Klamath Basin Restoration & Tribal Justice Act
Remove the dams. Bring back the salmon. Honor Tribal rights. Help farmers transition. Heal the river that once ran silver with fish.
🐟 What Does This Bill Do?
The Klamath River used to be the THIRD biggest salmon river on the West Coast—800,000 fish every year! Then dams blocked the fish. Salmon dropped 90%. Now they're removing the dams! This bill helps: finish dam removal, bring back the salmon, honor Tribal fishing rights, and help farmers who need water. Everyone works together—Tribes, farmers, fishermen, government. That's how we heal a river.
🚨 The Klamath Crisis
🏛️ Four Big Goals
Finish Dam Removal
Support the largest dam removal in U.S. history—Iron Gate, Copco, J.C. Boyle
Bring Back Salmon
Restore habitat, reintroduce fish, fix hatcheries, help fishermen
Honor Tribal Rights
Recognize water rights, co-management, traditional knowledge
Help Farmers
Fair transition help—land retirement, efficiency upgrades, new crops
🏗️ Dam Removal: Opening 420+ Miles
The dams are coming down! This bill supports the largest dam removal project in American history.
Removal Support
$50 million for technical help and coordination
Monitoring
$10M/year to track recovery
Sediment Management
$25M/year for cleanup
Water Quality
$20M/year for temperature and nutrients
🐟 Salmon Recovery: $67 Million/Year
Chinook, coho, steelhead, lamprey, sturgeon—bringing back the fish that fed the Klamath for thousands of years.
🚧 Fish Passage
Remove barriers. 100% federal cost-share. Voluntary on private land.
🌲 Habitat Restoration
Trinity, Shasta, Scott rivers. Riparian planting. Spawning gravel.
🐟 Reintroduction
Return salmon to 420+ miles of historical habitat above the dams.
⚓ Fisher Relief
Income help up to $60K/year for displaced fishing families.
🪶 Tribal Justice: Honoring 10,000 Years of Stewardship
Six Tribes have lived along the Klamath since time immemorial. Salmon is their foundation. This bill honors that.
Water Rights
$200 million to settle water claims
Co-Management
EQUAL voice in decisions
Traditional Knowledge
Cultural burning, TEK integration
Tribal Fisheries
$25M/year direct support
🤝 Co-Management Council: Everyone at the Table
18 members working together—Tribes, federal agencies, states, farmers, fishermen, and local stewards. EQUAL standing for Tribes and land stewards!
🌾 Agricultural Transition: $90 Million/Year
Farmers have worked this land for generations. When water gets scarce, they deserve fair help—100% VOLUNTARY.
Land Retirement
Fair market value for willing sellers. Up to 50,000 acres.
Temporary Fallowing
1-5 year agreements with annual payments
Water Efficiency
75% cost-share for drip irrigation, monitoring
Crop Diversification
Less water-intensive crops, agritourism, renewables
🌲 CA-2/OR-2: The National Pilot
California's 2nd and Oregon's 2nd Districts become the "Klamath Restoration Pilot Region"—a model for the nation!
Priority Communities
Hoopa, Yurok, Karuk Tribal Lands • Crescent City • Eureka • Fort Bragg • Potter Valley • Covelo • Point Reyes Station • Tomales • Bodega Bay • Ukiah • Willits • Clearlake • Lakeport • Cloverdale • Healdsburg
💰 How It's Paid For: Trust Fund Model
Deficit-neutral. Spending can't exceed revenues. No borrowing allowed.
🛡️ Built-In Protections
100% Voluntary
No farmer forced to sell. No landowner mandates. Your choice.
Property Rights
NO eminent domain. Willing sellers only. Fair market value.
Equal Partnership
Tribes and local stewards have EQUAL standing with agencies.
State Sovereignty
No state mandates. States can opt out. Water law respected.
Bipartisan Commission
Binding sunset if 70% of metrics not met by Year 5.
10-Year Sunset
GAO reviews at Years 3, 6, 9. Must be reauthorized.
🐟 Heal the River. Honor the People.
The Klamath River once ran silver with salmon. Tribes have fished there for 10,000 years. Farmers have worked the land for generations. Commercial fishermen fed their families. Now, after a century of dams and water fights, everyone's hurting. This bill says: we can fix this TOGETHER. Remove the dams. Bring back the fish. Honor Tribal rights. Help farmers transition. Create a model for the nation. That's showing your work.
Gregory Burgess for Congress
No Party Preference • California's 2nd Congressional District
"Show Your Work" Campaign