Time to Take Action
Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.
 

Archive 85 - June 2009
also  see main archive page

Around 1900, Link River, between Upper Klamath Lake and Lake Ewauna, occasionally went dry before the Klamath Project was built. There was no hydropower, no hatcheries, occasionally no fish (fish need water), no artificially-raised river flows or lake levels.  HERE for more

"Let's call the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement what it is - many wolves and a sheep sitting down to decide what's for dinner. It's a trade where special interests bargained away the health, safety and property of those not permitted to participate in the back room secretive process. These interests cannot just "celebrate consensus" in a vacuum - wishing away the large number of people who are opposed to and potentially injured by this deal with the devil." excerpt by Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong.

The Following from our KBRA page of opposition:
* 1850 petitions were signed opposing the KBRA from Karuk Tribal
        Members, Siskiyou County, Klamath Basin Alliance, Project
        irrigators and Off-Project irrigators.
* Siskiyou County, Home of 3 Klamath River dams
* Klamath Off-Project Water Users Association
* Klamath Basin Alliance
* Resource Conservancy serving 125,000 Off-Project irrigated acres
* Water for Life
* Klamath Natural Resources Advisory Council
* Klamath County Republican Central Committee
* Siskiyou County Republican Central Committee
* 33 Siskiyou County Granges
* 60 California Republican Women's groups
* Shasta Nation
* Oregon Cattlemen's Association
* According to Klamath County Commissioners, 90% of callers oppose dam removal, a mandate in the KBRA
KBRA POLL RESULTS of Klamath County registered voters
* Only 11%  favor Klamath dam removal,
* 7% favor public purchase of reservation land for the Tribes   
5% favor the closed and confidential negotiations involved in developing the KBRA and the AIP.

KBRA  Videos and Petitions

DOI NEWS RELEASE - Salazar: Klamath Basin Agreement “Within Reach;” Sets September Deadline for Final Deal on Potential Dam Removal,  6/30/09

Congressman Greg Walden's Oregon Congressional Connection 6/30/09

Bill to Restrict Ammunition Sales Rescheduled for Next Week, NRA 6/30/09

KWAPA/Klamath Water and Power Agency meeting 7/2/09

ACTION: Bill to Restrict Ammunition Sales Rescheduled for Next Week, NRA 6/30/09

House sends field burning scale down to governor's desk, Capital Press 6/29/09

USFWS deny petition to delist suckers, Capital Press, posted to KBC 6/29/09
Attorney James Buchal's letter to AP writer Jeff Barnard: "
I have not seen the determination, but understand it to have rejected any change in status for either species.  If that is the case, my comment is: "The Service's determination shows that the political imperative to pillage the economy of the Klamath Basin drives the Service's decisions, not good science, since the Service rejected the opinions of its own scientists and its own status review that called for downlisting at least one species.  "In fact, both species are in no appreciable danger of extinction, and the lakes and ponds of the Klamath Basin are filled with literally millions of listed suckers." 6/26/09
Feds: fish still endangered, H&N 6/27/09. "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delivered a blow to Klamath Basin irrigators Friday  when it said the Lost River and shortnosed suckers still belong on the endangered species list."

Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett Newsletter 6/29/09

Valley's ag, water economics a conundrum, Fresno Bee, posted to KBC 6/29/09

California lawmakers lose bid to change water rules, Miami Herald , posted to KBC 6/29/09

Two Anti-Gun Bills Scheduled to be Considered Next Week (June 30) in the Golden State! NRA, posted to KBC 6/29/09

PLEASE DO NOT RESTORE MY KLAMATH RIVER by Glen Briggs, retired civil engineer
Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, June 2009. "I recently completed a paper which points out through research and personal knowledge, conditions that existed on the Klamath River downstream from the dams and conditions that should be expected to return with removal of those dams," Glen Briggs

CENTRAL VALLEY - Family Farm Alliance Establishes Legal Fund to Push for Sound Science in ESA Decision-Making, posted to KBC 6/28/09

Sunday June 28, Prayer Page from 2001 archives by Brad Frey, formerly Tulelake. 
HERE > for KBC Prayer Page.

Field Burning - Emergency Action Needed – EVEN AFTER HOURS OR OVER THE WEEKEND! posted 6/27/09

(Oregon) Senate OKs field burning bill, H&N, posted to KBC 6/27/09

(Klamath) Water issue divides GOP, H&N 6/27/09 followed by H&N reader comments.
KBC's > Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement Page  

Update from Congressman Walden of National Energy tax, posted to KBC 6/27/09

Razor-Thin House Vote Spells Doom for Cap-and-Tax in the Senate, Inhofe Vows to Expose Bill in the Senate as All Cost, No Climate Gain, posted to KBC 6/27/09 "...costly impacts on the agricultural community"

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review of bills and laws June 26, 2009

Recreation Report: Make plans for ocean coho fishing trip, East Oregonian 6/25/09. "SALEM - The 2009 season managers have set the largest ocean coho quota since 1992."

Preventing natural forest fires (and logging) not the greenest idea, The Dalles Chronicle, posted to KBC 6/27/09

To Mr. Obama and the Congress by Nita Still, letter to editor Pioneer Press, posted to KBC 6/27/09

Deal ignores impact on Siskiyou County, Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong Guest Comment, Capital Press, posted to KBC 6/27/09

Action Alert! Senate EPW Committee Passes Clean Water Land Grab (S 787), posted to KBC 6/22/09

Action Alert! NEW Field Burning Ban Bill Introduced - SB 985, posted to KBC 6/22/09, Oregon Farm Bureau.

Dams may be necessary for groundwater supply, Henry McQuown, posted to KBC 6/22/09, letter to editor H&N.

Removal of dam a dangerous decision, OP-Ed Statesman Journal by Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong District 5, posted to KBC 6/22/09

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review, posted to KBC June 22, 2009. “This edition contains detailed information on the following:  The State Budget negotiations,  AB 1288, SB 448, SB 121, AB 13, AB 39, AB 49, AB 900, SB 12, SB 229, SB 261, SB 457 and SB 458.”

Republicans honor Oregon voters by defending Measure 57, Oregon Rep Bill Garrard, district 56

Oregon Congressman Greg Walden's Newsletter, posted to KBC 6/21/09

California unemployment rate hits record high, Sac Bee, posted to KBC 6/21/09

Dunn Carney News Release, Oregon: Ranchers successfully defeat an attempt by environmental groups
to stop grazing on federal forest lands,
posted to KBC 6/18/09
Judge Haggerty's Order 6/15/09

The Governor’s Proposed Oregon Emergency Jobs Program, Senator Doug Whitsett Newsletter 6/18/09

Action Alert! Field Burning Bill Moves (SB 528), Oregon Farm Bureau 6/17/09

The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement: many wolves and a sheep, Op-Ed by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor District 5, 6/16/09

Well, if you really want to restore things…H&N letter to editor by Dan Sullivan, Bonanza 6/16/09. KBC NOTE: HERE for agenda of a KBRA 'confidential' meeting where there is discussion of removing Link River and Keno dams.

Klamath water report 6/8/09-6/15/09

Obama targets US public with call for climate action, Guardian News 6/16/09. "But the bill has run into strong opposition from some Democratic members of Congress, especially those from agricultural states who say that putting limits on greenhouse gas emissions will hurt farmers' economic interests. That could complicate Pelosi's plans of getting the bill passed through various committees by this Friday, 19 June, and put to a vote next week."

***Immediate Action Alert: S. 787 Clean Water Restoration Act To Be Marked Up Thursday, June 18 @ 9:30 a.m. PLEASE write!

AUDIO: Modoc County Board of Supervisors June 9, 2009, Alturas, listened to advocates and opponents of the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement from Modoc, Siskiyou, and Klamath Counties. Speakers were KWUA director Greg Addington, farmer, TID board president, board member of The Nature Conservancy, Klamath Basin Ecosystem Foundation, Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust, leaseland advisory board, Tulelake Growers Association, and Klamath Water and Power Agency John Crawford, Basin Fertilizer owner and KWUA board Bob Gasser, TID manager Earl Donosky, farmer/rancher and KWUA board member Mike Byrne, TID and KWUA board member and farmer Bill Heiney, farmer JW Walker, farmer/rancher Dave DeMoulder, former KWUA board member and local resident Bob Byrne, President Off-Project and farmer/rancher Tom Mallams, rancher and President off-project Resource Conservancy Roger Nicholson, rancher and chairman of Siskiyou County Republican Central Committee Brandon Criss, and farmer and KWUA board Scott Seus. Posted 6/16/09

Tulelake Irrigation District well water report 6/15/09

Pump storage best way to solve water shortage, by Cloyce Barnes, letter to editor H&N, posted to KBC 6/15/09

For Sunday Prayer Page: God's encouragement "You say: 'It's impossible'' God says:...

Please Write - Action Alert supporting suction dredge miners, 6/14/09 from Dave Mack, President, New 49'er Prospecting Association. "Senate Bill 670 (anti suction dredging legislation) will come up for a vote on Tuesday, June 16th"

Action Alert, SB 519A from Senator Whitsett, posted 6/13/09. "...this bill is an arbitrary obstruction of the rights to free speech for only one group of Oregonians..."

Picking mint at its peak; Tulelake distiller helps determine best time to harvest,  H&N, posted to KBC 6/14/09

A day at the Capitol, H&N 6/14/09

Oregonians for Food and Shelter Legislative News posted to KBC 6/14/09

Klamath Water Report 6/1-6/8/09

Stipulation of Conditional Withdrawal of KPWU's contest to claims 616 and 622 and conditional and interim no-call provisions by the United States and Klamath Tribes, signed May 14, 2009
* Attachment 1 to Stipulation

* Attachment 2 to Stipulation
* Attachment 3 to Stipulation
* Certificate of Service of Stipulation 5/18/09

What’s racist, what’s not regarding (Klamath) Tribes? by Steve Rapalyea, H&N letter to editor, posted to KBC 6/13/09

Sacramento meeting to kick off overhaul of federal forests plan, SacBee 6/13/09, with comments to Bee. "The forest-plan makeover kicks off at a public meeting in Sacramento July 1, at which the U.S. Forest Service will launch a three-year process to revise the management plans for 14 national forests. All federal timberland from the Sequoia National Forest north to the Oregon border is involved."

Presentation to the Modoc County Board of Supervisors: by Brandon Criss, Farmer/Rancher Macdoel CA.  Masters Degree in Public Administration from Norwich University, Chairman of the Siskiyou County Republican Party, posted to KBC 6/13/09

Klamath Basin Bill Passes House, Office of the Speaker Dave Hunt (D), Oregon House of Representatives 6/12/09

Oregon House passes Klamath dam bill, returns it to Senate, Capital Press 6/12/09

Group will ask voters to overturn Ore. business tax hikes, Capital Press 6/12/09

Today was a Billion Dollar Tax Day in the Oregon Legislature Democrats pass $733 million in tax increases on small and family owned businesses, Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett 6/11/09

Tax bills clear Oregon Senate; governor expected to sign, Capital Press 6/11/09

Democrats prepare for historic Billion Dollar Tax Week, Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett,  6/8/09
* 2009 Tax Bills before the 2009 Oregon Legislative Assembly

Biological opinion takes water from people, Capital Press editorial 6/11/09

Klamath farmers hope settlement leads to certainty, AgAlert calif Farm Bureau Federation 6/10/09

Write governor to stop anti-dam agreement, H&N letter by Howard Paine 6/9/09

Animal ID critics vent objections at ag meeting, Capital Press 6/9/09

A life of leisure; Retirement suits LeQuieu just fine, H&N, posted to KBC 6/6/09

(Oregon) Governor addresses local issues, H&N 6/6/09

PacifiCorp: Pact will be delayed, H&N 6/6/09

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Review - Legislative Update, posted 6/6/09

Oregonians for Food and Shelter legislative update posted 6/6/09

Slow-melting snowpack assures Oregon farms water for irrigation this summer, Oregonian, posted to KBC 6/6/09

B-Engrossed Senate Bill 76.  June 5, 2009 - Summary: "Directs Public Utility Commission to determine depreciation schedules for Klamath River dams based on assumption that dams will be removed in 2020. Directs commission to allow affected public utility to recover undepreciated amounts by imposing rates and tariffs..."
http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/sb0001.dir/sb0076.b.pdf

Commission approves coastal coho, fall chinook seasons, ODFW 6/5/09

Agreement on dams unlikely by June 30, H&N 6/5/09

Federal plan will protect chinook salmon, H&N 6/5/09

Items of interest in the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement: Draft 11 5/6/09 pdf   HERE for text
Where to Look:
Chinook, steelhead, coho, and lamprey introduced into the Klamath Basin?(KBRA11.1.2B)
   Modification of Klamath Reclamation Project Purposes 15.1.3

   Klamath Water and Power Agency/KWAPA considers  "
measures for short-term, intermittent, long-term, and permanent application to meet the purpose of the plan: conservation easements, forbearance agreements, conjunctive use programs, efficiency measures, land acquisitions, water acquisitions, groundwater development, groundwater substitution, other voluntary transactions, water storage, and any other applicable measures. 15.2.3
    20.4.1. "Reservation of Rights by the Tribes. The Tribes hereby reserve their rights to enforce any Regulatory Approval, including biological opinions under the Endangered Species Act, contemplated by and Consistent with this Agreement under Applicable Law..."
   21.5. Reservation. By entering into this Agreement, NMFS and FWS are not prejudging the outcome of any process under the ESA and NMFS and FWS implementing regulations, and NMFS and FWS expressly reserve the right to make determinations and take actions as necessary to meet the requirements of the ESA and implementing regulations.
    *
See KBRA table of contents for studies and issues with climate change, refuge and walking wetlands allocations, groundwater measuring and control, rules for litigating, new governance, money for tribes, restoration, endangered fish introduction.
    Klamath Tribe document of intensions -  putting land into tax-exempt trust, ...intends to "buy back private lands....and secure funding for purchasing retired water rights, conservation easements...assert tribes senior water rights...expand gaming...exchange for federal lands..."
    Recently circulated agenda of a KBRA secret PAIL meeting including mention of Keno Dam removal discussions 1/28/09

Web version of the KBRA is sparking speculation, H&N 6/4/09. “I think people need a voice. Any information we can get on what’s possibly going to happen to us is something we should know.”

Senator Doug Whitsett District 28, Newsletter: Proposed 2009-2011 Revenue Package, 6/4/09. "The result is an estimated reduction of 10,747 private sector jobs." HERE for Whitsett page

Water for Life worried about dam removal costs; Group opposes removing four dams on the Klamath River, H&N 6/4/09

Helping (Tulelake) Basin farmers try new practices, H&N 6/4/09

Do some real studies about taking out dams, H&N posted to KBC 6/4/09

Why did they put the Klamath Basin through all of this?, guest writer Brandon Criss, H&N, posted to KBC 6/3/09

The ‘only’ Basin water plan is not a good one, by Frank Goodson, letter to editor H&N, posted to KBC 6/3/09

Klamath Water Report: 5/25/09-6/2/09

Bill requires all eggs sold in California to be from cage-free hens, Sac Bee 6/3/09

From Colby Marshall, Oregon Congressman Greg Walden's Representative: Biomass 6/3/09

 Republicans’ stand on KBRA disappointing, H&N Letter to the Editor June 3, 2009 by Belinda Stewart, Klamath Water Users Association Outreach and Project Coordinator, along with "Poll shows how people feel about dam removal" by Tom Mallams.

 KWAPA meeting 6/2/09

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              Page Updated: Thursday August 13, 2009 03:44 AM  Pacific


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