[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 9 (Monday, March 4, 2002)]
[Page 327]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on Establishing the Klamath River Basin Federal Working Group

March 1, 2002

    A prolonged drought and complex Federal and State legal issues have 
made for difficult times in the Klamath River Basin. Today I am 
establishing the Klamath River Basin Federal Working Group to address 
concerns raised by farmers, ranchers, fishermen, tribes, and others 
affected by these difficult conditions. I have directed Secretary 
Norton, Secretary Veneman, Secretary Evans, and CEQ Chairman Connaughton 
to advise me of the immediate and long-term actions necessary to enhance 
water quality and quantity and to address the other complex economic and 
natural resource issues in the Klamath River Basin. I have directed the 
Working Group to begin their efforts immediately. I want to thank 
Senator Gordon Smith and Congressman Greg Walden for their commitment to 
working together to find a lasting solution that meets the needs of the 
Klamath River Basin.