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Water Rights by Stew Churchwell Letters, The Idaho Statesman, October 16, 2003

I am a resident of Custer County and a water right holder. I am personally affected by the agreement identified in The Idaho Statesman article “State signs pact to help aid salmon recovery,” Oct. 9.

When I first discovered this plan was being developed, I acquired and reviewed a grossly inadequate draft document. My exclusion from participation in the development of that draft was clearly intentional. I requested that I be included in future planning and development and was told that I could not attend the regular meetings. I wrote a letter of complaint to Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and as a result was contacted by a representative from the Office of Species Conservation. This representative stated that he could not require this group to include me in their discussions.

The Idaho Statesman article gives the impression that all stakeholders were involved in this plan´s development … they were not. I resent the fact that the leaders of our state and federal agencies support this plan when they are fully aware that some stakeholders were excluded from the development process. Good plans are not created in a vacuum. Worse yet, those that are invite litigation.

Related Pages:
State Signs Pact to Help Aid Salmon Recovery, The Idaho Statesman, 10/9/3