Climate of Our Future

From: EarthJustice Washington Post series implicates the Vice President in undoing roadless protections as well

July 3, 2007

Seattle, WA — The Washington Post reported last Wednesday that Vice President Dick Cheney pressured federal officials to divert more water to Klamath Basin farmers in 2002. This came on the heels of a 2001 court order telling federal officials to reduce water diversions to Klamath irrigators in order to protect coho salmon and other threatened fish species protected by the federal Endangered Species Act. The newspaper also reported that former Cheney staff members said that the VP’s office was “a powerful force behind the White House’s decision to rewrite a. . .measure that put nearly a third of the national forests off limits to logging, mining and most development.”The Vice President’s Klamath meddling resulted in a ten-year plan to divert water to irrigators at levels at least one federal scientist warned would further harm Klamath salmon. Although he was right, he was overruled by political appointees closer to Cheney. Recent reports are now asking if Cheney pressured U.S. Department of the Interior employees to divert water from the Klamath River Basin in order to benefit Republican political prospects among Oregon farmers.

Read more