[env-trinity] Trinity Journal LTE's : Board's indifference + TMC, TRRP must change

[Tom Stokely]

http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_d9f5d2a4-6025-11eb-b0ae-97e240db3542.html
Board's indifference
   
   - From Russ Giuntini Lewiston
    
   - Jan 27, 2021
    
   -    


The Board of Supervisors showed its indifference toward the Trinity River by appointing Sup. Keith Groves as its Trinity Management Council representative.

Despite Grove’s protests about Liam Gogan’s having to work with the entire board to develop Trinity County’s water policies, Groves has not done so himself, and most of the board doesn’t seem to know or care about Grove’s unilateral views of our river. 

Sadly, the board’s indifference has been manifested by their failure to delve into the complex aspects of California’s Water Wars that threaten very soul of Trinity County.

Groves has been supporting a new flow regime for the river that includes low flows that will destroy the last of the spring chinook and the summer whitewater rafting industry. Moreover, he hasn’t supported getting the public input in the decision-making process of the Trinity River Restoration Program.

On the record, Groves prioritized yellow-legged frogs over water and fish in the river. He supported extermination of brown trout in the Trinity River, which have coexisted with salmon and steelhead for more than 100 years.

I respectfully urge the board to reconsider Groves’ appointment to the TMC and instead appoint Sup. Liam Gogan. It’s clear that Groves does not care about our river.

As a fishing guide for 30 years and Douglas City Store owner, Liam Gogan will do what’s best for all of Trinity County, the river and the lake, and will ensure that the Board of Supervisors is fully informed and involved in his decisions.
http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_996d6f76-6025-11eb-812f-73f14194542c.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next
TMC, TRRP must change
   
   - From Clark Tuthill Friends of the Trinity River
    
   - Jan 27, 2021
    
   -  0
   
   - Facebook
   - Twitter
   - Email
   - Print
   - Save

We write to clarify the position of Friends of the Trinity River (FOTTR) with regard to the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP).

The article “Clash over TMC appointment” (Journal, Jan. 13) contains a statement by Sup. Keith Groves that Sup. Liam Gogan wants to see funding cut for the TRRP. The statement is not correct.

FOTTR, which formerly included Gogan, who is no longer a member, has requested the Interior Department or Congress reform the TRRP by implementing the main recommendations in the 2018 “Headwaters Report” on “TRRP Refinements” such as adding public members to the TMC. Supervisor Groves has publicly objected to including public members on the TMC.

The Headwaters Report is the third negative report in 15 years on the dysfunction of the TRRP. Headwaters described the TRRP as a “jobs program… lacking leadership… lacking transparency… struggles for power and control of the TMC… rewarding bad behavior… ignoring public input… conflicts of interest… lack of auditing… poor public perception… lack of clear goals and objectives… decision making not shared,” etc.

FOTTR is extremely supportive of a restored Trinity River, but it’s clear the TRRP has failed to restore the river and will not self-reform.

We did ask Congress and the Interior Department to either reform the TRRP per the Headwaters Report, OR cut funding by $6 million annually. We much prefer a successful program to a funding cut, but we were left with no other choice but to threaten the TRRP’s funding in order to reform it.

Liam is a better TMC representative choice and the TRRP must change.


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.dcn.org/pipermail/env-trinity/attachments/20210201/e2772b71/attachment-0001.html>