[env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE- Travis Michel: TRRP, tribe audit overdue

[Paul Catanese]

As an income taxpayer, a trinity county property taxpayer,a trinity county utility rate payer and a fishing guide I couldn’t agree with Travis Michel s position more. An audit of the program is long overdue and was originally to be part of the ROD. The annual financial audit provision was arbitrarily yanked from the ROD allegedly due to influence by some members of the TMC.

It was odd that the program director stated in a public meeting in December that the 100 million dollars, more or less, that has been spent on restoration was not from the taxpayers. Ignorance abound to say the least.

I, like Travis, believe there are many good well intentioned  folks involved in TRRP but still does not excuse the lack of efficacy of the program.  Its time to reign it in and examine the progress or lack thereof.

In addition to sit on draft report that does not  paint a favorable light on the programs achievements makes one question the ethics of the parties involved whether merited or not. Sunlight and transparency is always the best disinfectant.

Think about all the money that has been spent without oversight, no bid contracts etc. while achieving  little measurable success. The white elephant in the room is the cumbersome and structurally ineffective design of the TMC and our Trinity County supervisors who seem to be more concerned about how much payroll stays in town rather than what the river needs.

Water in the main stem and restoration of the tributaries is the answer and we all know that. Bulldozing of the main stem and no bid contracts are not the  answer.

The time to financially audit the program is long overdue.

Paul Catanese

From: env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom Stokely
Sent: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 7:57 AM
To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us
Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE- Travis Michel: TRRP, tribe audit overdue

http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_6572ad6e-a40f-11e3-965b-0017a43b2370.html
TRRP, tribe audit overdue
From Travis Michel Weaverville | Posted: Wednesday, March 5, 2014 6:15 am
I’m a local fishing guide, board member of the guides association and also a five-year alternate on the Trinity River Restoration Program advisory committee (TAMWG) representing upriver locals and guides. I am representing only myself in this letter.
Aaron Martin is a Yurok tribal fisheries employee and I feel that should have been mentioned in his letter (the Yurok tribe recieves millions from the TRRP annually). Our coalition letter opposing more mainstem projects at this time is not a personal attack on any individual, but on program managers who ignore the public and are out of control. What gets done is not decided by Martin, Lee, or even their bosses.
We are spending our energy where it will do the best, opposing the deceptive environmental document that didn’t mention the Independent Science Advisory Board report that says their expensive projects are doing very little if any good. The TAMWG has largely been ignored by the Trinity Management Council for more than 10 years, often due to tribal influence.
I agree with Martin that the higher ROD flows have made a difference in steelhead populations and fishing. If the TRRP is responsible for the large run last year then they must be responsible for the terrible runs this year. It was one of the lowest fall salmon redd counts in many years. The TRRP is focused mainly on hatchery chinook and massive mainstem channel manipulation, and does little if anything to help wild steelhead, coho or wild salmon by funding habitat work in the tributaries.
As a member of the taxpaying public my main concern is whether our money is being spent wisely and are the projects working? I feel an audit of the program and the money the tribes get is long overdue.
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