Monday, June 18, 2018

Liz Writes Life 6-19-18


June 19, 2018

Liz Writes Life

Suckers

There is more on the hypocrisy and fraudulent science regarding the sucker fish. This fish is being used by government agencies and the Klamath Tribe to destroy the growing of food and the science being used has been proven a flat-out lie. This is dire, folks. It is immediate and in our face.

The Siskiyou Co. Supervisors will hear from Siskiyou Co. Ag. Commissioner, Jim Smith, this morning at the supervisors’ board meeting. Jim will explain the potential impact to agriculture in both the Klamath Basin and Siskiyou Co. (mostly Tulelake area) if the Klamath Tribe’s injunction to stop irrigation water to farmers happens during a hearing on July 11, 2018. The judge will decide if irrigation water will be shut-off completely to hundreds of farmers – for the single reason of preserving extremely high lake levels for sucker fish as petitioned by the Klamath Tribes’ complaint filed on May 23, 2018.

There are several aspects playing out to achieve this devestation. One is the Klamath Tribes and their control of water rights; the other is the “political” science on the sucker fish, which claims the suckers need more water in lakes and reservoirs to survive.

Years ago, before Jim Smith was our Ag. Commissioner, he worked on a science project that proved the sucker fish populations improved when the fish were in low-level water areas. This science is not being utilized by gov. agencies or the Klamath Tribes.

Also, our county was hoping to use the fact that suckers are swimming in the Copco and Irongate reservoirs and as such must be protected, so if the Klamath dams were removed it would destroy the suckers’ habitat. Now a CA. Santa Rosa Democrat Assemblyman has launched Assembly Bill 2640 that will allow the “take” by CA. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, which is the killing of the sucker fish and contrary to ESA laws.

Last week, Ray Haupt, who is chairman of the board, signed a letter of opposition to Assemblyman Wood. I want to quote this letter, because this will explain the frustration by the county regarding suckers, agriculture and the Klamath dam destruction.

“The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors is writing this letter to express our opposition of AB 2640 Protected species: Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker limited take authorization; which would permit the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to authorize the take or possession of suckers resulting from impacts associated with the removal of the four Lower Klamath River dams.

“In late May 2018, the Klamath Tries filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California seeking to shut down the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Project, which supplies water to over 200,000 agriculture acres and hundreds of family farms in northern California and southern Oregon. The substance of the Tribes’ complaint is that the Lost River and shortnose suckers are in great peril and at extreme threat of extinction by diversion of water from Upper Klamath Lake to support farming. As part of this lawsuit, the Tribe is requesting the assigned Judge to order an injunction on lake elevation levels, above the Biological Opinion thresholds which are currently being met while irrigation is occurring; which would completely shut down Klamath Project irrigation if ordered.

“The Lost River sucker and shortnose sucker are listed as endangered species under the federal and California Endangered Species Act. They are also a fully protected species under California law, which means that their take is prohibited by law with narrow exceptions for scientific research, efforts to recover the species, and where conservation and management of the species is provided for in a natural community conservation plan, approved by the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“At the same time that the Tribe is seeking an injunction which would shut down farming and ranching in the Klamath Project to purportedly save fully protected suckers, AB 2640 is positioned to grant a legislative waiver of these protections, for a project that would permanently eliminate reservoir habitat above the dams currently occupied by both sucker species, and would result in the extirpation of the species in that portion of their range. In light of the precarious status of the species and a dearth of information regarding its contemporary distribution and abundance, as well as the prominent role of the State of California as an advocate for dam removal, those concerned about the fate of the suckers should question if the State has a greater interest in dam removal than the survival of the endangered suckers; by attempting to side-step law rather than abiding by it, as every other, entity, landowner, or project proponent is required to do.

“Due to the issues outlined above, we urge you to reconsider AB 2640 by not allowing its passage, and rather require that State law is met and abided by.”

This is an important challenge against the CA. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife’s authority to “take” a federally ESA-listed specie. Our supervisor board is ferreting out points of law to stop these overwhelming hypocrisies. I pray that right will prevail and farmers will obtain their legal irrigation water in July.

Garden

I transplanted several amaranth, cosmos and a five-leafed cucumber last week, when it was cooler. The amaranth should make it, which is a surprise as they do not like to be transplanted. The cosmos look great, but the cuc is pretty sad. I pinched off the wilted leaves, hoping it will put its energy into growing new ones.

Last week, someone asked me about the variety of plants that she noticed are doing well in the dirt-between-rocks of my wild garden. The yellow coreopsis are blooming and nearly four-feet tall. So pretty! I did add some manure, when I planted them last summer. But, I think the most important thing is to give them lots of water throughout the summer -- almost every day or every other day. Other plants that seem to do well in this poor soil are: Two varieties of Shasta daisy, tansy, comfrey, feverfew, sage, perennial asters, echinacea purpurea (coneflower), day lilies, tiger lilies, yellow moonshine yarrow, lemon balm, mints, hollyhock, four o’clocks, columbine, iris, lupine, CA. poppies and lambs ears. Also ornamental oregano spreads like wildfire and the bees love it. There are several other plants, but I can’t remember what they are. I am surprised that I remembered these!

POW

Scott Valley Protect Our Water will meet on Thursday, June 28, 2018 at the Fort Jones Community Center. Time is 7 p.m. Will have updates on sucker and water issues.

Liz Bowen began writing ranch and farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou County and lives near Callahan. Call her at 530-467-3515. Check out her blog at: LizWritesLife.blogspot.com

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