Political Quotes

“I thank Congressman LaMalfa for allowing me time to address this important issue. The destruction of the Klamath Dam is a classic case of misdiagnosing the problem and then applying the wrong remedy. Destroying the dams on the Klamath will not save the salmon. Returning more river habitat to its natural state will not save the salmon. Stealing all the water from farmers and ranchers and putting it in streams will not save the salmon. Why not? Because the main problem facing salmon is not the dams. The main problems facing the salmon are the conditions salmon face in the ocean. There may be, someday, a modest benefit to these fish after the dams have been removed, and when millions upon millions of tax dollars are spent on habitat recovery, but these misplaced efforts will not bring fish runs back. Whatever the modest improvement might be, it will not be worth the loss of the clean electrical power that has been created by these dams. Certainly, the few additional fish that return will not justify increased flows of water taken from farmers. Why? Because, again, habitat is not the issue. There are hundreds of miles of unused habitat, and the volume of water is not the issue. For the past 20 years, the water flows, using water taken from farmers, exceeded what would have been available in the Klamath River under natural conditions. Despite this additional water, these fish have not recovered.…”