FOLLOWED BY KRRC Commentary in the Herald and News touting fire protection after dam removal

OPINION by Rex Cozzalio from Hornbrook on the Klamath River, posted to KBC 7/23/22

 
In the most recent media rhetoric from Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), paid for by you, this time regarding ‘fire protection mitigation’, they again fabricate fantasy to sell you an agenda of regional destruction.  Why not?  Having already spent over $100 MILLION of your dollars to orchestrate their singular intent of Project destruction, under the FERC accepted ‘Agreement’, the special interest ‘Signatories’ all personally benefit and are held unaccountable for any damages regardless of outcome. 

That is why the KRRC, ‘your good neighbor’ based in San Francisco, has no problem promoting deception or effectively suppressing the extensive recent empirical studies refuting claimed destruction ‘benefits’ and predict compounding resultant regional devastation.   Drastically underfunded with no ‘assurances’ outside of confiscating further ratepayer/taxpayer funds, in violation of ‘Agreement’ promises, that is why KRRC is creating, with FERC consent, ‘Definite Plan’ fallbacks.  One is to financially break in court, again using your money, anyone daring to seek compensation for losses.  The other creates their path for future self-determined ‘value-engineered’ REDUCTIONS to the FERC ‘approved’ Definite Plan when they run out of your money, thereby effectively ‘approving’ NO ‘Plan’ or public protections whatsoever.

With their ‘mitigated fire protection’ press release pablum, Signatory ‘paper trail’ deception continues.  The only deep water lakes on the Klamath, by sheer fire barrier size and volume, have irrefutably protected and very likely saved regional Copco, Iron Gate, and ‘monument’ residents 4 times in the past 5 years alone.  Just ASK THE RESIDENTS and volunteer FIRE DEPARTMENT KRRC ignores. Unmaintained ‘dry hydrants’, undetermined possible single equipment ‘dip holes’ or several ‘5,000 gallon portable tanks’ are ludicrous KRRC equivalent ‘replacements’ for public safety  It’s ok, in their prior ‘management plan’, KRRC also implied a ‘network’ of multiple ‘automated cameras’ sensitive to 12.4 miles to ‘reduce response times’.  However, in an ‘amendment’ submitted AFTER they thought the Public Comment period had ended, they now cite ONE camera at Paradise Craggy OVER 20 MILES away and blocked by Black Mountain from even seeing part of the primary affected area.  Citing ‘possibly reduced response times’ of 5 to 10 minutes in the ‘critical 30 minute window’ as ‘likely’ to make a ‘significant’ difference in reducing fire progression, they forget to mention that the nearest Cal-Fire station is well over an HOUR from MUCH of the affected area.  No problem… whether through complete ignorance or intentional lie, in their ‘study’, performed by a non-qualified Klamath destruction ‘science’ contractor and ‘approved’ by the California Signatory Governor directed Cal-Fire Sacramento office, they authoritatively state the Klamath River itself has provided as effective a fire barrier as the two 1000 acre lakes, when the deadly 2018 Klamathon Fire devastation BEGAN by EASILY jumping the Klamath River at Hornbrook and subsequently burning our property before being held at Iron Gate Lake.

They don’t care about environmental or economic consequence, only their unaccountable self-benefitting agenda of regional rewilding.  If the now proven environmental and economic benefits of the Project are irreversibly destroyed with no accountability, exponentially escalating devastation and regulatory oppression are assured to every part of our most affected region officially voting a super majority AGAINST Project destruction.  Let FERC know your opposition.