The politics of nature

Such hatred for science, the gooney right. Karl Rove was involved in
this one, too, so Gordon Smith could get the Klamath Basin vote.

And, Mr. Hill, I lived in Malin, Oregon, so I know the issues.

Cya!

Peace

18 November 2003

For More Information Contact:
Glen Spain, PCFFA Northwest, 541-689-2000

Final US Fish & Wildlife Klamath Fish Kill Report Confirms Low Flows
as Major Factor in 2002 Lower Klamath Fish Kill
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service today released its much-awaited final
scientific assessment on the underlying causes of the disasterous
Klamath Basin September 2002 fish kill, in which more than 34,000
adult pre-spawning salmon and steelhead perished in the Klamath River.
The report confirms that near-record low flows were indeed a major
factor in those losses.

Average monthly flows from Iron Gate Dam during September 2002 were
the fifth lowest in the period from 1978 to 2002, and the lowest
levels ever seen when combined with higher than average incoming fish
runs. Near record low flows also contributed to the crowding of fish
into the lower river as well as elevated water temperatures, stressing
the fish and creating perfect conditions for an epidemic spread of
diseases (Ich and columnaris) that are always present, but which
normally cannot spread so rapidly nor with such devastating effects.

The September 2002 fish kill was the largest loss of pre-spawning
adult salmon ever recorded in the Klamath River, and one of the worst
fish kills ever seen in this country.

Water flows from the headwaters of the river to below Iron Gate Dam
are controlled entirely by the federal Bureau of Reclamation. Summer
water releases from Iron Gate Dam are frequently only whatever water
is left over after the Bureau of Reclamation first subtracts water
deliveries to Klamath Project irrigators, which can use more than half
of all the water normally flowing from the headwaters during summer
irrigation months. Much of the water released from Iron Gate Dam is
also of poor quality, including agricultural waste water return flows
from the Project.

Iron Gate Dam is at River Mile 192. It is not until the Klamath River
merges with the Trinity River inflow at River Mile 43 that any
significant amount of water is added to the main river from its
tributaries. The primary problem of low flows during September 2002
was thus at Iron Gate Dam. During that same time period, the Trinity
River inflow was among the highest it has been in many years, and at
full "Record of Decision" flows levels.

The flows through Iron Gate Dam were deliberately set unusually low in
2002 by the Bush Administration in order to assure delivery of normal
water allotments to Klamath Irrigation Project irrigators, even though
the basin was still racked with drought, and in spite of the risk to
ESA-listed coho salmon and fall chinook populations which are vitally
important to the lower river fishing-dependent economy.

"The Administration was warned by California Fish and Game Biologists,
by the Tribes' Biologists and by commercial fishermen that flows that
low would lead to disaster, and so they did," commented Glen Spain,
Northwest Regional Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA), which represents lower river and
coastal salmon fishermen. "This is just a post mortem, but it confirms
what we were telling the Administration all along. You cannot expect
fish to survive in a warm water trickle of what was once a mighty
river."

Immediate economic losses in the lower river fishing-dependent economy
resulting from the fish kill were at least $20 million in 2002 alone,
and since salmon numbers in later years depend on this year's brood
stock, the losses in 2002 will have economic ripple effects for many
years to come that will affect much of the west coast salmon fishery.
Salmon fisheries from Half Moon Bay, California to Florence, Oregon
open or close depending on the strength of Klamath River fall chinook
runs. Nearly 20 percent of that whole run was lost as a result of the
2002 fish kill, and many of the surviving wild adults spawners were
severely weakened, which means that their egg fertility levels were
also likely depressed. Juveniles smolt counts this spring, which were
the progeny of the survivors of 2002, were in fact exceedingly low.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Report confirms the findings of a similar
report by the California Department of Fish and Game, that low flows
in the Klamath River from Iron Gate Dam were a major contributing
factor in the fish kill. Low flows also lead inevitably to higher than
normal fish densities as well as higher than optimal temperatures in
the water, which all contributed to the spread of these diseases
according to the Fish and Wildlife Service Report.

Over-appropriation of limited water supplies in the Upper Basin,
primarily for commercial irrigation, have in recent years lead to less
and less water being made available to support downriver fisheries
worth literally billions of dollars to lower river and coastal
economies.

*****

For the Fish and Game Report see: http://sacramento.fws.gov.

For more information on the September 2002 fish kill and a copy of the
prior California Department of Fish and Game Report see:
http://www.klamathbasin.info/fishkill1.htm.

###




On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:46:18 -0800, "Chris HIll"
wrote:

Typical lying from the looney left. Just like all these wannabe political
analysts that know absolutely nothing except how to cut and paste tripe into
their brains and bother folks in an outdoor oriented newsgroup. Take this
a$$wipe for example, he claims the administration killed 30k salmon due to
the agricultural needs of the area. Dig down just one thin layer of
information and we see that this is a Fuc*** reservoir that was built
SPECIFICALLY for the farmer's irrigation. Natural habitat my A$$. Now why
don't you idiot leftists get a clue that the educated public isn't buying
you trash. Have I said enough? Good now if you have something to contribute
to back country discussions go for it.
Chris

I don't know. J. Edgar, Johnson, and
Kennedy all preceded Nixon, so there
was much to question. I'm not sure
what is cause and what is effect.



Yes And may ond deceased grand mother once told me that they did not call the
"Roaring Twenties", the "Roaring Twenties" for nothing. The point being that
politics and politicians have never been totaly innocent (except the current
administration of course) during our history.

Lou T

"Wolfgang" wrote in message ...
"slenon" wrote in message
om...
yeah, after that whopper they cooked up for the Jessica Lynch saga,
could
they
have that much bull**** left in them?
Tom

On that matter, Tom, I agree with you. I'm sorry she was injured. I'm
also
sorry that someone chose to hype the incident.

But it doesn't shake my faith in all military sources. PR people are the
same whether they wear a uniform or a suit.

Not exactly. By and large, the ones in suits murder fewer children.

Wolfgang
and yes, i do understand that not everyone thinks the distinction is
valid.....or important.


Men in suits send soldiers to war. Did you know people on your ship
that wanted to throw kids throw kids overboard and watch em go through
the screws? I didn't know anyone who felt that way either.
We seem to have a surplus of gutless chickenhawks ready to spill
anyones blood to make their freinds in Houston money.
Read Eisenhower's quote on soldiers and peace.

"BJ Conner" wrote in message
om...


Men in suits send soldiers to war.

Well dang, it's beginning to look as I may have been the only person
in this entire group who wasn't aware of that.......must be one of
those current event thingies.

Did you know people on your ship
that wanted to throw kids throw kids overboard and watch em go
through
the screws?

Hard to say. I don't recall anyone admitting to such a desire, but
that was around thirty-two years ago.......and, if memory serves, I
was kinda drunk just about then. On the other hand, there were some
seriously ****ed up individuals on that boat......wouldn't surprise me
much if a few of them had some such ambition. Now that you've got me
thinking back to those days, I recall that I did know a good few
people who expressed a desire to perform similar acts and even several
who admitted to equally rough treatment of some folks in S.E. Asia
about that time, or in Europe or the south Pacific roughly twenty
years earlier.......um......they were mostly army or marines though,
not a suit among them.....well, not at the time they participated in
such amusements, anyway. Some of the WWII guys wore suits when I knew
them, but mostly they worked in factories and drank a lot and beat up
women and children and (if there were enough of them) ******s and
spics and wops and kikes, etc.

I didn't know anyone who felt that way either.

Bull****. If you've been living in this country for more than a
couple of years, you've known lots.

We seem to have a surplus of gutless chickenhawks ready to spill
anyones blood to make their freinds in Houston money.

Well, sometimes things ARE exactly what they seem. However, in
fairness, it should be pointed out that not all of them have friends
in Houston

Read Eisenhower's quote on soldiers and peace.

Post it....I'll read it.

Wolfgang

Geg Pavlov:
Personally I think he's leaning left.

A good orthopedic surgeon can correct that.

--
Stev Lenon 91B20 '68-'69
Drowning flies to Darkstar

http://web.tampabay.rr.com/stevglo/i...age92kword.htm

Fish may eventually populate (or be planted) in a body of water. It does not
give that fish, protected or not, eminent domain. Otherwise one could go
plant a protected species in a watershed for drinking water, then turn off
the faucets. Get a clue guy. Other than Kokanee, I know of no other salmon
that "lives" in a reservoir. Point is don't pollute this NG with political
crap, especially ficticous political BS.
Chris

"Greg Pavlov" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:46:18 -0800, "Chris HIll"
wrote:

Typical lying from the looney left. Just like all these wannabe political
analysts that know absolutely nothing except how to cut and paste tripe
into
their brains and bother folks in an outdoor oriented newsgroup. Take this
a$$wipe for example, he claims the administration killed 30k salmon due
to
the agricultural needs of the area. Dig down just one thin layer of
information and we see that this is a Fuc*** reservoir that was built
SPECIFICALLY for the farmer's irrigation. Natural habitat my A$$.


Are you saying that the salmon lived in the reservoir ?

Many happy dittos in the new year !

Mr. Hill, here is one about the San Rafael land swap for ya Yeah,
I've travelled almost every canyon in the Swell, too, so I know these
issues as well. Get your goat?

Peace

Interior disciplines 4 behind proposed San Rafael Swell land swap
Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 12/12/2003 | Robert Gehrke


WASHINGTON -- The Interior Department has disciplined four officials
behind a Utah land swap and reformed its land appraisal process after
an investigation revealed they concealed details that showed the
exchange would have shortchanged taxpayers.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, had singled out the actions of the
attorneys and negotiators behind a proposed land exchange in Utah's
San Rafael Swell, saying they misled Congress and top Interior
officials. He also demanded to know whether the Interior Secretary
Gale Norton considered such behavior acceptable.

"The Department of Interior is responsible for ensuring that we
present accurate facts to the Congress, decision-makers and the
public," Norton's chief of staff, Brian Waidmann, wrote Wednesday in a
reply to Grassley.

In this case, Waidmann wrote, Congress should have been provided with
a clearer picture of the value of land being exchanged. But had
members of Congress or the public read two documents -- the
legislation and the agreement spelling out the swap -- the terms of
the exchange would have been clear.

Waidmann said appropriate personnel action has been taken by the
department but did not elaborate.

The department has also sought to restructure its appraisal process to
insulate appraisers from political pressures and install more checks
on the process.

"I appreciate that the secretary has been responsive to my concerns.
I'm satisfied with the action she's taken," Grassley said. He said the
land exchanges "need more scrutiny to ensure that land valuations are
fair and accurate, and that the taxpayer doesn't get the short end of
the stick."

The Utah land swap was intended to consolidate federal land in the
scenic San Rafael Swell to make it easier for President Bush to
designate the area a national monument.

But the deal was scuttled after Bureau of Land Management appraisers
in Utah told The Associated Press last year that the deal amounted to
a giveaway of as much as $117 million in valuable federal mineral
reserves on land being turned over to the state of Utah.

Last week, a letter from the Office of Special Counsel indicated that
the case had been referred to the Justice Department for possible
prosecution.

The letter cited "evidence of criminal violations" as a grounds for
not releasing a report prepared in response to allegations raised by
BLM appraiser Kent Wilkinson.

But Mary Monahan, a spokeswoman for the office, said this week that
the report in question was the Interior Department's inspector general
report, which has been available for months.

On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:46:18 -0800, "Chris HIll"
wrote:

Typical lying from the looney left. Just like all these wannabe political
analysts that know absolutely nothing except how to cut and paste tripe into
their brains and bother folks in an outdoor oriented newsgroup.

On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 09:46:18 -0800, "Chris HIll" wrote:

Typical lying from the looney left. Just like all these wannabe political
analysts that know absolutely nothing except how to cut and paste tripe into
their brains and bother folks in an outdoor oriented newsgroup. Take this
a$$wipe for example, he claims the administration killed 30k salmon due to
the agricultural needs of the area. Dig down just one thin layer of
information and we see that this is a Fuc*** reservoir that was built
SPECIFICALLY for the farmer's irrigation. Natural habitat my A$$. Now why
don't you idiot leftists get a clue that the educated public isn't buying
you trash. Have I said enough? Good now if you have something to contribute
to back country discussions go for it.
Chris

[..../]

Irony meter

No doubt rec.backcountry is proud to have a know-nothing effwit as its netcop.

"Guyz-N-Flyz" wrote in message
. ..


See, Wyanie there's the catch. You assume that folks would just vote for
the sake of votin'.

See my reply to 'tripper below:


Saw it bubba, but the assumption is not that ALL of them were going to vote,
but I feel pretty confident in stating that some number of them would have
voted and they would not have voted Republican.

(Sportsmen Against Bush) wrote in message om...

Standing before a group of schoolchildren, President Bush repeated an
oft-stated promise that his environmental policies would stand on hard
scientific research.

Since many Republicans are Creationists it's annoying when they start
talking about biology. They'd be consistent if they'd reject all the
other science they take for granted, especially lifesaving medical
advances made possible by a true understanding of biology (not some
ancient book). Bush has made several statements indicating he believes
in supernatural origins.

To many fundamentalists, wilderness protection impedes human
"progress" (aka relentless overpopulation) and people can never take
too much from nature because a Creator gave it to us anyway. This call
to a talk show illustrates how these anti-science nuts perceive
reality:

http://enough_already.tripod.com/reagan_caller.ram
(if sound doesn't load, visit link below and click "RealAudio clip")

That particular fool actually admits resources are running out, but
listen to his disclaimer! I don't think George Bush and company see
the world too much differently. They need to stop pretending they're
on the side of real science.

E.A.

http://enough_already.tripod.com/genesis.htm

"We don't have to protect the environment, the Second Coming is at
hand." (James Watt, Secretary of the Interior under Reagan)