[env-trinity] Upcoming Klamath Restotaion Council Meeting: Restoration Topics List

[Josh Allen]

Klamath Restoration Council General Meeting

http://www.klamathrestoration.org/  

When: October 7th

Time: 10am

Where: Karuk Community Center; Orleans, CA

 

Please forward any questions/comments to klamath at klamathrestoration.org

 

Klamath Restoration Council Meeting Overview 

		Klamath Restoration Council Mission Statement 
		Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely
diverse ecosystem and promote the sustainable management of  natural
resources in the entire Klamath River watershed. 
		We believe this will be accomplished with actions and
legislation that integrate sound and proven techniques based on tribal
knowledge, local experience and the best of Western Science.

	The 15,000 square mile Klamath River Watershed represents one of
the best chances in America for a very large restoration to demonstrate
how sustainable land management can work.  The region is characterized
by great geological and environmental variability. 

	Ancestral land management knowledge and its practitioners are
quite intact in this region, despite the significant assaults on the
local environment and traditional cultures that have occurred over the
last 150 years since the arrival of European-Americans.  Through the
Klamath Restoration Council and other forums, Tribal members are
currently working with like-minded people from many different groups in
carrying out the restoration efforts needed to return the region to its
full human and ecological potential.


Restored Watershed Vision 
A community wide visioning process is fundamental to restoration, and is

being developed as part of our Economic Benefits Analysis for a Restored

Klamath Watershed.  As this process unfolds, we will know much more
about 
restoration goals and purposes and aspirations for the Klamath Region. 
Until then, we can pursue goals that have been widely identified.  We 
shall conduct open forums in every community in the region to collect 
impressions and hopes about the region. 

	* Initiate an Economic Benefits Analysis for a Restored Klamath
Watershed and Restored Native Fisheries 
	* Conduct open forums in every community in the region to
collect  impressions and hopes about the region 
	* Include a community-wide visioning process. 
	* Identify restoration goals, purposes and aspirations for the
Klamath  Region

Restore Native Fisheries 

 * Upper Klamath Natives' diet was comprised of 50% salmon 
      But there has been no salmon in the upper basin since 1918  (Iron
Gate - Copco) 
* Rehabilitate lamprey eel and sturgeon habitat 
* Return 1 million salmon to Klamath River system

Restore Spawning Tributaries and Each Watershed 

Although difficult to calculate, there is likely less that 20 per cent
of the historic water levels in the spawning tributaries 

* Repair the tributaries and the hydrology 
This will require ancestral knowledge gained through oral histories, old
maps and old photos as the landscape was quite different before fire
suppression and intensive logging. 

Return natural hydrology to the watersheds for ground charge and
spawning and rearing habitat 
* Establish regular water loads- Restorative flows 
* Implement water conservation 
* Restore natural water storage in Upper and Lower Klamath and Tule
Lakes 
* Fully implement Trinity Record of Decision 
 * Provide restorative flows in Scott, Shasta Rivers 
 Protect and restore riparian areas in Northern Basin 
 Remove fish barriers to historic spawning areas 
  
 

Logging Road Decommissioning 

 There are thousands of miles of roads for logging. 
 * Remove culverts 
 * Desedimentize the creeks 
 * Open refugias 
 * Recreate stream shade 
 * Recreate spawning stream rearing pools

Return Forests to Ancestral Land Management Practices 

  * Return lands to the Tribes 
  * Teach land management agencies how to manage sustainably 
  * Return ancestral land management practices to U.S. Forest Service
lands 

Benefits: 
   * Fuel reduction 
   * Restore native plants for foods and medicines 
   * Rehabilitate wildlife habitat 
   * Return beaver, otter, fisher and marten

 Upslope Restoration 

  * Restore snow forests and cover for increased snow melt 
  * Restore canopies 
  * Restore wetlands 
  * Restore migratory wildlife trails 
  * Restore biodiversity 
  * Restore forest species diversity

Water 

 Water quality has steadily declined since 1918 
 Eliminate constant algae bloom problems - toxic to fish 

* State and Federal Plan to return water and native fish 
    Education campaign about over appropriation 
* Oregon is still letting permits 
* Klamath cultural and nature school 
* Comprehensive assessment of water allocations 
* Make Klamath River system normal again 
* Water restoration easements 
* Use natural flooding for water banking 
 * Re-connect Lower Klamath Lake with Klamath River 
 * Eliminate farming in Wildlife Refuges - return to wildlife   refuge 
 * Profligate crops i.e. potatoes, sugar beets, onion  must be
terminated 
 * Toxic pesticides must be eliminated 
 * Re-establish Tule Lake 
 * End Lend Lease program 
"22,000 acres of land within the refuges are managed for commercial
agriculture, with pesticide and water intensive crops like potatoes and
onions occupying land that was set aside for eagles and geese. Ending
the lease land program could free up approximately 50,000 acre-feet of
water (16 billion gallons) for other uses." Oregon Natural Resources
Council


Restoration Benefits Local Economies 

	 * Healthy agricultural community 
	   Promote local produced foods 
	    Promote community forests for foods and forest products 
	   Promote sustainable agriculture 
	   Provide incentives for water conservation 
	   Create fund to offset loss of subsidies so water contracts
can be   bought 

	 * Cultural and ecological tourism with Tribes and locals 
	   Create trails, interpretive activity, refurbish wildlife
refuges 
	     that once attracted 80% of Pacific FlyWay wildfowl 
	    restore the 350,000 acres of "Western Everglades" 
	     more than 75% of wetlands have been converted to
agriculture 
	    restore 250 mile Klamath River 

	 * Fishing 
	   Recreate the more than 3,750 fishing dependent jobs have been
lost 
	    Recover the loss of nearly $100 million a year in personal
income 
	    Recover the loss is equivalent of $500 million loss to
economy 
	   Fishing industry worth $3 - 4 Billion is nearly gone
completely 
	   Loss of Klamath fishing activity has devastated coastal
economies from Coos Bay Oregon to Fort Bragg, California 

	 * Rafting 

	 * Watershed restoration 
	   Could be $50 million annual inflow - worth about $350 million
to local economies 
	  (watershed restoration, logging road decommissionings,
noxious weed eradication 
	  Abandoned mine and reclamation

Restoration Lifestyle 

 *  Erase lifestyle conflicts 
   End farmer vs. Indian and farmer vs. fisherman 
   Put protection of natural resources in the interests of people  who
live in the Basin 
  Sustainable agricultural easements

Restoration Economy 

 * SRRC model 
   Community based restoration program is biggest employer 
     produces results whole community points to with pride 
     has a purposeful well-being 
 * Public restoration now $15 million a year in Humboldt County 
   75% stays in local communities


Restoration Attitude 

	* Create Klamath Salmon Trail and Salmon Cultural and Natural
Heritage Center 
	* Gather and tell the Cultural and Natural Heritage of the
region and 
	 the Restoration Story 
	* Videograph record of stories 
	* Collect review of literature 
	* Klamath Symposium

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