KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement
Letters, Opinions, Speeches of The People
2016

 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..."
Letter from Klamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams to California Water Board regarding Klamath hydroelectric dam removal 12/31/16.
* Klamath County Commissioners' letter to FERC regarding Klamath Dam Relicensing Project 3/23/16
* FERC - Relicensing of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project FEIS 11/16/07 highlighted
* CDM / Camp Dresser & McKee Report on Klamath Dam removal highlighted costs and liabilities - 2008
* Utility oks Klamath dam removal, NBC News 9/30/09. "The turning point came in May 2008, when an aide to former Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorn summoned Brockbank to a meeting at a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service training center in Shepherdstown, W.Va. They were locked down for a week with representatives of the Bush administration and the governors of Oregon and California, Brockbank said.They "made it very clear from a public policy point of view that they did not want these dams relicensed," Brockbank said. "Once that became abundantly clear, we shifted our framework from relicensing to a settlement involving a possible dam removal framework."
* Letter reaffirming Klamath County Board of Commissioners withdrawal from KBRA and KHSA 3/1/16
* Joint letter from Klamath County Commissioners and Siskiyou County Supervisors opposing SB2379 - Klamath River Dam Removal and Klamath "Agreements" 11/21/14.
* Klamath  County Board of Commissioners letter of opposition to Snake, Colombia and Klamath River dam removals 11/30/16
Klamath Voters speak against dam removal, H&N letter to editor by James Finses, Copco Lake 11/20/16

(Siskiyou County) Supervisors: Seek more solutions than removing dams, Guest Commentary for H&N 10/30/16. "...the 20-30 million cubic yards of sediment that has collected behind the dams, and would be released down the Klamath River after dam removal, has not been adequately evaluated to address the adverse local and environmental impacts. Nor has the possibility of catastrophic floods, either during dam removal activities, or thereafter, been fully analyzed..."

Herald and News POLL - Should the four Klamath River hydroelectric dams be removed? So far, 598 'no', and 181 'yes'. 10/28/16
Dam removal won't help salmon return, letter to the editor by Richard Marshall, President Siskiyou County Water Users, Yreka, for H&N, 10/27/16. "Please remember to vote no on the Klamath County advisory ballot regarding removal of Klamath dams. The removal of the dams — the largest dam removal project in history — would result in catastrophic damage to this wonderful river and do nothing to advance the cause of salmon.The salmon were never in the upper basin because the water is too shallow and warm for salmon propagation. If the proponents actually believe the salmon will survive then why don’t they accept the challenge to prove it by using trucks and haul them for the next few years to see if the salmon actually survive..."
Support those who oppose dam removal, by Troy Lukens, Bonanza, letter to the editor of H&N, 10/26/16
Please vote against Klamath dams removals by Rex Cozzalio, Hornbrook, CA 10/25/16
Flawed arguments on supposed benefits of Klamath River dams removal, John Menke, Ft. Jones 10/25/16
Linthicum will sustain fight for rural areas, H&N letter to the editor by Virginia Topham, Sprague River 10/22/16. "Dennis Linthicum is opposed to the plan to destroy the Klamath River dams..."

Install fish ladders, no on dam removal, by Howard Paine, Klamath Falls, letter to the editor of Herald and News, posted to KBC 10/16/16. "When the president of Pacific Power visited Klamath Falls in 2008, he bragged about the clean power these dams produce. He said, “The dams produce enough emission-free energy to offset the emissions of 102,000 cars or burning 1.23 million barrels of oil a year"...Removing the Iron Gate Dam would remove the Iron Gate Fish Hatchery which produces 5 million salmon smolts each year — 17,000 of which return annually as full-grown adults to spawn."

Tom MallamsKlamath County Commissioner Tom Mallams responds to Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell’s letter to FERC that supports Klamath Hydroelectric Dam destruction, received by KBC 10/20/16
KBC News Note: The Klamath Dam Removal agreements are opposed by our local elected officials: Klamath County Commissioners, Siskiyou County Supervisors, Oregon State Senator Doug Whitsett, Oregon State Legislator Gail Whitsett, California U.S. Congressman Doug LaMalfa, more than 80% of Siskiyou County residents (3 hydro dams targeted by Interior for destruction are in Siskiyou County), more than 80% of Tulelake, California residents (which is within the Klamath Reclamation Project), and more than 50% of Klamath County residents (1 hydro dam targeted by Interior for destruction is in Klamath County).
Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell letter to FERC supporting destroying 4 hydrodams on the Klamath River that supply power to 70,000 families 10/17/16

Decommissioning Dams on the Klamath River to Restore Resilience and Long-term River, Community Health, by Dept. of Interior John Bezdek 10/18/16

The John Bezdek Files, We The People Radio, posted to KBC 10/20/16. "John Bezdek is currently the Assistant Solicitor for Water and Power which is the senior career position within SOL on Reclamation law. Mr. Bezdek supervises a staff of 7 attorneys and is responsible for advising the Commissioner, Assistant Secretary, and Secretary on matters pertaining to the operations and administration of the Reclamation program...Mr. Bezdek was Deputy Director of the Secretary's Indian Water Rights Office where he was responsible for managing 19 Indian Water Rights Negotiating Teams..."

Memorandum: Federal Authorities to Implement the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, by John Bezdek, Department of the Interior, to the Klamath Basin Task Force 11/20/13.

 

Feds asking public to weigh in on breaching Snake River dams, found on This West is Our West from Spokesman Review, posted to KBC 9/30/16.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell says she doesn't feel that destroying the Klamath River hydroelectric dams, that supply power for 70,000 households, will set a precedent. however... Jewell letter to FERC supporting destroying 4 hydrodams on the Klamath River 10/17/16

Upper Klamath Basin Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment and Management Program Plan; Klamath Tribal Water Quality Consortium, Aug 16, 2016, Comments WERE due Sept 18, 2016. Who knew about this plan to eradicate agriculture and all the dams in the Klamath River Basin? received and posted to KBC 9/20/16. KBC NOTE: Participants are 6 tribes (including Karuk and Hoopa), many federal and state agencies, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, Klamath Basin Rangeland Trust, California Coastal Conservancy, ODEQ, State and Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and dozens more; most of the agencies, tribes and environmental groups are "stakeholders" in the Klamath Basin dam-removal agreements.  "Given the large volumes of water in the Klamath Basin, very large wetlands (on the order of thousands of acres or tens of thousands of acres) would be necessary to have basin-scale effect...", they want to get rid of "... water rights, water availability, and landowner willingness issues...", " TNC recently acquired approximately 4,000 acres adjacent to Agency Lake Ranch and Barnes Ranch which it is in the process of restoring back to wetlands", Wetlands, by the way, evaporates nearly 2ce the amount of water used by irrigated agriculture, "The Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement...calls for inflows to Upper Klamath Lake to be increased by 30,000 acre-feet per year to be achieved by reducing the net consumptive use of water for irrigated agriculture," Roads that are no longer necessary would be considered for ... removal,"..."The Consortium supports reduced irrigation and improved grazing management as a method to reduce irrigation demand," "Once plans are developed for how to remove the dams and appropriate permits are obtained, the dams should be removed. The KHSA targets 2020 as the year in which dam removal would occur."
Comments on the Klamath Tribal Water Quality Consortium by Siskiyou County Water Users Association Rex Cozzalio, received by KBC News 9/20/16

White House as Originator and Promoter of Klamath Basin Agreements, Canada Free Press by Laurence Kogan 9/8/16
Voters at last have voice on dam removal, Tom Mallams, Klamath County Commissioner Letter to the editor of H&N 9/3/16. "I still find it extremely troubling that a few dam removal supporters and PacifiCorp went to such great lengths in their attempt to prevent voters from having their voices heard..."
The case against removing the (Klamath) dams, H&N letter to the editor by Dr Richard  Gierak, Yreka 8/30/16

The Myths, Lies and Deceptions Behind the Klamath Basin Agreements by attorney Lawrence A. Kogan (Submitted to the Capital Press but never published) 7/25/16

PRESS RELEASE: ITSSD seeks added public transparency and accountability: files revised Bureau of Reclamation FOIAs and Oregon State Government public records requests 7/25/16. These FOIAs and public records requests, BELOW, are regarding the Klamath Settlement "Agreements" which effect water rights, support destroying Klamath River hydroelectric dams, .... There are names listed: Dan Keppen, KWAPA, Greg Addington, Becky Hyde, to name a few, included in the requests for information.

* ITSSD (Institute for Trade, Standards, and Sustainable Development) FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) "requesting that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation release in paper or digital form the following agency records: ..."
* ITSSD "Second Revised FOIA Request is hereby filed requesting that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Regional Office release in paper or digital form the following agency records:..."
* ITSSD - "Pursuant to the Oregon Public Records Law ORS 192.440, it is hereby requested that the Office of the Governor of Oregon release in paper or digital form the following agency public records:..."
* ITSSD - Pursuant to the Oregon Public Records Law ORS 192.440, it is hereby requested that the Oregon Department of Energy (“ODE”) release in paper or digital form the following agency public records:..."
* ITSSD - "Pursuant to the Oregon Public Records Law ORS 192.440, it is hereby requested that the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (“ODEQ”) release in paper or digital form the following agency public records:..."
* ITSSD - "Pursuant to the Oregon Public Records Law ORS 192.440, it is hereby requested that the Oregon Water Resources Department (“OWRD”) release in paper or digital form the following agency public records:..."
* ITSSD - "Pursuant to the Oregon Public Records Law ORS 192.440, it is hereby requested that the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (“ODFW”) release in paper or digital form the following agency public records:..."

Protest filed over Klamath River dam removal vote, H&N 8/27/16

Klamath County Commissioners finally voted, after 6 years, to allow the public to vote on whether they support the dam removal. This would be an advisory vote to direct the commissioners. "Are you in favor of removing the four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River?"

8/25/16 - Petition for different ballot title: Tracy and Susan Liskey, Ed Bair, Greg Carleton (Klamath Agreement proponents) VS Klamath County Commissioners. The petition includes complaints of the Pro-KBRA/dam removal Klamath County irrigators, and at the bottom the wording of the Klamath County Commissioners' dam removal vote. Again, dam removal proponents oppose allowing the citizens an advisory vote, much less a real vote.

Klamath Agreements mandate destroying the 4 Klamath River hydro dams. KWUA/Klamath Water Users Association, some Klamath River tribes, many environmental groups and government agencies negotiated a closed-door deal with no vote of the citizens. KWUA wanted water certainty and affordable power rate (which the KBRA does not mandate) and the environmental groups wanted to destroy the hydroelectric dams. 3 of the 4 dams are in Siskiyou County, yet Siskiyou County is not allowed at the negotiating table because Dept. of Interior wants the dams out, and dam destruction would further decimate the economy of Siskiyou County. Siskiyou County held an advisory vote several years ago, and the public voted more than 80% against destroying the hydro dams that serve 70,000 families. The public's voices ARE NOT WELCOMED.

Comments can be made on local (Klamath) dams,
I approve and vote for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission conclusively rejecting — per Docket Number P-2082-027 — both destroying all Klamath River hydroelectric dams, and destroying each dam of any Klamath River hydroelectric dam(s).
Someone else's choice = your sacrifice, posted on the www.klamathbasincrisis.org / KBC News Discussion Forum April 12, 2016. "Over the past 25 years over 800 dams of various sizes have been destroyed in our nation alone. That is a bit scary since one of the big differences between first and third world countries is found in the existence or absence of fully functioning dams...Not too long before the seemingly treacherous and unsupported agreement to remove four Klamath River dams was signed (with blatant indifference to voter or congressional approval) it was more than a little disquieting to find out that Dan Keppen, (former head of the Klamath Water Users Association) had met with the Obama Whitehouse and United Nations associates in person to discuss water issues, water policy and resolution templates including the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) etc..."
"Well, if I wanted all the people out of Northern California, what would I do?" letter to KBC News by Mark Johnson, posted 4/12/16
Hydro agreement changes made without using the rule of law, H&N letter by Laurence A Kogan, Esq guest writer for H&N 4/10/16

Letter from Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors to DOI Secretary Sally Jewell and Calif. governor Jerry Brown 4/5/16

Dam removal impact clearer after letter (from Klamath Commissioners to FERC), H&N letter to editor by Robert Harris, Klamath Falls, posted to KBC 4/10/16
Stop whining and let Whitsetts live in peace, H&N 4/9/16.

Oregon lawmaker says new Klamath dam removal plan may be illegal, Capital Press, posted to KBC 4/10/16.

From the archives: '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..."
Klamath County Commissioners' letter to FERC regarding Klamath Dam Relicensing Project 3/23/16. "The Klamath County Board of Commissioners is extremely concerned over the possible Klamath River Dam relicensing versus removal process...There have been numerous studies completed with again, contentious, debatable results..."
Is Ed Sheets a "neutral" facilitator? Letter from Elaine Willman, MPA Ronan, Montana to Ed Sheets, Facilitator of CSKT Water Compact, C.I.T.T., and Klamath River dam-removal "agreements,"
Observations regarding the January 26 California Waterboard meeting in Yreka to gather comments on relicensing the Klamath River hydroelectric dams from Richard Marshall, Siskiyou County Water Users board 1/31/16
Copco No. 1 Dam on the Klamath RiverComments sought on Klamath River dams, California water board seeks input on relicensing (by Jan. 29, 2016), H&N, posted to KBC 1/20/16
1/18/16 - Notice of Potential Termination of the KHSA / Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, from KWUA / Klamath Water Users Association to 'Parties to the KHSA.' "The Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA) has terminated due to lack of federal legislation authorizing the KBRA. The KHSA is not divisible from the KBRA."
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