And now:[EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: From: Pat Morris <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.registerguard.com/news/Wire/N0306OR--WaterWar.html Reservation land giveback may ease Klamath water war KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) - A potential water war over endangered fish might be avoided under an ambitious plan that includes returning much of the Winema National Forest to the Klamath Indian tribe. At issue is the endangered Lost River and shortnose sucker fish in Klamath Lake. The tribe has been at odds with ranchers and farmers who depend on the lake's water to irrigate pastures and crops. Settlement talks started in earnest last month after the Tulelake Growers Association forwarded a draft proposal to the Hatfield Upper Klamath Basin Working Group. The 31-member group includes representatives from state and federal agencies; timber and agricultural interests; conservation, hunting and fishing groups; and the tribe. Last Friday, more than 50 people crowded into a meeting room at the Winema National Forest headquarters to have their say on the growers' proposed settlement and the idea of restoring the tribe's homeland. ``We believe that the pieces to construct a comprehensive solution are in place, and miraculously the pieces could benefit practically every interest,'' said Marshall Staunton, a farmer and member of the Tulelake Growers, which drafted the plan. Opponents pointed to the $220 million paid to tribal members in exchange for their reservation, and others voiced concern about lost tax revenue in Chiloquin, where the 2,800-member tribe is based. ``What we have paid for is ours,'' said Don Roeder of Klamath Falls, whose family owns ranch land in Fort Klamath, near the former reservation. ``The United States government has no right to give away public land.'' The plan would give back the 680,000-acre reservation that became part of the Winema National Forest in 1961. Other possibilities include re-engineering the Bureau of Reclamation's massive Klamath Project, stepping up conversion of farmland into marshes, guaranteeing adequate water for the basin's six National Wildlife Refuges, protecting commercial farming on 22,000 acres leased from one refuge and managing irrigation cutoffs in drought years. The tribe's 45-year quest to regain its reservation has gained support from key members of the agricultural community, surprising many area residents. Faith Wilkins of Chiloquin said the proposal ``has fragmented our community at a very deep level on both sides.'' The support follows two years of secret negotiations with irrigators that began after the tribe successfully sued to ensure adequate water for endangered fish in Klamath Lake and to recognize tribal water rights within the Klamath Basin. Supporters praised the tribe's efforts to resolve water issues outside of courtrooms and condemned the 1954 federal taking of the timber-rich reservation. The tribe has ``done an excellent job to bring the parties to the table and sit down to talk about some very delicate issues,'' said irrigator Mike McKoen of Merrill. ``I think they have a legitimate claim there, and I think it would benefit the economy of the entire region,'' added Earl Miller of Bonanza. Tribal members said restoration of their homeland would help sustain both the environment and the economy. ``It will allow the people who know the land best and live here to make the decisions,'' tribal Chairman Allen Foreman said. Returning the Winema forest to the tribe and re-engineering the Klamath Project's irrigation system would require congressional approval and federal financing, worrying some. ``There is an inherent danger in asking Congress to pass any legislation,'' said James Ottoman of Malin. But many still see the real danger as the loss of a water supply developed mostly for agriculture. ``We're not interested in giving it away,'' said Barney Hoyt of Malin. Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
