<html><head></head><body><div class="ydp33cd24e2yahoo-style-wrap" style="font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"> <div><div class="ydpfe225fdsubscriber-preview"><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><a href="http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_6e4e3b7e-c542-11ee-88f1-0be7700109cc.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="">http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_6e4e3b7e-c542-11ee-88f1-0be7700109cc.html</a></div><div><br></div><div><font size="5"><span><b>Better options for supervisor</b></span></font>
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<ul class="ydp4ffaca4clist-inline"><li><span itemprop="author" class="ydp4ffaca4ctnt-byline">From Chad Abel
Weaverville</span></li><li class="ydp4ffaca4chidden-print">
Feb 7, 2024</li></ul></span></div><br></div><div>The Trinity River Restoration Program
has worked to implement winter flow variability (WFV) for a decade. WVF
simply means dam releases are higher in winter, just like the higher
flows that naturally occur this time of year to our tributaries.</div></div><div class="ydpfe225fdsubscriber-preview"><p>WFV
creates shallow water habitat for salmon fry and distributes dam
releases across two seasons (winter and spring) instead of the approach
Reclamation has used since 2004 to do restoration releases only in the
spring. Big late-spring releases chill the river so much that every
cold-blooded aquatic organism suffers, including our juvenile salmon.</p></div><div class="ydpfe225fdsubscriber-only"><p>WVF
does not increase the annual volume of water released from Trinity Lake
to the river. It’s the same amount of water over a longer period.</p></div>
<div id="ydpfe225fdtncms-region-article_instory_top" class="ydpfe225fdtncms-region ydpfe225fdhidden-print"></div><div class="ydpfe225fdsubscriber-only"><p>Scientists
from six federal, state and tribal agencies on the Trinity River agree
WFV will result in healthier juvenile salmon that will grow faster and
reach the ocean sooner, as does all the published literature on
temperature suppression from rivers across the West.</p></div><div class="ydpfe225fdsubscriber-only"><p>Trout
Unlimited, a very sportsmen-centric organization, likewise agrees. So
why hasn’t this simple change to dam operations occurred? Because
Trinity County gets to weigh in on this decision, and Sup. Liam Gogan,
as the county representative, continues to oppose. Then in a disgusting
act of bait and switch, he recently said yes, if TRRP met his
conditions, and TRRP acquiesced, only to have him again vote no just two
weeks ago.</p></div><div class="ydpfe225fdsubscriber-only"><div>District 3
deserves a better supervisor than a science denier that prioritizes his
own self-interest over the health of our river.</div><div><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><a href="http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_46c10f6a-cacd-11ee-a301-0f0807a23501.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="">http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_46c10f6a-cacd-11ee-a301-0f0807a23501.html</a></div><div><br></div><div><span><b><font size="5">County engaged in water issues</font></b></span>
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<ul class="ydpccdef0b9list-inline"><li><span itemprop="author" class="ydpccdef0b9tnt-byline">From Russ Giuntini
Lewiston</span></li></ul></span></div><br></div><div>I
am writing in response to Chad Abel’s letter to the editor that ran on
Feb. 7. What he wrote was misleading at best, but it’s something we’ve
come to expect from TRRP over the past 20 years.</div><div><br></div><div>The
fact of the matter is the county put together a winter flow proposal
that TRRP rejected. Rather than negotiating, TRRP counter-offered with
the same plan they implemented the year before that harmed the local
economy and the taxpayers of Trinity County.</div><div><br></div><div>With
that in mind, their counteroffer was rejected by Sup. Liam Gogan, the
county’s representative on TMC, and the Hoopa Tribe thereby blocking its
implementation. Facts matter Mr. Abel. It’s a new day and thankfully
the county is fully engaged and at the table. <br></div><div><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><a href="http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_911957de-cacd-11ee-940c-937da97d2e76.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="">http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/article_911957de-cacd-11ee-940c-937da97d2e76.html</a></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><h1 itemprop="headline" class="ydp324df08fheadline">
<span>Gogan working to solve issues</span>
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<ul class="ydp324df08flist-inline"><li><span itemprop="author" class="ydp324df08ftnt-byline">From Tom Stokely
Mount Shasta</span></li></ul></span></div></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><div class="ydpebe8a12asubscriber-preview"><p>I write as an individual. I disagree
with Chad Abel on Liam Gogan’s integrity, and I call him out for his
lack of honesty and the TRRP’s lack of integrity. Vote for Liam Gogan,
supervisor, District 3.</p></div><div class="ydpebe8a12asubscriber-preview"><p>I
supported winter flows in 2023 as an experiment. Unfortunately, there
were many negative consequences of the winter flow for Trinity County
that the TRRP continues to deny.</p></div><div class="ydpebe8a12asubscriber-only"><p>To
break a stalemate at the Trinity Management Council, I hired a salmon
biologist with years of experience on the Trinity River to develop a
compromise winter flow that perhaps Trinity County could live with and
might benefit the fishery.</p></div><div class="ydpebe8a12asubscriber-only"><p>The
biologist’s proposal called for increased winter flows from Feb. 15
through April 28 with a range of 26,244 to 107,075 acre feet, no small
amount of water. It was offered in good faith by Liam. Unfortunately,
the TRRP came back with a counteroffer that was more water — 60,000 to
120,000 acre-feet, and wouldn’t even consider the county’s proposal,
even though it had reduced impacts. Negotiations simply broke down.</p></div>
<div id="ydpebe8a12atncms-region-article_instory_top" class="ydpebe8a12atncms-region ydpebe8a12ahidden-print"></div><div class="ydpebe8a12asubscriber-only"><p>Abel
misrepresented Liam’s actions on the winter flow as “disgusting.” I
disagree. I think it showed a spirit of openness and compromise by
Gogan, despite criticism from some of his constituents and friends.</p></div><div class="ydpebe8a12asubscriber-only"><p>Sadly,
despite my years of trying to support the TRRP, the continued
misrepresentation of facts and lack of integrity by some TRRP staff and
their spouses like Abel makes it difficult to believe or support
anything that they do.</p></div><div class="ydpebe8a12asubscriber-only"><p>Vote for Liam Gogan.</p></div></div><br></div></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><br></div></div></div><br></div></div></body></html>