Today`s milestone reflects decades of joint work by the many committed signatories to the 2016 amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement and all advocates of a Klamath River that hosts healthy salmon runs in river sections and tributaries where they have been cut for a century. All CUPE members work under the protection of a contract called a collective agreement. Your local negotiates the terms of the agreement. Elected local union leaders also work with the employer to resolve issues in the workplace. If you have questions about your rights at work, the best person to talk to is your steward or local leader. You will know the specific details of your agreement. If you would like a hard copy of your collective agreement, please speak to your steward. If you don`t know who your steward is or how to get to your home, contact your local CUPE office. “I am deeply grateful to all parties who have supported this project over the years and I particularly want to highlight the important and sustained efforts of our tribal partners,” he said. “The news from FERC is very positive and takes us forward on the long road to eliminating the dampers,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of KRRC, “We also need to get FERC approval of our surrender request, but today`s decision by the commissioners certainly reinforces our optimism about the way forward.” The transfer request includes KRRC`s detailed plan for the removal of the facilities and the restoration of the project footprint. “This is a crucial and important step in fulfilling krrc`s core mission of removing the four lower Klamath dams and restoring a free-flowing river,” said Jim Root, Chairman of the KRRC Board of Directors and landowner of the basin. Root noted that the KRRC project will represent the largest effort to remove dams and restore rivers in U.S.
history. KRRC and PacifiCorp initially submitted a transfer application together in 2016. In July 2020, FERC issued a judgment authorizing the partial transfer of the Lower Klamath project licence to KRRC, provided that PacifiCorp remains a co-licensee, which was inconsistent with the 2010 Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). To keep efforts to remove the dam on track, KRRC, PacifiCorp and the states signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) calling for the transfer of pacifiCorp`s license to KRRC and the states and PacifiCorp`s withdrawal from the license. KRRC, PacifiCorp and the states jointly submitted a licence transfer application to FERC in January 2021. The motion provided that the KRRC would lead efforts to remove the four Dams from Klamath as a “dam removal unit, as required by the KHSA.” FERC`s vote marks an important milestone in decades of efforts to restore the Klamath River to communities, fish and wildlife. Dam removal and river restoration will help communities in the basin thrive and create a stronger regional economy. The revitalization of the river begins with the removal of the dam, followed by a multi-million dollar restoration to restore habitat in areas once flooded by reservoirs behind the dams. Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is a private, independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2016 by 23 signatories to the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). KRRC is part of a cooperative to restore the natural vitality of the Klamath River so that it can support all communities in the Klamath Basin. The signatories, which include the states of California and Oregon, local governments, tribal nations, the owner of the PacifiCorp dam, irrigation facilities and several conservation and fishing groups, mandated KRRC to assume responsibility for and oversee the removal of four hydroelectric plants from the river.
KRRC`s work is funded by PacifiCorp`s client awards and California Proposition 1 water bond funds. KRRC plans to begin dismantling the dam in 2023 and is doing everything in its power to obtain the regulatory approvals necessary to achieve this goal. “Today`s order confirms that Renewal Corporation is financially and otherwise able to complete the dismantling of the dam, and that states, as co-licensees, need the legal and technical expertise necessary for a company of this magnitude. The request for transfer is still pending before the Commission and awaits a new environmental assessment in accordance with national environmental legislation. The Commission will continue to work with all parties and stakeholders to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the reporting process. “We are excited and grateful for the progress,” he said. “There needs to be much more work and unwavering cooperation between states, tribes, the federal government and communities in the Klamath Basin to achieve long-term prosperity for all, and we are ready for that.” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot thanked FERC for advancing the dam removal project. Dave Meurer, KRRC (530) 941-3155 (cell) dave@klamathrenewal.org. . . .