Oregonians For Food and Shelter Feb 28 legislative update.

Klamath Water Users Executive Director Greg Addington in jail. More news later. 2/28/07
Information on Addington in jail. Fax is: 541.883.8893

Media Myth: America's big dam problem, Business and Media Institute, 2/28/07. "While environmentalists claim to battle for renewable energy, dams that provide renewable power to 10 percent of the United States have come under increasing attack..." followed by Something Fishy about Eco-Extremists' Power Play; Uber-left would rather take out a dam than give one about America's energy future.

Tax breaks proposed for saving animals, 2/28/07 Sacramento Bee. More on ESA go HERE.

Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's Statement From Today's Hearing On The "Evolving West" FOLLOWED BY Reps. Bishop, Heller & Sali's Statements, US Committee on Natural Resources 2/28/07

* DFG Salmon info meetings 2/21&28

Pacific Legal Foundation Press Release: Russ Brooks, PLF Star Attorney in the Pacific Northwest, Passes Away; An environmental-law expert, Brooks won landmark victories against arbitrary regulations, PLF 2/27/07

Klamath River flows, researched by Lewie Baker, 2/27/07. For Lake Level and River Flow page go HERE.

Marsh future uncertain, H&N 2/27/07, followed by Marshland farming doubtful.

An opening on the Klamath, Oregonian editorial 2/26/07. (KBC NOTE: The Oregonian continues it's agenda-driven mission with many untruths. Contrary to the Oregonian article, according to Fish and Wildlife, the runoff from Klamath Project goes through the refuges and is not polluted; no fish or wildlife have died or become sick from the returned water. And see photo on the left; it's dry Link River, a common occurrence before the Klamath Project was built. The Project provides for irrigation, and constant regulated flows for power and fish. The National Academy of Science states that 2002 water levels are not responsible for the 2002 fish die-off, and fish survival does not depend on artificially-elevated flows.)

Potato cyst nematode survey planned, H&N, posted to KBC 2/26/07

Shrinking Water Supplies Threaten National Security; Western Agriculture At Risk From Climate Change And Competing Water Demands, Family Farm Alliance 2/26/07

Fee Fi Fo Dumb, by Paul Gerald, posted to KBC 2/25/07 "...now that DeFazio and the Democrats control Congress, the Oregon congressman aims to replace the fee revenue with a "small royalty" on mining operations on federal lands."
 

Contractor to bust another dam; Slayden to remove Chiloquin Dam on Klamath tributary, Capital Press 2/23/07

Judge rejects Roundup Ready alfalfa approval; Court says USDA should have done Environmental Impact Statement, Capital Press 2/23/07

Projected salmon rebound casts hope on murky situation, Times Standard 2/23/07. (KBC Note: according to Oregon trollers, during the 2006 salmon season,only 5% of the catch came from Klamath River, yet the feds shut down most of their fishing.)

* NOAA seeks comment on ocean fisheries research plan 2/23/07

* Family Farm Alliance Annual Conf. Feb 22-23

Farmers flood Capitol to oppose water metering, Capital Press 2/22/07. " 'There is little need for House Bill 2564 and less benefit, but the cost will be enormous,' testified Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls. '(Water for Life President Glen) Barrett said it would cost him $284,000 to install water metering devices and the supporting electrical requirements that would enable him to measure water use on the 500 acres he irrigates.' "  Senator Doug Whitsett asks for testimony on mandatory water meters, 2/19/07. "House Bill 2564

Basin urged to make drought plans, H&N 2/22/07. (KBC NOTE: In 2004, Klamath Water Users Association spent 50 weeks with 20 people making a "drought plan." It would have worked but the feds through it out. HERE is the Klamath Water Users Drought Plan. For Bureau of Reclamation's Waterbank page (charts of our aquifer being depleted) go HERE.)

March 10 - Klamath Regional Biofuels Conference Agenda
March 10 - Klamath Regional Biofuels Registration

‘Unite to Fight’: strategies to protect property rights, posted 2/22/07, Siskiyou Daily News.  "(Byfield) referenced the downfall of the timber industry when “radical elements within the environmental movement got their way. Businesses, small and large, were serious affected. People lost jobs. Now with the dams, if they are taken out — people could lose their homes due to flooding. Their private property would be damaged,” Byfield said.

Tulelake Irrigation District well water levels 2/22/07

* Notes of Pablo R. Arroyave, Bureau of Reclamation Klamath Office, for KWUA annual meeting, posted to KBC 2/22/07

Harbormaster Resigns, World Link, posted to KBC 2/20/07. "It was early last week when Harbormaster Don Yost was requested to sign a letter notifying a handful of boat owners that access to their vessels would be restricted and the boats would be impounded, Yost said. But Yost found he couldn't sign those letters."

* Klamath River Fall Chinook Age-Specific Escapement,River Harvest, and Run Size Estimates, 2006 Run, Klamath River Technical Advisory Team, posted 2/20/07
* Ocean Abundance Projections and Prospective Harvest Levels for Klamath River Fall Chinook, 2007 Season1, Klamath River Technical Advisory Team, posted 2/20/07

Value Of 2006 West Coast Salmon Season Down 62 Percent, Fish Letter 2/20/07

Congressman (Pombo) returns to Washington as lobbyist, Sun-Star, 2/20/07

Don't get hooked by Salmon Planning Act, posted 2/20/07. Letter by Congressman Hastings and signed by five congressmen, sent to Republican Congress colleagues. "Salmon returns in the Pacific Northwest have rebounded to record levels in recent years in response to habitat improvements and  changing ocean conditions.

Senator Doug Whitsett asks for testimony on mandatory water meters, 2/19/07. "House Bill 2564 would require installing and maintaining water measuring devices on all municipal, industrial, agricultural, and domestic uses of the waters of the state." "A hearing for public testimony on mandatory water measurement is scheduled for 3 P.M. Wednesday, February 21st in Hearing Room HR C by the House Committee on Energy and the Environment." {KBC NOTE: in California a law was passed that they could not mandate meters. In the Bay area, we spoke with a farmer who said after he put in meters, he now must pay more than $100/acre foot to pump water from his own well on his own property.}

Klamath Water Users honored President Steve Kandra with a plaque with a message by Congressman Greg Walden praising his service and dedication.

Land ownership squabble closes hatcheries, World Link, posted 2/19/07

Karuk funded for ‘path to prosperity’, Siskiyou Daily News, posted 2/19/07. (KBC NOTE: THIS is an example of a community devastated by destruction of logging communities by so-called Endangered Species concerns. Later is was discovered more owls are killed by fire than logging.)

PRAYER REQUEST 2/18/07. Please pray for Marcie and Jim Foley, as Marcie is having severe health issues. Thank you.
PRAYER REQUEST 2/17/07:  Please pray for the family and friends of Bob Woodman, Tulelake, in their time of loss.

Chinook salmon season looks brighter, council says, posted 2/18/2007 The Oregonian. "About 60,000 wild fish are expected to return to the Klamath river to spawn, well above the 35,000 returning salmon that biologists set as a minimum level."

Owl ruling halts logging, Herald and News 2/18/07. (KBC NOTE: They do not take into consideration how many owls are fried during wildfires on unhealthy forests) HERE for forest page.

About the Dams, Letter to the Editor Pioneer Press, posted to KBC 2/18/07

Leave dams alone, H&N letter, posted 2/18/07

Organic grower figures extra work is worth it Klamath-area farm turns out wheat, barley, alfalfa and variety of row crops, Capital Press, posted to KBC 2/18/07

Water allocation critical to cattle ranchers. Adjudication process under way in Klamath Basin, Capital Press, posted  2/18/07

Under the radar and out of control, The Herald 2/18/07. "A particularly disturbing trend in our land use policy, however, is the seemingly unstoppable destruction of thousands of acres of valuable farmlands via 'wetland conversions.' " (KBC NOTE: In Klamath County as of 2001, more approximately 94,539 acres of farmland have been converted to wetlands, doubling water consumption compared to irrigated ag, worsening water quality, raising water temperature and actually harming fish habitat.  Thousands more acres have been acquired from 'willing sellers' since then, and more to come.)

Budget kind to Klamath water programs, Proposed budget for farm bill would hike funding, H&N posted to KBC 2/18/07, and Water Supplies may be tight for the 2007 growing season

DFG to Host Public Salmon Informational Meetings, 2/18/07

What have Klamath Water Users done all year? KWUA annual meeting 2/18/07, by Jacqui Krizo, KBC editor. "With power rate increases, FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) negotiations, lawsuits against the irrigators, and regulations on lake levels, river flows, and water quality, all on the shoulders of the irrigators, KWUA held its annual meeting to update their community." (Tribal land) transfer issue tabled, H&N, posted to KBC 2/18/07, followed by Testimony about the Resolution Land transfer to Tribes opposed, H&N, posted to KBC 2/18/07 Many people have stake in preserving access to federal lands, Jerry Anderson, H&N, posted to KBC 2/18/07  More articles go HERE and scroll.

KWUA outgoing President Steve Kandra was honored with a plaque and photo collage for his endless efforts trying to preserve irrigated agriculture in the Klamath Basin.

Water laws drying up farms, Denver Post 2/11/07 Klamath 2001 deja vous "the planting season is approaching and the Popes still have no access to water - except from rain. They face the prospect of trying to get by on dryland farming alone or getting jobs in the city."

Feds defend salmon ESA listing policies in court cases, CB Bulletin, posted to KBC 2/18/07

Contractor picked to remove Chiloquin Dam, H&N, posted to KBC 2/18/07

North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Planning partnership (NCIRWMP, by Marcia Armstrong, Siskiyou County Supervisor District 5, posted to KBC 2/18/07

Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project (POST): Results from the Acoustic Tracking Study on Survival of Columbia RiverSalmon, 2006

KWUA February Update:
* Annual meeting/FERC Settlement information
* NAS Committee Meeting
* Farmers and Fishermen Meet Again
* BOR Water Supply Enhancement Deadline Approaches

KWUA Annual Meeting  February 15. You are invited to this informational public meeting.

Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, newsletter, discusses the state climatologist being stripped of his title because he does not agree with Oregon's governor on global warming. He discusses immigration bills and Senate Bill 505 regarding Oregon Measure 37. HERE for the Senator's website.

Bureau Press Release: Deadline Nears for Participating in Bureau of Reclamation’s 2007 Water Acquisition Program-Feb. 15.  HERE for KBC waterbank page...history and articles, and charts by Oregon Water Resources Department of aquifer being depleted with no time to recharge.

Salmon numbers better than expected; Fall Chinook return tops predictions by 8,000; coho also are up sharply, World Link, posted to KBC 2/15/07

Klamath River Flows 12/26/06 - 2/14/07, researched by Lewie Baker

PacifiCorp PRESS RELEASE: PacifiCorp continues with Klamath licensing process, settlement discussions, posted to KBC 2/14/07, "PacifiCorp does not own enough generating capacity to supply its customers’ energy requirements. For this reason, the company highly values its dependable hydro resources. The Klamath Hydroelectric Project is the company’s third largest hydro project, and on average can supply the needs of 70,000 homes each year."

Bureau of Reclamation Press Release: Klamath Basin (Chiloquin) Dam Removal Will Restore Habitat for Endangered Fish, posted to KBC 2/14/07. HERE for Chiloquin Dam page.

Klamath water summit on hold; No date will be set until talks with agencies are done, Capital Press, posted to KBC 2/14/07

Films examine forest, rivers' ecology Documentaries? Three films inspect ecosystems in Oregon and Southeast Asia, posted 2/14/07, The Oregonian. (KBC NOTE: These films blast salvaging Siskiyou burnt forests, and blast Klamath dams. The review celebrates the film made with the tribes and Klamath Water Users. In this review it states "that the dams create unpredictability in water supplies for farmers, deplete fish stocks for coastal fishermen...", however, KBC watched the film and does not find any case for unpredictable water supplies being caused by the dams. Actually, the Klamath Project provides predictable regulated flows for fish and power in the Klamath River. And the coastal fishermen we have talked with say that the government's depleting hatcheries is a cause of 'depleted fish stocks'. They contend the new rule on "natural spawned fish" is the weapon used to shut down fishing, as there are lots of fish spawned in the hatchery, fish genetically equal to natural spawners. And HERE is KBC review of the film.)

Snow surveys show levels well below average, Siskiyou Daily News, posted to KBC 2/14/07

PacifiCorp continues with Klamath licensing process, Yreka's Siskiyou Daily News, posted 2/13/07

Scott River Water Trust seeks to help fish, farmers, Capital Press, posted 2/9/07

ESA reform likely 'road kill', says Congressman Walden, Capital Press, posted 2/9/07

Pacific Power has a big dilemma - what will they choose? Dams to come down?, Pioneer Press, posted 2/8/07

Where have all the salmon gone?, Pioneer Press, posted 2/8/07

The Karuk Tribe's True Agenda, Special Opinion for the Pioneer Press, posted 2/8/07

PacifiCorp Considers $300M Fish Ladders, Forbes, posted 2/8/07

Lean year for salmon on Klamath, Times Standard Online, posted 2/7/07

Klamath Marsh meetings Feb 6-7

The Klamath Board of County Commissioners scheduled a public hearing Feb. 6 to discuss whether ownership of the Fremont-Winema National Forests should be transferred to the Klamath Tribes.

Marc Van Camp  from MBK Engineers power point presentation to the National Research Council regarding the Bureau of Reclamation Klamath River Basin Natural Flow Study, posted 4/4/07 FWS NEWS RELEASE: Departments of Interior, Commerce File Modified Prescriptions for Klamath Dams Relicensing, posted to KBC 2/4/07. California Bans Dirty (coal) Power Sources, posted 2/4/07 Breitbart