ARCHIVE 40 - September 2005
also  see main archive page

Sheepdog finals Bonanza Sept 30-Oct 2

Answers from the Bureau of Reclamation regarding CIP, Barnes Ranch, and the Chadwick process, received from BOR 9/29/05.

PRESS RELEASE: House Passes Historic Endangered Species Act Improvement Bill,  Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act passes by a vote of 229-193, 9/29/05

PRESS RELEASE: Congressional budget office cost estimate, received by KBC 9/29/05

Klamath Lake Levels and River Flows 9/09/05

Rate increase on tap from Pacific Power customers, Bend.com 9/29/05

Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, District 28 Update, 9/29/05

Re-origin on Endangered Species Act, Wall Street Journal 9/29/05. Wall Street Journal's take on the TESRA bill that has passed out of the House Resource Committee

 TID well reports and current pumping status, 9/29/05

House Resources Committee OKs ESA legislation, California Farm Bureau Federation posted to KBC 9/29/05

PRESS RELEASE: Grants to Benefit Endangered Species in the Pacific Region Total $17 Million, FWS posted to KBC 9/29/05. "$17 million in grants in the agency’s Pacific Region to support conservation planning and acquisition of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants. The grants, awarded through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, are among $70.5 million awarded nationally to benefit species throughout the United States ranging from mussels to bull trout."

PRESS RELEASE: Species Habitat Protections: ESA vs. TESRA posted to KBC 9/29/05

According to Klamath Bucket Brigade Barb Hall, "Miller's substitute bill was voted down by the US House."

**PRESS RELEASE: House Resource Committee regarding Miller/Boehlert Substitute to H.R. 3824, ESA Reform Bill, 9/29/05
**Miller/Boehlert H.R. 3824 ESA Reform Bill substitute applauded by environmental groups, 9/29/05. The amendment is supported by  Izaak Walton League of America, Trout Unlimited, the American Bird Conservancy, The Nature Conservancy, The Ocean Conservancy, and the The Wilderness Society, in addition to Defenders of Wildlife, Environmental Defense, and the World Wildlife Fund.

SOSS protects water -- Fundraising dinner is Oct. 1, Klamath Courier 9/29/05

No regulation without compensation' Editorial: There are three or four changes we think are critical to an updated Endangered Species Act, starting with a strengthening of the science behind it, Orange County Register posted to KBC 9/29/05

Feds cut back habitat for snowy plover, AP posted to KBC 9/29/05

Bush administration scales back conservation program, Daytona Beach News Journal 9/29/05

Bureau of Reclamation Water Update Fact Sheet, received from Bureau 9/28/05. "Water Bank Used to Date: 102,835 acre-feet"

Lost River TMDL meeting was canceled, Regional water board puts plans on hold until Scott River is final, by Liz Bowen, Klamath Courier Reporter 9/28/05

Defending ESA failures, House Committee on Resources posted to KBC 9/28/05

Alice Kilham from Hatfield Working Group, Klamath Basin Ecosystem Foundation and Klamath River Compact, sent this letter to the Klamath Basin email list of stakeholders,  the people attending the Chadwick Consensus sessions. Anyone can attend and the next session is Nov. 1-3. Included are the committees you might want to join, the following are some:
* FOCUS AREA 6: A KLAMATH RIVER CONGRESS (CONFERENCE, FORUM) WILL BE HELD.:  "The Klamath River Basin Congress/Conference/Forum is a group that speaks the heart of watershed people. It is a group that truly represents all. "
* FOCUS AREA 11: DAMS - FISH PASSAGE AND POWER RATES: "Form a coalition between the Upper Basin irrigations/tribes/fisheries/agencies that provides for the needs of each other and supports decommissioning of the Iron Gate, COPCO 1 and 2 and JC Boyle Dams."
*FOCUS AREA 15: WATER MANAGEMENT AND ALLOCATION. *Form a water allocation and demand working group that looks at the whole watershed."
Chadwick is partly financed by the Bureau of Reclamation and will be planning everything to irrigator's water allocations, power rates, tribal trust responsibilities, dam removal. There are tribes, gov't agencies, playwrights, irrigators, environmentalists, NOAA, FWS, BLM, FS, BOR, PCFFA and Waterwatch, all sorts of folks to represent you, so, go HERE for letter and committees and more information. Posted to KBC 9/25/05

The Committee on Resources  voted on amendments to Pombo's Endangered Species Act bill--go HERE for amendments to HR 3824 ESA bill.

Write ESA letters TODAY 9/19-20

Pacific Legal Foundation: Fish and Wildlife Service Agrees to Perform Status Reviews for 194 Species in California, posted to KBC 9/25/05

"I am the Kelo in Kelo v. City of New London – the now-infamous U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that private property, including my home, could be taken by another private party."  Testimony of Susette Kelo before the Senate Judiciary Committee, posted o KBC 9/25/05

It’s time to fix Endangered Species Act, Capital Press 9/25/05

GAO/Government Accountability Office: Information Quality Act: National Agricultural Statistics Service Implements First Steps, but Documentation of Census of Agriculture Could Be Improved. GAO-05-644, pdf file, posted to KBC 9/25/05

BLM public comment on land use due Oct. 21, 2004

Calif. wants a look at dam removal, Capital Press posted to KBC 9/24/05. "California has sided with Klamath Basin American Indian tribes, urging that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission mandate a study of Klamath dam removal as part of renewing Klamath hydroelectric licenses that expire March 31, 2006."  Dwight Russell, a California Department of Water Resources regional manager: 'We want a look at taking out all dams as an option,' he said."

Commission votes to change (Oregon) wolf policy, Statesman Journal posted to KBC 9/24/05. "The removed elements called for the designation of the wolf as a special-status mammal under the game mammal statute, creation of a state-funded compensation program for livestock killed by wolves and allowing ranchers and farmers to kill wolves caught in the act of killing livestock." WRITE Oct 1 - Nov 4.

Klamath commission holds quick meeting, Capital Press posted to KBC 9/24/05. "In the aftermath of the 2001 cutoff of federal irrigation water to about 90 percent of Klamath Reclamation Project croplands during a drought, some thought the compact would rise to the top as the way both states and federal interests could create a restoration of resources that eluded the federal government. That didn’t happen...."

National Water Resources Association newsletter for 9/23/05. Includes Secretary Norton's additional funding for more wetlands, and ESA updates.

Being listed under the Endangered Species Act "is like the Eagle's song 'Hotel California;' you can get in and you can't get out." Congressman Greg Walden

Agency Lake off (bull trout) habitat list, H&N 9/24/05. "Fish and Wildlife officials said Friday they plan to designate 3,780 miles of streams and 110,364 of lakes and reservoirs in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana as bull trout critical habitat"

Why Pombo's ESA Reform Bill [TESRA - H.R. 2834] Is A Step Backward 9/24/05 by James Buchal. This is a different take on Pombo's reform bill.

In search of a better way, Stockton Record posted to KBC 9/24/05

California Farm Bureau: "The Governor until October 9 to sign or veto measures so you still have time to send a letter by going to the CFBF ACTION ALERT website."

KWUA Weekly Update Sept. 23, 2005    
* Walden Announcement in Klamath
* ESA Legislation Moves out of   Committee
* Klamath Horseradish
* KWUA Annual Meeting

PRESS RELEASE: Bipartisan Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005: Approved Overwhelmingly by Committee, 9/22/05

State of Agriculture in Siskiyou County 2004, Crop, livestock and timber values by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor, Pioneer Press Sept 21, 2005 edition

PRESS RELEASE: House Panel Passes Bipartisan Measure to Improve Endangered Species Act,  Resources Committee approves HR 3824; legislation includes key provisions strengthening science, establishing priorities, protecting private property rights, 9/22/05

PRESS RELEASE: Walden Legislation Benefiting Oregon's Youth, Forests Passes House Resources Committee Bipartisan legislation provides education, vocational training for Oregon's youth through work in federal forests 9/22/05

Diesel costs sting state growers, Many try to absorb spike, not raise prices, in tightly controlled market
Followed by:  State farmers donate despite narrow profits By Michael Gardner COPLEY NEWS SERVICE September 18, 2005

Klamath Lake levels and river flows, H&N 9/22/05

Peterson Amendment to Pombo's ESA bill, 8/22/95.

Water Bank Water Used by 9/13/05: 102,835 Acre-Feet. The Biological Opinion deemed flawed by the National Research Council demands 100,000 acre feet of the irrigators' stored water and aquifer (which is dropping 5 feet per year according to Oregon Water Resource Department). Last week TID was requested to again pump their wells by the Bureau of Reclamation, sending aquifer water into Klamath Lake and Klamath River over and above waterbank demands. HERE for KBC waterbank page.

Tulelake Irrigation District well water reports for 9/22/05

Funds diverted to species protection could have saved storm-struck area
by Senator Doug Whitsett from District 28. Whitsett is a Klamath Basin rancher and retired veterinarian.
also appeared in the Herald and News 9/19/05 "In my opinion the environmental movement which has developed in the US since the early 1960’s is directly responsible for the disaster condition in which the country now finds itself."

Klamath horseradish has global appeal, California Farm Bureau Federation, posted to KBC 9/22/05. "Several growers are raising a combined total of about 900 acres of horseradish in Tulelake, in the Klamath Basin on the California-Oregon border. That acreage constitutes roughly 30 percent of total U.S. production"

House panel near approval of major Endangered Species Act rewrite AP Corvallis Gazette Times 9/22/05

Sept 21 9am PST, live web video Real player is required to view the live video feed and can be downloaded for free by clicking here.

Sept 21 morning: Chairman Richard W. Pombo Opening Statement on H.R. 3824, the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (TESRA)

For September 21.You can listen (over the internet) to the House Resource Committee Hearing on HR 3824 - Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (TESRA).  To listen to the hearing live, visit the following link: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/.  Next click on the link for Room "1324" under Live Audio.  The Hearing will start at 7:00 am PDT (local) or 10:00 am EDT (D.C.)

Please vote in this online poll on the Chairman's ESA bill and have a friend do it as well! http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/

KBC NEWS: Words from Congressman Greg Walden, Klamath Water Users Association Executive Director Greg Addington, Klamath County Commissioner John Elliott, Klamath District Attorney Ed Caleb, former State Senator Steve Harper, regarding the House Committee on Resources bill TESRA, HR3824, to improve the Endangered Species Act. These words were from questions and answers and also from interviews by KBC News yesterday at Walden's press conference at the Klamath County Courthouse. 9/20/05.

Klamath Courier Photo by Pat Ratliff

Herald and News photo by Gary Thain

Put Blame in right place, Herald and News letter by Ed Baley, Tulelake Irrigation District board of directors president, posted to KBC 9/20/05

Pombos ESA bill will protect property owners 9/20/05

Sweet success, Klamath Basin sweet corn crop, posted to KBC 9/20/05

Logging is back on BLM lands, H&N posted to KBC 9/20/05

(Tulelake Japanese) Internment camp bill's message: Don't forget, Sacramento Bee posted to KBC 9/20/05. 

GAO - Government Accountability Office -  report to Congressional requesters on the Klamath River Basin Conservation Area  Restoration Program, Limited assurance regarding the federal funding requirements, 9/19/05, pdf file.

ACTION ALERT by House Committee on Resources 9/19/0

Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (TESRA)
The Bill text, HERE
Background and Need, HERE
Section by section, HERE

ESA hearing agenda and witness list for full committee hearing on HR3824, 9/19/05

PRESS RELEASE: Walden Backs Bipartisan ESA Modernization Measure Says "32-Year-Old Law Needs Fixing" 9/19/05

PRESS RELEASE: Bipartisan Coalition Introduce Bill to Improve the Endangered Species Act of 1973 9/19/05

Commission votes to change (Oregon) wolf policy, Statesman Journal posted to KBC 9/24/05. "The removed elements called for the designation of the wolf as a special-status mammal under the game mammal statute, creation of a state-funded compensation program for livestock killed by wolves and allowing ranchers and farmers to kill wolves caught in the act of killing livestock." WRITE Oct 1 - Nov 4.

 Family Farm Alliance Statement on New ESA Legislation, followed by FFA Press Release 9/19/05

(Oregon) Wolf plan at final stage, Corvallis Gazette 9/19/05. "The final plan for managing protected gray wolves that migrate into Oregon will prohibit ranchers from killing wolves that attack livestock and will not include compensation for losses to wolf attacks." HERE for Wolf  Page.

NOAA Fisheries FishNews Special Edition - September 19, 2005. Administration Introduces Proposal to Reauthorize Magnuson-Stevens Act; NOAA Fisheries Service to Host National Call on September 20

California Farm Bureau bills, posted to KBC 9/18/05

Senate Approves Funding For Salmon Recovery, Ocean Research In Oregon  9/18/05 Medford News

KWUA Weekly Update Sept. 16, 2005 
* KWUA Annual Dinner
* Updated ESA Restores Balance (guest opinion)
* KWUA to Host Senate Staffers
* Oregon Water Resources Commission Meeting
* Trollers Lose Lawsuit, Appeal Planned
* Mail Scan on Capitol Hill

 DFG regulations now in effect on Klamath River, Times-Standard, posted to KBC 9/16/05

Bureau of Reclamation is supporting a Chadwick Consensus process, and the next meeting is in November. Everyone is invited to attend. .HERE for letter. Here for Chadwick page.

Bureau of Reclamation water data update, KBC received from the Bureau 9/14/05. "Iron Gate Dam Releases: 1,180 cfs, Biological Opinion Requirement: 1,168 cfs, Water Bank Used to Date: 102,835 acre-feet." (Water Bank water demanded by the Biological Opinion in 2005 regardless of water year type: 100,000 acre-feet. 

ACTION ALERT: California Farm Bureau Friday Review, posted to KBC 9/13/05.

Tribes return to Tri-Cities to sell chinook salmon, Tri-City Herald, posted to KBC 9/13/05 "So far, about 180,869 adult Chinook have passed over Bonneville Dam, along with 228,000 summer steelhead and 27,000 coho, said Stuart Ellis, a Portland-based harvest management biologist with the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission"

Members sought for resources council, H&N posted to KBC 9/13/05

 Notice of Information Meetings, Public Hearings, Chance to Review and Comment; Oregon’s Draft 2004 Integrated Report on Water Quality Status and 303(d) List posted to KBC 9/13/05

 Pombo discusses new bill below;  Pombo Seeks To Overhaul Species Act
and, OPINION - Updated ESA Restores Balance by Norm Semanko, Idaho Water Users Association executive director posted to KBC 9/13/05

Oregon trollers lose court decision--Oregon Trollers Association vs Carlos Guiterez, Yurok and Hoopa Valley Tribes, 9/12/05. Word document go HERE. PDF go HERE
For past article of trollers to Klamath farmers, go HERE
More fishermen stories go HERE.

Turning public lands over to the Tribes would be a travesty, H&N 9/11/05 "The article about the proposal presented July 13 to the Klamath County commissioners states Klamath Tribes Chairman Alan Foreman was joined by farmers, ranchers and a Jeld-Wen vice president. What is not reiterated in the article, as in an earlier article, is that the farmers and ranchers present at this work session consisted of one rancher and three farmers. This small group is not representative of the majority of farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin."

Tribes proposal to commissioners including the supporters from 7/13/05

Weekly KWUA Update posted to KBC Sept. 11, 2005
* Takings Case: What Now?
* Letters: Put Blame in Right Place – Well Pumping
* USDA Assistance for Hurricane Victims
* LA & MS Farm Bureau’s Accepting Funds
* Energy & Transportation Impacts from Hurricane
* Wetter, Wilder Winter Predicted
* Reclamation: Wirkus Promoted
* Pombo Expects Approval of Species Act Revision
* Group: Population Numbers May Doom Salmon
* Swayze: ESA Reality TV Series
* Quote of the Week

Governor vetoes tax credit bill, posted to KBC 9/11/05 Capital Press

Researchers say water table critical to alfalfa irrigation, Capital Press posted to KBC 9/11/05

Anti-Farm Groups Continue Klamath Assault, by Greg Addington, Klamath Water Users Executive Director, Klamath Courier Rancher, posted to KBC 9/7/05.

The Many Facets of The Endangered Species Act, by Julie Smithson, posted to KBC 9/7/05. This well-researched document details getting species listed, methods used, United Nations ESA mandate, examples, species recovery success rate, etc. A must-read for the objective student of environmental science.

Comment by Sept 9 Modoc juniper

NRCS incentive program workshops Aug 31 & Sept 7

We just stumbled across this letter online from the Department of Justice to the Public Utilities Commission regarding Klamath Basin power and dam relicensing. 9/6/05, pdf file.

Speed up process of salvage logging, Herald and News, posted to KBC 9/6/05

Counties’ salmon program poised for new federal initiative, Times Standard, posted to KBC 9/6/05

Tulelake-Butte Valley Fair Sept 7-11

Tribal rift puts state in position of referee, Casinos pit large-but-poor against small-but-powerful, Sign On San Diego, posted to KBC 9/6/05

Native grasses for sale for restoration projects, go HERE.

9/4/05, A prayer for our troops sent from Chico, CA to KBC, see PRAYER PAGE.

California Farm Bureau Federation  Friday Review and action alerts, posted to KBC 9/4/05

Ruling in takings case not the end, H&N 9/2/05

September 1 A BLACK DAY IN AMERICA   Judge rejects property claim from (Klamath) irrigators, H&N 9/1/05      "The life expectancy of a lieutenant infantryman was 7 1/2 minutes. I left all my best friends. I survived." Carman was honored to apply to win a Tulelake Homestead for his service in WWII, signed by The President.      Today Judge Allegra has voided his contract signed by the government. He was deeded 2 1/2 feet of irrigation water per year from storage that he paid for.   Previously his land was under 20 feet of water. Photo, left, ofDave Carman, WWII veteran was a 1st Lieutenant of the 7th Amphibious Infantry Division in the Aleution Islands. For DEED, go HERE Carman Testimony, go HERE  In The United States Court of Federal Claims No. 01-591 L (Filed: August 31, 2005) KLAMATH IRRIGATION DISTRICT, et al.,Plaintiffs, v.THE UNITED STATES, Defendant, PACIFIC COAST FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATIONS, Defendant-Intervenor HERE Judge rejects property claim from (Klamath) irrigators, H&N 9/1/05 Farmers Lose Klamath Water Fight; Judge rejects most of a suit seeking $1 billion from the U.S. for virtually cutting off irrigation to protect fish during a drought, LA Times 9/1/05 Klamath Farmers denied rights to withheld water, Oregonian 9/1/05 Federal judge turns down case by Klamath River water users, the Register Guard 9/1/05 Ruling in takings case not the end, H&N 9/2/05

Trollers to battle fuel costs, weather, worldlink 9/2/05

Pombo expects approval of species act revision, The Record posted to KBC 9/2/05

2007 Farm Bill must address competition and concentration, Ecofreedom posted to KBC 9/2/05

Tulelake Irrigation District well reports 9/1/05. TID wells have finished pumping.

Fishing report 9/1/05

California Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa Statement Regarding ACA 22 - The Homeowner & Property Protection Act, posted to KBC 9/1/05

Property rights revolt sweeps nation, Eminent domain decision prompts California legislation posted to KBC 9/1/05

Cougar Klamath meeting Aug 31

Fishing report  8/30/05

 Oregon Dept. of Agriculture's "Story of the Week."Oregon's Ag in the Classroom program produces new history book for new school year New book helps students "Get Oregonized", posted to KBC 9/1/05