Greetings Everyone:
A lot has been happening, on the ground, in the news and at the County Meetings.
We almost need a Racing Sheet to keep track of whose on 1st and whose on 2nd…
For me, living on the former Iron Gate Lake (now a polluted mud flat), across from the now sludgy ‘River of Death‘ (title to my article of Feb. 16th) is a daily, boots-on-the-ground reminder of situation for all of us living around the lakes, and those who are down river.
We need to form-up as an army to face down the Eco-Terrorists (KRRC, American Rivers, Trout Unlimited, et. al.) who have targeted our County and our water. After the dams, there next step is taking the rest of the water and shutting down the farms and ranches in our County and in Klamath Falls… these eco-terrorists have written and published their plans! HERE:
https://www.americanrivers.org/2024/03/on-the-klamath-dam-removal-alone-is-not-enough/
We can start pushing back by engaging in our civic duty at the Courthouse on Tuesday March 26th at 8:45 AM (seats fill up fast). Some of us will be outside with signs protesting KRRC’s destruction of our dams and River.
We must let the Board of Supervisors (‘BOS’) know our, the People of Siskiyou County’s position on approving the Declaration of a local Emergency due to the adverse impacts of the Klamath Dam removal project.
It must be passed!!
We need to learn from the past, and stop making the same mistakes that have landed us all in the pickle we’re all in.
Here is a list of articles and dates that provide a quick timeline, background, overview, also known as a ‘SITREP’:
On February 13th the Board of Supervisors meeting was held at Copco Lake. It was obvious to me and others that everything was going the wrong way, and fast. Mark Bransom (CEO of KRRC) was weaving a tangled web of misrepresentations and under-representing the adverse impacts of what had transpired on January 23rd.
His famous saying is: the short term pain is worth the long term benefits.
Of course, that’s a load of baloney… there is ZERO evidence that there will ever be a better salmon run than the one we already had. And now, the Klamath River is a polluted mess!
On February 27th, I wrote an Open Letter to the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors requesting that they declare a local State of Emergency for our County.
On March 11th, and March 18th, two of the articles I wrote for the Siskiyou Newsalso appeared in the Sacramento California Globe:https://californiaglobe.com/author/william-simpson/
These articles cited some of the serious issues and impacts created by the actions of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (‘KRRC’).
On March 12th, the BOS held a meeting where many Copco Lake and Klamath River area residents attended. Virtually all the attendees commented that our County needs to declare a local state of Emergency. The Board said it would discuss such a proclamation for possible review and action at the next meeting on March 19th.On March 19th, the BOS provided a Draft document titled (See Attached PDF at bottom)
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF
SISKIYOU PROCLAIMING A LOCAL EMERGENCY AND REQUESTING THAT
THE
GOVERNOR PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY
(Impacts Resulting from Lower Klamath Dam Removal)
The BOS debated the timing of declaring the emergency, and there seemed to be some lack of support for the document as written.
(Note: I hope that was all that was influencing solidarity on the vote to approve the declaration)
It was suggested that the issues related to air pollution from the toxic lake bed dust on the former Iron Gate and Copco Lakes be addressed and included in the declaration. The Chair moved the vote on a new Draft up to the next meeting on Tuesday March 26th.
Tuesday March 26th – IMPORTANT MEETING at the Siskiyou County Courthouse (old one across from the church) in the Board of Supervisors Chambers on the second floor. 9:00 AM sharp
For the sake of our County, the health, safety and welfare of our fellow neighbors and citizens, and our fragile economy, we need this Emergency declaration to be approved so that we have a shot at getting some state assistance in regard to the adverse impacts of the Dam Removal project.
Please do whatever you can to attend this meeting. Your attendance will make a difference!
Thank you!
Proclamation-Emergency- Rubble from Copco No. 1 Dam Blast Temporarily Blocks Outlet, Raises Reservoir Level
- CalMatters: California once led in government transparency. It descended into secrecy and opacity
- The Code of the West…the Realities of Rural Living
- College of Siskiyou Spring Concert Schedule
- CalFire PR: BURN PERMITS REQUIRED May 1, 2024
