“The Klamath salmon are coming home,” Yurok Chairman Joseph James said in a statement. “The people have earned this victory and with it, we carry on our sacred duty to the fish that have sustained …
It’s been 20 years in the making, but the last hurdle in the path of dam removal in the Klamath River has been cleared.
“Today’s victory was well earned by the thousands of people who fought for clean water, healthy fisheries, and environmental justice for Klamath River communities,” Karuk Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery said in a statement. “I am grateful to everyone, from the youth to the elders, Governors Newsom and Brown, and the team from PacifiCorp who made this victory possible.”
The approval of the license surrender order was the last step in a six-year regulatory process with FERC and was made possible by a negotiated agreement that was developed between the dam owner Berkshire Hathaway Energy-owned utility company PacifiCorp and the Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, California, Oregon, conservation groups and commercial fishing groups.
Other benefits include reintroducing salmon to over 400 miles of their historic habitat and getting rid of the reservoirs that allow toxic algae blooms to thrive every summer. “Dam removal is imminent,” Wendy Ferris-George, Klamath River Renewal Corporation board member appointed by the Karuk Tribe said in a statement. “We deeply appreciate the many Tribal people who have dedicated their lives to bring balance to the Klamath River and their communities.”