Senate hearing called for water issues; Goal of discussions to gather input from Klamath Basin residents, H&N 5/17/13. “Glen Spain, regional director for the Pacific Coast Federation of the Fisherman’s Association / PCFFA and the Institute of Fisheries Resources, is spending the week in Washington, D.C., providing information on the Basin’s complex issues.”

 KBC NOTE: PCFFA sued against Klamath irrigators getting an affordable power rate, against irrigators getting compensation when the federal government withheld their deeded water, against Klamath River miners, sued Calif Water Quality Control Board to force them to regulate Klamath farmers’ water quality, PCFFA is often represented by George Soros-funded Earthjustice.

PCFFA Glen Spain ANALYSIS OF “Outline of Objections to the Klamath Basin Restoration and Hydroelectric Settlement Agreements.” Spain explains why environmental NGO’s and Tribes should support the dam removal and ag-downsizing ‘agreements’, posted to KBC 2/20/10,  12/4/10.
* “The primary “guarantee” the Project irrigators will get under the KBRA is the guarantee that in dry years they will typically get much less water from the river than before — and the fish will therefore get that much more.
* “…guaranteed increase” in the volume of water for lower river salmon and endangered lake fish of between 130,000 and 230,000 additional acre-feet which would kick in immediately.”
* “…KBRA leaves the ESA alive and well.”
* “…short-term and long-term measures including: “conservation easements, forbearance agreements, conjunctive use programs, efficiency measures, land acquisitions, water acquisitions, groundwater development, groundwater substation, other voluntary transactions, water storage, and any other applicable measures.”
* agriculture “..permanently giving up as much as 130,000 acre-feet of current legally held water rights) that the Project and non-Project irrigators are surrendering.”

Ninth Circuit decision stops “sue and settle” tactic, Western Livestock Journal 5/17/13.

California Farm Bureau Federation governmental and legislative review 5/17/13. “Governor Brown) cautioned that cuts in federal spending and higher payroll taxes could have a slowing effect on the state’s economic recovery. ..) Several Democrats introduced bills to raise many taxes requiring a 55% vote down from 2/3s. FB reminded the lawmakers that increasing property tax on millions of acres of farmland will have a negative impact on farmers trying to feed the world.  Bill to raise minimum wage, end trapping of bobcats, and OSHA bills. Revoke business licenses of farmers enforcing rules or threatening to enforce rules on illegal workers.

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

Psalm 28:6-9

“Blessed be the Lord, because He has heard the voice of my supplications! The lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him and I am helped; therefore, my heart greatly rejoices, and with song I will praise Him. The Lord is their strength, and He is the saving refuge of His anointed. Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance, shepherd them also, and bear them up forever.”  — Sent by Frank Tallerico

KBC STATS for April 2013: 13,343 visits, 6076 unique visitors, 48,700 pageviews, 76,198 hits

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Legislative Review 5/4/13. Water, labor, arson, timber, bobcats, ESA, milk, …

Reclamation biologists to keep jobs, H&N, posted to KBC 5/4/13. “.. Murillo wrote that Phillips’ memo will be rescinded with an apology…”
See detailed allegations below from biologists.

Oregon Legislative 4/30/13 Update from Representative Gail Whitsett, posted to KBC 5/4/13. Includes driver’s licenses for illegals, raccoons, much more…
Legislative Update from Rep Whitsett 3/28/13

Sawmill to close in Cave Junction; 85 losing jobs, H&N, posted to KBC 5/4/13. “…the number of sawmills operating in Josephine and Jackson counties dropped from 22 in 1975 to six a decade ago, and in recent years, Rough & Ready was the only sawmill in Josephine County.”

Basin leaders looking for drought solutions; Joint biological opinion expected early May, H&N, posted to KBC 5/4/13.

Groups to file suit over Klamath River flows, H&N, posted to KBC 5/4/13.

County to bill feds $3.9M in taxes,  H&N, posted to KBC 5/4/13.

Jackson County landowner sentenced for illegal ponds, gets 90 days for storing rain and snowmelt runoff, H&N, posted to KBC 5/4/13.

Freedom and liberty are being attacked, by Bob King, HN letter to the editor, posted to KBC 5/4/13. “…In a 53-46 vote, the Senate narrowly passed a measure that will stop the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty…”

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

Sucker recovery cost: $135M, H&N, posted to KBC 4/26/13

News Release: Revised Recovery Plan for Lost River and Short Nose Suckers, posted to KBC 4/26/13

THE Revised Recovery Plan for Lost River and Short Nose Suckers, posted to KBC 4/26/13

One public comment to the Sucker Plan by a KBC Editor, posted to KBC 4/26/13. “…Now you have decided you want a certain number of fish at certain ages to live in this former meadow /man-made reservoir so you can deny irrigators use of that water and create road use and grazing regulations, and control ground water use. ..”

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

Final TID groundwater management plan April 2013. Formal protests must be before end of meeting April 25th. HERE for meeting information

4/21/13 – Hebrews 1:1-4 God, who at various times, and in various ways, spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. Sent by Frank Tallerico

CFBF Friday Legislative Review 4/19/13: would acknowledge hydroelectric generated electricity as renewable energy, end partial sales tax exemption for agricultural fuel, grant Calif. Coastal Commission administrative fine authority, eliminate cash purchases of metal, spotted owl and ESA, require state institutions to buy Calif products, animal cruelty evidence, metal theft, familial status.
CFBF / California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Legislative Review, 4/12/13: Repeal Fire Prevention Fee (tax) on homeowners, water quality issues, measure to change makeup of irrigation district boards, livestock trailer length, extending sunset for allowing incidental take for farming and ranching under California ESA, metal theft Task Force, requiring nonlethal procedures for removing mountain lions posing imminent threat, a bill would require employers to compensate employees at their piece-rate compensation rate during any breaks mandated by law or regulations.

Oregon legislative Update by  Rep Gail Whitsett, District 56 4/12/13.

Restructuring PERS, by Oregon Senator Doug Whitsett 4/11/13

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

                      Wildlife and Farmland
“There are (489) species of wildlife here in the Klamath Basin. The biological opinion deals with three.” Ph. D. Robert McLandress, UC Davis ecology.

 HERE FOR AUDIO.
Here in the Pacific Flyway, “…Klamath Basin is the most important waterfowl area in North America. Waterfowl eat 70 million pounds of food here, and more than half comes from the farms.

Psalm 62:5-8

My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, He is my defense. In God is my salvation and my glory, the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him, God is a refuge for us. Sent by Frank Tallerico 4/14/13.

Tulelake Groundwater Management Plan last public hearing April 25, 2013, 10 a.m. Fire Hall. “At any time prior to the conclusion of the April 25 hearing, any landowner within TID may file a protest to the adoption of the Plan in accordance with California Water Code…”

TID well water levels, posted to KBC 4/13/13

Obama’s budget, completed April 2013. Includes billions of $ tax increases and fees on resource users. Page 107 explains use of billions of $ of new expenditures acquiring and preserving more land. Billions of new spending on foreign countries. Tulelake refuges are not allowed to continue to feed songbirds at the visitor center to save money.

EPA acknowledges releasing personal details on farmers, Fox News, posted to KBC 4/9/13

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

Tulelake Irrigation District monthly public board meeting 4/8/13
KWAPA special public meeting 4/9/13

Erika DuVal’s lost calf, by Erika DuVal, young mother and cattle rancher 4/7/13. “…This morning I had seen a coyote near the herd so the searching for him took on an extra level of urgency…That parable took on new meaning tonight as I was out in the cold wind looking for a lost calf…”

Oregon’s 4 anti-gun bills by Senator Doug Whitsett, posted to KBC 4/7/13. “The disarming of state legislators and their staffs is the last thing that I wish to see. In my opinion, gun free areas might as well be advertised as potential killing zones….(Prozanski’s) bill would require any person applying for a concealed handgun license to first-pass a live-fire test at a firing range. The test would require accuracy while repeatedly firing up to twenty shots in 60 seconds or less.This would certainly be difficult to achieve using a handgun, such as a revolver, that only holds six rounds of ammunition. One would have to reload the weapon three times in order to fire twenty rounds in a minute or less.”

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

KWAPA special public meeting 4/9/13

Interior EIS recommends removal of Klamath River Dams; Congressional approval required, 4/5/13.  KBC NOTE: After 7 Klamath fish scientists were censored and coerced, the top federal ethics scientist was fired by his boss (who worked for Dept of Interior who was in a KBRA environmentalist stakeholder group,) and after booting out any group from the KBRA “stakeholders” that opposed Klamath dam removal or giving land to the tribes that they sold, the remaining KBRA stakeholders and scientists eagerly support the plan to destroy dams, downsize agriculture, plant endangered fish in the warm shallow Klamath Lake, and ignore the will of the constituents……Our tax dollars, inflated water bills and power rates at work.

California Farm Bureau Federation Friday Legislative Review 4/5/13. Bills: bobcat trapping, mandates for buying Calif. agricultural products, Agricultural Labor Relations Act, Immigration Reform, familial status, sweeping power to Calif Coastal Commission, hydroelectric as renewable energy, funding agricultural air quality improvement programs.

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

Matthew 28:5-7  “But the angel answered and said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. ⁷ And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.’ ” Sent by Frank Tallerico.

Dolly Parton, He’s Alive: http://www.godvine.com/Dolly-Parton-Sings-a-Powerful-Easter-Classic-fb-gv-3054.html

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

This involves Klamath Dams, power rate hikes to pay for these ‘conservation plans’ and activities.

* COMMENTS DUE -PacifiCorp Klamath Hydroelectric Project Proposed Interim Operations Habitat Conservation Plan for Lost River and Shortnose Suckers
Interim means until the Klamath Settlement is terminated or the Klamath dams are destroyed
“PacifiCorp is funding long-term …water quality monitoring to support dam removal…”
PacifiCorp has already contributed $millions for land acquisitions and restoration to flood former ag lands in the Klamath Basin
PacifiCorp contributed and will contribute hundreds of thousands $ to The Nature Conservancy restoration projects. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will administer Sucker Conservation Fund
PacifiCorp will recover costs through rate hikes to customers

* NEWS RELEASE – Draft environmental assessment of PacifiCorp’s Habitat Conservation Plan available for public comment – comments due March 29, 2013

NEWS RELEASE: Siskiyou County challenges critical habitat designations for Northern Spotted Owl, Siskiyou County, posted to KBC 3/24/13

www.klamathbasincrisis.org

Klamath County Commissioners withdraw from KBRA 

/12/13 Order by Klamath County Commissioners to withdraw from KBRA/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.

                        Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement/dam removal agreement; Can they do that?, H&N 3/10/13.
Followed by:

What does KBRA say about opting out?

What’s next for the KBRA?

Will the commissioners decision effect dam removal?

Reactions to the commissioner’s decision?

How to guarantee water?

KBC News Note- in a nutshell: Klamath County ousted 3 pro-KBA commissioners in the past 2 elections and voted in 3 commissioners who oppose the KBRA.

Citizens were denied a vote on whether they supported or opposed the KBRA so they voted for these 3 men to represent them. KCC voted to withdraw from the KBRA. Herald and News supports the KBRA, and the the above link contains their stories.

Siskiyou County was allowed a vote and they voted to oppose it.

Dozens of environmental groups, government agencies, tribes and Klamath Water Users Association are demanding Klamath County remain in the controversial dam-removal KBRA against the wishes of their constituents.

www.klamathbasincrisis.org