Klamath River News: Protesters Lockdown at PacifiCorp, Discord Threatens Klamath Talks

Klamath River News: August 15
Moderated by Klamath Riverkeeper

* PROTESTERS LOCKDOWN AT PACIFICORP, DEMANDING ENERGY JUSTICE,
* SENATOR'S COMMENTS ON SALMON CRITICIZED,
* DISCORD THREATENS KLAMATH RIVER WATER TALKS,
* BIOLOGIST: KLAMATH FISH STILL NEED HELP,
* OPINION: WE CAN MIX RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY WITH RESTORATION.

Action Alerts
* Sign an online petition asking California not to give more Bay Delta water to
Westlands Irrigation District
* Send your Klamath news and events to klamath [at] riseup.net
* Help support the Klamath River News: Join Klamath Riverkeeper today.


PROTESTERS LOCKDOWN AT PACIFICORP, DEMANDING ENERGY JUSTICE
Human "Dam" Blockades PacifiCorp's Portland Headquarters
Three protesters lock into 600 pound concrete barrels, demand removal of
Klamath dams
Protesters have locked down in front of the Pacific Power building at NE 9th
and Multnomah to demand that the company shut down the four dams it operates on
the Klamath river. At noon today three protesters blockaded the main entrance
to PacifiCorp's headquarters (NE 7th and Multnomah). The protesters were joined
by a rally of several dozen supporters, many of whom wore hazmat suits painted
with fake blood to draw attention to the poisonous conditions on the Klamath
River.
The action was claimed by the Convergence for Climate Action, Stumptown Earth
First! and Rising Tide.
The protest follows the "Convergence for Climate Action" which took place in
Skamokawa, WA over the past week. Yesterday, protesters from the camp occupied
the proposed Liquefied Natural Gas terminal at Bradwood, Oregon for several
hours. A simultaneous occupation took place in Asheville, North Carolina on
Monday where a Bank of America branch was shut down by protesters for its lead
role in financing the coal industry. Police at the Asheville protest used a
TASER to electrocute immobilized protesters using non-violent civil
disobedience tactics, an unprecedented application of this device.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/08/15/18440815.php


SENATOR'S COMMENTS ON SALMON CRITICIZED
SALEM - Sen. Gordon Smith's explanation this week of how the 2002 diversion of
Klamath Lake water for irrigation related to a massive salmon die-off has fish
advocates questioning the accuracy of his account.
The Oregon Republican told The Register-Guard editorial board that the water
diversion in the drought year of 2002 raised questions about sucker fish, and
that "the focus at the time was not on salmon." Smith also said he believed it
was 18 months later that the salmon kill occurred near the mouth of the Klamath
River.
Smith, who pushed the Bush administration to help get water for farmers' potato
crops and alfalfa fields, said he recalled that the salmon "died of some gill
disease, which is not uncommon and happens periodically."....
Not everyone questioning Smith's statements is a political foe. Commercial
fishing advocate Glenn Spain said Smith has been an ally over the years. But
after reading the senator's comments, Spain said Smith's version of those
events in 2002 did not square with his own. Spain said there was no question
that diverting water reduced river flows to such low levels that returning
salmon died in the lower Klamath River, with the death toll estimated as high
as 77,000.
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2007/08/11/d1.cr.smithfish.0811.p1.php?sectio
n=cityregion


DISCORD THREATENS KLAMATH RIVER WATER TALKS
WASHINGTON -- When the House Natural Resources Committee met in July to discuss
whether Vice President Dick Cheney had improperly interfered in the battle over
Klamath River water, Republicans complained that the hearing could derail
negotiations to settle the heated farming vs. fish fight.
"Let's do what's best for the fish, farmers, the tribes and the fishermen,"
Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., pleaded, with fellow GOP Reps. John Doolittle of
Roseville and Wally Herger of Marysville sitting in solidarity with him at the
witness table. "Let's encourage them to find common ground, not rub salt in old
wounds when they are so close to an historic agreement of enormous
significance."
But as the projected November deadline for a deal moves steadily nearer,
environmental and Indian tribal leaders are raising concerns that the pact that
everyone so desperately wants is in danger of slipping away because of what
they see as political manipulation.
"Whatever comes out of these negotiations has to have a scientific basis,
rather than a political basis," said Clifford Lyle Marshall, Hoopa Valley Tribe
chairman. "There were political strings being pulled before the negotiations
started -- and they are still in play."
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/321042.html


BIOLOGIST: KLAMATH FISH STILL NEED HELP
GRANTS PASS, Ore. _ A panel has recommended continued federal protection for
two kinds of fish in the Klamath Basin amid pressures to find solutions to
regional water woes that led to a cutoff of irrigation water in 2001.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Thursday the review by a panel of
biologists found that one species in the upper basin, the short nosed sucker,
is still at risk of extinction and should remain protected under the Endangered
Species Act.
The Lost River sucker is not at risk of extinction in the foreseeable future,
so it should be reclassified as a threatened species, the agency said.
A panel of 12 scientists representing government agencies and interest groups
reviewed various sources of information about the fish and made the
recommendations to the fish and wildlife service.
The review was prompted by a petition from a group called Interactive Citizens
United to take the fish off the endangered species list. There is no specific
timetable for when the agency might act on the recommendations, spokeswoman
Alex Pitts said from Sacramento, Calif.
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Jul27/0,4670,KlamathWater,00.html


WE CAN MIX RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY WITH RESTORATION
IT CONTINUES to be a challenge in semiarid California to provide a reliable
water supply for our growing populations and vibrant agricultural economy while
simultaneously protecting and restoring important environmental resources. In
recent years, however, we have significantly increased water storage statewide
and learned to make existing supplies go further, while simultaneously taking
on important restoration efforts, such as Mono Lake and the Trinity River.

This year has been a dry one, indeed. The possibility that it marks the
beginning of a drought along with fear of what global warming may do to our
rainfall and snowpack raises legitimate concerns. The call to build new dams,
as well as sharp criticism of the Bush administration's recent proposal to
study potential restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park,
pervades the media.

A close look at recent trends in water management suggests, though, that new
dams may not be the best way to provide reliable water supplies and that
restoration of Hetch Hetchy is an option that should be kept on the table.
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/oped/ci_6431609



PLEASE SIGN AN ONLINE PETITION FOR THE BAY DELTA WATER. THIS DEAL WITH
WESTLANDS COULD EFFECT THE TRINITY RIVER, ALONG WITH THE DELTA PLEASE sign on
to the online petition to California Legislators urging them to reject the
proposal to give away California water resources.
(http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-more-secret-deals)

As you all may already know, the Bureau of Reclamation is negotiating a deal
with Westlands & other San Luis Unit Contractors for settlement of Westlands’
drainage lawsuit. Rather than deal with the drainage problem directly, the
proposed settlement provides Westlands and other San Luis Unit Contractors with
60 year contracts for Delta water-complete with special provisions.
Unfortunately, the details of these negotiations are not public, but this is
what we have heard is currently in the proposal:

Assurance that Westlands will receive a certain amount of water even in dry
years (other settlement agreements assure 75% of deliveries: for Westlands,
that would be about 800,000 acre feet)
In addition to the above delivery assurance, the contract would guarantee that
CVP contractors south of the Delta will not be cutback for any reason other
than D-1641 or the Biopsy- that means cutbacks for CESA, CEQA, NEPA, refuge
water, Trinity needs, climate change, and other public interests must be
absorbed- or paid for by the public, other water users and the environment.
San Luis Unit Contractors would no longer have to comply with the acreage
limitations of Reclamation Law – no more 960 acre limit, so much for the
small family farm
San Luis Unit Contractors would be forgiven its $400 million+ debt for
construction of the CVP
San Luis Unit Contractors would no longer have to pay for O & M cost of CVP
facilities above the Delta - that means taxpayers get the bill
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/no-more-secret-deals



SEND IN NEWS AND EVENTS TO KLAMATH RIVER NEWS
Send your Klamath news and events to the Klamath Riverkeeper klamath [at] riseup.net
The Klamath River News is a resource everyone can use. While we have to
moderate the emails to make sure we do not send out emails more then once a
week, this email alert service is open to all groups that want to post events
about the Klamath Rivers and tributaries.


WANT TO DONATE TO KEEP KLAMATH RIVER NEWS GOING? Join Klamath Riverkeeper
today and let us know it is for the Klamath River News. Any memberships of $50
or more get a free "Un-Dam the Klamath, Bring the Salmon Home" T-shirt,
recently made by the Klamath Riverkeeper and the Klamath Salmon Media
Collaborative, along with newsletters and E-updates.

For more info about anything on this update call 530 627-3280.
The Klamath River News covers issues related to Klamath River environmental and social justice.
To get involved or add a story contact the Klamath Riverkeeper at klamath [at] riseup.net or call (530) 627-3280 or 541 951-0126.
To be removed from list or subscribe go to https://lists.riseup.net/www and type in klamath list then hit subscribe or unsubscribe.