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Remove the dams on the Klamath River
Editorial by Howard McConnell, chairman of the Yurok Tribe.
The Yurok Tribe is the most populous Indian tribe in California. Our reservation stretches from the mouth of the Klamath River at the Pacific Ocean to 44 miles upriver. For many years, our people did not have a voice in public affairs. We were even denied citizenship, though we fought and died alongside our fellow Americans in wars overseas defending the rights and freedoms we ourselves did not yet have.
When we speak out on issues concerning life on the Klamath River, we speak with conviction for all people and creatures living in or near the lands the Creator gave to us to cherish and protect forever. This is our sacred mission and the purpose given to us. This purpose is enshrined in our Tribal Constitution. We are speaking now.
We call upon PacifiCorp and ScottishPower's shareholders to take a bold, historic step forward in the preservation of a great species on a great river, the Klamath River, and remove the dams. We believe that they are poised to do so and we call upon all of our friends on the North Coast of California to support them. Very few times in one's life is there an opportunity to realize something truly great. I believe such a time is now. Together, the Yurok people and all the people who love and cherish this earth can help renew the strength and vitality of the salmon of this river.
The existence of dams, these weapons of mass destruction, harms the life cycles of our salmon brothers. That's right, I say "salmon brothers." It is our belief that before there were any people, we were all kindred spirits. Spirits became birds, mammals, reptiles or fish. No creatures are more or less important than the spirits who became people. Thus, we believe all creatures are related as brothers and come from the same Creator. It is hard for me to lift a fish out of the water that has been trapped in my net and not hear him call out to me for help. And with so few salmon in the river these days, it is always with great respect that he will be food for my family and my people. I thank him and the Creator for the sacrifice of his life so that we can eat.
Lately, the heavy burden I feel as I lift up my nets is not the weight of the fish, but of the heavy sadness that so few of my salmon brothers return these days. Our people have noted the steady decline in the numbers of salmon returning each year. In the early 1900s, prior to the first dams being built, this once great river yielded hundreds of thousands of salmon and steelhead. More than a million came back to the river each year in their migration to their ancient spawning grounds upriver. Now, the return of salmon is measured in the tens of thousands. The salmon harvests on the river are so restricted we cannot meet the basic subsistence and commercial needs of our people. All North Coast sports and commercial fisheries have suffered along with us.
Maybe I will quit catching fish for my family, I think, but this will not solve the problem. The threats to my salmon brothers must be removed. The water quality and streambed access for spawning salmon must be restored. The Yurok Tribe will protect our salmon brothers and we call upon all who love the earth and the river to join us, especially PacifiCorp and ScottishPower.
Removal of these dams would be a historic step to restoring Klamath River fish populations. This is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can save our salmon. Let's not allow this moment to pass and be lost along with the salmon forever.
When we speak out on issues concerning life on the Klamath River, we speak with conviction for all people and creatures living in or near the lands the Creator gave to us to cherish and protect forever. This is our sacred mission and the purpose given to us. This purpose is enshrined in our Tribal Constitution. We are speaking now.
We call upon PacifiCorp and ScottishPower's shareholders to take a bold, historic step forward in the preservation of a great species on a great river, the Klamath River, and remove the dams. We believe that they are poised to do so and we call upon all of our friends on the North Coast of California to support them. Very few times in one's life is there an opportunity to realize something truly great. I believe such a time is now. Together, the Yurok people and all the people who love and cherish this earth can help renew the strength and vitality of the salmon of this river.
The existence of dams, these weapons of mass destruction, harms the life cycles of our salmon brothers. That's right, I say "salmon brothers." It is our belief that before there were any people, we were all kindred spirits. Spirits became birds, mammals, reptiles or fish. No creatures are more or less important than the spirits who became people. Thus, we believe all creatures are related as brothers and come from the same Creator. It is hard for me to lift a fish out of the water that has been trapped in my net and not hear him call out to me for help. And with so few salmon in the river these days, it is always with great respect that he will be food for my family and my people. I thank him and the Creator for the sacrifice of his life so that we can eat.
Lately, the heavy burden I feel as I lift up my nets is not the weight of the fish, but of the heavy sadness that so few of my salmon brothers return these days. Our people have noted the steady decline in the numbers of salmon returning each year. In the early 1900s, prior to the first dams being built, this once great river yielded hundreds of thousands of salmon and steelhead. More than a million came back to the river each year in their migration to their ancient spawning grounds upriver. Now, the return of salmon is measured in the tens of thousands. The salmon harvests on the river are so restricted we cannot meet the basic subsistence and commercial needs of our people. All North Coast sports and commercial fisheries have suffered along with us.
Maybe I will quit catching fish for my family, I think, but this will not solve the problem. The threats to my salmon brothers must be removed. The water quality and streambed access for spawning salmon must be restored. The Yurok Tribe will protect our salmon brothers and we call upon all who love the earth and the river to join us, especially PacifiCorp and ScottishPower.
Removal of these dams would be a historic step to restoring Klamath River fish populations. This is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can save our salmon. Let's not allow this moment to pass and be lost along with the salmon forever.
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Do not expect any improvements in anything except commerce when the current regime is in power, especially in California. The politicians of CA like in D.C. are not worth the water required to flush them down the toilet.
Art and music and science and details of murder attempt by federal mafia against federal bank examiner.
Art and music and science and details of murder attempt by federal mafia against federal bank examiner.
For more information:
http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/democracyor...
Would like to share my views based on observations of the Klamath Valley from Klamath Falls to Medicine Lake caldera..
Journeying south towards Tule Lake witnessed massive sprinkler systems spraying water into the air over monoculture agriculture crops like potatoes and alfalfa. Also noticed eutrophication from fertilizer runoff. Most alfalfa goes to the cattle ranchers. There are even agribusiness fields within the boundaries of the Tule Lake national wildlife refuge, the signs claiming they provide food for migratory birds. Maybe the name should be changed to Tule Lake potatoe refuge. The wetlands habitat diverted to these large scale farming fiefdoms is anything but the small-time family farms that we seems to hear about from the Bush administration defending their decision to divert water from the Klamath River to monoculture crops, causing the death of thousands of salmon..
While at the Klamath Falls community college library (way underfunded by the "education president") found a book about rangeland plants, most native and drought tolerant. All included a brief description of edibility/medicinal value by native people and also farm animals. Goats and sheep are much more tolerant of most plants than cattle. By getting info about native range plants, ranchers could become less dependent on monoculture alfalfa (the thirstiest legume) and instead increase native vegetation biodiversity, living in harmony with the naturally dry Klamath Basin ecosystem. That way there would be river water for the salmon and also food for the livestock..
The dams on the Klamath River exist mainly for the benefit of the large scale monoculture agribusiness, much of which is alfalfa. This in turn supports the corporate beef ranchers who maximize their cattle on already overgrazed rangeland. Let's not forget the original inhabitants of the sage country of Klamath Basin were pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep, both well adapted to the indigenous botany of the region. Why not live a simpler existence and return the pronghorn and bighorn sheep to their former habitat?
The dams on the Klamath River need to come down. By 2006 they need to be decommissioned and removed in a way that least impacts the riparian ecosystem. We also need to restore the Klamath Basin wetlands like Tule Lake to their former productivity, with natural cycles of flooding bringing new topsoil every year..
The other issue concerning the Klamath/Modoc region is the geothermal drilling of Medicine Lake. From the Lava Beds south up a gradual incline (the north side of the Medicine Lake shield volcano) lie the healing waters of Medicine Lake caldera..
Medicine Lake is under threat of large scale development by Calpine, another ENRON energy corporation that gouged California residents in the energy "crisis" hoax. Now Calpine claims we need large scale energy exports to out of state cities (Reno, Portland, etc.) to restore the economy. What Calpine plans is a clear cut through white fir, ponderosa pine forest from Telephone Flats, located within one mile of the sacred caldera lake to Mt. Hoffman, and from there to the powerlines miles away..
While we were at Medicine Lake, we camped out at Bullseye and No Name Lake, went swimming with tadpoles and aquatic salamander newts, scores of Pacific Tree frogs hopped around the grass. These sites are also near the proposed Telephone Flats drilling site that would reach into underground deposits of hydrogen sulfide gas, arsenic and mercury. The Pit River and other headwaters are at risk from underground explosions releasing stored hydrogen sulfide, arsenic and mercury directly into the rivers from underground aquifers. Though i am not certain of the underground geology, there are many interconnected caves and chambers (see Modoc Lava tubes) that could be effected, some leading out into the rivers..
Journeying south towards Tule Lake witnessed massive sprinkler systems spraying water into the air over monoculture agriculture crops like potatoes and alfalfa. Also noticed eutrophication from fertilizer runoff. Most alfalfa goes to the cattle ranchers. There are even agribusiness fields within the boundaries of the Tule Lake national wildlife refuge, the signs claiming they provide food for migratory birds. Maybe the name should be changed to Tule Lake potatoe refuge. The wetlands habitat diverted to these large scale farming fiefdoms is anything but the small-time family farms that we seems to hear about from the Bush administration defending their decision to divert water from the Klamath River to monoculture crops, causing the death of thousands of salmon..
While at the Klamath Falls community college library (way underfunded by the "education president") found a book about rangeland plants, most native and drought tolerant. All included a brief description of edibility/medicinal value by native people and also farm animals. Goats and sheep are much more tolerant of most plants than cattle. By getting info about native range plants, ranchers could become less dependent on monoculture alfalfa (the thirstiest legume) and instead increase native vegetation biodiversity, living in harmony with the naturally dry Klamath Basin ecosystem. That way there would be river water for the salmon and also food for the livestock..
The dams on the Klamath River exist mainly for the benefit of the large scale monoculture agribusiness, much of which is alfalfa. This in turn supports the corporate beef ranchers who maximize their cattle on already overgrazed rangeland. Let's not forget the original inhabitants of the sage country of Klamath Basin were pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep, both well adapted to the indigenous botany of the region. Why not live a simpler existence and return the pronghorn and bighorn sheep to their former habitat?
The dams on the Klamath River need to come down. By 2006 they need to be decommissioned and removed in a way that least impacts the riparian ecosystem. We also need to restore the Klamath Basin wetlands like Tule Lake to their former productivity, with natural cycles of flooding bringing new topsoil every year..
The other issue concerning the Klamath/Modoc region is the geothermal drilling of Medicine Lake. From the Lava Beds south up a gradual incline (the north side of the Medicine Lake shield volcano) lie the healing waters of Medicine Lake caldera..
Medicine Lake is under threat of large scale development by Calpine, another ENRON energy corporation that gouged California residents in the energy "crisis" hoax. Now Calpine claims we need large scale energy exports to out of state cities (Reno, Portland, etc.) to restore the economy. What Calpine plans is a clear cut through white fir, ponderosa pine forest from Telephone Flats, located within one mile of the sacred caldera lake to Mt. Hoffman, and from there to the powerlines miles away..
While we were at Medicine Lake, we camped out at Bullseye and No Name Lake, went swimming with tadpoles and aquatic salamander newts, scores of Pacific Tree frogs hopped around the grass. These sites are also near the proposed Telephone Flats drilling site that would reach into underground deposits of hydrogen sulfide gas, arsenic and mercury. The Pit River and other headwaters are at risk from underground explosions releasing stored hydrogen sulfide, arsenic and mercury directly into the rivers from underground aquifers. Though i am not certain of the underground geology, there are many interconnected caves and chambers (see Modoc Lava tubes) that could be effected, some leading out into the rivers..
For more information:
http://www.stopcalpine.com/
The road from Medicine Lake to Mt Shasta is relatively quiet with the occasional logging truck removing the last old growth white/red firs and ponderosa/jeffery pines from the lower Modoc Natn'l Forest..
The so called "Healthy Forest Initiative" by GW Bush is taking out the oldest most fire resistant trees from the cut area, including the base of Mt Shasta..
There are few witnesses to this "thinning" project that removes the trees that actually protect the forest from the high intense heat fires caused by fewer moisturizing transpiring old growth trees..
Black oaks and manzanita woodlands on the base of Mt. Shasta are bulldozed aside to make room for RV parks to benefit petroleum guzzling RV tourists. Backpackers and other low income travelers are given the cool shoulder by real estate moguls more interested in large scale development than sacred spiritual Mt. Shasta..
Not to mention an international bottling company, Nestle has claimed ownership of the pristine waters of the large aquifer that underlies the volcanic shield, the same one soon the hear the vibrations of mini seismic explosions from Calpine's geothermal testing..
Water throughout the Earth is being bought up by a few corporations, Nestle, Coca-cola and Pepsi. The aquifers under Chiapas Mexico are in the hands of Coca-cola thanks to former CEO vincentes Fox, and now GW Bush has sold the aquifers of Norte America to the higgest bidder. Thanks to Bill Clinton for signing the WTO and lauching us into the era of corporate globalization..
Ears of bats are sensitive to the seismic explosions of Calpine's geothermal testing, the sound vibrations would travel through the lava tubes and damage their sensitive hearing, also disturbing their sleep..
The so called "Healthy Forest Initiative" by GW Bush is taking out the oldest most fire resistant trees from the cut area, including the base of Mt Shasta..
There are few witnesses to this "thinning" project that removes the trees that actually protect the forest from the high intense heat fires caused by fewer moisturizing transpiring old growth trees..
Black oaks and manzanita woodlands on the base of Mt. Shasta are bulldozed aside to make room for RV parks to benefit petroleum guzzling RV tourists. Backpackers and other low income travelers are given the cool shoulder by real estate moguls more interested in large scale development than sacred spiritual Mt. Shasta..
Not to mention an international bottling company, Nestle has claimed ownership of the pristine waters of the large aquifer that underlies the volcanic shield, the same one soon the hear the vibrations of mini seismic explosions from Calpine's geothermal testing..
Water throughout the Earth is being bought up by a few corporations, Nestle, Coca-cola and Pepsi. The aquifers under Chiapas Mexico are in the hands of Coca-cola thanks to former CEO vincentes Fox, and now GW Bush has sold the aquifers of Norte America to the higgest bidder. Thanks to Bill Clinton for signing the WTO and lauching us into the era of corporate globalization..
Ears of bats are sensitive to the seismic explosions of Calpine's geothermal testing, the sound vibrations would travel through the lava tubes and damage their sensitive hearing, also disturbing their sleep..
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