Public Statement Regarding Terminations of U.S. Department of Interior Agreements
October 14, 2025
On September 23, 2025, the Mid Klamath Watershed Council (MKWC) was informed by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) that seven U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) grants - totaling $2.1 million for work already underway – were terminated effective immediately. These competitive grants, awarded between 2022 and 2024, funded work vital to public safety, local economies, and ecological resilience in the Mid Klamath Basin.
The notice cited the same reason for all terminations: “This award no longer effectuates the priorities of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and is therefore terminated.” Since the notice of terminations, MKWC staff have carefully reviewed and evaluated our USFWS-supported projects and determined that all work within these federal grants fully aligns with the stated priorities in the Department of Interior’s 2026-2030 Draft Strategic Plan and with congressional mandates to benefit rural communities. The terminated projects included active management strategies that directly benefit both rural economies and regional ecosystems:
Wildfire Prevention and Fuels Reduction: Almost $1 million in funding was terminated for wildfire prevention and fuels reduction. These proactive fuels and prescribed fire treatments strengthen wildland fire prevention, protecting people, property, and infrastructure while supporting firefighter training and workforce development. These projects also reduce severe post-fire erosion and improve downstream water quality and quantity. (Goal 2 Objectives 2.1, 2.3; Goal 3 Objective 3.3)
Chinook Salmon Monitoring: Annual surveys to track Chinook salmon escapement, timing, and health inform harvest guidelines for the recreational and commercial fishing industries. Monitoring detects declines and shifts to allow for timely management that can help avoid larger economic impacts later. (Goal 1 Objectives 1.2, 1.3; Goal 3 Objective 3.1)
Habitat Restoration Projects: The construction of floodplain and off-channel habitat to support salmon, steelhead, and Pacific lamprey recovery, directly supports future adult returns. These projects slow and store water and reduce sediment transport, improving water quality and increasing resilience to wildfire and drought. (Goal 1 Objective 1.3; Goal 2 Objectives 2.1, 2.3; Goal 3 Objective 3.1)
Collaborative Resource Stewardship: The active co-management and shared stewardship among local, Tribal, state, and federal partners ensures restoration actions are strategic, effective, and responsive to community needs. (Goal 3 Objectives 3.2, 3.3; Goal 4 Objective 4.2)
As a result of these abrupt grant terminations, we have had to make the difficult decision to reduce the scope of these projects that reflect the priorities of – and are responsive to the needs of – our region’s rural communities. As one of the largest employers in the Mid Klamath region, MKWC works closely with local contractors and partners to implement these projects. The ripple effects of this federal government decision could be significant with expected economic impacts to follow from the project shutdowns.
For more than two decades, MKWC projects have earned broad support from residents in the rural communities that make up the Mid Klamath region. We also have a long history of bipartisan support for this work from local to federal elected officials. We believe that lasting rural prosperity depends on collaboration across communities, sectors, and political lines, guided by the shared values that unite our region and its people.
Community members and project partners have highlighted both the local benefits of MKWC’s projects and the serious challenges these grant terminations will create for rural communities:
“In the Happy Camp area, these projects have been a lifeline for both our forests and our communities. The work supported by MKWC has helped reduce wildfire risks around homes, improve water quality, and create steady jobs in a region that depends on a healthy landscape. Losing this funding not only threatens the safety of our residents but also undermines years of collaborative progress toward making our forests and watersheds more resilient.” - Jasmine Borgatti, Chief Resilience Officer, Happy Camp Community Action, Inc
“Siskiyou Union High School District has worked in partnership with Mid Klamath Watershed Council to reduce fuels around the high school campus in Happy Camp, Ca. Without the support of MKWC, our District would be challenged to support fuels reduction (due to an already limited budget). The fuels reduction completed directly resulted in the saving of Happy Camp High School in the Slater Fire. It is short sighted of the Dept to remove funding for fire-endangered communities like Happy Camp that have little or no private investment to reduce fuel directly contributing to the wildfire dangers.” - Marie Caldwell, Superintendent, Siskiyou Union High School District
“This decision for a funding recall damages already-struggling rural communities that depend on these projects, not just for jobs, but for the long-term health and safety of our region. These are not abstract programs - they put local people to work and make our communities stronger, safer and more resilient. When funding is pulled midstream, it undermines years of collaboration and the expertise our rural workforce has built.” - Nancy Ogren, Chair, Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors
The Mid Klamath Watershed Council is now reaching out to partners to identify pathways to restore or replace this lost funding, so that this active management benefitting the rural economies in two northern California counties can continue with minimal interruption.
“Our communities have worked for decades to proactively and collaboratively manage the Klamath Basin’s ecosystems while supporting local livelihoods,” said Luna Latimer, Co-Executive Director. “We remain committed to finding solutions that keep this work moving forward.”
About the Mid Klamath Watershed Council
The mission of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council (MKWC) is to collaboratively coordinate ecosystem restoration, promote innovative policy and community vitality, and involve people in land stewardship. Since 2001, these projects combine grant funding with community partnerships and volunteer engagement to implement high-value, low-cost restoration projects. For more information, visit mkwc.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.