Our Klamath Basin
Water Crisis
Upholding rural Americans' rights to grow food,
own property, and caretake our wildlife and natural resources.
Wilderness/Wildlands
On land and sea
Globalized
Grizzlies, New American by Michael Coffman, PhD,
August 17, 1997. This is a long, organized
write-up describing in detail the origin and
the agenda of "wilderness" and "wildlands"
designations.
"Dave Foreman is the principal founder of
the eco-terrorist group Earth First! Foreman
describes the Wildlands Project as an effort
to "tie the North American continent into a
single Biodiversity Preserve"; the Project's
official publication, Wild Earth, refers to
a "long-term master plan" to connect
ecosystems throughout the continent "until
the matrix, not just the nexus, is wild."
"We must make this an insecure
and inhospitable place for
capitalists, and their projects...
We must reclaim the roads and plowed
land, halt dam construction, tear
down existing dams, free shackled
rivers, and return to wilderness
millions of tens of millions of
acres of presently settled land."
Alaska has a
total of 57,425,569
acres of designated
wilderness
California
has a total of
14,986,424 acres of
designated wilderness
Colorado has
a total of 3,707,254
acres of designated
wilderness
Idaho has a
total of 4,522,779 acres
of designated wilderness
Montana has a
total of 3,443,038 acres
of designated wilderness
Nevada has a
total of 3,370,343 acres
of designated wilderness
Oregon has a
total of 2,473,207 acres
of designated wilderness
Utah has a
total of 1,156,952 acres
of designated wilderness
Washington
has a total of 4,423,676
acres of designated
wilderness
Wyoming has a
total of 3,111,232 acres
of designated wilderness
OSU
Paper calls for fewer cattle, more wolves to 'rewild'
the West, Capital Press
8/14/22. "Some 110,000 square miles of federal
land in the West should be closed to cattle and restocked
with wolves and beavers, according to a paper by Oregon
State University scientists and others...They propose reducing the amount of
federal land grazed in the West by 29% — equal to the size
of Nevada — and also limiting logging, mining, oil and gas
drilling and off-road vehicles...The proposal identifies blocks of
federally owned land in Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
California, Nevada, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico,
Wyoming and Utah for the rewilding network...
(including)
the Blue, Klamath and Cascade mountains in Oregon; the
Sierra Nevada mountains in California and the Northern
Rockies in Idaho."
Wyden defends River Democracy Act in virtual town hall
by George Plaven, Capital Press Sept
3Legislation...would
add nearly 4,700 miles of wild and scenic rivers across
Oregon...would roughly triple the number of wild and
scenic rivers in Oregon...adding up to 3 million acres
of protected land...American Forest Resource
Council...found that just 15% were actually labeled as
“rivers,” with most being identified as streams,
gulches, draws or unnamed tributaries...AFRC - wild and
scenic designations would impose restrictions on forest
management and actually increase wildfire risk in the
protected stream corridors...The bill would create a $30
million per year fund to restore and rehabilitate
riparian areas that do burn in a wildfire, Wyden said."
"Rep.
Cliff Bentz, R-Ore., said he talked with the 63
commissioners representing the 20 counties in his
69,000-square-mile congressional district; 53
commissioners oppose the River Democracy Act.
Oregon rivers, lands would gain protection under bill
passed by U.S. Senate, H&N 2/13/19. "...according
to Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, the measure would provide
protection for about 250 miles of rivers and streams in
Oregon. That would give the state more wild and scenic
designations than any other state besides Alaska..."
California
Farm Bureau Federation Friday Legislative Review,
3/24/17. "AB 975 would expand the
extraordinary values for 1,362 miles of rivers
designated as wild and scenic under the California Wild
and Scenic Rivers Act, as well as expand current
protections to include the river and adjacent lands
within one-quarter mile on each side of the river...Farm
Bureau opposes as written."
Groups pushing for Crater Lake wilderness area,
Oregonian via H&N 11/23/16. "Conservation
groups are stepping up the pressure on Oregon’s
congressional delegation to designate more than 500,000
acres of public land, including Crater Lake National
Park, as a federal wilderness area... Representatives
from Oregon Wild and Environment Oregon on Monday
delivered a petition with 37,000 signatures in support
of the proposal to Sen. Ron Wyden’s office...Oregon has
50 protected wilderness areas spanning more than 2.9
million acres...The more than 500,000-acre coverage area
also includes the headwaters of the Rogue and Umpqua
rivers...(Rep. Greg Walden has met with constituents and
elected officials in the affected area who are concerned
about 'restricting the public’s access to the land, as
well as the impact on forest and fire management in the
area.' "
Walden speaks out against proposed Crater
Lake wilderness, H&N, posted to KBC
1/24/16. "Walden said he is 100 percent
opposed to Oregon Wild’s wilderness
proposal. 'It kicks the public off public
land,' Walden said...'he believes a
wilderness designation will be a loss for
outdoor recreationists, such as bicyclists
and snowmobilers, and that the land will
become more fire prone because the
designation calls for less forest
management.' "
Obama administration to
propose new wilderness protections in Arctic refuge - Alaska Republicans
declare war, Washington Post 1/25/15. "Obama
administration will propose setting aside the 1.4 million-acre coastal
plain...as wilderness...The department will also put part of the Arctic
Ocean off limits to drilling as part of a five-year leasing plan it will
issue this week and is considering whether to impose additional limits on
oil and gas production...federal officials would prohibit motorized access
to the area as well as the construction of any roads. Even before this
designation, Alaska boasts 58 million acres of wilderness, more than half of
all the land enjoying that level of protection in the United States..."“It’s
clear this administration does not care about us, and sees us as nothing but
a territory. … I cannot understand why this administration is willing to
negotiate with Iran, but not Alaska."
Klamath bills pass Senate. Water pact,
forestry act take a step forward, H&N 11/14/14. "Sen.
Ron Wyden is trying to move a long-stalled
bill through the lame duck session of
Congress that would implement agreements to
remove four hydroelectric dams on the
Klamath River to help salmon." Oregon
Wyden's forestry bill would "create 87,000
acres of new wilderness and 252 miles of new
wild and scenic rivers." It is
"...expected to..." more than double
current timber harvests (KBC NOTE:
which are a fraction of historic harvests.)
Regarding Wyden's claim that the KBRA that
destroying 4 hydroelectric dams (that
provide flood control, power for 70,000
households, and millions of hatchery salmon)
will "help salmon", a speech by Oregon
Senator Doug Whitsett offers some
perspective: Senator Doug Whitsett speech regarding the KBRA and Klamath dam destruction at Yreka's public listening session put on by Department of Interior on 10/20/11. "The Draft Environmental Impact Statement does not appear to mitigate that 20 million cubic yards of sediment. The Department apparently proposes to simply blow the dams and let nature take its course, washing all that sediment downriver. They appear to consider this option as a “grand experiment” to see what actually happens. That amount of sediment is equivalent to about 2 million ten yard dump truck loads of silt, sediment and organic muck. To put that amount into perspective, lined up head to tail, 2 million dump truck loads of river muck would stretch about 12,500 miles…..about half way around the planet."
Media may need permit to film nature;
Forest Service considers setting fees
for wilderness photography, movie-making,
(comment period through Dec 3). H&N 9/26/14. "(USFS)
said it would consider the nature of a
proposed project before approving a
special-use permit and charge fees of up
to $1,500 for commercial filming and
photography in federally designated
wilderness areas.
Press advocates have criticized the
rules as a violation of the First
Amendment, saying it raises concerns
about press freedom...The
agency, which manages nearly 190 million
acres of public lands in national
forests and grasslands, including 439
wilderness areas...permit
applications would be evaluated based on
several criteria, including whether it
spreads information about the enjoyment
or use of wilderness or its ecological,
geological, scientific, educational,
scenic or historical values; helps
preserve the wilderness character...'It
is also very troubling that journalists
could be held to different standards at
the discretion of the issuing officer
depending on the content oftheir
stories and its relevance to wilderness
activity,” U.S. Rep. Greg Walden'
"
ACTION ALERT -
Another Big Green
power player moves up in Obama's Washington, Washington Examiner, posted
to KBC 11/27/13. "Those two
large agencies have a track record of appalling behavior that ranges from
massively coercing private property away from thousands of owners, to faking
science for new regulations, to cozy sue-and-settle lawsuits with
not-so-former green group colleagues.""Urgent: Call Your Senators Today To
Stop Rhea Sun Suh Green Grab!"
Department of Interior Federal Register: over 2 million acres proposed critical habitat for yellow legged frog and Yosemite toad, 1,105,400 acres. 750,926 acres in Yosemite: Part 2Part 3Public Comments due June 24, 2013. Mining and timber country..."Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, Alpine, Mariposa, Mono, Madera, Tuolumne, Fresno, and Inyo Counties, California." Sparked by lawsuit by Center for Biological Diversity Letter by U.S. Congressman Tom McClintock on NPS Merced River Management Plan draft EIS regarding preserving Yosemite for people to use and enjoy, posted to KBC 5/7/13. Senator Diane Feinstein's bill to create over 900,00 more acres of wilderness. posted to KBC 5/7/13.
Senators Wyden and Reid Planning 2013 Omnibus Federal Lands Bill, by Chuck Cushman, American Land Rights, 1/30/13. "Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) want to move quickly before the opposition gets organized. Your Senators are critical to stopping this giant Omnibus Federal Lands Bill."
Utah
legislators say Obama reviving wilderness guidelines, Capital Press, posted
8/8/12. "The manuals, they say, mirror the wording of a secretarial order
that would have made millions of acres of undeveloped land in the West eligible
for federal wilderness protection."
Judge Denies Tombstone Water, Townhall, posted to KBC 5/22/12. "Kathleen Nelson, acting ranger..., says the Forest Service has been letting Tombstone do some work to restore its water supply “as long as it complies with the 1964 Wilderness Act”—meaning Tombstone can do the work with shovels and haul the pipe up the mountain with horses... workers were stopped from using a wheel barrow. Rangers say the wheel barrow is “mechanized” and “might damage wilderness and disturb endangered species.” The feds are blocking emergency repairs that are critical to Tombstone’s survival." "If the Forest Service can effectively seize Tombstone’s 130-year-old water rights during a state of emergency— rights that the Service recognized as valid in 1916—no state or local government will be safe from the feds.”
Dams and a monument: ‘We feel squeezed
here’, H&N by Shirley Fisher
2/17/12. "It
was a great life in those days and
things were busy along the river — there
were miners and loggers, everyone
seemed to have a job, city folk had
summer homes in the area.”..."The
Siskiyou Monument proposal, if passed,
would set aside more than 500,000
acres of land between the Klamath River
and Siskiyou Crest, limiting
access"..."Fisher is concerned about the
possibility of greater frequency
of flooding if the dams come out.
With the prospect of dam removal and the
proposed 500,000-acre Siskiyou
Monument, she wonders what the future
holds."
testimony by U.S. Congressman Wally Herger 11/15/11. "Obama Administration intends to use this authority to lock up more than thirteen million acres of federal land from multiple-use access. In a time of high unemployment, this would lock even more American jobs away."
H&N, posted to KBC 11/6/11.
“We don’t have a single trail out of this,” Schenck said. "OHV enthusiasts attempted to work with forest officials this summer to develop some OHV specific trails, but nothing came from the efforts." “ We did drop the ball...” Hupp said.
5/17/11. "In
a move by the Obama Administration
to circumvent Congress’s sole
authority to allocate Wilderness
areas, this order could place a vast
amount of public land off-limits to
energy production, recreational use
and other job-creating activities."
,
by Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong 5/20/11. "Roadless
areas, Wilderness bills, National Monuments, Wild and
ScenicRivers designations,
“Travel management Plans,” the new Dept. of Interior “Wild Lands” policy and
President Obama’s “Treasured Landscapes” agenda are all efforts to re-wild large
core areas.
http://users.sisqtel.net/armstrng/monument.htm"
by Siskiyou
County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong, posted
to KBC 5/14/11. Armstrong documents how the
UN and ICNU, with designated roadless areas
and wilderness areas, were formed to shut
down human use of land and resources in the
Klamath River Basin. HERE for the Big Picture part 1.
Here is the link for Armstrong's research on
Agenda 21 Rewilding or
HERE
Wildlands Initiative" defunded in final CR,
The
Westerner, posted to KBC 4/16/11. “The ‘Wild Lands’
proposal issued by Secretary Salazar last December was
another attempt by the Obama Administration to circumvent
congressional authority in the Administration’s ‘War on
Western Jobs.’ "
"...MEMORANDUM*
KLAMATH
SISKIYOU WILDLANDS CENTER v. GRANTHAM
Plaintiffs appeal the district court's denial of their
motion for preliminary injunction to halt post-fire
salvage logging in Klamath National Forest" posted
to KBC 3/29/11. (KBC
NOTE: each plaintiff,
KLAMATH SISKIYOU WILDLANDS CENTER; ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION INFORMATION CENTER; KLAMATH FOREST ALLIANCE;
CENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY" is supported by
Earthjustice, supported by
George Soros. They oppose salvage logging trees
burnt up in a fire. Same force behind the NGO's in the
KBRA.)
Ron
Arnold:
Congress
should
stop
funding
Big
Green
lawsuits
against
the
government,
posted
2/26/11
Washington
Examiner.
"Rep.
Tom
McClintock,
R-Calif.,
chairman
of the
House
Natural
Resource
Committee's
Power
and
Water
Subcommittee,
introduced
an
amendment
to the
House's
$1.2
trillion
continuing
resolution
bill to
permanently
defund
NFWF...amendment
failed..."
KBC NOTE
- NFWF
funds
groups
like
American
Rivers,
on the
KBRA
stakeholder
group,
which
sues the
government,
often
with
taxpayer
money.
American
Rivers
suit
intends
to
demolish
Snake
River
dams.
George
Soros
and NFWF
fund
National
Wildlife
Federation.
Committee to Hold Oversight Hearing on Interior Department’s “Wild Lands” Policy, Natural Resources Committee, posted to KBC 2/25/11. "The Wild Lands policy expressly circumvents Congress’ statutory authority to establish Wilderness areas. ... the public’s access to public lands can be limited or halted entirely – impacting our economy, jobs, recreation opportunities and American energy production. Millions of acres of multi-use land in the West are at risk of being locked-up if the Administration carries out this policy.”
Unhappy
Camp, North Coast Journal, posted to KBC
10/20/10. Environmentalist story about Happy Camp's
attitude toward Wildlands Project creating Siskiyou
Crest National Monument where these rural people
make a living. Read the comments. "Most of you
come from cities where you flattened, paved, and
raped the land of every living thing in sight. Lived
in houses made of wood, were educated on books made
of paper, and wiped your asses with toilet paper.
Then you come out here, where the land was actually
managed and people coexist with nature."
Plans for proposed Siskiyou Crest National Monument
move forward, KDRV, posted to KBC 2/26/10
Western Lawmakers Ask Secretary Salazar for Complete
Monument Documents, Congressional Western Caucus
2/26/10. "These
designations could potentially lock up as many as 13
million acres of land in 11 different Western
states."
California
panel adds new marine sanctuary zone, Sacramento Bee
8/7/09. "The new preserves cover 153 square miles of ocean
between Half Moon Bay and Mendocino. Starting Jan. 1, fishing
will be permanently banned or restricted in the zones...The
Department of Fish and Game estimates "adequate" law
enforcement in the statewide preserve network would cost $27
million in the first year and $17 million annually thereafter.
It has nowhere near that level of funding." A Comment:
"We are adding
sanctuary zones to protect fish, but we are releasing 40K
prisoners on the general population of California to prey on
them."
