted
Kulongoski.
Secretary Norton
stressed that the agreement will focus on and prioritize mutual efforts in
the entire Klamath watershed. The agreement will enhance coordination and
communication among the signatories, tribal and local governments, and
other interests as they work to resolve water quantity, water quality, and
fish and wildlife resource problems in the entire basin.
"Specifically, this
will include coordinating work to recover threatened and endangered fish,
enhance anadromous fish runs, improve wildlife habitat and water quality,
and provide water for irrigation and other beneficial uses," Norton
explained. "The agreement confirms that each party will set its own budget
priorities, but encourages joint awareness
of one another's plans and collaborative action based on common goals."
Although all the
parties to the agreement have long been active in the watershed, efforts
have not been coordinated to specifically establish work priorities or
concentrate resources to resolve the Basin's complex problems. Last year,
the National Academy of Science's National Research Council released a
study underscoring that Klamath Basin issues should be addressed in an
integrated and comprehensive way for a lasting resolution.
The respective
federal and state agencies and offices will manage their own activities
and resources, including the expenditure of their own funds, in pursuing
the objectives of this coordination agreement.
The agreement
supports the creation of the Conservation Implementation Program (CIP), a
stakeholder-driven, watershed-wide, ecosystem restoration program. The
CIP is a long-term approach that will identify the Basin's critical needs,
set priorities and measures of success for addressing those issues, and
monitor progress in resolving them.
Representatives of
the States of Oregon and California, the Klamath River Basin Working
Group, and the Environmental Protection Agency have been meeting to
address the need for better coordination. The signatories to the
agreement include Gale A. Norton, Secretary,Department of Interior; Ann M.
Veneman, Secretary, Department of Agriculture; Donald L. Evans, Secretary,
Department of Commerce; Michael O. Leavitt, Administrator, Environmental
Protection Agency; Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, and California Governor
Arnold Schwarzenegger.
President Bush
established the Klamath River Basin Working Group on March 1, 2002, to
advise him of the immediate and long-term actions necessary to enhance
water quality and quantity, and to address the other complex economic and
natural resource issues in the Klamath River Basin. The group -- comprised
of the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce, and the
Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality -- is chaired by
Secretary Norton.
-- DOI --
[Editors Note: A
copy of the Memorandum of Agreement is available at
www.doi.gov]
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