By Terry
Brown, Siskiyou Daily News Letter to the Editor
August 5, 2010
Yreka, Calif. — Here within Siskiyou
County, the federal government is trying to remove our
water rights and property rights for the sake of the
Endangered Species Act and now a national monument. This
will destroy what is left of our livelihoods.
There have been rumors of statements to our sheriff’s
department that government agents will be inspecting our
private properties and issuing fines or jail sentences
to property owners for any violation they can dream up
over our irrigation or run-off systems – or anything
else they see against their wishes.
Your government also wants to remove our dams, which
were built by the Bureau of Reclamation as public
property and included free power for hot water within
the city of Yreka. These dams were to be operated and
maintained by Copco Power Company. The free hot water
was not removed until Pacific Power bought out Copco
Power.
Also by removing these dams, the Klamath River will be
no more than a creek from mid-July through mid-November.
During prime fire season there will be no water to dip;
our forests will burn out of control.
There will be no fall salmon run; there will be no
water. Check your history, 1890s and back. Then, without
hydro-power – the largest producing environmentally safe
power there is – your power bills will rise.
And now a national monument from Iron Gate to Happy Camp
– more government control.
Ranchers have been told they will be allowed to stay on
their own property. They will not be allowed to run
livestock on that land or use any creek or river water
to irrigate said land.
When you buy property within California, that purchase
includes the water and mineral rights to that property,
unless there is a written exclusion in your deed.
We the people of Siskiyou County will not go along with
these government intrusions or even allow them.
Government has been destroying Siskiyou County’s
livelihoods heavily since the Bill Clinton time. We the
people have no more to give. Don’t you wish you would
have helped the loggers with the spotted owl a little
more?
See you at the “Protect Our Water Rally” Aug. 28 at 5
p.m. in the Siskiyou Golden Fairgrounds!
Terry Brown, owner of Terry’s Nursery just north of
Yreka, is active in the State of Jefferson movement and
Second Amendment issues
