Starting in February 2022, the Department of the Interior, in coordination with USDA, NOAA and the states of California and Oregon, has convened a series of meetings with Tribes and stakeholders to discuss the future of the Klamath Basin.
Since February, we have gathered four times to discuss collaboration in the Klamath Basin:
- February 10th: Initial roundtable with stakeholders and Tribes, including principals from the federal agencies, the governors of California and Oregon and members of Congress from the region
- February 24th: Roundtable to discuss implementation of the Klamath Power and Facilities Agreement (KPFA)
- March 9th: Roundtable to discuss environmental restoration in the Klamath Basin
- April 14th: Briefing on wildland fire challenges, response, and resources
At each meeting, we have had robust conversations on the needs and challenges facing the Klamath River, the basin, and their inhabitants – human and otherwise. Participants were energized by the large influx of funding available for work in the basin through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and from state sources, while recognizing that coordination is needed to address the ongoing challenges. While many stakeholders hold diverging opinions on how to manage the short-term emergency drought conditions, there were areas of consensus on what could be included in a long-term framework of collaboration.
Below, we have outlined a brief summary of the key points of consensus that we heard from the three roundtables:
- Coordination of state and federal funds available for work in the basin is necessary
- Whatever next steps occur, there needs to be transparency and open communication with Tribes and stakeholders
- Despite the expiration of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA), there are components of KBRA that should still be implemented, and the basin partners need to work together on deciding priorities
- There are parts of KPFA and the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA) that still need to be implemented
- Agriculture, including irrigators and ranchers, need investments to make their operations more resilient
- Ecosystem restoration, including dam removal, is the key to a resilient basin and will ensure healthy salmon and sucker populations
- The basin-wide engagement on these issues should continue with the hope of developing shared overall goals for the basin
Thank you for your continued interest and participation! We look forward to working together with you to ensure a sustainable future for the Klamath.
