Health Care Providers and The Union, by Senator Doug Whitsett 1/30/14

KWAPA meeting;  Irrigation leaders convene to create an on-Project plan for this summer, H&N 1/29/14. "According to Greg Addington, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), the goal of the “On-Project Plan” (OPP) is to establish blocks of water for irrigators that cannot be influenced by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or other regulatory entities. If funded by Congress, the OPP could be in use as early as 2022. 'No involuntary shortages; that is the goal of this whole program,' he said. The long-term plan is an extension of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA), a 2010 settlement intended establish reliable water supplies and affordable power rates for irrigators and restore fish habitat, Addington said." “ 'You will know on March 1 how much water can be pulled out of the system,' said Dan Keppen, executive director of the Family Farm Alliance."

Hebrews 1:8-14  But to the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than your companions." And; "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens and the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will grow old like a garment;  Like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed.  But You are the same, and Your years will not fail." But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who will inherit salvation?

Final California Water Action Plan, by Cal EPA, CDFA/Calif. Dept of Food and Drug, and California Natural Resources Agency, 1/14/14. Page 11: "The administration will work with Congress to secure the necessary federal authorizations for the agreements and secure the necessary funding for removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River and funding for the necessary basin restoration."

Corps seeking comment on plans to again reduce Caspian Tern nesting area on East Sand Island, Due Feb 21, 2014, CBB 1/24/14. “In 2013, at 1.58 acres of nesting habitat on East Sand Island, the number of nesting pairs was near 7,600 and predation on juvenile salmon was near 4.7 million...“In 2013, approximately 680 Caspian terns moved from East Sand Island to some of the constructed inland sites, including Summer Lake, Malheur Lake, Crump Lake, Sheepy Lake, and Tule Lake.” KBC NOTE: These fish predators eat baby fish and were relocated to Tule Lake and Klamath refuges. Our baby suckers are mysteriously vanishing. 100,000 acres of irrigation water were shut off above the Klamath Project because Indians demanded it due to low juvenile sucker counts, claiming more water in the lake makes more suckers. Write comments regarding Columbia building Caspian Tern habitat, terns killed millions of juvenile salmon so they relocated them here, and plan to relocate more. http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/Announcements/tabid/1887/Article/21181/draft-ea-caspian-tern-nesting-habitat-reduction-east-sand-island.aspx

* $3.5 million to hunt the barred owl that killed the spotted owl, H&N Forum 1/24/14.
* Feds begin killing barred owls to help spotted owl, Daily Herald 1/20/14.
* History 1994: A mill that once was one of the largest in the nation has closed, H&N, posted to KBC 1/24/14
* Lawsuit challenges timber sale, conservation group says environmental protocol was not strictly followed, H&N, posted to KBC 1/24/14

Lawmakers hear (Klamath) water pact update, Rep. McLane reviews Cover Oregon, LaMalfa votes against omnibus bill, H&N 1/24/14. "If approved by the Klamath Tribal Council and a host of irrigators, the AIP will become one component of proposed legislation that will cover the upper Basin, the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) including on-project irrigators, and the Klamath Hydro Settlement Agreement with PacifiCorp, which may involve removing four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River..."(Rep. Whitsett) said OWRD has listed more than 200 groundwater irrigation wells that may be shut off if the Tribes, which have time immemorial rights, make a call on the water."

With release of new salmon biop, Columbia Basin Stakeholders still divided over federal approach, CBB 1/24/14. "U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., says that “with last year’s record-breaking salmon runs, it’s safe to say that salmon and hydropower dams can and do co-exist.”

Rep. LaMalfa Cosponsors Bills to Keep Pension Promises to Retired Veterans, 1/24/14

A life on the farm and for the farm; Bob Flowers dies at age 60, H&N 1/23/14.

Klamath Project bid applicants for retiring 2014 water rights: Water Loopholes closed, new penalties in place; applicants must refrain from using surface water, H&N 1/23/14. PUBLIC MEETING 2/10/14 at 4pm

OREGON: Access the 2014 Legislative Bills  A list of committee (only) legislative concepts with the corresponding measure numbers is available by clicking here.

Write, call, and e-mail the fifteen Democrat Senators who were expected to vote in support of gun-control legislation last year. That includes every Democrat Senator, except for Senator Betsy Johnson from Scappoose, by Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett Newsletter, 1/16/14. "The first failure to comply with the new law would be punishable by 30 day imprisonment, a fine of $1,250, or both. A second offense would result in one year imprisonment, a fine of $6,250, or both. Third and subsequent offenses would be punishable by a maximum term of five years in prison, a fine of $125,000, or both."

The Largest Liberal Super PAC Just Formally Aligned Itself With Hillary Clinton, Slatest 1/23/14.
Billionaire George Soros backs pro-Hillary Clinton super PAC, Washington Post, posted to KBC 1/23/14.
Link to > Who is George Soros?
Link to > What does George Soros have to do with Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement?

1/20/14 - Revelation 3:7-8 "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": "I know your works.  See, I have set before you and open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept my word and not denied My name." Sent from Frank Tallerico.

New Columbia fish plan like others.  Emphasis remains on better habitat, not activists’ dam removal proposals, H&N, posted to KBC 1/18/14. “More than 1 million fall chinook salmon returned to spawn last year, the highest numbers since Bonneville Dam opened in 1938,...the new plan does not consider the possibility of breaching dams or increasing spill, because officials say such actions aren’t needed."

Deadline passes. No agreement yet on (Klamath) water pact, H&N, posted to KBC 1/21/14

Proposed charter would be more costly to public; simple math reveals health benefits, travel costs all add up to make county administrator expensive, guest commentary by Tom Mallams, Klamath County Commissioner, H&N 1/19/14. "I also have been asked the question, since two attempts to recall current commissioners completely failed, is this proposed charter nothing more than another attempt to “recall” the current board of county commissioners?..."

Upper Basin water pact deadline this Friday. Groups near final agreement; next step is bill for Congress, H&N 1/14/14. "Some landowner participation is expected through reduction of agricultural water use by 30,000 acre feet. The reduction will be in the form of permanent buyouts, or “retirement,” of some upper Basin irrigators’ water rights along the Williamson, Wood and Sprague rivers...the tribes said they will reduce the minimum level of water they require in rivers above the lake to protect fisheries in return for participation by landowners in riparian area restoration. "

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review, legislative and governmental update, 1/17/14.

LAKEVIEW - Sage grouse management, jobs, habitat at stake; environmental protections may curb ranchers’ grazing rights, H&N, posted to KBC 1/17/14. "...implementing the plan could result in the loss of 750 jobs..."  "... BLM’s preferred alternative would retire about 118,000 acres of rangeland in Eastern Oregon..." "Although Hart Mountain has been cattle-free for 23 years, he said sage grouse numbers have declined." "A recurring theme among people voicing concerns was why ranchers are being targeted with the potential loss of grazing lands, while no habitat improvements include predator control."

Oregon draft plan for managing non-listed coastal salmon, steelhead seeks hatchery/wild balance, CBB 1/17/14

1 Peter 1:22-25 "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because, 'All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever.' " posted 1/15/14. Sent by Frank Tallerico

Culprit behind salmon kills not dams, but parasites; Answers to irrigation, environmental issues exist — just not in the form of dam removal, H&N by Siskiyou County Supervisor Brandon Criss, posted to KBC 1/15/14. " 'The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement is a dam removal agreement whose signers agree to support and advocate for dam removal... '(Congressman) Walden explained, '...When three-quarters of the population says no to dam removal, that’s a problem you can’t skip over.' Craig Tucker, of the Karuk Tribe 'defended the KBRA, saying that there are no guarantees of water for farms in the agreement; only a cap on how much can be diverted. ‘What’s capped in this agreement is agricultural water use,’ Tucker said.”

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Legislative Review 1/10/14: "...the $217.8 billion in unfunded retirement liability, goes unaddressed again this year...Governor included $618.7 million to begin implementing the California Water Action Plan...The minimum illumination in these (night farm) work areas “shall be 10 foot-candles” ...AB 1437, which goes even further than Senator Hill’s bill and eliminates the use of antibiotics for disease prevention purposes unless there is a documented outbreak...Clean and Safe Drinking Water Act of 2014 (AB 1331) would authorize the issuance of $6.5 billion in general obligation bonds in five separate categories. The five categories include $1 billion for Water Quality and Clean and Safe Drinking Water, $1.5 billion for Protecting Rivers, Lakes, Streams and Watersheds, $1.5 billion for Climate Change Preparedness for Regional Security, $1 billion for Delta Sustainability, and $1.5 billion for Water Storage for Climate Change."

War on Poverty, by Oregon Senator Doug  Whitsett 1/10/14.

California Rep. LaMalfa makes ‘pivot’ on immigration reform, Capital Press 1/9/14

June 2013 article: Federal judge rules in favor of rancher (Wayne Hage) in grazing case, Ag Alert, posted to KBC 1/9/14. HERE for Grazing Page

Romans 8:28-30 - "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these he also He justified; and whom He justified, these he also glorified." Sent by Frank Tallerico 1/5/13

Marijuana, newsletter by Senator Doug Whitsett 1/3/14. "Research has shown that marijuana smoke contains fifty to seventy percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than tobacco smoke..." See KBC CROP page for articles on marijuana crops in our "public forests" and Hoopa tribe reservation.

Sage grouse plan seeking comments by Jan. 13, H&N 1/2/14. "The draft EIS has six possible management alternatives for maintaining and increasing habitat for greater sage grouse on BLM lands in Oregon. The BLM has about 10 million acres in Oregon that provides greater sage grouse habitat."

OIT governance will affect college’s future course; Local control may be the best option in preserving the ‘brand’ and direction of smaller colleges, H&N by Oregon Rep Gail Whitsett 1/5/14

Oregon minimum wage climbs by 15 cents, second-highest rate in U.S., H&N 1/2/14

New Calif. law requires gun registration; Buyers of rifles, shotguns affected by new regulation, H&N 1/2/14.

2013 a costly year for Upper Basin ranchers, H&N 1/2/14. "Like other Upper Basin ranchers, Duarte’s water was shut off this year ... when the Klamath Tribes and Klamath Project irrigators made calls for water in early June. That meant all the Upper Basin ranches went without irrigation water this summer.  'We’ve got a $90,000 hole in our account this year...' "

Looking ahead 2014, H&N by Oregon Rep Gail Whitsett KBC 1/1/14