Jul 1, 2012
PNP comment: Looks like the government wants to control who gets the gold! — Editor Liz Bowen
By John Bowman
Posted Jun 29, 2012 @ 10:10 AM
SACRAMENTO, CA – With Gov. Jerry Brown’s signing of the 2012/13 California budget on Wednesday night, a moratorium on suction dredging in the state’s waterways has effectively been extended indefinitely by reversing a “sunset clause” that would have ended the moratorium in June, 2016.
The change was contained in the Resources Omnibus Trailer Bill (a trailer to the main budget).
On May 23, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #3 on Resources & Transportation and the Senate Budget Subcommittee #2 on Resources & Transportation both approved the language changes to the budget trailer.
The original language of the bill – established by Assembly Bill 120 in July, 2011 – set forth additional requirements for approving new suction dredge regulations. It also established a timeline for the moratorium, allowing it to expire in June 2016.
According to Assembly documents, the original language “inadvertently created a confusing requirement both to create a temporary moratorium and require an environmental review of the practice, with an arbitrary timeframe for both.”
On April 25, the subcommittee directed staff to develop language to clarify legislative intent.
In addition to removing the sunset clause, the subcommittees added the following language:
“The department shall consult with other agencies as necessary, including but not necessarily limited to, the State Water Resources Control Board, the Department of Public Health, and the Native American Heritage commission, and report back to the Legislature with recommendations as to any additional statutory changes or authorities that may be necessary to develop suction dredge regulations … including mitigation of all identified significant environmental impacts and a fee structure that will fully cover all program costs.”
The requirement that new regulations provide “mitigation of all identified significant environmental impacts” is likely to present the biggest challenge for the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG).
In March, CDFG released its proposed new regulations and Environmental Impact Report.
A CDFG press release issued in April announcing the new regulations stated, “The Final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (FSEIR) does identify significant and unavoidable impacts for purposes of CEQA, which are not mitigated to less than significant level by the adopted regulations. As a result, based upon the information currently available, CDFG will not be able to determine that the final regulations fully mitigate all identified significant impacts.”
This contrast between the stated requirement in the new language of the budget trailer and the current state of the regulations will likely mean that CDFG will have to continue searching for new ways to regulate suction dredging if the moratorium is to be lifted at any point in the future.
http://www.siskiyoudaily.com/features/x57813079/Dredge-Moratorium-extended-indefinitely
Jul 1, 2012
SISKIYOU COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
*6/30/2012*
On June 30, 2012 at approximately 8:00 pm the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office received several 911 calls reporting that a subject was shooting at people on the 16000 block of Indian Creek Road in Fort Jones. Upon arrival deputies observed two victims on the ground, both victims were pronounced dead on scene by medical personnel.
The suspect, Earl Stanfield, 56 of Yreka, had reportedly been at a party at the residence when he was involved in an altercation with one of the victims. Witnesses stated that Mr. Stanfield left the residence and returned 45 minutes later with a handgun. He proceeded to shoot both victims as they approached him. Family members of the victims were able to disarm Mr. Stanfield and detain him. When deputies arrived witnesses identified Mr. Stanfield as the shooter. Mr. Stanfield was taken to Fairchild Medical Center for treatment of injuries he had sustained. He was then booked into the Siskiyou County Jail and is being held without bail.
The victims were identified as Darrell Henderling, 52, of Fort Jones and Ronald Minard, 29, of Yreka. The Sheriff’s Department Detectives Bureau is currently investigating the homicide; anyone with information regarding this incident can contact Detective Jeff Moser at 841-2900.
Sheriff Jon Lopey stated “This was a tragic event that occurred last night. I would like to offer my condolences to the families of both victims during this difficult time; you are all in our thoughts and prayers.”
Jul 1, 2012
PNP comment: Sure am glad I don’t have any money in B of A, but it sure is frustrating that the government now runs all of its “unemployment funds through the B of A paperless – Visa card system. Hum, sounds like there is a connection. Wonder, whom is rubbing whose back? — Editor Liz Bowen
From Western Livestock Journal
Bank of America may soon be feeling some heat from farmers and ranchers as word ricocheted across the internet that the financial giant is offering a Visa credit card in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
The BankAmericard Cash Rewards™ Visa® card for HSUS will reportedly transfer $60 to the multi-million dollar animal rights foundation for every credit account opened, and transfer another 25 cents for every $100 dollars spent on the card. The card can be applied for on the “charitable causes” section of the Bank of America website as a “nature and wildlife cause” and also on the HSUS website.
Western Livestock Journal
Weekly News Update
June 29, 2012
Jul 1, 2012
Klamath Basin Suckers
There’s more to declining sucker, Jerry Jones, Chiloquin, H&N, posted to KBC 7/1/12. “… juvenile suckers (JS) have not survived August for the past 10 years. During that time, the lake’s sucker population has declined 80 percent. The lower Williamson sucker nursery and the A canal fish screen has not saved one JS. Despite this knowledge, the government has not assigned even one scientist to determine the cause of sucker mortality.”
KBC News Chiloquin Dampage. (Chiloquin Dam was removed in 2008 to restore 95% of sucker habitat)
Article about the Klamath Tribes, (killing of suckers, and Chiloquin Dam) by Brad Harper, Water for Life 10/24/03.
Department of Justice will appeal delisting of sucker fish, 11/02/03, attorney James Buchal. “the Fish & Wildlife Service refused to consider enormous increases in sucker populations (or a failure to count them properly at listing) as evidence that the fish might not be endangered after all.”
Consensus Achieved on Improved Fish Passage at Sprague River Dam, from KWUA newsletter July 11, 2003, by Dan Keppen. “The 1992 Biological Opinion developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) states – ‘the construction of the Sprague River dam near Chiloquin effectively blocked approximately 95% (70 river miles) of the potential spawning range of the Lost River and shortnose suckers in Upper Klamath Lake’ “.
From KBC Editor: Department of Interior bought a $15 million fish screen to take suckers of the endangered species list.
USFWS said taking out Chiloquin Dam would restore 95% sucker habitat.
USFWS and The Nature Conservancy took nearly 100,000 acres of land out of ag to make wetlands in the guise of helping suckers.
Pipeline questions and answers. Developers say pipeline will produce economic windfalls, H&N, posted to KBC 7/1/12. “Approximately 1,800 workers would work on the construction, and the pipeline would generate $11 million in state taxes, 100 jobs operating the pipeline, with another 404 indirect jobs and 182 created elsewhere because of the pipe, he said. …The pipeline would produce an additional estimated $687,500 in Klamath County property taxes…”
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