Robert Smith: “on Monday, May 7, I traveled once again to Klamath Falls, OR, to address a rally of more than 15,000 people. They came…”

“on Monday, May 7, I traveled once again to Klamath Falls, OR, to address a rally of more than 15,000 people. They came to show their support for the farmers, farm workers, small business owners and local officials in the Upper Klamath River Basin who were devastated by the April 6 Bureau of Reclamation announcement that the agency would deliver no water to most of the agricultural lands that have always received irrigation water from the federal project. This decision is expected to cost the local economy between two hundred fifty million and three hundred million dollars. This is an area that has already been hurt economically by the significant reduction in the Federal timber sale program, and was further harmed when the Federal roadless policy precluded a proposed ski area that would have brought jobs and tourism dollars to the local community. This crisis highlights many of the current problems with the administration of the Endangered Species Act. We are managing the water resources in this basin for two fish species, at the expense of all other wildlife, including bald eagles. We are foregoing water deliveries to refuges that are a critical component of the western flyway in order to triple the water we are sending down the river for fish. We are also forgetting our human stewardship, and to date have failed to provide assistance to the farmers and ranchers who are facing economic ruin over this water allocation decision.”