Our Klamath Basin Water Crisis Upholding rural Americans

From the Rowley Master Plan, Rowley, Massachusetts:

Page 41 excerpt:

"Birds

Table 3-6 lists bird species that have been observed in Rowley. These species commonly are associated with four plant communities found throughout eastern Massachusetts:

Orchard, Field, Pasture, and Cultivated Land

White Pine - Hemlock - Northern Hardwood Association

Fresh and Salt Water Marshes

Yellow Pine - Hardwood Association

Among the habitats listed above, the greatest species diversity is encountered in the agricultural areas, where as many as 60 types of birds may be present. This diversity is largely attributable to the number and variety of introduced plants that comprise the Orchard-Field-Pasture-Cultivated Land habitat, offering a wide range of food, nesting sites, and protective cover. There is evidence that the number of birds in these areas is actually greater now, despite man's presence, than when the European settlers first arrived.

The second most important plant community in Rowley is the White Pine-Hemlock-Northern Hardwood forest, which supports over 40 bird species. This forest is mostly cut over and populated with sprout or second growth trees and various ground cover flora. Such habitats are highly productive of bird (and mammal) life, more so than the undisturbed mature forests which originally occupied the region."

http://www.daylor.com/Projects/Rowley/Reports/Part1ExistingCondition.pdf

Page 44 excerpt:

Fisheries

... In July 1996, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Environmental Law Enforcement (DFWELE) conducted field sampling along the Mill River to identify fish species present. Table 3-8 lists fish found in the Mill River at that time. In addition, according to a local naturalist, two anadromous species (blueback herring and smelt) spawn in the river each spring. DFWELE stocks the river with brook, brown, and rainbow trout, some of which become anadromous and spend part of their lives in the estuary and ocean."

http://www.daylor.com/Projects/Rowley/Reports/Part1ExistingCondition.pdf

anadromous - to run upward; ascending rivers from the sea for breeding. - Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 1988, page 82.

Reference article:

Poisoning begins on Cherry Creek

(Note: It seems to be all right for billionaire Ted Turner to kill ALL the fish in a stream that runs through one of his properties, including rainbow and brook trout -- not to mention all the wildlife that die on his high-powered electric fences; or those, like elk, that his 'specialized hunts,' for a hefty fee, may be killed on his lands -- because he has amassed the 'clout' to say what may and may not live in streams and on land, but let a less 'heeled' private property owner try this, and see what would happen! Also, notice that USFWS and the media carefully neglect to mention that the bison that Mister Turner tells folks he 'protects' are the primary feature of his chain of 'Montana Grill' restaurants! Doesn't this seem just a tad contradictory, or perhaps even hypocritical? See this article for how to find elk to hunt -- if you pay Mister Turner $10,500 -- after wolves have helped them all 'go missing' in Yellowstone:

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2002/12/02/news/huntingbzbigs.txt)

August 5, 2003

By Scott McMillion, Chronicle Staff Writer

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle

P.O. Box 1188

Bozeman, MT 59771

406-587-4491

Fax: 406-582-2656

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com

To submit a Letter to the Editor: citydesk@dailychronicle.com

Work was scheduled to begin Monday on the controversial Cherry Creek project south of Bozeman, a venture meant to kill all the fish planted in that stream system decades ago and replace them with westslope cutthroat trout.

Meanwhile, a Helena lawyer said he was finishing up his paperwork Monday afternoon and planned to seek a federal court injunction today, hoping to halt the project in its tracks.

"I'll probably file them this afternoon," attorney Alan Joscelyn said Monday of his legal documents. He said he hopes to get an injunction as quickly as possible.

But until that order arrives, the work in Cherry Creek will continue.

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist Pat Clancy is the project leader.

He said last week the plan was to do "bio assays" on Friday. Those are tests that will determine how many parts per billion of the chemical antimycin will be needed to kill the fish in Cherry Creek, Cherry Lake and tributaries.

In all, the project calls for eliminating fish from 77 miles of stream, including some small tributaries.

FWP spokesman Bernie Kuntz said Monday about 15 people from FWP, the Forest Service and Turner Enterprises will be camping in the remote area after hiking or riding horses there.

The plan called for treating the lake Monday, then about 11 miles of stream and two tributaries this summer.

The lake and some of the stream are on the Gallatin National Forest, partly in wilderness. The Forest Service gave permission to use a motorboat on Cherry Lake to churn the poison.

The rest of the water is on the Flying D Ranch, owned by media baron Ted Turner, who is financing most of the $500,000 multi-year project.

Kuntz said the crew was not reachable Monday and he didn't know if they had made any progress.

None of the rainbow, brook and Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the lake and upper reaches of the stream are native, though they thrive there and provide an abundant fishery.

The plan is to replace all of them with westslope cutthroat trout, in hopes of establishing a stable population of that increasingly rare fish and fending off its listing under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Joscelyn maintains poisoning the fish is an illegal act of pollution under the federal Clean Water Act.

FWP lawyers say the project is entirely legal as long as all precautions are followed.

Joscelyn failed last year to halt the project in state court, though he forced a delay.

The poisons will kill some insects and other life forms, but they will come back quickly, biologists say, adding that the specialized poisons pose no threat to mammals.

"A horse would die from drinking too much water before it got any symptoms from the antimycin," Clancy said last week.

The chemicals degrade quickly, Clancy has said, and will be undetectable in just a few stream miles.

Cherry Creek Falls, in the middle of Turner's ranch, will keep the non-native fish from returning to the upper stream.

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2003/08/05/news/003cherryckbzbigs.txt

A little additional educational reading:

It seems like a lot of people think Ted Turner is opposed to the slaughter of bison. Why is that? I was just wondering...

I'd like to know why Ted Turner has this 'reputation' as a great animal lover and 'protectionist,' but he poisons ALL the fish in Cherry Creek (Montana)

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2003/08/05/news/003cherryckbzbigs.txt

and he owns a chain of 23-and-growing restaurants called "Ted's Montana Grill,"

http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/

Bison meat is darker than beef because it contains more iron. Bison can be grilled, baked, sauteed, stir fried or broiled. The only cooking difference is that bison cooks slightly faster due to its leaner nature...making it a pleasure to grill.

http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/buzz.html

http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/locations.html

http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/menu.html

http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/menus/dinner.pdf

"Ted Turner has been termed a visionary for developing multiple businesses, distribution channels and humanitarian ventures. Now the philanthropist, environmentalist, rancher and outdoorsman is promoting his love of Big Sky Country and its tradition of hearty food through a restaurant chain called Ted's Montana Grill. Through Turner Enterprises http://www.TedTurner.com, he is one of the largest ranchers in the U.S., with 14 ranches in Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and South Dakota [they must have forgotten the 588,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northern New Mexico, among others that are not listed]. The mission of Turner Enterprises is to manage Turner lands in an economically sustainable and ecologically sensitive manner, while conserving native species. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Turner attended Brown University where he held leadership roles in the Yacht Club and the Debating Union. In 1999, he was elected to the University's Board of Trustees. He started his business career as an account executive for Atlanta-based Turner Advertising Company (now Turner Broadcasting System) and in 1963 became president and COO, a position he held until the company's merger with Time Warner in 1996. In 1970 he purchased Channel 17, an independent UHF station."

http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/about_turner.html

"We've been featured on TV, radio and in newspapers across the country, including CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Esquire, Entertainment Weekly, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Daily News, Rocky Mountain News, Denver Post, The Tennessean, Atlanta Business Chronicle, The Associated Press and Reuters." - http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/news.html

and even a 'General Store' where people can buy 'Montana Grill' gift and clothing items -- and even a Bison Cookbook and little stuffed bison toys, etc. http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/store.html

where the primary item on the menu is Bison -- and why does he charge $10,500 to New Jersey salesmen to come out to his Flying D Ranch to kill captive elk?

http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2002/12/02/news/huntingbzbigs.txt

The elk are almost all gone in the Yellowstone, but Ted Turner has plenty within his electrically-charged fence that surrounds the Flying D.

How can he be on your side, when he is killing bison and elk? A search at http://www.Google.com for "Montana Grill" got 3,290 results. That 'bison protector sure has gotten popular, killing and grilling bison...

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org/2004/articles/poisoning_begins_on_cherry_creek.htm