TURNABOUT: Norm Semanko...Idahoans are
united, against breaching dams
Lewiston Tribune by Norm Semanko.
Semanko, of Boise, is executive director
of the Idaho Water Users Association
and also sits on the Family Farm Alliance
board of directors.
12/13/06
Jim Fisher's recent epistle from on high
about where the majority of Idahoans stand
on dam breaching [editorial, Nov. 24]
reflects his usual rich blending of
opinion but is completely devoid of
certain basic truths.
Fisher has somehow convinced himself, and
wants to convince you, that Idahoans do
not really have a clear position on the
issue of breaching; that there is no clear
consensus of opinion.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Just consider the facts.
For starters, breaching is opposed by:
Idaho's former, present and soon-to-be
governors plus the elected political and
legislative leadership of the state; by a
compelling majority of the members of the
Idaho Legislature; by all four elected
members of the Idaho congressional
delegation and Idaho's soon-to-be member
of Congress; by virtually every
agricultural, irrigation, water user and
industry group in the state; by
organizations representing practically
every city and county in the state; and by
municipal and commercial water providers
around the state.
Oh, and did I mention the 2006 Boise State
University public opinion survey that
showed 42.7 percent of Idahoans oppose
breaching while 35.3 percent support it.
On the same question but with the caveat
that the loss of barging and
hydroelectricity would be replaced with
alternatives at a similar price, 72.3
percent of Idahoans oppose breaching. I
should also note that the 2006 BSU survey
was the sixth consecutive time since 1999
that the survey found more Idahoans oppose
dam breaching than support it.
Fisher also needs to quit playing
cheerleader for environmental groups whose
agendas do not reflect the majority and
which employ strategies best described as
a series of cleverly disguised shell
games.
Idaho Rivers United may be based in Idaho,
but they do not reflect the prevailing
will of the people of this state. These
groups openly admit they use legal tactics
to get activist federal judges to threaten
to take the state's crucial irrigation
water for flow augmentation, a threat they
can use as leverage to force irrigators to
support dam breaching.
As for the legitimacy of the Coalition for
Idaho Water: Its membership is drawn from
more than 50 diverse segments of
mainstream Idaho life from every regional
area of the state. One coalition partner
alone -- the Idaho Water Users Association
-- represents approximately 300 irrigation
districts and canal companies,
agribusinesses, public water supply
organizations, professional firms and
individuals from around the state. And
IWUA is only one of more than 50 coalition
partners.
Other partners include the Idaho
associations of cities and counties, local
members like the Port of Lewiston and
Lewiston-Clarkston Chamber of Commerce
Natural Resources Committee, the Idaho
Food Processors Association, the Idaho
Farm Bureau Federation, Idaho Grain
Producers Association, the Idaho
Aquaculture Association, the Potato
Growers of Idaho and the Idaho Cattle
Association.
Trying to suggest the coalition represents
only southern Idaho irrigators is as
ludicrous as claiming American Rivers and
Idaho Rivers United reflect mainstream
Idahoans.
Make no mistake about it: the coalition's
objectives and its strategies align
perfectly with the clearly demonstrated
will of a huge majority of Idahoans.
Fisher may not agree with or even like the
fact that a clear majority of Idahoans
oppose dam breaching. But ignoring facts
so as to distort and misrepresent the
established will of the majority is simply
wrong. Idahoans are not ambiguous or
divided on the issue of dam breaching:
They are dead set against it.
------
Semanko, of Boise, is executive director
of the Idaho Water Users Association.
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