Print Version
Email this story
Comment
Lesley ready to test his wit in the Basin
 |
| Cecil Lesley is taking over management of land and water operations in the Klamath Reclamation Project. He is a native of Madeline, Calif. |
New Bureau official ready for Klamath water puzzle
Published March 25, 2003
By DYLAN DARLING
Cecil Lesley likes brain teasers.
They're not his hobby or anything, but he likes to have to test his wits with mind puzzles.
His interest in puzzles transferred over to his old job, when he was a repayment specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and dealt daily with water contracts.
"Contracts to me have always seemed like brain teaser puzzles - it's how you put words together to make it so both sides have their needs fulfilled," he said.
Now, as the new chief of water and land division in the Bureau's Klamath Basin Area Office, Lesley will be testing his mind with the most talked about and controversial puzzle in the Basin - how to get water to project irrigators, endangered species and everyone else who wants it, and make all sides happy.
Lesley arrived in Klamath Falls Feb. 24, and immediately was involved with the office's discussion of how to create the contracts for its pilot water bank.
He worked in the Bureau's Central California Area Office in Folsom for the last 18 years, serving as a civil engineering technician, a safety manager and, since 1996, a repayment specialist, a job that focuses on negotiating water contracts.
Lesley says he's familiar with the concerns of farmers and ranchers.
Lesley grew up in Madeline, then a town of about 65 people on the Madeline plains near Alturas. Though he lived in town, he went to school with farm and ranch kids.
His best friend was a rancher's kid. He would often spend the night at his friend's house.
"And when you did that you always had chores to do," he said.
Up at 4:30 a.m. he would help milk cows and take care of the livestock.
Those early mornings help him now because he has an understanding and respect for people whose lives revolve around agriculture.
After graduating from high school in 1966, Lesley started going to junior college, but his academics were interrupted by the Vietnam War. He joined the Navy, serving from 1968 to 1972.
He resumed his studies at the University of Montana in Missoula. He then went to several junior colleges in California before finishing up at Humboldt State University in Arcata with a degree in social sciences in 1978.
Lesley has been married for 20 years, but his wife, Marianne Musitelli, hasn't moved to Klamath Falls yet because she is trying to sell the Placerville, Calif., home the couple has had for the last 17 years.
Musitelli said her husband has been looking forward to getting involved with the Klamath water issue.
"I think he feels like he can help," she said. She described him as a good mediator, with a lot of common sense.
"Cecil is a really good person at bringing groups of people together," she said.
Jane LaBoa, the division chief for resource management in the Central California Area Office, and Lesley's old boss, said he is considered an expert in water contracts.
He has also studied the history of water in the American West.
"He can give you a rundown and a history of how they got where they are," she said.
But just knowing the history of the Klamath won't be enough to deal with the water issues. He also needs to learn the nuances of the project and how all the operations come together.
Lesley shares an office with his predecessor. Jim Bryant, the former chief of the water and land division, who is still on contract with the Bureau for the next couple of months.
Lesley said getting to understand the operations of the system is difficult because it is very complex. He is still trying to figure out how all the elements relate to each other.
"Jim has been a great help in making those links for me," he said.
In his free time Lesley can often be found in a canoe. He likes going through flat and white water.
He particularly likes going through whitewater rapids because of the challenge of making decisions when you are running on adrenaline.
But dealing with the Klamath water issue won't be like shooting a rapid.
"It's going to be more like a long canoe trip," he said, with lots of planning, hitting high spots and low spots and learning along the way.
"The end of the trip will be anticlimactic," he said.
Reporter Dylan Darling covers natural resources. He can be reached at 885-4471, (800) 275-0982, or by e-mail at ddarling@heraldandnews.com.
Published March 25, 2003
By DYLAN DARLING
Cecil Lesley likes brain teasers.
They're not his hobby or anything, but he likes to have to test his wits with mind puzzles.
His interest in puzzles transferred over to his old job, when he was a repayment specialist for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and dealt daily with water contracts.
"Contracts to me have always seemed like brain teaser puzzles - it's how you put words together to make it so both sides have their needs fulfilled," he said.
Now, as the new chief of water and land division in the Bureau's Klamath Basin Area Office, Lesley will be testing his mind with the most talked about and controversial puzzle in the Basin - how to get water to project irrigators, endangered species and everyone else who wants it, and make all sides happy.
Lesley arrived in Klamath Falls Feb. 24, and immediately was involved with the office's discussion of how to create the contracts for its pilot water bank.
He worked in the Bureau's Central California Area Office in Folsom for the last 18 years, serving as a civil engineering technician, a safety manager and, since 1996, a repayment specialist, a job that focuses on negotiating water contracts.
Lesley says he's familiar with the concerns of farmers and ranchers.
Lesley grew up in Madeline, then a town of about 65 people on the Madeline plains near Alturas. Though he lived in town, he went to school with farm and ranch kids.
His best friend was a rancher's kid. He would often spend the night at his friend's house.
"And when you did that you always had chores to do," he said.
Up at 4:30 a.m. he would help milk cows and take care of the livestock.
Those early mornings help him now because he has an understanding and respect for people whose lives revolve around agriculture.
After graduating from high school in 1966, Lesley started going to junior college, but his academics were interrupted by the Vietnam War. He joined the Navy, serving from 1968 to 1972.
He resumed his studies at the University of Montana in Missoula. He then went to several junior colleges in California before finishing up at Humboldt State University in Arcata with a degree in social sciences in 1978.
Lesley has been married for 20 years, but his wife, Marianne Musitelli, hasn't moved to Klamath Falls yet because she is trying to sell the Placerville, Calif., home the couple has had for the last 17 years.
Musitelli said her husband has been looking forward to getting involved with the Klamath water issue.
"I think he feels like he can help," she said. She described him as a good mediator, with a lot of common sense.
"Cecil is a really good person at bringing groups of people together," she said.
Jane LaBoa, the division chief for resource management in the Central California Area Office, and Lesley's old boss, said he is considered an expert in water contracts.
He has also studied the history of water in the American West.
"He can give you a rundown and a history of how they got where they are," she said.
But just knowing the history of the Klamath won't be enough to deal with the water issues. He also needs to learn the nuances of the project and how all the operations come together.
Lesley shares an office with his predecessor. Jim Bryant, the former chief of the water and land division, who is still on contract with the Bureau for the next couple of months.
Lesley said getting to understand the operations of the system is difficult because it is very complex. He is still trying to figure out how all the elements relate to each other.
"Jim has been a great help in making those links for me," he said.
In his free time Lesley can often be found in a canoe. He likes going through flat and white water.
He particularly likes going through whitewater rapids because of the challenge of making decisions when you are running on adrenaline.
But dealing with the Klamath water issue won't be like shooting a rapid.
"It's going to be more like a long canoe trip," he said, with lots of planning, hitting high spots and low spots and learning along the way.
"The end of the trip will be anticlimactic," he said.
Reporter Dylan Darling covers natural resources. He can be reached at 885-4471, (800) 275-0982, or by e-mail at ddarling@heraldandnews.com.
 |
 |
|
| More funds sought for project | Special meeting set for South Suburban Sanitary |
Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of HeraldAndNews.com. Comment Disclaimer: The editors of heraldandnews.com reserve the right to refuse publication of any comment posted for consideration. We may refuse for any reason, including use of profanity, disparaging comments, libelous comments, etc. Any reader who notices a comment they believe is particularly offensive, should notify us at webmaster@heraldandnews.com.
RSS