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Questioning Nativism: Info for Letters to Protect Exotic Deer In Point Reyes
QUESTIONING NATIVISM: INFORMATION FOR LETTERS TO PROTECT EXOTIC DEER IN POINT REYES FROM BEING HARMED
With thanks to Scarlet Newton, spokesperson, Channel Islands Animal Protection Association, http://www.chiapa.org
Letters must be post marked by April 8th, 2005 (Address info below.)
From NY Times article "Alien Species Often Fit in Fine, Some Scientists Contend" by Mark Derr, published Sept. 4, 2001, Science section:
Governments, private groups and individuals spend billions of dollars a year to root out non-native organisms that are considered dangerous to ecosystems....But a number of scientists question the assumption that alien species are never acceptable....they say portraying introduced species as inherently bad is an unscientific approach. Distinctions between exotics and native species are artificial, said Dr. Michael Rosenzweig, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, because they depend on picking a date and calling the plants and animals that show up after that exotic....a number of experts question the scientific wisdom of trying to roll back ecosystems....Defining which species belong in an ecosystem is based less on science that on historical, cultural, moral, geographic and theological arguments, said Dr. Mark Sagoff, who studies the issue at the University of Maryland's Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy. Science cannot judge an ecosystem with exotics to be worse, or less natural, than one without them, he said, without also taking into account the effects of these species on their environments....Dr. Rosenzweig said removing exotics might cause other problems....In the March issue of the journal Evolutionary Ecology Research, Dr. Rosenzweig, the editor, challenges the prevailing view that invasive alien species reduces biodiversity. The exotics increase the number of species in the environment....
From "Natural Enemies--Metaphor or Misconception," by Matthew K. Chew and Manfred D. Laubichler, published July 4, 2003 in Science magazine:
Metaphors carried the message....Like other immigrants, they were accused of immodest fecundity....reports included the press release hyperbole: land-walking, voracious, an ecological disaster....Metaphors introduce a fundamental trade off between the generation of novel insights in science and the possibility of dangerous or even deadly misappropriation. The extension of genetics to eugenics owed much of its popularity in the United States and in Germany to its use of culturally resonant metaphors. Labeling people as a burden, a cancerous disease, or a foreign body (Fremdkorper) conveyed the "threat" to society....
From article "Conservationists charged with trying to 'purify' UK plants and animals by culling non-native species", published July 6, 2003 in the UK's Independent:
A leading naturalist has accused his fellow conservationists of being "ecological fascists" for trying to eradicate alien plants and animals that threaten native species. Richard Mabey, author of the plant encyclopedia Flora Britannica, claims that attempts to kill off Spanish bluebells and the ruddy duck are unnecessary, and are little different from Nazi attempts to "purify" Germany in the 1930s. Mr. Mabey also says that the language often used by conservationists in this debate, such as "alien" and "invasive", was a reminder of Nazi eugenics programmes. "Nature hasn't the slightest respect for species and racial barriers," he said.
From "Comments on the NISC Draft Management Plan", by biologist David Theodoropoulos (author of Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience):
Examinations of the origins of "natural" communities, ongoing natural movements of species, and the plasticity of natural successional trajectories demonstrates that the concepts of "nativeness" and "alienness" on which invasion biology rests are non-operational constructs dependent on arbitrary spatial and temporal scales, and useless in the construction of testable scientific theory. In invasion biology literature, concepts are redefined at will, and all data are reinterpreted to support the theory of harm resulting from " invasion." The literature of invasion biology is a deeply contaminated information-pool, with low standards of evidence, unsupported causal attributions, circular reasoning, selective data-mining, high dependence on anecdotal reports, undefined jargon, unfalsifiable hypotheses, and other pseudoscientific characteristics. Results depend on highly subjective judgments and are for the most part based on anecdotal reports. Dire warnings of harm from "invaders" are for the most part purely speculative. Invasion biology displays an extraordinary lack of rigor.
From "Protecting island wildlife", commentary by Scarlet Newton, spokesperson, Channel Islands Animal Protection Association, published 10/24/04 in the Santa Barbara News-Press:
"The terms native/non-native have no scientific validity with regard to species. An individual can be native born -- an island pig and and island fox are equally native-born to Santa Cruz -- but not a species. Every species on Santa Cruz, including the favored island fox descends from an ancestor that arrived from elsewhere, whether by transport or migration.
To label a species native/non-native requires arbitrarily picking a date before and after which the terms apply.
Ecosystems are dynamic. Fantasies about ecological stasis that dictate "this species must stay, that species must go " not only result in immediate cruelty to victimized individuals, they backfire down the road.
We see the removal of species upon which other species now rely -- fennel/ island fox; we see killing that begets killing -- island sheep/golden eagle."
Channel Islands Animal Protection Association
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. --Gandhi
Visit our website at http://www.chiapa.org <http://www.chiapa.org/>
Good PR for Bay Area non-natives:
From: DawnWatch <news [at] dawnwatch.com
Subject: Beautiful film -- The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill in US theatres now 3/5/05 >Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2005 06:59:06 -0800
Tonight I saw The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I agree with the San Francisco Weekly reviewer, who called it a "Great, important and unforgettable movie." The Jose Mercury News called it: "That rare documentary that has romance, comedy and a surprise ending that makes you feel like you could fly out of the theater..." Here is the brief description on the film's website: "This remarkable movie is the true story of a Bohemian St. Francis and his remarkable relationship with a flock of wild red-and-green parrots. Mark Bittner, a dharma bum, former street musician in San Francisco, falls in with the flock as he searches for meaning in his life, unaware that the wild parrots will bring him everything he needs. "Directed by Judy Irving. Starring Mark Bittner and avian stars Mingus, Connor, Picasso, Sophie, Olive, Pushkin and Tupelo. 83 Minutes. Rated G." It is playing in Los Angeles just for this week, till March 10, and is currently in many theatres across the country and opening soon in others for limited runs. If you go to the website http://WildParrotsFilm.com and click on "See the Film," and then click on the theatre in your city, you will find out when you can see it. I was lucky enough to be there the night the filmmakers were available for a Q&A. The theatre was packed and Judy Irving told us that if the whole run does well, the film will return to the city and play in another theatre. So the best thing we can do to support this beautiful piece of work, and to make sure it can get seen by others, is to go see it. Enjoy!
Yours and the animals', Karen Dawn (DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.DawnWatch.com/unsubscribe.php. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)
What You Can Do:
* Submit comments in opposition to any lethal plan to eliminate the fallow and axis deer (we recommend you send your letters by U.S. mail instead of email):
Superintendent
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes, CA 94956
ATTN: Non-native deer management plan
Or email: ann_nelson [at] nps.gov
All comments must be postmarked or transmitted by April 8.
* Send a copy of your comments to the following Federal representatives whose district includes the park. Include a cover letter know letting them that you support only humane, non-lethal methods of managing the deer populations.
Senator Barbara Boxer
United States Senate
1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 403-0100 phone
(415) 956-6701 fax
Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 393-0707 phone
(415) 393-0710 fax
U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey
Marin Office:
1050 Northgate Drive, Suite 354
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 507-9554 phone
(415) 507-9601 fax
Sonoma Office:
1101 College Avenue, Suite 200
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 542-7182 phone
(707) 542-2745 fax
* Write a letter to the editor of the following newspapers:
Letter to the Editor
San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Fax: (415) 543-7708
Email: letters [at] sfchronicle.com
Letter to the Editor
Point Reyes Light
Box 210
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Fax: (415) 663-8458
Email: editor [at] ptreyeslight.com
Letter to the Editor
Marin Independent Journal
PO Box 6150
Novato, CA 94948-6150
Fax: (415) 883-5458
Email: letters [at] marinij.com
Talking Points from Marin Humane Society:
1. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) lacks evidence to indicate that the fallow and axis deer are negatively impacting the environment or other species in the park.
2. The DEIS lacks full and objective information about the feasibility of wildlife contraception methods. The DEIR should include an analysis of the feasibility of wildlife contraception written by experts in the field.
3. The DEIS lacks an alternative that considers management of the axis and fallow deer through contraception alone. (The preferred alternative uses contraception, but only in combination with lethal control, i.e., shooting the deer.)
4. The exotic deer are in the park because of human action — they were placed on a private ranch in the 1940s for hunting purposes. We now have an ethical responsibility to devise a humane and non-lethal approach to managing them.
5. The axis and fallow deer are a special and important part of the visitor experience to the Point Reyes National Seashore and this unique wildlife viewing opportunity should not be destroyed.
Letters must be post marked by April 8th, 2005 (Address info below.)
From NY Times article "Alien Species Often Fit in Fine, Some Scientists Contend" by Mark Derr, published Sept. 4, 2001, Science section:
Governments, private groups and individuals spend billions of dollars a year to root out non-native organisms that are considered dangerous to ecosystems....But a number of scientists question the assumption that alien species are never acceptable....they say portraying introduced species as inherently bad is an unscientific approach. Distinctions between exotics and native species are artificial, said Dr. Michael Rosenzweig, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of Arizona, because they depend on picking a date and calling the plants and animals that show up after that exotic....a number of experts question the scientific wisdom of trying to roll back ecosystems....Defining which species belong in an ecosystem is based less on science that on historical, cultural, moral, geographic and theological arguments, said Dr. Mark Sagoff, who studies the issue at the University of Maryland's Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy. Science cannot judge an ecosystem with exotics to be worse, or less natural, than one without them, he said, without also taking into account the effects of these species on their environments....Dr. Rosenzweig said removing exotics might cause other problems....In the March issue of the journal Evolutionary Ecology Research, Dr. Rosenzweig, the editor, challenges the prevailing view that invasive alien species reduces biodiversity. The exotics increase the number of species in the environment....
From "Natural Enemies--Metaphor or Misconception," by Matthew K. Chew and Manfred D. Laubichler, published July 4, 2003 in Science magazine:
Metaphors carried the message....Like other immigrants, they were accused of immodest fecundity....reports included the press release hyperbole: land-walking, voracious, an ecological disaster....Metaphors introduce a fundamental trade off between the generation of novel insights in science and the possibility of dangerous or even deadly misappropriation. The extension of genetics to eugenics owed much of its popularity in the United States and in Germany to its use of culturally resonant metaphors. Labeling people as a burden, a cancerous disease, or a foreign body (Fremdkorper) conveyed the "threat" to society....
From article "Conservationists charged with trying to 'purify' UK plants and animals by culling non-native species", published July 6, 2003 in the UK's Independent:
A leading naturalist has accused his fellow conservationists of being "ecological fascists" for trying to eradicate alien plants and animals that threaten native species. Richard Mabey, author of the plant encyclopedia Flora Britannica, claims that attempts to kill off Spanish bluebells and the ruddy duck are unnecessary, and are little different from Nazi attempts to "purify" Germany in the 1930s. Mr. Mabey also says that the language often used by conservationists in this debate, such as "alien" and "invasive", was a reminder of Nazi eugenics programmes. "Nature hasn't the slightest respect for species and racial barriers," he said.
From "Comments on the NISC Draft Management Plan", by biologist David Theodoropoulos (author of Invasion Biology: Critique of a Pseudoscience):
Examinations of the origins of "natural" communities, ongoing natural movements of species, and the plasticity of natural successional trajectories demonstrates that the concepts of "nativeness" and "alienness" on which invasion biology rests are non-operational constructs dependent on arbitrary spatial and temporal scales, and useless in the construction of testable scientific theory. In invasion biology literature, concepts are redefined at will, and all data are reinterpreted to support the theory of harm resulting from " invasion." The literature of invasion biology is a deeply contaminated information-pool, with low standards of evidence, unsupported causal attributions, circular reasoning, selective data-mining, high dependence on anecdotal reports, undefined jargon, unfalsifiable hypotheses, and other pseudoscientific characteristics. Results depend on highly subjective judgments and are for the most part based on anecdotal reports. Dire warnings of harm from "invaders" are for the most part purely speculative. Invasion biology displays an extraordinary lack of rigor.
From "Protecting island wildlife", commentary by Scarlet Newton, spokesperson, Channel Islands Animal Protection Association, published 10/24/04 in the Santa Barbara News-Press:
"The terms native/non-native have no scientific validity with regard to species. An individual can be native born -- an island pig and and island fox are equally native-born to Santa Cruz -- but not a species. Every species on Santa Cruz, including the favored island fox descends from an ancestor that arrived from elsewhere, whether by transport or migration.
To label a species native/non-native requires arbitrarily picking a date before and after which the terms apply.
Ecosystems are dynamic. Fantasies about ecological stasis that dictate "this species must stay, that species must go " not only result in immediate cruelty to victimized individuals, they backfire down the road.
We see the removal of species upon which other species now rely -- fennel/ island fox; we see killing that begets killing -- island sheep/golden eagle."
Channel Islands Animal Protection Association
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. --Gandhi
Visit our website at http://www.chiapa.org <http://www.chiapa.org/>
Good PR for Bay Area non-natives:
From: DawnWatch <news [at] dawnwatch.com
Subject: Beautiful film -- The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill in US theatres now 3/5/05 >Date: Sun, 6 Mar 2005 06:59:06 -0800
Tonight I saw The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill. I agree with the San Francisco Weekly reviewer, who called it a "Great, important and unforgettable movie." The Jose Mercury News called it: "That rare documentary that has romance, comedy and a surprise ending that makes you feel like you could fly out of the theater..." Here is the brief description on the film's website: "This remarkable movie is the true story of a Bohemian St. Francis and his remarkable relationship with a flock of wild red-and-green parrots. Mark Bittner, a dharma bum, former street musician in San Francisco, falls in with the flock as he searches for meaning in his life, unaware that the wild parrots will bring him everything he needs. "Directed by Judy Irving. Starring Mark Bittner and avian stars Mingus, Connor, Picasso, Sophie, Olive, Pushkin and Tupelo. 83 Minutes. Rated G." It is playing in Los Angeles just for this week, till March 10, and is currently in many theatres across the country and opening soon in others for limited runs. If you go to the website http://WildParrotsFilm.com and click on "See the Film," and then click on the theatre in your city, you will find out when you can see it. I was lucky enough to be there the night the filmmakers were available for a Q&A. The theatre was packed and Judy Irving told us that if the whole run does well, the film will return to the city and play in another theatre. So the best thing we can do to support this beautiful piece of work, and to make sure it can get seen by others, is to go see it. Enjoy!
Yours and the animals', Karen Dawn (DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets. You can learn more about it, and sign up for alerts at http://www.DawnWatch.com. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.DawnWatch.com/unsubscribe.php. If you forward or reprint DawnWatch alerts, please do so unedited -- leave DawnWatch in the title and include this tag line.)
What You Can Do:
* Submit comments in opposition to any lethal plan to eliminate the fallow and axis deer (we recommend you send your letters by U.S. mail instead of email):
Superintendent
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes, CA 94956
ATTN: Non-native deer management plan
Or email: ann_nelson [at] nps.gov
All comments must be postmarked or transmitted by April 8.
* Send a copy of your comments to the following Federal representatives whose district includes the park. Include a cover letter know letting them that you support only humane, non-lethal methods of managing the deer populations.
Senator Barbara Boxer
United States Senate
1700 Montgomery Street, Suite 240
San Francisco, CA 94111
(415) 403-0100 phone
(415) 956-6701 fax
Senator Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
One Post Street, Suite 2450
San Francisco, CA 94104
(415) 393-0707 phone
(415) 393-0710 fax
U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey
Marin Office:
1050 Northgate Drive, Suite 354
San Rafael, CA 94903
(415) 507-9554 phone
(415) 507-9601 fax
Sonoma Office:
1101 College Avenue, Suite 200
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 542-7182 phone
(707) 542-2745 fax
* Write a letter to the editor of the following newspapers:
Letter to the Editor
San Francisco Chronicle
901 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA 94103
Fax: (415) 543-7708
Email: letters [at] sfchronicle.com
Letter to the Editor
Point Reyes Light
Box 210
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Fax: (415) 663-8458
Email: editor [at] ptreyeslight.com
Letter to the Editor
Marin Independent Journal
PO Box 6150
Novato, CA 94948-6150
Fax: (415) 883-5458
Email: letters [at] marinij.com
Talking Points from Marin Humane Society:
1. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) lacks evidence to indicate that the fallow and axis deer are negatively impacting the environment or other species in the park.
2. The DEIS lacks full and objective information about the feasibility of wildlife contraception methods. The DEIR should include an analysis of the feasibility of wildlife contraception written by experts in the field.
3. The DEIS lacks an alternative that considers management of the axis and fallow deer through contraception alone. (The preferred alternative uses contraception, but only in combination with lethal control, i.e., shooting the deer.)
4. The exotic deer are in the park because of human action — they were placed on a private ranch in the 1940s for hunting purposes. We now have an ethical responsibility to devise a humane and non-lethal approach to managing them.
5. The axis and fallow deer are a special and important part of the visitor experience to the Point Reyes National Seashore and this unique wildlife viewing opportunity should not be destroyed.
Add Your Comments
Comments
(Hide Comments)
Comment below contains response to above article. When comparing ecologist's concerns about invasive plants. grasses and animals to Nazi eugenics, we need to remember a few points of difference;
1) Europeans sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to escape persecution from English/Spanish imperialists. After encountering indigenous populations certain Europeans became oppressors themselves, enslaving and killing the indigenous peoples. Europeans are non-native to North and South America, and many of the species they imported (search; European starlings) have displaced and contributed to the extinction of native species like the ivory billed woodpecker..
2) Nazi eugenics and concentration camps are recent in Germany, the original idea was modeled after the US BIA reservations and forced displacement of indigenous north american peoples (search; Trail of Tears). When we factor in the funding of Hitler by wealthy US oil/auto barons (search; Prescott Bush, Rockefeller, Ford) who all shared Hitler's vision of eugenics and anti-Semitism, we have a continuation of US imperialism and Anglo-Euro supremacy that emerged in Germany's Nazi Party with the main purpose of crushing a worker's revolution (Search; Kommunist Partei Deutschland)
What people decide to do about the deer is open 2 debate, however i would caution against supporting the view that certain non-native species are not a danger to sensitive native species and the entire ecosystem. The deer themselves are of course not al fault, but simply ignoring the ecological devastation of invasive species by dismissing pro-nativists as Nazi eugenicists is not accurate. By respecting the deer as fellow living beings that are displaced from their homes, we could find an answer that benefits everyone..
March 14 is International Rivers Day and the focus in Calfornia needs 2 be on reducing consumption 4 large scale agribusiness and instead increasing smaller scale community farms that rely on crop diversity and native drought tolerant species like oaks, miners lettuce and others..
The Klamath River is yearning 4 freedom from suffocating dams, the salmon, sturgeon, steelhead and other species wish 2 return to their spawning grounds upriver. The dams are scheduled 2 be decommissioned by FERC in 2006. The removal of the dams is needed 4 salmon 2 survive, the increasing threats from pesticide runoff, warmer water and blocked tributaries. The Yurok, Hoopa, and Karuk have depended on the salmon 4 centuries before European settlers took their land by force and begun construction of concrete monoliths on the rios. The indigenous peoples of the Klamath River today strive to maintain their cultural identity from the forced assimilation of US monocultura..
Klamath farmers have the option of growing drought tolerant crops like jojoba and tepary bean, both native to the southwestern desert. The current crops of alfalfa are often used to supplement beef ranchers, an excess of energy lost to trophic pyramid (plant primary producer --> primary herbivore --> primary carnivore) conversion 2 heat. If the waste of agribusiness and cattle ranching is replaced with native plants and also restoration of native ungulates like pronghorn antelope, tule elk and others, there will be enough food and water 4 everyone..
People who desire to eat meat should at least be able to hunt, skin and dress the animal that provides them with food. Learn to respect the animal u consume instead of taking the fast food carcass 4 granted. Pronghorn antelope are adapted to the plants of this region (Sac/San Joaquin Valley) and can gain nutritional value from native drought tolerants where cattle only become ill..
Currently scientists are debating the "native vs. non-native" species coexistence on the ecosystem's health. There is beginning to be a movement that compares "nativists" to the Nazi Party of Germany and their eugenics program. This is a curious outlook because the non-native European immigrants to America practiced eugenics on the native indigenous populations by forcing them onto reservations and mass burials during the massive land theft..
Today people all live together and maybe if we show even a slight bit of respect to the indigenous populations before glorifying "immigration uber alles" (Walmart slave labor, furthermore Mexicanas are more indigenous 2 CA than Europeans), we can realize the wisdom of indigenous peoples' and their knowledge of the ecosystem is more important than fast food US monocultura..
Shasta Dam is not seismically safe. Raising the dam even a few feet would be one of the worst blunders of US corporate government since nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mt..
Shasta dams's location near underground granite uplift (search; Castle Crags) and of course, Mt. Shasta is enough to make an inflexible concrete monolith fracture over time. The wider the top, the more likely an undetectable uplift could shift both sides a small degree off and thereby begin fracturing..
The insane amount of money spent on "homeland Security" anti-terrorist measures is laughable to any cave bound terrorist who understands enough geology to see what u are doing to yourselves in the relentless pursuit of more, more, more. The unfortunate part is innocent people are living in the floodplain and usually represent the lower income populations while the politicians and corporate executives live safely in the hills..
Lowering the dam and reservoir gradually while farmers and people adapt to less water would be the rational choice. Since when has the US corporate government done anything even slightly rational concerning dams and agribusiness??
Shasta dam already flooded Wintu land, here is their side of the story;
http://www.winnememwintu.us/
Salmon jump joyously over the rubble, children laugh and play at riverside while the older folks patiently fish. The water and air are free from pollution, downstream the returning antelope pause to take a drink..
Below is copy of previous posting announcing the march in Sac today 4 International Day of Action 4 Rivers;
Film Showing/March & Rally: Bring The Salmon Home to the Klamath River!
by Dan Bacher Monday, Mar. 07, 2005 at 8:11 PM
danielbacher [at] hotmail.com
Take the afternoon off on March 14 to support the Klamath River tribes in their struggle to restore salmon populations. The event will be preceded the previous evening by a film showing of "Salmon on the Backs of Buffalo" at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento.
PRESS ADVISORY
For Immediate Release: March 4, 2005
Contact:Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator,Karuk Tribe 916-207-8294
Tribes, Conservationists, and Fishermen Appeal to Governor:
Help Bring Salmon Home to the Klamath Basin
Groups hold march and rally, show film to celebrate International Day of Action for Rivers
The March and Rally:
WHAT: March and rally at the Capital led by Klamath Basin tribes and joined by conservationists, commercial fishermen, and social justice advocates. Speakers include tribal leaders and representatives of the commercial fishing and ranching communities.
WHERE: March begins at River Front Park in Old Sacramentoand ends at west steps of Capital.
WHEN: Monday, March 14. March begins at 12:30, rally begins at 2pm.
The film presentation:
WHAT: Salmon on the Backs of Buffalo documents the ongoing struggle of Klamath basin tribes as they fight to
preserve the dwindling salmon runs. Following the film, ceremonial leaders from the tribes will explain the spiritual
connection of native people to salmon and their campaign to restore what was once the 3rd greatest salmon river in
United States.
WHERE: Crest Theater, 1013 J Street, Sacramento.
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Sunday March 13. Tix are $10 at the door
DETAILS
March 14, 2005 marks the 8th annual International Day of Action for Rivers. To celebrate, the Klamath Tribes and their
allies are holding a rally at the capital to highlight the damage done to the Klamath River by a complex of dams
owned by the international energygiant Scottish Power (NYSE- SPI). The six dams are currently being relicensed by
the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommittee, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to remove dams. The rally at the
State capital is an appeal to the Governor to act as ‘Conan the Riparian’ and use the state’s authority to demand dam
removal of the lower fourdams.
Event Sponsors: Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Klamath Tribes, Friends of the River, International
Rivers Network, and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
For more information see: http://www.friendsoftheriver.org
and http://www.irn.org
# # #
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Klamath Restoration Council
Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse ecosystem and natural resources of the entire Klamath River watershed.
We believe this will be accomplished with actions and legislation that integrate sound and proven techniques based on Tribal knowledge, local experience and the best of Western science.
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm
Mail: Box 214 Salmon River Outpost Somes Bar, CA 95568
Phone: 530 627 3054
Here's a site with info on CA native plants, many of which are both drought tolerant and edible!!
1) Europeans sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to escape persecution from English/Spanish imperialists. After encountering indigenous populations certain Europeans became oppressors themselves, enslaving and killing the indigenous peoples. Europeans are non-native to North and South America, and many of the species they imported (search; European starlings) have displaced and contributed to the extinction of native species like the ivory billed woodpecker..
2) Nazi eugenics and concentration camps are recent in Germany, the original idea was modeled after the US BIA reservations and forced displacement of indigenous north american peoples (search; Trail of Tears). When we factor in the funding of Hitler by wealthy US oil/auto barons (search; Prescott Bush, Rockefeller, Ford) who all shared Hitler's vision of eugenics and anti-Semitism, we have a continuation of US imperialism and Anglo-Euro supremacy that emerged in Germany's Nazi Party with the main purpose of crushing a worker's revolution (Search; Kommunist Partei Deutschland)
What people decide to do about the deer is open 2 debate, however i would caution against supporting the view that certain non-native species are not a danger to sensitive native species and the entire ecosystem. The deer themselves are of course not al fault, but simply ignoring the ecological devastation of invasive species by dismissing pro-nativists as Nazi eugenicists is not accurate. By respecting the deer as fellow living beings that are displaced from their homes, we could find an answer that benefits everyone..
March 14 is International Rivers Day and the focus in Calfornia needs 2 be on reducing consumption 4 large scale agribusiness and instead increasing smaller scale community farms that rely on crop diversity and native drought tolerant species like oaks, miners lettuce and others..
The Klamath River is yearning 4 freedom from suffocating dams, the salmon, sturgeon, steelhead and other species wish 2 return to their spawning grounds upriver. The dams are scheduled 2 be decommissioned by FERC in 2006. The removal of the dams is needed 4 salmon 2 survive, the increasing threats from pesticide runoff, warmer water and blocked tributaries. The Yurok, Hoopa, and Karuk have depended on the salmon 4 centuries before European settlers took their land by force and begun construction of concrete monoliths on the rios. The indigenous peoples of the Klamath River today strive to maintain their cultural identity from the forced assimilation of US monocultura..
Klamath farmers have the option of growing drought tolerant crops like jojoba and tepary bean, both native to the southwestern desert. The current crops of alfalfa are often used to supplement beef ranchers, an excess of energy lost to trophic pyramid (plant primary producer --> primary herbivore --> primary carnivore) conversion 2 heat. If the waste of agribusiness and cattle ranching is replaced with native plants and also restoration of native ungulates like pronghorn antelope, tule elk and others, there will be enough food and water 4 everyone..
People who desire to eat meat should at least be able to hunt, skin and dress the animal that provides them with food. Learn to respect the animal u consume instead of taking the fast food carcass 4 granted. Pronghorn antelope are adapted to the plants of this region (Sac/San Joaquin Valley) and can gain nutritional value from native drought tolerants where cattle only become ill..
Currently scientists are debating the "native vs. non-native" species coexistence on the ecosystem's health. There is beginning to be a movement that compares "nativists" to the Nazi Party of Germany and their eugenics program. This is a curious outlook because the non-native European immigrants to America practiced eugenics on the native indigenous populations by forcing them onto reservations and mass burials during the massive land theft..
Today people all live together and maybe if we show even a slight bit of respect to the indigenous populations before glorifying "immigration uber alles" (Walmart slave labor, furthermore Mexicanas are more indigenous 2 CA than Europeans), we can realize the wisdom of indigenous peoples' and their knowledge of the ecosystem is more important than fast food US monocultura..
Shasta Dam is not seismically safe. Raising the dam even a few feet would be one of the worst blunders of US corporate government since nuclear waste disposal at Yucca Mt..
Shasta dams's location near underground granite uplift (search; Castle Crags) and of course, Mt. Shasta is enough to make an inflexible concrete monolith fracture over time. The wider the top, the more likely an undetectable uplift could shift both sides a small degree off and thereby begin fracturing..
The insane amount of money spent on "homeland Security" anti-terrorist measures is laughable to any cave bound terrorist who understands enough geology to see what u are doing to yourselves in the relentless pursuit of more, more, more. The unfortunate part is innocent people are living in the floodplain and usually represent the lower income populations while the politicians and corporate executives live safely in the hills..
Lowering the dam and reservoir gradually while farmers and people adapt to less water would be the rational choice. Since when has the US corporate government done anything even slightly rational concerning dams and agribusiness??
Shasta dam already flooded Wintu land, here is their side of the story;
http://www.winnememwintu.us/
Salmon jump joyously over the rubble, children laugh and play at riverside while the older folks patiently fish. The water and air are free from pollution, downstream the returning antelope pause to take a drink..
Below is copy of previous posting announcing the march in Sac today 4 International Day of Action 4 Rivers;
Film Showing/March & Rally: Bring The Salmon Home to the Klamath River!
by Dan Bacher Monday, Mar. 07, 2005 at 8:11 PM
danielbacher [at] hotmail.com
Take the afternoon off on March 14 to support the Klamath River tribes in their struggle to restore salmon populations. The event will be preceded the previous evening by a film showing of "Salmon on the Backs of Buffalo" at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento.
PRESS ADVISORY
For Immediate Release: March 4, 2005
Contact:Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator,Karuk Tribe 916-207-8294
Tribes, Conservationists, and Fishermen Appeal to Governor:
Help Bring Salmon Home to the Klamath Basin
Groups hold march and rally, show film to celebrate International Day of Action for Rivers
The March and Rally:
WHAT: March and rally at the Capital led by Klamath Basin tribes and joined by conservationists, commercial fishermen, and social justice advocates. Speakers include tribal leaders and representatives of the commercial fishing and ranching communities.
WHERE: March begins at River Front Park in Old Sacramentoand ends at west steps of Capital.
WHEN: Monday, March 14. March begins at 12:30, rally begins at 2pm.
The film presentation:
WHAT: Salmon on the Backs of Buffalo documents the ongoing struggle of Klamath basin tribes as they fight to
preserve the dwindling salmon runs. Following the film, ceremonial leaders from the tribes will explain the spiritual
connection of native people to salmon and their campaign to restore what was once the 3rd greatest salmon river in
United States.
WHERE: Crest Theater, 1013 J Street, Sacramento.
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Sunday March 13. Tix are $10 at the door
DETAILS
March 14, 2005 marks the 8th annual International Day of Action for Rivers. To celebrate, the Klamath Tribes and their
allies are holding a rally at the capital to highlight the damage done to the Klamath River by a complex of dams
owned by the international energygiant Scottish Power (NYSE- SPI). The six dams are currently being relicensed by
the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommittee, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to remove dams. The rally at the
State capital is an appeal to the Governor to act as ‘Conan the Riparian’ and use the state’s authority to demand dam
removal of the lower fourdams.
Event Sponsors: Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Klamath Tribes, Friends of the River, International
Rivers Network, and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations
For more information see: http://www.friendsoftheriver.org
and http://www.irn.org
# # #
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Klamath Restoration Council
Our mission is to restore and protect the uniquely diverse ecosystem and natural resources of the entire Klamath River watershed.
We believe this will be accomplished with actions and legislation that integrate sound and proven techniques based on Tribal knowledge, local experience and the best of Western science.
http://www.pelicannetwork.net/krc.htm
Mail: Box 214 Salmon River Outpost Somes Bar, CA 95568
Phone: 530 627 3054
Here's a site with info on CA native plants, many of which are both drought tolerant and edible!!
For more information:
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/californi...
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