Mike Thompson’s termination bill

Why is Mike Thompson sponsoring legislation that will give federal irrigation interests in the Upper Basin priority water allocation over salmon?

Thompson used to live in The Klamath River Basin (Siskiyou County) and he likes to hunt ducks with some of the Klamath Basin's Irrigation Elite who will benefit from massive subsidies if this bad piece of legislation becomes law.

This is akin to giving Westlands irrigation interests in the San Joaquin Valley priority over salmon in the Central Valley. Thompson says he's against that - so why is he for a very similar deal on the Klamath River?

And why is the Karuk Tribe signing onto a deal that does not provide them with the salmon fishing rights which the Karuk People need and deserve?

Must be on advice from white men.

Thompson and Oregon Senator Merkley are misrepresenting the true cost of this legislation. If this bill becomes law, it will be necessary during droughts to lease water from irrigation interests in order to provide the MINIMUM river flows salmon need. That will cost $500,000 to $2,000,000 per drought and the money will have to come from taxpayers. With droughts coming more often due to climate change, that's like proposing a new tax to pay irrigators for water which by Public Trust right belongs to the River and the Salmon. That is bad policy Mr. Thompson.

Worst of all this bill would terminate the federal trust responsibility with respect to water for 3 Klamath River Basin tribes - the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Quartz Valley Indian Reservation and the Resighini Rancheria. It would do that without the consent of those tribes who have told Thompson repeatedly tyhat they don't want any of their rights terminated.

The termination Thompson proposes violates a core international principle: when Indigenous rights are on the line the "informed consent" of those Indigenous people must be given before any rights are terminated, diminished or changed.

So why is Mike Thompson not being faithful to that core principle of international justice?

You can learn more about these deals and their hidden costs to the environment and taxpayers in the attached analysis or by visiting KlamBlog.

PacifiCorp's Klamath River dams will come down because they are old, obsolete and will lose money for the owners if they are relicensed. Mr. Thompson is trying to hide special interest Ag subsidies, termination of native rights and the sellout of Klamath Salmon behind the mask of dam removal.

Don't let him get away with it!