[env-trinity] Siskiyou Daily News- Interior responds to Board of Supervisor’s letters

[Tom Stokely]

Interior responds to Board of Supervisor’s letters

http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/topstories/x76452845/Interior-responds-to-Board-of-Supervisor-s-letters

Yreka, Calif. —


The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) on Nov. 4 sent a letter to the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors in response to three letters the board sent to DOI regarding the potential removal of four hydro-electric dams on the Klamath River.
In the letter, John Bezdek, special advisor to the chief of staff, Office of the Secretary, told the supervisors that he “respectfully disagrees” with the assertions the board has made in regard to the DOI’s alleged misconduct in the Secretarial Determination Process regarding dam removal.
In late September and early October, the board of supervisors sent three letters to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. The letters stated that the DOI lacked coordination with county government, alleged illegal practices by the DOI and expressed the board’s belief that the decision to remove the Klamath River dams has already been made.
Concerning accusations that the DOI has failed to coordinate with county government and the belief that the decision to remove the dams has already been made, Bezdek’s letter states, “No decision regarding facilities removal has been made. The Department of the Interior has consistently reached out to the county on numerous occasions over the past several years in meetings with the full board (including three public meetings where I have personally testified before the board), individual supervisors and technical staff. In short, we have met with the county every time you have asked for a meeting and we will continue to do so throughout the entirety of this process.”
Attached to the letter was a list of communications exchanged between county government and federal employees engaged in the Secretarial Determination process. The list documents 19 occasions since April 2010 when federal representatives either met in person with county government or county representatives attended federally sponsored hearings, workshops or meetings. The list also cites eight communications between federal and county government via email or telephone calls.
Regarding the board’s allegations that the DOI is in violation of the coordinating provision of United States Code, Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA) at 43 USC § 1712(c), the letter states, “That provision of FLPMA applies only when the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is developing or revising its land use plans ... neither of which is the case here. Simply put, our science and environmental process is about the potential removal of four privately owned dams on the Klamath River, something that is not a BLM resource management planning exercise.”
The letter also addresses the board’s assertion that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS/EIR) for Klamath Facilities Removal  does not disclose discrepancies between the proposed action and the Siskiyou Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP).
“I respectfully disagree with this assessment. The county’s LRMP does an excellent job of describing the historical land and water uses and the development of Siskiyou County,” the letter states. “However, it fails to assert future intent or plans for lands managed by the county. Because the future plans are not known, the DEIS/EIR cannot make any statements regarding possible conflicts between the proposed action and any possible future county plans.”
When asked for his reaction to Bezdek’s letter, Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Cook said, “I am very disappointed in the secretary’s response. It is clear that he does not intend to fulfill his requirements under federal regulations. I am not particularly surprised at this. Since reviewing the EIR/EIS, it is clear that his department has not even made a minimal effort to meet scientific and environmental standards for such a review.”
On Oct. 18, the Daily News reported that the board had sent a letter to Salazar requesting an extension of the 60-day comment period for the DEIS/EIR because the county needed more time to review the massive document.
“We have received no response to the extension request,” Cook said. “A study of this magnitude merits additional time to review, and such time is necessary for the secretary to honor his promise of transparency. Obviously, the county will now need to explore other options to force the department to meet those federally established coordination requirements.”
The final paragraph of Bezdek’s letter acknowledges that the DOI has received the request for an extention and states, “We will take your request under advisement.”
Bezdek concluded the letter by saying, “I recognize we have not fully resolved many of the issues that separate us, but failure to reach agreement does not mean the department has failed to consult and coordinate on these important issues.”


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