Klamath Basin and Fishermen Views on fishing season closures and green media attacks  2006.

 

Sheep dog nationals coming to Klamath Falls, H&N 7/31/06

PRESS RELEASE: GAO report reveals strong need for post-fire management, restoration in America's forests, KTVZ 7/31/06

8,300 pot plants seized, The cash crop of Siskiyou 8,300 plants times $4,000 per plant equals $33.2 million dollars, by Liz Bowen, Pioneer Press, posted to KBC 7/31/06

Bureau of Reclamation Water Data Update 7/31/06

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N, posted to KBC 7/31/06

Managing for excellence, Participant Comments Reclamation Meeting on Managing for Excellence, posted to KBC 7/31/06

Interior officials, Yuroks sign off on Klamath pact, Times Standard, posted to KBC 7/31/06

Working against forces of nature, H&N 7/23/06

Ridin' Point - a weekly column published in the Pioneer Press by Siskiyou County Supervisor District 5 Marcia Armstrong. Workshop on National Forest and local economics, posted to KBC 7/31/06
HERE for more columns by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor District 5

The Rural Water Supply Act of 2005: The Water and Power Subcommittee (Chairman Radanovich, R-Calif.) of House Resources Committee held a hearing on pending legislation Thursday, July 27, 12006. Below is the testimony of Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance, John Keyes III, Commissioner Bureau of Reclamation, and bill HR 4418, posted to KBC 7/31/06

All Tulelake Irrigation District wells were shut off as of 7/27/06.
TID wells July 12-19, 2006
TID water level July 12-19, 2006

Critics challenge nationwide animal ID program, 7/30/06

Klamath Basin tribes march on international hydropower conference; Tribes demand removal of Klamath Dams, Karuk, Yurok, and Klamath Tribes press release 7/28/06.

Irrigation use of groundwater shows need of more storage, 7/28/06

Rancher aids watershed, H&N, 7/27/06

NRC May 2 & July 25

Bureau: Aquifer use necessary, H&N, posted to KBC 7/22/06
County questions water use, Commissioners object to aquifer irrigation in a good water year, H&N, posted to KBC 7/22/06
Waterbank Page (KBC note: Our aquifer is being depleted by 5' per year according to OWRD. Yet the BIA paid for science by Dr Hardy which forces irrigators to pump the aquifer to artificially elevate Klamath River flows. So irrigators are told to pump the aquifer or shut down the Klamath Project, which is storage paid for by irrigators. This is a flood year yet we still are required to deplete our aquifer.)

Oregon Transportation Commission Approves ConnectOregon Project List Senator Whitsett Strengthens Economy, Creates Jobs, 7/22/06. (KBC note: While Oregon has the highest unemployment rate in the US, creating more untouchable wildnerness areas and shutting down timber harvest and agriculture, Senator Whitsett works to salvage the economy.)

2006 Klamath River Pathogen Monitoring, FWS, posted to KBC 7/22/06. "Attached are updated 2006 disease incidence rate data thru 7 June for Chinook and coho salmon collected from the Klamath River. Please note that all data presented are preliminary, as noted in table captions. Sample collections from the upper two reaches (Iron Gate-Shasta, Shasta-Scott) were terminated last week due to low to zero catch rates. Laboratory processing is on-going for samples collected after 7 June, as is summarization of CPUE data from collections. We will distribute summaries of these preliminary data when they become available. We also want to recognize the efforts of Tribal and Agency crews on the river for their assistance in collecting samples and to Kim for providing the attached summary." Nicholas J. Hetrick Fisheries Program Leader Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office, USFWS

PRESS RELEASE: Secretary Praises President's Intention to Nominate Robert Johnson Commissioner of Reclamation, 7/22/06

OTHER PLACES: Property Rights Group Slams California Reclamation District, posted to KBC 7/22/06. Imminent domain abuse 

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N, posted to KBC 7/22/06

(Tulelake) Mint farmer looks abroad, H&N July 20, 2006.

Letter from Oregon troller Scott Cook responding to letter from Zeke Grader, PCFFA, posted to KBC 7/20/06. "Zeke. you just don't get it...if you read Don's letter of the 18th, that is what we feel, we hope you folks will stay out of this long enough so we can get things done.. all the pcffa has done is file law suit after law suit, when we the Oregon troll fleet are in..."

Natural Resource Advisory Council meeting tonight July 20th, 2006

PRESS RELEASE: Resources Committee passes Endangered Species Compliance and Transparency Act, posted to KBC July 20, 2006
Letter from Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance Executive Director regarding Act.

Klamath Conference potential keynote speakers, donation request letter, and subbasin contacts, posted to KBC 7/20/06.   (KBC note: a few possible speakers are Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Mike Thompson, and many more. Thompson was amongst those on the capital steps in 2002 with dead fish blaming the Klamath Irrigators for Trinity Fish dying 200 miles away and has been in the forefront in the effort to downsize Klamath Basin agriculture; HERE for fish die-off page.) Go HERE for more on Klamath Conference in November.PRESS RELEASE" Major wetlands conservation act passes markup, Bill would authorize $375 million for NAWCA over 5 years, July 19, 2006

Build water answers from the ground up, Herald and News 7/20/06

Tulelake Irrigation District well reports 7/20/06.

Conservation group (The Nature Conservancy) buying out Calif. fishermen, posted to KBC 7/20/06

Oversight field hearing on “Electricity Costs and Salmon: Finding the Balance.” posted to KBC 7/20/06. This includes witnesses and their testimony, Subcommittee on Water and Power.

Congressman Walden dinner Aug 24, 2006

32 fish screens on Scott River, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 7/20/06

Klamath lake levels and river flows, posted to KBC 7/20/06 for July 10, H&N

Rainbow Gathering in Colorado lacks one color - green (regarding the Forest Service's double standards), posted to KBC 7/19/06

PRESS RELEASE: House Committee on Resources: ESA sunshine bill heads to markup, 7/18/06

Release from Klamath Water Users, Pacific Legal Foundation and KWUA file appeal to 9th Circuit Court regarding river flows, 7/14/06

Letter from Greg Walden, requesting Klamath River Basin Summit 7/14/06.

Oregon Salmon Commission Tours the Klamath Project, Klamath Courier, 7/14/06

Coastal fishermen, farmers expand alliance, Capital Press, 7/14/06.

Irrigators Pursue Power Rate Options, H&N 7/13/06.

Senators secure $10 million in salmon aid, KTVZ 7/13/06

Restoration of (Barnes Ranch) marsh on Upper Klamath Lake moving forward, Oregonian 7/10/06
Bill would boost size of Upper Klamath Refuge, H&N 7/10/06. (KBC Comment: We were told last month by a member of The Nature Conservancy that they had already bought the Barnes Ranch for more than $7 million dollars to be sold to Fish and Wildlife for a wetland. Regardless of the local letters and reasons against the federal government buying Barnes Ranch, Senators Wyden and Smith and DOI want to acquire this for USFWS. This will add to the 94,000 acres of ag land already acquired to 'restore' the Upper Basin. According to Dr William Lewis, Chairman of the National Research Council, this will not benefit suckers nor will it help Klamath Lake quality. Also it will raise lake temperatures and evaporate more water than it can store.  Note that they are no longer touting the 50,000 acre feet storage previously claimed. There were NO public meetings. Our voices and science and facts are not being acknowledged. KBC) HERE for letters regarding Barnes acquisition. HERE for Storage Page.

Going Organic (Modoc County), H&N 7/10/06

Small business disaster assistance Loan Guarantee Program for California Salmon Fisherman, Ca Dept of Food and Agriculture, posted to KBC 7/9/06 Declaration Concerning the Klamath River Fall Chinook Salmon Fishery, THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE,  July 6, 2006, posted to KBC 7/9/06 PRESS RELEASE: Gutierrez Announces Klamath River "Fishery Resource Disaster," Immediate Steps to Help Fishing Communities, Department of Commerce July 6, 2006, posted to KBC 7/9/06

PRESS RELEASE: KWUA applauds Secretary of Commerce's disaster declaration for fisheries, KWUA July 7, 2006

Jess Prosser: He was a fitting symbol for an act of protest, H&N, posted to KBC 7/9/06

Looking back at the 2001 water crisis by Dan Keppen, Family Farm Alliance and Greg Addington, Klamath Water Users Association, H&N, posted to KBC 7/9/06

The water crisis: 5 years later, H&N, posted to KBC 7/9/06

Family farming: Five years later (the Kliever Family) H&N, posted to KBC 7/9/06

Klamath Water Users Update July 7, 2006
Commerce Secretary Announces Resource Disaster
KWUA Applauds Commerce Announcement
Klamath BOR Area Manager Named
‘Irrigators Make Their Case’ – H&N Article

(9th Circuit)Court rejects challenge to salmon rules to commercial fishermen, posted to KBC 7/6/06

Irrigators make their case, H&N 7/6/06. Coastal commercial salmon fishermen came for tour of the Klamath Project.

PRESS RELEASE: Bureau of Reclamation Area Manager Appointed for Klamath Basin Office, 7/6/06.

Oregon - $13-Million More To Be Wasted Removing Savage Rapids Dam - Based On A Pack Of Lies, Dennis Becklin, posted to KBC 7/6/06 "

This misguided dam removal project will cost $50-million before it is completed in 2009. "It will not increase salmon or steelhead populations in the Rogue River.  It will cause massive damage to the Rogue River. And, it will probably bankrupt the Grants Pass Irrigation District as $500,000 annual electric bills replace zero-cost water driven turbines."

North American agreement of environmental cooperation between the government of the United States of America, the government of Canada and the government of the United Mexican States, posted to KBC 7/5/06.  This is a 'final draft' agreement.
Here is a website regarding NAFTA and agriculture.

Environment vs. Property Rights, Endangered Species Act reform needed? YES: The law is outdated, by Congressman Richard Pombo, SFGate, 7/5/06.

Environment vs. Property Rights, Endangered Species Act reform needed? YES: The law is outdated, by Congressman Richard Pombo, SFGate, 7/5/06.

Cycle of life in ocean spinning into extremes, Oregonian 7/5/06. A county supervisor sent this article to KBC:  "I think it speaks to the fact that the low salmon numbers are not due to flows, but to oceanic conditions."

DISCRIMINATION OTHER PLACES: Salmon run expected among best in 15 years, The Globe and Mail, posted to KBC 7/5/06  "The court ruled that the fishery is not discriminatory, but every fisherman who is not fishing today knows he is not fishing because he has the wrong blood in him. That is discrimination, no matter how it is [written] in the law."

"It's Independence Day!
Visit Homesteader Page and read the stories of those who fought to defend our freedom.  We must continue to defend these rights and freedoms, or their service will have been in vain.

Unintended Consequences The government and Klamath Basin farmers have spent  millions of dollars purchasing efficient sprinklers to conserve water. However, Pacific Power, disregarded the fact that their regulated water to create power comes from Klamath Project design and efficiency. They've significantly raised the irrigators' power rates, so many irrigators are forced to return to flood irrigation.  7/3/06 KBC photo

Project aims to mend lake shore, H&N, posted to KBC 7/3/06 "Mark Buettner, a fisheries biologist for FWS, acknowledged the lake level does not currently meet the biological opinion's requirement. But he said the agency has OK'd the temporary discrepancy, which was due to circumstances beyond Reclamation's control. Analyses by Reclamation and FWS conclude the current level will provide adequate sucker habitat this year."

Commission on salmon to visit Klamath Basin, theworldlink.com, posted to KBC 7/3/06

Proposed research project could change coast fisheries management, Newport News Times, posted to KBC 7/3/06

'Granddaddy of fish projects', Times Standard, posted to KBC 7/3/06. See No Dam page.

God Bless the Veteran. This was sent to KBC by a World War II Veteran Tulelake homesteader Dave Carman. Continuing to speak out for freedom, Dave was a witness at the 2004 Klamath ESA hearing which can be obtained HERE.

Cracking down on thieving sea lions, mail Tribune, posted to KBC 7/3/06

Salmon still struggle 20 years later, Federal funding about to run out on Klamath effort, Capital Press, posted to KBC 7/01/06. 
Related articles: (Where did the federal Klamath River Basin Fisheries Task Force money go?, Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong 10/23/05)
Fisheries Task Force stirs up health concerns; Are your tax dollars well-spent? Klamath Courier posted to KBC 10/29/05

Oregon State University To Launch Two (Sustainable) Research Projects Through Rural Communities Initiative, OSU, posted to KBC 7/1/06 "Hannah Gosnell, an assistant professor in OSU's Department of Geosciences, will lead the Klamath Basin project. The university-funded seed grant will allow five OSU faculty members from different disciplines to work with Extension faculty in Klamath County to explore the impacts of land-use planning in the Klamath Basin, and develop relationships with decision-makers and landowners. Other OSU faculty members involved in the project include Gail Achterman, director of the Institute for Natural Resources; Bill Jaeger, an agricultural and resource economist; Denise Lach, a sociologist; Lindsey Lyons, an Extension faculty member in Klamath County; and Desiree Tullos, a bioengineer."

Climate-changed, Medford Mail Tribune, posted to KBC 7/1/06. Family Farm Alliance Executive Director been named to the new Climate Change Integration Group by Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

Tulelake Irrigation District well water report, posted to KBC 7/1/06. HERE for past reports.

Oregon Dept Fish and Wildlife preliminary 2006 Oregon Ocean Commercial Troll Salmon catch and effort estimates through week 24, June 5-11, posted to KBC 7/1/06

OTHER PLACES: River Settlement, It’s Reached In 18-Year-Old Litigation Over San Joaquin River Flows, Salmon Fishery, Family Farm Alliance 7/1/06