[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 18, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H4119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS NEEDED FOR KLAMATH BASIN

  (Mr. THOMPSON of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk briefly 
about a problem, a serious problem, affecting the Klamath Basin in 
California and Oregon. The Klamath River was once the third largest 
producer of commercially fished salmon and steelhead in the United 
States of America. Today, the river's coho salmon are listed under the 
Endangered Species Act, and other fish stocks are in terrible shape.
  Since 1905, 80 percent of the Basin's wetlands have been lost to 
agriculture. While this has been good for agriculture, it has come at a 
tremendous cost. Since that time, we have seen massive decline in 
wildlife. The region's Native American tribes have suffered as a result 
and so have commercial and sport fishing industries and so have 
waterlife and waterfowl and those who rely on healthy stocks of the 
aforementioned.
  The commercial fishing industry that relied on the region for 
livelihood have suffered tremendously all up and down the California 
and Oregon coast. The region is still an important wetland habitat for 
the world's largest concentration of bald eagles and migratory birds 
along and throughout the Pacific Flyway.
  Mr. Speaker, we have to work together in a bipartisan manner using 
the best possible science.
  The problems in the Klamath Basin are not about the Endangered 
Species Act.
  The problems are not about farmers vs. wildlife.
  We should not derrivate the Endangered Species Act.
  Instead we should work with the best available science to find a 
solution to protect our remaining wildlife and at the same time protect 
the economic viability of the region.
  The bottom line is that we have over promised our water in that 
region.
  We need to work together on a bipartisan basis, with the farmers, 
tribes, fishermen and local communities to form a long-term solution 
for the Klamath region.

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