KBRA Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement letters 2015

KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement
Letters, Opinions, Speeches of The People
2015

KBRA PAGE includes links to previous year's
letters, opinions and speeches of the The People

AUDIO: Must Listen: 5 1/2 minute summary of Upper Basin's Klamath Settlement Agreement; audio by Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, Local News with Paul Hanson on KFLS News/Talk Radio 1450, 4/1/13. "The nearly 100-page agreement has seven objectives..."

The wrong person (Dennis Lynch) is declared the (dam) 'expert,' by Rex Cozzalio, Hornbrook, CA letter to editor of H&N, posted to KBC 10/30/15. "Mr. Lynch receives no negative consequence for failure of any of his assurances, but tens of thousands of vested residents unrepresented in the KBRA/KHSA who know the unaccountable environmental promises are lies have been and will be those subject to the greatest confiscation and uncompensated loss of environment, lives, and futures."

It's really about taking private property through administrative fiat, by Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett, District 28, 10/22/15 Newsletter. "Regardless of media accusations and name calling, it appears that (Klamath County Commissioner) Tom Mallams has remained within his statutory rights..."
NOTE by Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams, "The other additional piece of this puzzle is the relationship between the administrative rule that ties ground water and surface together, and the settlement agreements. The administrative rule is by it's own definition, 'consistent with the settlement agreements.' Also, with lack of legislation moving the settlement agreements forward, this very administrative rule, by its own language goes away. In other words, OWRD is turning well water off under authority of an administrative rule which is dependent on legislation that has not happened, and likely never will. Another government example of "THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE!"

Everyone not part of KBRA process, by Marvin Cantrell, Klamath Falls, posted to KBC 10/30/15. "Mrs. Hill stated in her letter that "we" negotiated the settlement agreement because "we" realized it was best for "our farms and our communities." What about the rest of the communities? What about the Upper Klamath Basin? What about Sprague River, Chiloquin, Beatty, BIy and Bonanza? How about the rest of the ranchers and farmers trying to make a living?"

'Game' was rigged to limit participants, H&N letter to the editor by Werner Reschke, Malin 10/25/15, "the game has been rigged by the “stakeholders” (tribes, environmentalists, fishermen, some in agriculture) so they become the winners. The rest of us are the losers: more national debt passed to our children and increased power rates from the destruction of four hydropower dams — the cheapest power source in Pacific Power’s portfolio..."

Keep false hope out of the dam issue, H&N letter to editor by Don Maushardt, Klamath Falls, followed by Dam removal expert (Dennis Lynch): Do it in one year, posted to KBC 10/15/15.

The West's water rights system is working, by Family Farm Alliance Dan Keppen and Patrick O'Toole, Denver Post, and Klamath Herald and News, posted to KBC 10/15/15. Side by side is a small KBC News collection of efforts made by Dan Keppen, and also letter by Family Farm Alliance, supporting the controversial Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement / KBRA, which effects Klamath Basin water management, private water rights, downsizes agriculture and destroys infrastructure (hydro dams). The KBRA is opposed by our local elected representatives.

* Valley Forge and Western Montana…by Elaine Willman, Western Ag Reporter, posted to KBC 10/3/15, "I became convinced that the CSKT Compact is a template for federalizing all state waters, implementing communalism and socialism consistent with Agenda 21, and intentionally aligned to spread tribalism as a governing system while eliminating State authority and duty to protect its citizenry."(KBC NOTE: Willman believes Klamath Basin is headed for the same demise as Montana citizens as she has closely watched the federal takeover.)

KBRA has always been a fraud, Pie N Politics by Liz Bowen, posted to KBC 9/19/15

Klamath Water issues by Erika Bentson, resident Klamath County, Western Ag Reporter, posted September 2015
* Klamath Agreement in Principle: A Redistribution of wealth, rights, & water 1/9/14
* Klamath Basin Water . . . Situation Update 3/17/14
* Klamath Upper Basin Proposed Settlement 3/20/14
* Klamath Basin Water . . . Time for soul searching, 3/27/14.
* Klamath Water: Tribes approve Agreement in close vote 4/17/1
* Klamath Water: Drought wells denied part 1 and 2, 4/10/14 and 4/17/14
* Upper Klamath Basin Agreement signed, despite tribal protest, 4/24/14
* Klamath Water: Fish vs. Frogs 5/15/14
* Klamath Water: Project farms to call upper basin water 5/29/14
* Klamath Water: Some ranchers backing out of Agreement 7/3/14
* Klamath Water: City under siege 8/7/14

Comments by Werner Hoyt, PE were sent to KBC News in response to the Draft EIS for Long Term Plan to protect adult salmon in the Lower Klamath River, 8/20/15

Comments by KWUA/Klamath Water Users Association to Bureau of Reclamation regarding Environmental Impact Statement for the Draft Long-Term Plan for Protecting Late Summer Adult Salmon in Lower Klamath River, 8/20/15

* Family Farm Alliance letter to KBC in 2012, said, "The Family Farm Alliance has never made, and does not intend to make, any statement supporting or opposing the KBRA." Our organization has never taken any position on the KBRA, nor does it anticipate taking any such position. The Family Farm Alliance advocates for Western irrigated agriculture on issues of general application, and does not typically address local or regional issues such as the KBRA."
* Family Farm Alliance letter to Congressman Walden supporting Klamath (dam removal) settlement agreements, posted to KBC 4/25/15, by unanimous vote of their board of directors
* Siskiyou County Water Users Association letter to Congressman Walden regarding Family Farm Alliance letter supporting KBRA/Klamath Hydrodam Removal Agreement, posted 4/25/15

< This government license plate photo was sent to KBC by a KBRA opponent. We thought we'd share

‘Agreements’ are attack on Basin’s agricultural economy, letter to the editor Herald and News by Ken Smith 4/4/15. "certain vested interests, government bureaucrats and tribes have forced other parties (farmers and ranchers) to a negotiation table by threatening economic harm and then demanded terms unfavorable to the parties forced to the table. A better term for this is 'extortion' "

Interview with Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams on the Bill Meyer Show 3/25/15, 7:12 a.m., 1440 KMED AM Medford Oregon. Mallams explains three Oregon Senate Bills presented in Salem regarding the controversial Klamath Basin dam removal "agreements". He said 2/3s of those at the hearing and in the Klamath Basin oppose these agreements that downsize agriculture, remove three Klamath River hydroelectric dams, and control well water use.

Water bill still needs improvement, dealings with dams, specifically, could be much better for the Basin, Danny Hull, guest commentary for H&N 2/1/15. " My current vote with the President of the United States of America, the U.S. Congress, and Oregon and Klamath County Government personnel, is against the U.S. Senate Bill 133 Klamath Water Recovery and Economic Restoration Act, and for both retaining the Klamath River hydroelectric dams, and improving those dams with fish passageway modification(s), where such improvement is most necessary..."

Water agreement hinges on dam removal issue, H&N letter to editor by Howard Paine, Chiloquin, posted to KBC 1/18/15. "The Herald and News “Water Line” report in Sunday’s paper failed to address the primary issue — dam removal. Obviously, the writers failed to read: “Dam Removal, The Swindle of the Century” at http://pienpolitics.com/?p=1989 Siskiyou County put a Measure on the ballot in November 2010 which said: “Should the Klamath River Dams (Iron Gate, Copco 1 and Copco 2) and associated hydroelectric facilities be removed?” The result: 79.04 percent voted no. If a similar vote had occurred in Klamath County, the result would be the same."

Dams prove sticking point in water accord by Harvey Houston, H&N letter to the editor 1/13/15

KBC NOTE: Several of our readers have asked us if the KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement has been extended past the Dec. 31, 2014 deadline. Changes in the 2012 KBRA Amendment allows for extensions: Amendment to the KBRA/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. Page 3, 7.6.1. Cure for Potential Termination Event, it previously read that the KBRA would terminate, which was replaced by the words "be terminable."

RERUN - Klamath Tribes quest for Winema Fremont National Forest that they previously sold; they voted to sell their land, and voted for termination. Here are the payments in actual dollars and more recent dollars they were paid.

(Klamath) Tribes look at forest land transfer. Returning tribal land could help move water pact forward, H&N, posted to KBC 5/7/15.
So what's the deal according to the Tribes?, by KBC editor 12/15/03. KBC Note: in 2003 the Klamath Tribes, KWUA/Klamath Water Users Association, KBRT/Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust, and Department of Interior were negotiating a land for water deal with the Klamath Tribes who wanted the Winema Fremont National Forest.
Dan Keppen was former KWUA director during the 2003 negotiations. He is presently Family Farm Alliance Executive Director and works for KWUA.
Chrysten Lambert, Appointee for Federal Representative, Klamath River Compact Commission, is the Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust’s (KBRT) Director of Water Transactions, and was former Executive Director from 2001-2003.. Lambert was Director of Procurement and Planning from 2007 to 2010 and the Global Sourcing Manager for the Sabroso Company. She served as a Geomorphologist with the Pacific Groundwater Group.
Department of the Interior is still involved and supportive of the controversial KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement. Interior fired Dr. Paul Houser, hydrometeorologist, and expert scientist on "Scientific Integrity." He was the highest level scientist in the Bureau of Reclamation, and the only scientist in the D.C. office. Houser was fired for exposing the Secretary of Interior's "intentional falsification," "bias," and "predetermined intention" to destroy the Klamath dams.

What stopped the closed-door negotiation deal of land return to the tribes in 2003? Thousands of local citizens sent letters and petitions to their reps opposing giving the Klamath Tribes land they previously sold. Their elected officials listened.
Go to Negotiations Page and scroll down to read dozens of letters and articles regarding the former attempt to convince the community and reps that trading land for claimed water was a bad deal.
Constitution of the Klamath Tribes
FOREST TOUR HOSTED BY THE KLAMATH TRIBES This is a complete transcript taken from videotape. This day-long tour was conducted October 17, 2003 for the purpose of showing to local farmers, ranchers, businessmen, and the Klamath County Commissioners, tribal biology and the proposed forest land acquisition.
Klamath Tribe document of intensions - putting land into tax-exempt trust, ...intends to "buy back private lands....and secure funding for purchasing retired water rights, conservation easements...assert tribes senior water rights...expand gaming...exchange for federal lands..." as presented in the early closed-door planning meetings of the KBRA.