Office of the Secretary

For Immediate Release: December 15, 2000

(DOI)Contact: Tim Ahern (202) 208-6416
(FWS)Patricia Foulk, (916) 414-6600.

SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT
TO ANNOUNCE DECISION ON TRINITY RIVER RESTORATION

What: On Tuesday, December 19, 2000, Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt will join the Hoopa Valley Tribe,

California Resources Agency Secretary Mary Nichols, Trinity County officials, and others to announce the
Department's Record of Decision on the selected strategy to restore the health of the Trinity River
system.


Who: Honorable Bruce Babbitt, U.S. Secretary of the Interior


Honorable Mary Nichols, Secretary, California Resources Agency

Honorable Duane J. Sherman, Sr., Tribal Chairman, Hoopa Valley Tribe

When: December 19, 2000


10:30 a.m. - Float trip to ceremonial site

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m - Signing Ceremony

Where: The Hostler Ranch along the Trinity River in Hoopa, California. (Map follows); in the event of rainy

weather, the event will take place at the gymnasium adjacent to Tribal Headquarters

Why: This decision culminates nearly two decades of research to address longstanding concerns about the effects of

water diversion from the Trinity River system on the river system's health, including its once-abundant salmon runs,
which are important to meet tribal trust responsibilities. This has been a collaborative effort led by the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, and Trinity County. The State of
California also has been an important partner throughout the project.
-DOI-


U.S. Department of the Interior