DORRIS — Water issues are
key, but they aren’t the
only concerns Brandon Criss
is facing in his first term
as the Siskiyou County
supervisor for District One,
a sprawling geographic
region that includes Butte
Valley and a portion of the
Tulelake Basin.
“Overall, it’s been
positive. I’ve enjoyed it,”
said Criss, 36, who lives
and works on a family ranch
near Macdoel. He took office
in January after defeating
incumbent Jim Cook.
“We’re continuing to
make progress,
especially on natural
resource issues. The
meeting with Klamath
County commissioners is
one example,” he said,
referring to a recent
joint session of
Siskiyou County
supervisors and Klamath
County commissioners in
Dorris.
On a related front, he
said supervisors have
been working with
federal agencies, until
the federal government
shutdown, on
coordinating decisions
on land managed by the
Forest Service, Bureau
of Land Management and
other federal bodies.
County-wide, Criss said
supervisors are moving
forward on building a
new jail, saying, “It’s
still a long process,
but we’re working
through it.”
Unanticipated was the
number of closed,
executive sessions,
mostly involving
litigation — “That
surprised me,” he said.
The focus on
water-related issues has
not been a surprise.
Criss is a vocal critic
of the Klamath Basin
Restoration Agreement.
Among its many
provisions, the
agreement calls for
removal of four Klamath
River dams, including
three in Siskiyou
County.
“This isn’t a good
idea,” he said,
referring to dam
removals and
implementing the KBRA.
Legislation to implement
the KBRA has been
stalled in Congress.
Criss said he fears if
salmon are successfully
introduced in the Upper
Klamath Basin, their
presence could adversely
impact water users. He
also believes KBRA
promoters are ignoring
previous studies that
claim inflating Upper
Klamath Lake’s water
level could adversely
impact endangered sucker
fish.
“The water level of the
lake isn’t the solution
to increasing the number
of fish,” he said.
While water issues are a
major concern,
especially in the
Tulelake Basin, Butte
Valley and Montague
area, he said economic
development is a
constant issue
throughout his district,
which also includes
areas near Copco Lake.
“I still go to all the
towns when I can,” Criss
said. “It’s a half-time
job but I consider it
full-time.”