HUMBOLDT COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS VOTE TO EXTEND KLAMATH RESTORATION AGREEMENT

Eureka, CA- The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to extend the deadline for the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.The agreement aims to restore Klamath estuaries and improve its fisheries and ecosystem.Thirty-eight stakeholders signed the original Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement also known as the KBRA in February 2010. One of the stakeholders is Humboldt County. Humboldt County Supervisor Ryan Sundberg told us, "This is the quickest and fastest way to remove the dams from the Klamath River and restore the river."The agreement has an expiration date of December 31st 2012. However, now supporters of the KBRA want to extend the deadline to give congress more time to pass federal legislation. Supervisor Sundberg added, "We are hopeful that Congress will take it up and pass legislation and have the Secretary of Interior make a decision on whether dam removal is good for the United States."He also tells us there are 2 agreements, one for dam removal and one for river restoration. Sundberg said, "This agreement would remove the 4 dams from the Klamath River and it would also have a huge restoration piece to it."Members of the public showed their concern at the Klamath Coordinating Council meeting today. They felt that the public as a whole was being left out of the process. "I haven't been brought it. The public hasn't been brought in. So this is a great concern in terms of the process.""You have no standing as a federal advisory committee. That's not legal."Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace also told that unless all stakeholders vote to pass the extension, PacifiCorp said they would just re-license the dams; keeping them where they are.