[env-trinity] Trinity Journal Opinion- Herb Burton- Trinity River restoration moratorium, review essential

[Tom Stokely]

Trinity River restoration moratorium, review essential

http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/2011-12-07/Opinion/Trinity_River_restoration_moratorium_review_essent.html 
FROM HERB BURTON LEWISTON
To precede with more Trinity River restoration projects, without full evaluation of previous projects, makes absolutely no sense and has many questioning the role and integrity of the TRRP. If they are that motivated and blind, willing to jeopardize the ROD and increased water we campaigned so hard to get, then they should consider relocating to Los Angeles and accept the ultimate challenge — restore the L.A. River. There they can just as easily not follow guidelines, ignore and disdain public input, continue to spend millions on hypothetical guess work, jeopardize fisheries ecosystems, doze banks, dump gravels, pound sand; hey, even reconstruct an entirely new river. Just a thought.

I have been blessed to raise a family and live in Trinity County for the past 30 years making a modest living as a full-time fishing guide and owner of a small retail fishing tackle shop. I was fortunate I learned early on the value of our local fisheries and resources and what they truly mean to Trinity County. Straight-up, “A healthy fishery is a healthy economy.” Not so these days. Some obvious changes and negative impacts have been occurring throughout the upper Trinity River largely as a result of TRRP’s “ learn as we go” restoration projects. Upper river compositions have been drastically altered and currently reflect broad shallow race ways. A far cry from quality habitats and the diversity of water compositions needed to perpetuate and sustain healthy native fish stocks.

No more time is critical than now for all Trinity County residents/businesses to come together and fully support the Trinity River Guide Association and California Water Impact Network’s request for a moratorium on restoration projects and demand that Phase I be fully reviewed and evaluated before any further planned restoration work is to be done. Our river and fisheries need your help, not to mention our future depends on it!


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