KBRA Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement letters opinions speeches 2013

KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement
Letters, Opinions, Speeches of The People
2013

KBRA PAGE includes links to previous year's letters, opinions and speeches of the The People
RERUN: PCFFA Glen Spain ANALYSIS OF “Outline of Objections to the Klamath Basin Restoration and Hydroelectric Settlement Agreements.” Spain explains why environmental NGO's and Tribes should support the dam removal and ag-downsizing 'agreements', posted to KBC 2/20/10, 12/4/10. (KBC NOTE: PCFFA/Glen Spain, an author of the KBRA, has sued against the Klamath Project retaining an affordable power rate, and are suing Project Irrigators claim to be compensated for their deeded water that was withheld by the US government) * "The primary “guarantee” the Project irrigators will get under the KBRA is the guarantee that in dry years they will typically get much less water from the river than before -- and the fish will therefore get that much more. * “...guaranteed increase” in the volume of water for lower river salmon and endangered lake fish of between 130,000 and 230,000 additional acre-feet which would kick in immediately." * "...KBRA leaves the ESA alive and well." * "...short-term and long-term measures including: “conservation easements, forbearance agreements, conjunctive use programs, efficiency measures, land acquisitions, water acquisitions, groundwater development, groundwater substation, other voluntary transactions, water storage, and any other applicable measures.” * agriculture "..permanently giving up as much as 130,000 acre-feet of current legally held water rights) that the Project and non-Project irrigators are surrendering."


	VIDEO - An alternative Klamath Task Force, interview by Jefferson Public Radio with Tom Mallams, Klamath County Commissioner, posted 10/10/13.
Science of (Klamath) fish mortality should be challenged, by Jerry Jones, Chiloquin H&N, posted to KBC 8/28/13. "Most of the summer is gone with no resumption of water deliveries to Upper Basin irrigators...The state and federal governments conspired with the tribes to create this problem and destroy the opposition to the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement..." Chamber stance wrong on KBRA support, Virginia Topham for H&N posted to KBC 8/19/13.	Klamath Falls Mess: Judge denies livestock access to water, Western Montana Water Rights, and also Western Ag Reporter, by Erika Bentsen, posted to KBC 8/13/13. "The tribes and government, hiding behind the skirts of the KBRA, successfully divided the community by pitting farmer against rancher, and neighbor against neighbor. The government and tribes learned from their original failure when only one group was attacked. By dangling incentives to some, they splintered their opposition...If these tribal claims are validated by the court system, no river in the country is safe..."
Dam removal will be a billion-dollar boondoggle, H&N commentary by Steve Rapalyea, posted to KBC 6/25/13	Upper Basin irrigators strive for equitable balance; True settlement is needed to resolve water issues; KBRA does not deliver, H&N guest commentary by Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams 6/9/13.
Klamath water agreement won't deliver what is needed, by Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams, Medford Mail Tribune posted to KBC 6/3/13, FOLLOWED BY: Klamath commissioner inflames water dispute, by Gary Derry and Luke Robison, Medford Mail Tribune.	Response to commentary about Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams, letter to H&N by David Oxley, Klamath Falls, 5/26/13 followed by: Commissioner working against Klamath’s interests, by 15 Project irrigators, H&N 5/26/13
A series of harmonious partnerships in Klamath Basin surface in lieu of KBRA, H&N 4/4/13. Features Klamath Water Users Association, The Nature Conservancy, Klamath Tribes, in partnership with Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust, Klamath Soil and Water Conservation District, Sustainable NW, UKWUA, NRCS, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. HERE for controversial KBRA page.	The official Klamath River Pacific Fisheries Management Council's (PFMC) Chinook Salmon count is in! by Steve Rapalyea 3/17/13. "With a 2012 return almost double the highest documented pre dam return, it is obvious we must hurry and get the dams removed on the Klamath to "restore" the runs to their much smaller pre dam size!"
Addressing KBRA a good first move, H&N letter by Al Jones, Dairy, posted to KBC 3/2/13. "The message became especially clear when both of the newly elected individuals, as citizens, were known to be against the KBRA as it is written... So do not try to tell me that the KBRA plan as currently written is supported by a majority of county voters."
KBRA/KHSA based on lies and contradictions, by Dr. Richard Gierak, SCWUA 1/23/2013. Dr.Richard Gierak is Science Officer of the Siskiyou County Water Users Association. "...NMFS and DFW say dam removal will increase spawning grounds; yet, BOR documents show there are 20 million cubic yards of sludge behind those dams containing toxic levels of Mercury, Chromium, Zinc and Antimony that could decimate not only salmon, but also hundreds of other species that depend on the quality of water in the Klamath River(3). But if these poisons don’t kill the salmon, our resources agencies have a Plan B..."
SCWUA responds to KBRA extension, posted to KBC 1/11/13