Scottish Power Makes Commitment to Klamath Tribes

For Immediate Release For More Information Contact:
July 22, 2004 In Scotland:
Craig Tucker, Friends of the River
011-44-870-400-7293 room 352 (Edinburgh Marriott)
Jennifer Miller, Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish & Water Commission, 011-44-870-400-7293 room 262 (Edinburgh Marriott)

In the US after 07/24/04:
Jennifer Miller, Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish & Water Commission, 541-783-3881
Craig Tucker, Friends of the River, 916-442-3155 x205

Scottish Power Makes Commitment to Klamath River Tribes

CEO Ian Russell hosts meeting with Four Tribal Nations, Enviros, and Fishermen

(Edinburgh, Scotland) - While hosting a meeting with leaders of four Native American tribes of the Klamath River, Scottish Power (NYSE-SPI) Chief Executive Ian Russell said that he is committed to “finding the right solutions.� Leaders of the Hoopa, Klamath, Yurok, and Karuk Indian Tribes met with Mr. Russell and with Judi Johansen, President and CEO of PacifiCorp. Friends of the River, a conservation group based in Sacramento and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations were also present at today’s meeting in support of the Tribes’ struggle to bring the salmon home.

At issue is a complex of dams on the Klamath River which blocks over 350 miles of historic spawning grounds, degrades water quality, and plays a major part in the steady decline of salmon in what was once the third greatest salmon producing river in America. PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Scottish Power, owns and operates 6 hydroelectric dams along the Klamath River. In today’s meeting, Mr. Russell stated that, “…for this to be solved, we need high quality well structured dialogue and we are committed to this.�

PacifiCorp officials solicited input from the Tribes and stakeholders over the past four years as their license application was drafted. However, the final 80lb. document did not include salmon restoration strategies or an evaluation of dam removal, two fundamental issues raised by the Tribes, environmentalists, and fishermen. In today’s meeting, PacifiCorp Executive Director Judi Johansen told participants “the Final License Application is not the final expression of our intention on the Klamath (hydroelectric project). There is no fixed vision on the final outcome of the application and are open to the idea of dams coming out.�

According to Russell, “the Tribes and Scottish Power have similar values� and spoke of having a deep respect for the sovereignty and history of the tribes. In an effort to restore the fishery upon which the cultures of the Hoopa, Klamath, Yurok and Karuk Tribes are based, a tribal delegation traveled to Scotland to ask for Scottish Power’s help to restore the Klamath River thereby ensuring the survival of the four Native American cultures dependant on the river.

Tribal leaders are taking Mr. Russell at his word and according to Hoopa Representative Ed Guyer, “We left the meeting feeling cautiously optimistic.�

Photos of MSP Harper and Klamath Representative Mitchell can be purchased from Fraser Bremner: fraser [at] bremner4132.fsnet.com.uk
011 44 797 641 4878

To view previous press releases see:
http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/PressRoom.html

To view previous articles see:
http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/CaliforniaRiverNews.php

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Note to editors
(1) Motion lodged with the Scottish Parliament supporting the campaign to Bring the Salmon Home by Robin Harper MSP:

S2M-01583 Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): That the Parliament welcomes to Scotland a delegation of representatives from North American Indian tribal nations and US fishermen’s and environmental organisations; recognizes their quest to obtain justice from the Scottish-based multi-national, ScottishPower; backs their campaign to oblige ScottishPower to establish the highest environmental standards in its operation in North America; regards the damage done by dams now owned by ScottishPower on the River Klamath in California and Oregon, which have blocked 350 miles of historic salmon spawning grounds, as unacceptable; recognizes that this damage has had a serious and detrimental impact on the native peoples’ social, cultural and economic situations; regards ScottishPower’s failure to include salmon restoration strategies in its future plans as a failure, and calls on ScottishPower to lead the way in taking active measures to reverse the decline in salmon numbers in what was once America’s third greatest salmon river.