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New beaches in the making: Elwha River mouth grows as unleashed sediment flows

© Tom RoordaNOW: The mouth of the Elwha River, pictured from the air April 6, has developed a complexity unknown before dam removal work upstream. — © Tom Roorda
NOW: The mouth of the Elwha River, pictured from the air April 6, has developed a complexity unknown before dam removal work upstream.

© Tom RoordaTHEN: Silt can be seen flowing out of the mouth of Elwha River in November 2010 even before dam removal began in September 2011 because of a release of water from lakes Mills and Aldwell. — © Tom Roorda
THEN: Silt can be seen flowing out of the mouth of Elwha River in November 2010 even before dam removal began in September 2011 because of a release of water from lakes Mills and Aldwell.

By Jeremy Schwartz, Peninsula Daily News

PORT ANGELES — What does roughly 3.3 million cubic yards of sediment look like?

The ever-changing mouth of the Elwha River can offer some clue.

Between November 2012 and September 2013, about 3.3 million cubic yards, or 2.5 million cubic meters, of sediment once locked behind two massive dams along the river has built up at the mouth of the river, according to U.S. Geological Survey data estimates.

The river, which begins in the Olympic Mountains, empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca west of Port Angeles.

Ocean currents in the Strait and the force of the river itself continuously shape the Elwha’s maw, with the landscape changing on a monthly and weekly basis.

“The river mouth is just changing dramatically all the time,” said Ian Miller, a coastal hazards specialist with Washington Sea Grant.

Millions of cubic yards of sediment have been released from the bottom of the lakes that once bore the names Aldwell and Mills as part of the $325 million Elwha River dam-removal and restoration project begun in September 2011.

The 108-foot, century-old Elwha Dam, which once cradled Lake Aldwell, was completely removed by March 2012, while all but 30 feet remain of once-210-foot Glines Canyon Dam.

The sediment released by dam removal has built up so much at the river’s mouth that areas that were underwater before the dams were removed are now land for hikers.

“There has definitely been some added land, [some] new land created,” Miller said.

Miller is one of a battery of scientists scrutinizing the effects the restoration effort is having on the river’s body, mouth and surrounding environment.

Miller, who has been monitoring changes at the river mouth since dam removal began, said he will be part of a seven-person team the U.S. Geological Survey is organizing at the end of April to gather the most recent estimates of sediment built up there.

Miller said maybe 1 million cubic meters, or 1.3 million cubic yards, of sediment could have been added to the mouth this winter and early spring thanks to a wetter-than-normal February, another notch taken out of Glines Canyon Dam earlier this year and spring snow melt in the Olympic Mountains.

As sediment continues to course down the flowing Elwha, Miller said, the only sure thing about how the mouth looks is that it will change, likely for years to come.

Visit the mouth (watch where you walk!)

Want to see firsthand the dramatic ecosystem changes where the Elwha River spills into the open waters of Freshwater Bay?

From Port Angeles, go west on U.S. Highway 101 to its junction with state Highway 112.

Take Highway 112 west 2.1 miles (crossing the river) to Place Road.

Turn right (north) and follow Place Road 1.9 miles to the “T” intersection.

Turn right (east), go down the hill to the Elwha Dike access point.

Day-use parking is available along the road (note the signs). Follow the Dike Trail a couple hundred yards to the mouth.

This is also a popular surfing spot. Respect private property in the area.

Miller was at the river’s mouth Friday with University of Washington senior Sarra Tekola. Tekola was taking samples of sediment accumulated there to test how much carbon is in the material.

The pair trudged through thick, slate-gray mud on the blustering day, almost losing a boot or two to the sucking muck.

“There are definitely places [that] are softer, and you just have to be sort of careful and test your footing before you put all your weight on it,” Miller said.

Tekola, who’s studying environmental science, said she’s interested in how carbon finds its way into the environment and wants to see how much of the substance a project on the scale of the Elwha River dams removal will release.

Washington’s Wildfire Season Officially Starts Tuesday

File photo. Wildfire season officially starts on April 15 in Washington stateInciWeb — File photo. Wildfire season officially starts on April 15 in Washington state

By Tom Banse, NW News Network

Wildfire season officially starts on April 15 in Washington state. Oregon and Idaho have rolling starts to fire precaution rules depending on local conditions.

Fire managers are looking ahead to a fairly “nor mal” wildfire season in Idaho and Washington this year. Drought-ridden central and southern Oregon though are classified at higher risk.

Washington’s Department of Natural Resources is sticking to its traditional April 15 start date to enforce summer fire rules on forest and rangelands statewide. Among other things, that means people working in the woods or clearing land need to have fire prevention equipment on hand.

Fire crews across the inland Northwest have already been dispatched to numerous small wildfires this spring.

Public agencies have mostly completed the recruitment of seasonal wildland firefighters and started training. Some private contract wildfire crews may still be hiring, if you’re looking for a tough summer job.

Bypassing ban on Sherman Alexie book: Buying it for Idaho students

Sherman Alexie: Drive is on to supply copies of his young adult novel to students in Idaho school district which banned it from the curriculum. (Seattle Post-Intelligencer Photo by Mike Urban)

Source: Seattle P.I. Blog

Two young Washington state women are launching an effort to get copies of Sherman Alexie’s young adult novel, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian,” into the hands of teenagers in an Idaho school district that banned the book from its high school curriculum.

They are partnering with a teacher at Centennial High School in Meridian, Idaho; the school librarian; and a student who spoke up in defense of Alexie’s novel. The semi-autobiographical novel tells of a 14-year-old Native American boy’s experience in an almost all-white high school.

The Meridian School Board voted 2-1 to exclude the book after parents objected to use of cuss words and references in the book to masturbation.

“The book is by a local author, it takes place partly in Idaho, deals with bullying and racial issues, it is fitting. We were encouraged to see teachers speak out, and 350 students sign a petition, so . . . if they can’t have the book in their curriculum, let students read it on their free time. Let’s give ‘em the book,” said Sara Baker, a University of Washington student.

She and friend Jennifer Lott of Spokane hope to pull off their book-buying plan in time for the Alexie books to be distributed on April 23, World Book Night.

“So far, between donated copies and donated dollars, we have about 25 books collected,” said Baker. “Our goal is 100 but, ideally, we would like to have a copy for each of the 350 students who signed the petition.”

Baker and Lott are working with Stacy Lacy, a teacher who spoke out against the ban, and Brady Kissel, a student who presented 350 student signatures asking that “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” stay in the curriculum.

“It doesn’t seem like such a huge issue but censorship is something I’m very passionate about,” Kissel said in an email.

Those who wish to bypass the ban can send copies of Alexie’s book to Stacy Lacy, 12400 W. McMillan Road, Boise, ID 83713.

Or, if they wish to donate dollars to purchase the book, go to www.gofundme.com/89912g.

Alexie grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation and later went to largely white schools. The 14-year-old lead character in “Diary,” a native boy named Arnold Spirit, shares many of Alexie’s own experiences as a young boy.

The novel won a National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and also captured the American Library Association’s 2009 Odyssey Award for the best new audio book for children and young adults. It received glowing praise in The New York Times Book Review.

Alexie now lives in Seattle. He has written fiction and non-fiction as well as screenplays.

Arigon Starr Talks About Her Super Universe

By Toyacoyah Brown on March 5, 2014 powwows.com

You may remember we posted a story about Laguna Woman, a new character that was going to be featured in the Super Indian comics by Arigon Starr. Ms. Starr took some time out from her busy schedule to tell us how Super Indian started and what inspires her with all her projects.

One thing I would really like to promote is that “Super Indian” is more than a weekly webcomic. It started life as a comedy radio series in 2007, thanks to the Native Radio Theater Project and Native Voices at the Autry. The show was broadcast nationally through the Native Voice One radio network and American Indian Radio on Satellite. There were only ten five-minute episodes produced — but I had WAY more stories. That’s when I decided to do the comic book.

Because I finally had enough material, I released “Super Indian Volume One” in May 2012. The 64-page full-color book features “Super Indian” issues #2, 3 & 4, plus extras like features on Jim Thorpe and Maria Tall Chief (“Real Super Indians”). The book is available through Amazon, the Super Indian Comics Website (Paypal), plus for all digital devices (Kindle, Nook, etc.) from Amazon and ComiXology.

“Super Indian” led me to Lee Francis IV and the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. During a writing conference in Cherokee, NC, we joking talked about the old “Comics Code Authority” that used to police the comic book world back in the 60′s & 70′s. We thought, “Wouldn’t it be funny to have a logo that vetted Native American comic book stories? That way, people would know that the stories and art came from actual Native writers and artists.” That idea became the Indigenous Narratives Collective, which now has a bunch of Native comic book writers and artists from all over Indian Country involved. Our first group comic, “INC’s Universe #0″ had contributors Roy Boney, Michael Sheyahshe, Beth Dillon, Ryan Huna Smith, Theo Tso, myself — plus an introduction from comedian Charlie Hill. Charlie is a big fan of comic books and loves “Super Indian.”

Also — some folks might already know me from my music. I’m the artist behind the song, “Junior Frybread,” which was “Song of the Year” at the Native American Music Awards in 2002. Believe me, I STILL perform that song at every gig. I’ve released four music CDs since 1997. I’ve also had the pleasure of singing at Gathering of Nations (when they used to do shows in Pit), a bunch of colleges, universities, museums and in England and Australia.

I’m also a produced playwright and actor. My one-woman comedy with music, “The Red Road” was featured at the National Museum of the American Indian in New York City and Washington, DC, the Gilcrease in Tulsa, the Youth Theater Festival in Adelaide, Australia after making a debut at the Autry National Center. I had a lot of fun working with the folks at Native Voices at the Autry and starred in many of their Equity Productions.

Believe me — with all of those activities, there is never a dull moment around here. I’ve got at least three more comic book projects in the works that I’m juggling right now. The Indigenous Narratives Collective will be releasing the first volume of “Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers,” which tell stories from all the tribes that participated in the military program. I’m writing about the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I — and there will be other stories from Native writers & artists in the book. I’m also developing “The Saga of Henry Starr,” which is based on Robert J. Conley’s novel of a real Oklahoma outlaw. Yes, Henry is one of my ancestors….we have a lot of outlaws in my family! Mr. Conley is a renowned Cherokee historian and professor who’s written hundreds of westerns and novels based on Cherokee history.

As for Laguna Woman, she’s set to figure prominently in Issue #6 of “Super Indian.” Working with Shayai Lucero was a real treat. I had met her years ago when she was Miss Indian World and we kept in touch. FYI, Lee Francis IV from INC and Wordcraft is the son of legendary writer Lee Francis III. Lee III started Wordcraft over 25 years ago as an non-profit organization to help mentor Native writers. The Francis family is also from Laguna Pueblo and I really wanted to honor the work that Lee and his father have done for the community. That’s why Laguna Woman, aka Phoebe Francis, has that name. It was important to Shayai, Lee and me to make sure that Laguna Woman was not a stereotypical super-hero.

“Super Indian” will continue to keep the humor coming, plus the social commentary. I’m sure folks who look in at Pow-Wows.com know all about “blood quantum” and can see the humor in a vampire who wants to become a full-blood Indian by biting full-blood Indians. How else do you get a CDIB card these days? AAAY!

Hope that helps! This might actually be a good guest blog, ennit? AAAY!

Arigon

P.s. I’m a tribally enrolled with the Kicakpoo Tribe of Oklahoma. I’m Buffalo and Uskas Clan and my Indian name is Makedeothecua. My mom is an enrolled Muscogee Creek. Her mom was Cherokee and Seneca. When I grow up, I want to be a Pow-Wow announcer. AAAY!

Make sure you check out Super Indian on their website and follow on their Facebook page.

Washington Redskins foundation loses another event sponsor

Erik Brady, USA TODAY Sports April 13, 2014

Courtesy NB3 FoundationNotah Begay III — Courtesy NB3 Foundation
Notah Begay III

The Notah Begay III Foundation pulled its support from this weekend’s Arizona golf tournament to benefit scholarships for Native American students when it learned the title sponsor was the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation.

“I find it underhanded and despicable that the Washington football team would co-opt this event,” Crystal Echo Hawk, NB3 foundation executive director, told USA TODAY Sports on Sunday. “As soon as we found out about their involvement we withdrew our support.”

Begay, a four-time PGA Tour winner and an analyst with the Golf Channel, is Navajo, Isleta Pueblo and San Felipe Pueblo. He is a longtime critic of the Washington team name, which he called “a very clear example of institutionalized degradation” on ESPN last year.

MORE: Nonprofit National Indian Gaming Association pulls support

Echo Hawk, who is Pawnee, said the NB3 Foundation was asked in February to donate silent auction items for a golf tournament to be held in Chandler, Ariz., this month; the foundation donated golf apparel.

When she found out Friday that Saturday’s event was sponsored by the NFL team’s foundation, she called the radio station that asked for the donation. Echo Hawk spoke to Tony Little, general manager of Arizona radio station KTNN, and demanded that NB3’s name be removed from the event officially called the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation (OAF) 1st Annual KTNN Celebrity Golf Tournament.

“The NB3 Foundation does not support the Redskins or its organization OAF,” NB3 said in a statement. “We are adamantly opposed to the team’s continued use of this derogatory name.”

Echo Hawk said she believed OAF came in as title sponsor very recently. She said she asked Little how much money the football team’s foundation paid for that but that he couldn’t talk about it.

The Washington football team did not immediately return a message asking for comment. KTNN’s Little also did not immediately return a message asking for comment.

The National Indian Gaming Association, a nonprofit that includes 184 Indian nations as members, pulled its sponsorship Friday after learning of the involvement of the football team’s foundation, as reported by USA TODAY Sports that day.

Ernest Stevens, chairman of the gaming association, said his organization finds the team name offensive and he criticized team owner Daniel Snyder for starting the foundation.

“It’s a blatant attempt to try to buy out the issue,” Stevens said.

Contributing: Brent Schrotenboer

New York Times Raises the Alarm on Redwood Poaching

AP Photo/Redwood National and State Parks, Laura DennHacking off redwood burls leaves the tree open to infection, and eliminates its main means of reproduction. — AP Photo/Redwood National and State Parks, Laura Denn
Hacking off redwood burls leaves the tree open to infection, and eliminates its main means of reproduction.

Indian Country Today Media Network

The New York Times is raising the alarm on redwood poaching.

Redwoods that have stood like sentinels for a thousand years or more are being brutalized by poachers, their burls hacked off and sold. There have been at least 18 known cases of burl poaching from redwoods in the past year, forcing the closing of one California state highway at night, with more to follow.

“It’s not just a property crime,” said Brett Silver, supervising ranger for Redwood National and State Parks in California, to The New York Times. “It’s a legacy, like hacking up a church.”

This the Yurok certainly feel, regarding redwoods as “sacred living beings” that “stand as guardians over our sacred places,” the tribe says on its website.

Burls range in size from small enough to be crafted into salt and pepper shakers, as The New York Times points out, to large enough to weigh hundreds of pounds and be fashioned into furniture. The slabs of raw wood that are used to make furniture can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars each, The New York Times said.

In March, the National Park Service announced it would close the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway at night to try and hamper the operations, which tend to be conducted under cover of darkness. While the poaching of wood in general is not new, a slow economy combined with an increase in methamphetamine use have made poachers bolder, the newspaper said.

“They have been targeting ever-bigger burls and using increasingly brazen tactics,” The New York Times reported. “Last year, a redwood estimated to be 400 years old was felled by thieves who wanted access to a 500-pound burl 60 feet up.”

Burls are essential to a redwood’s reproduction, the National Park Service said.

“Burl is a woody material full of un-sprouted bud tissue,” the NPS said in a leaflet about the trees. “It serves as a storage compartment for the genetic code of the parent tree. If the redwood falls or is damaged, the burl may sprout another redwood tree known as a clone.”

Read Poachers Attack Beloved Elders of California, Its Redwoods in The New York Times.

The Fading and Enduring Native American Imagery, Caricatures in Corporate America

By Susanna Kim, ABC News

Criticism over the NFL’s Washington Redskins’ logo reached an apex after owner Dan Snyder decided to continue using the name and created the Washington Redskins Original Americans Foundation, the most recent controversy in a long line of spats over Native America names and images.

Such names and images have been part of the American culture for more than 100 years, and many prominent corporations and even the government use Native American names on everything from weapons (the Tomahawk Missile) to butter (Land O’ Lakes and its Native American mascot.) You can even insure your life with Mutual of Omaha, which uses an “Indian head” logo.

The Redskins are sticking with their team and foundation name after the NFL team owner Snyder said he and his staff traveled to 26 Tribal reservations across 20 states to listen “with a perspective about our Washington Redskins name.” A spokesman for the team declined to comment further to ABCNews.com.

Here are some corporate logos that have phased out Native American images and names and others that continue to be marketed today.

The radiator shell of all Pontiac cars through 1928 pictured Chief Pontiac and the original slogan, “Chief of the Sixes,” according to GM archives; other logos were used through the years, including a Pontiac car circling a globe and silhouettes of Chief Pontiac as a “warrior and statesman.”

GM executive Bunkie Knudsen phased out Pontiac’s “Indian Head” hood ornament in 1957, to be replaced by the stylized red “arrowhead” logo, according to a company history timeline from 2001. Pontiac was shut down as a brand in 2010.

James Keyser/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

Hornell Brewing’s Crazy Horse malt liquor is seen in this undated file image.

Back in 2001, the descendants of the Lakota Oglala leader Crazy Horse (or Tasunke Witko in Lakota) settled a defamation lawsuit involving Crazy Horse malt liquor, Minnesota Public Radio reported.

“Crazy Horse’s descendants filed suit eight years ago, trying to stop beer makers from using the chief’s name on an alcohol product that was distributed to 32 states,” MPR reported. “The opposition to Crazy Horse malt liquor came in part, because Crazy Horse had denounced the introduction of alcohol to American Indians.”

“We certainly never intended to offend anybody. We are indeed, deeply sorry for any offense we caused the Rosebud Sioux or any other Native American people,” John Stroh III, then chairman of SBC Holdings, formerly Stroh’s Brewing Co., then said according to MPR.

The company stopped using “Crazy Horse” as a brand.

SBC was later sold to Pabst Brewing Company and Miller Brewing Company.

Pabst did not respond to a request for comment.

Joe Amon/The Denver Post via Getty Images

Land O’Lakes Inc. is a member-owned cooperative, the second largest in the country, the firm says, after outdoor gear retailer R.E.I.

The company, which also owns Purina pet food and WinField agricultural and chemical products, has an eponymous butter product that uses a drawing of what the company calls an “Indian maiden.”

The company website states that “the now-famous Indian maiden” began as a painting in 1928.

“Reflecting the Native American heritage of the Upper Midwest, it showed an Indian maiden facing the viewer and holding a butter carton and surrounded by lakes, pines, flowers and grazing cows. That painting inspired a new design for the butter carton, and remained until the spring of 1939, when it was simplified and modernized by Jess Betlach, a nationally recognized illustrator. Decades later, with only minor changes, this design continues to capture the goodness and quality of LAND O LAKES brand dairy products from butter to cheese, deli cheese to foodservice sauces, school-lunch macaroni and cheese to dairy ingredients for other food processors.”

One now closed Change.org petition criticized the image for using stereotypes to create and sell products, with a “traditional buckskin outfit, two braids for her hair, and a head dress/band with one feather present.”

Land O’Lakes Inc. did not respond to a request for comment.

A view of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee at Miami International Auto Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center in this Nov. 9, 2013, file photo.

Chrysler revived the Jeep Cherokee, which had retired more than 10 years ago, as a 2014 model name.

That didn’t sit very well with Amanda Clinton, a spokeswoman for the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma last summer.

“We are really opposed to stereotypes,” Clinton told the New York Times last June. “It would have been nice for them to have consulted us in the very least.”

In the same article, a spokesman for Chrysler explained to the Times that research showed an appeal for the name. “Our challenge was, as a brand, to link the past image to the present,” Jim Morrison, Jeep marketing director told the Times.

Chrysler did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Indian Motorcycles, a subsidiary of the publicly-traded Polaris Industries Inc., calls itself America’s first motorcycle company, founded in 1901, according to the company website. The company markets motorcycles such as the Indian Chieftan, with a stylized “Indian” headdress logo, starting at $22,999. The Indian Chief Vintage and Classic, $20,999 and $18,999, simply have the company cursive script as a logo.

5 Native American Communities Who Owned Enslaved Africans

April 9, 2014 | Posted by Barbara-Shae Jackson

The Atlanta Black Star

Stories about Black and Native American connections are rarely told within the narrow historical context shared in classrooms, history books and around family tables, but there are some details that reveal a more complete story of enslavement in the Americas.

In the 1830s, the enslavement of Blacks was established in the Indian Territory, the region that would become Oklahoma. By the late 19th century, when over half a million Africans were enslaved in the South, the southern Native American societies of that region had come to include both enslaved Blacks and small numbers of free Black people.

Though the harsh treatment of enslaved Africans largely paled in comparison to that of white slaveholders, Blacks still were treated as an underclass among Native Americas. The Five Civilized Tribes even established slave codes that protected owners’ property rights and restricted the rights of Blacks.

Here are the Five Civilized Tribes who held Black people as slaves.

Chickasaw

It is no surprise that the Native Americans knew the land well. Their knowledge became a lucrative business, especially for the Chickasaws who had keen navigation skills. They were hired by white slaveholders to traverse the terrain to capture Blacks who had escaped slavery.

The Chickasaw also held enslaved Africans of their own, and the system they established closely approximated that of white slaveholders on cotton plantations.

For rest of list please click here.

Tribal college poetry slam

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News

The tribal college poetry slam event in March of 2014, features a large collection of talented Native American poets speaking on different subjects from family to government. The video lasts and hour and a half with round two starting at the 58:00 mark. Among the poets is Jennifer Cordova-James of Northwest Indian College.

The 2014 tribal college poetry slam is a Tribal College Journal (TJC) and American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) event.

The AIHEC founded in 1972, represents 37 Tribal colleges and their mission is “to support the work of the tribal colleges and universities and the national movement for tribal self-determination.”

Supported by the AIHEC, is the TJC’s and states they are a “culture-based publication addresses subjects important to the future of American Indian and Alaska Native communities utilizing both journalistic and scholarly articles and has become a forum for college staff, faculty, administrators, and students to discuss their needs, successes, and evolving missions.”

Klamath Tribes Approve Water Share Agreement

A pile of irrigation pipes in the Klamath. Tribal members in the Klamath Basin recently voted to approve a water sharing agreement with ranchers and other irrigators. | credit: Earthfix | rollover image for more

April 10, 2014 | Herald and News

A Klamath Tribes vote for an upper Basin water management pact narrowly passed Wednesday.

According to Klamath Tribes Chairman Don Gentry, 564 Tribal members voted in favor, and 419 members voted against the Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement (UKBCA), which was released in March. Gentry said he wasn’t surprised by the close vote.

“This is a decision that will affect our people forever,” Gentry said. “We were concerned from the start because of the timeframe; we knew we had limited time to interact with our Tribal members.”

Three Tribal members released a formal statement earlier this week expressing frustration with the amount of time members had to review the 95-page agreement and mail in their ballots.

“The positive vote of our Tribal Members affirming the UKBCA is a monumental step in achieving the long-established goals of our people to restore and protect our Tribal fisheries and other treaty resources,” Gentry said in a statement.

Tribal approval brings stakeholders one step closer to introducing a comprehensive piece of legislation in Congress, ensuring upper Basin water needs are met for generations to come. Upper Basin stakeholders have been working for months as a subcommittee of the Klamath Basin Task Force appointed last July by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

The 27-member task force was divided into three subcommittees focused on improving three areas of Klamath water use: developing a water management plan for the upper Klamath Basin, addressing the affordability of agricultural power rates and lowering federal costs for proposed settlements.

“With approval of the agreement, Sen. Wyden will now move forward to introduce a legislative package to enact the UKBCA. The bill will also include legislation of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) and the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA), which our members voted overwhelmingly to support,” Gentry said in a news release.

The 2010 KBRA settlement and the related KHSA seek to establish reliable water supplies and affordable power rates for irrigators, restore fish habitat, let the Klamath Tribes acquire the 92,000-acre Mazama Forest and remove four Klamath River dams.

“I certainly feel positive. I know this is a critical step in the right direction,” Gentry said.