Suggestions for Ecomonic Plan

Happy Campers received an invitation to a meeting by the Karuk Tribe for input on an economic development plan for our local area. We applaud the Karuk Tribal leadership for taking seriously the importance of economic vitality of this area and look forward to that meeting. In the meantime, a Happy Camper has suggestions…..

Dear Sirs

In response to your letter concerning the public meeting to develop a 5 to 10 year economic development plan.

A 5 to 10 year economic plan is a laudable project.

The things that can be produced from the 1.2 million acres of Karuk Ancestral Territory are mining, farming, logging and tourism.

On mining the Karuk Tribe needs to pressure the California legislature to end the moratorium on gold dredging which will bring back the gold tourism activity. This would have an immediate economic benefit to the community.

Tourism includes hunting, fishing and camping. The Karuk Tribe needs to set up a fish hatchery and begin stocking the Klamath River and its tributaries with fish species that can be caught and kept. This can provide jobs for community members running the hatchery and delivering the fish as well as boosting fishing tourism.

The Karuk Tribe needs to take over management of the forest and resume logging to clear land so as to increase the grazing for deer and elk. This will produce larger herds and increase hunting tourism. Before 1850 the Karuk Tribe managed the tree density by burning portions of the forest to create feed for the deer and elk.

The Karuk Trbe needs to build a saw mill to take the logs cut by community members and turn them into lumber that can be sold to produce income for the community members.

The Karuk Tribe needs to encourage local farming of organic vegetables and grains so that local people can buy locally grown foods that are more nutritious than the stuff available from the super markets.

There may be other possibilities but these are the obvious ones.

Sincerely
Pete McLaughlin
Happy Camp, CA

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