TO: James Smith – Siskiyou Agricultural Commissioner
CC: Ray Haupt – Siskiyou County Supervisor
Jeremiah LeRue – Siskiyou County Sheriff
Et. Al.
RE: Livestock Harassment – Our Horses
VIA EMAIL ONLY – May 20, 2024
Dear James:
On Friday, May 17th at about 2:00 PM, I was driving past the area of Camp Creek (Copco Road, mile post 12-13) on my way to town.
In this immediate area, there is a large lake-bottom sediment flat of about ~100 acres (drainage from Camp Creek and Scotch Creek) that was planted by KRRC and RES and it now has some vegetative growth.
Of course this fresh growth of alternative plants is attracting various herbivores (deer, rabbits, mice, raccoons, cattle, elk and our heritage herd of horses) that are all naturally talking advantage of the assorted vegetation. Driving past, I noticed that two family bands of our horses were out on the sediment flat grazing the newly sprouted vegetation, about a dozen horses. They have also been accessing drinking water from both Camp Creek and Scotch Creek in this area as they have for centuries.
On the side of the Copco Road, in the immediate area of this sediment flat, there were two late-model pickup trucks parked (near Mile Post 13) that had RES & Yurok decals on the doors.
There were several workers with fluorescent green and orange vests walking around out in the sediments, apparently examining the vegetative growth, about 20-yards from our horses, which were calmly grazing.
As I was driving and occasionally looking over at the horses, the workers did something (I thought I heard a pop, like pistol shot) that suddenly spooked the horses into a stampede, which I have never seen then do before over the course of 10-years of close observation.
Panicked by whatever the workers did, the horses ran at top speed across Copco Road from the sediment area and over the road to the north side of Copco Road where the big gravel parking lot is located and thence up the side of the mountain into the trees.
If one of the speed-happy dam workers was flying down the road at that moment, as is their habit, there could have been a serious man-caused accident.
Of course given the well-known ongoing cover-up and collusion between all the parties contracted by KRRC and the fact they have signed non-disclosure agreements with KRRC, if such an incident (harassment leading to panicked animals running across the road), were to occur, I am certain that the story offered would be, ‘they (animals) just ran in front of the vehicle for no apparent reason’, with no reference to animals being hazed or harassed by dam workers.
Some of the dam workers coming down Copco Road from Copco 1 dam and above Iron Gate Dam from 3:00 PM until 6:00 PM are not only driving 40-50 mph on a road that warrants a 25-mph limit, they drinking alcohol and there are numerous beer and hard liquor bottles now littering the sides of Copco Road evidencing that allegation.
This is an issue that has only arrived to our quiet community with the arrival of the dam workers (maybe they should be collected and checked for fingerprints?).
And as the Sheriff may know, word on the street has it that driver of Dodge truck that killed the parents of 4-children last year on Copco Road in a head-on collision was driven by a dam worker, who rumor says was intoxicated and caused that deadly accident.
I am concerned that the actions of these RES/Yurok workers are conditioning our livestock-horses to panic when seeing people. And furthermore, these RES/Yurok workers could have caused injury to our horses via their harassment.
Instead of their (horses) normal behavior of cautiously, calmly and slowly crossing this remote country road, as they have done safely for the past decade that I have studied them, they ran for their lives across the road, potentially thinking someone was shooting at them.
These dam removal (RES/Yurok) people have no right to be harassing our livestock (and or any of the local wildlife) on or off the un-fenced Open Range for any reason.
The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (‘KRRC) and the Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC (‘RES’) have failed to fence the now exposed lake bottom sediment areas planted or to provide the alternative water sources as they had promised for the past two years, and pursuant to their published plan.
And until they do (if ever), it’s our position that our livestock herd of heritage horses and other large herbivores (cattle, deer and elk) have a legal right to access and graze any Open Range (including the now exposed and un-fenced, lake bottom lands) as well accessing and drinking water at their historic water sources on these tributaries (Camp Creek, Scotch Creek and Jenny Creek) and on the Klamath River.
Given the past unreasonable and deceptive behavior by KRRC, RES and some of their workers by falsely accusing me of harassing their workers (See Emails Below) for merely asking them questions related to transparency and the use of public funds, I now have concerns about my own personal safety as well as the safety of our livestock-horses, if I need to intervene in behalf of protecting my livestock (horses) and or their Open Range and water rights. As you may recall, back on August 3, 2021, I was surrounded by RES/Yurok men (3 young men confronting and intimidating me (I am 71-years old), see photo in email below)
And given our County is an registered Open Range County, RES, KRRC, the Yurok all need to respect our laws and policies. This area is not reservation land, and the Yurok have no special rights or privileges up here; they are subject to our state, and county law and policies.
Your assistance in pursuing this Complaint and enforcing our Open Range rights as livestock owners is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Regards, William E. Simpson II
Livestock Owner & Ex. Dir. Wild Horse Fire Brigade
EMAIL REFERENCED HEREIN BELOWCapt. William E. Simpson II – USMM Ret.
Founder – Exec. Director – Wild Horse Fire Brigade
Ethologist – Author – Conservationist
Wild Horse Ranch
P.O. Bx. 202 – Yreka, CA 96097
Phone: 858. 212-5762Wild Horse Fire Brigade (https://www.wildhorsefirebrigade.org/)
Sent: Fri, Sep 3, 2021 9:51 am
Subject: RE: ATTACHED LETTER from RES – Intimidation, Misrepresentation of facts – Retaliatory Conduct, Abuse of Process & Defamation of Character
Bill,
I reviewed the letter that is attached to your email which alleges you confronted and verbally harassed employees of RES. Obviously, I was not present to confirm the validity of the statements made in the letter; however, that is what the RES letter alleges. I most certainly support yours, or anyone else’s ability to freely investigate matters pertaining to the dam removals or any other matter that serves the public’s interest. As you also know, you have the right to freely enjoy the public recreation locations and shorelines of the lakes as well as many other areas. You also have the right to freely ask people questions. Your freedoms are secure in that regard. As far as what other people may allege against you, that is another matter for dispute which you are also entitled to contend.
Regarding law enforcement response to these types of incidences: I cannot control who contacts the Sheriff’s Office for our assistance, but I am confident that if deputies responded to a call for service involving “harassment” (as alleged in the letter) or other verbal matters between persons, the deputies would properly evaluate the situation being very mindful of constitutionally protected activity. Absent serious threats of violence, most “harassment” related statutes are civil in nature and would have to be dealt with in a civil court (e.g., harassment orders, lawsuits, temporary restraining orders, etc.).
If you feel you are legitimately being intimidated based upon ongoing interactions, I would recommend speaking directly with your attorney and possibly taking steps, civilly, to protect yourself. As always, the Sheriff’s Office is here to serve and will always support constitutionally protected activity.
Respectfully,
Jeremiah LaRue, Sheriff-Coroner
Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office
305 Butte Street
Yreka, CA 96097
530.842.8300
Subject: ATTACHED LETTER from RES – Intimidation, Misrepresentation of facts – Retaliatory Conduct, Abuse of Process & Defamation of Character
TO: Jeremiah LaRue – Siskiyou County Sheriff
CC: Ray Haupt – Chairman – Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors
James Smith – Siskiyou County Agricultural Commissioner
Richard Marshall – President – Siskiyou County Water Users Association
Siskiyou County Farm Bureau
James Buchal – Attorney at Law
Congressman Doug LaMalfa
Congressman Tom McClintock
Et. Al.
RE: ATTACHED LETTER from Mr. Russell Bzoza – V.P. Safety & Security Resource Environmental Solutions
(‘RES’ – Email: [email protected]): RES Engaged in: Misrepresentation of facts – Retaliatory Conduct, Intimidation, Abuse of
Process & Defamation of Character
Dear Sheriff LaRue – Congressman McClintock, Congressman LaMalfa, Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors, Et. Al.
The issue of the Klamath Dams and their proposed removal has raised very serious concerns within Siskiyou County among the 80% of its Citizens who voted against any dam removal.
Additionally, as you know, the dams are on the traditional lands of the Shasta Nation, who also stand against any dam removal, according the Chief Roy Hall, who I had recently interviewed and quoted, along with the Economist in their article on dam removal.
Without any doubt, the proposed dam removal project is an issue that finds itself in your wheelhouse as our Sheriff, given that the proposed project would certainly adversely affect our citizens, who depend upon our Sheriff to protect their rights as well as their ‘health, safety and welfare’. And now, I come to you because I am being unreasonably intimidated by Mr. Russell Bzoza, the V.P. of Safety & Security at Resource Environmental Solutions (‘RES’)
In regard to this matter, it is critically important for you to note the ongoing modus operandi of the people who are orchestrating this illogical and reckless dam removal agenda. As cited in a CNN news video below featuring Congressman McClintock, dam removal proponents freely use underhanded and devious tactics to marginalize anyone who dares to present facts that counter the fake-science they are using, or those who expose their wrong-doing, such as engaging in a major defoliation project at the shorelines of the Klamath Lakes (Copco and Iron Gate) and disturbing and damaging the wildlife and their habitat.
In multiple cases, starting right at the top, at the offices of the Department of Interior (DOI) the dam removal proponents have snubbed voters in Siskiyou County, and use underhanded, dishonest tactics to tear down anyone who stands against them.
Such actions are an affront to the American way of life, American tradition and an assault upon the very fabric of our U.S. Constitution, to which you and I are both sworn.
The DOI fired their own Chief Science and Science Integrity Officer when he blew the whistle on the scientific misconduct that was afoot in regard to the proposed Klamath River dam removal project.
Watch Congressman McClintock’s questioning of DOI personnel on CNN about firing their own Science Integrity Officer for blowing the whistle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edwm3YFGO-4
Congressman McClintock convened a special investigative committee. I strongly urge you to take the 8-minutes required to watch the CNN video of Congressman McClintock, as is it illuminates the un-scrupulous tactics being used on anyone bringing facts to light!
I hope I can count upon my Sheriff, elected Officials and Board of Supervisors to protect my rights to continue my investigative journalism un-molested and unfettered by threatened abuses of process.
Short of such assurances, I may have to stand-down.
Background of the Current Situation – Intimidation Via Abuse of Process and Your Offices:
During the days proceeding July 29th 2021, I observed, documented, photographed and interviewed a team from Resources Environmental Solutions (‘RES’) that was engaged in a large-scale shoreline defoliation mission, which as far as I could determine, they did not have any permit that preceded from any NEPA (EIR – EIS) for a project of such large-scale that significantly disrupted the shoreline ecosystem, its wildlife and habitat, at Iron Gate Lake, which is where I live.
Having collected all the facts that were available from one of the RES workers, who in fact, agreed with my observation to him; that exposing the fauna (aquatic and terrestrial) by removing their shoreline plant cover and food sources, that there would be an adverse impact on the flora and fauna, including threatened and endangered species that live in the Lake and along the shoreline, and require the cover for their eggs and young, and shelter out of the water from predators and for sources of their food. The RES worker said that my statement as to harming the habitat and wildlife was “a fair assessment”.
On July 29th, I published a press release to publicly disclose the facts that I had collected. Here is that Press Release is attached also, and online here:
On or about August 3rd, I was driving back to my ranch from town with my fiance’, Michelle, who is a medical professional, and we saw some RES workers at the site of one of the areas where they established a Kill Zone, and we pulled-over to ask them what they were doing. At no time during my visit with these workers was I confrontational or unprofessional, and my witness, will provide testimony and or sworn affidavit of that fact.
They immediately recognized me and were visibly unhappy to see me observing their operations, yet again. They said some things between themselves that was inaudible to me where I stood. I asked them, what they were doing. Their leader, identified himself as Joshua Chenowith said; ‘were looking at our good work’. I responded; ‘you mean your kill – zone’?
They all then walked up to me at the County road side from where they stood about 20-yards down a slight slope at the shoreline of Iron Gate Lake, and as they approached me, one of the workers pulled out his cell phone and took my picture.
My fiance’ Michelle was in our car, windows down, listening to our conversation, just 6-feet away from where I stood talking to the three young men who now surrounded me, one on my left, one on my right and one in front. Please keep in mind that I am 69-years old.
In a more stern tone, now standing very close to me (about 5-feet away) they asked me why I just didn’t align with them, since we all believed in protecting the environment. I told them that I cannot agree to any agenda that is based upon a false premise, namely a fish-migration was physically impossible due to a geologic structure, 130-foot-tall lava dam had blocked fish migration for millennia. I asked them why would they want to kill thousands of animals by destroying their habitat and draining the 45-billion gallons of fresh water from the lakes that we desperately need to fight wildfires.
A young man who identified himself as a ‘Yurok Native’ replied; ‘To restore the fish migration’. When I heard him say he was a Yurok, I asked him why is he involved in a project that impacts lands that are historically Shasta Nation lands, and who would know more about the fishery here than their Chief Roy Hall…. He replied, that the Shasta are not federally recognized. I replied that;, there was a time when the Yurok were not federally recognized, does that really change the fact that these are the historic lands of the Shasta? He didn’t answer.
Having no logical responses to offer to my queries, I could see from their body language they were a bit agitated due to their inability to offer facts and debate effectively… at which point, Mr. Chenowith said: ‘We’re just doing our jobs”.
To that I replied; ‘Have you ever heard of a place called My Lai? The soldiers of that incident were convicted of killing women and children, and who offered the same excuse; ‘we were just doing our jobs.”
Clearly, any reasonably thinking person could understand that I was drawing an example of how much wrong can be done in the name of ‘just doing a job’ and carrying out an agenda that is counter to what is clearly right.
At that point, I asked them if I could take their photo for the article I would be writing about our discussion, and they agreed.
I took a photo, and then got in my car. They got into their vehicle and left the area, heading east toward Copco Lake. We pulled out behind them and continued to our home, also towards Copco Lake on Copco Road. After a couple miles, they entered the road to Wanaka Spring roadside park, as we passed by, continuing east to our ranch on Copco Road.
And as we see in the photo below, the looks on their faces and body language is not that of men who are being ‘harassed’, as falsely alleged by Mr. Bzoza of RES Safety & Security.
Yesterday (September 1, 2021), a month after that second meeting with the RES workers and the publication of my press release about the ‘Kill Zone’, I received a threatening letter from RES, which among the many misrepresentations, is intended to intimidate me via threatened litigation and via threats that your good offices will be used stifle and inhibit my Constitutional right to ask questions on public lands about questionable operations I have seen or may continue to observe and record taking-place on our public lands.
As you may be aware, under the standing federal law (Klamath River Basin Compact), as a member of the public, I have guaranteed to me the ‘beneficial uses’ of the lakes and shoreline for recreation.
In Closing:
I am hereby requesting that there be a written response from your office (and copied to me), as well as the offices of our elected officials copied hereto, denouncing tactics and threats upon my rights as an investigative journalist who is serving the public trust and our community.
Respectfully Yours,
William
Capt. William E. Simpson II – USMM Ret.
Naturalist – Author – Conservationist
Wild Horse Ranch
P.O. Bx. 202 – Yreka, CA 96097
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I hate to state the obvious here; however, I would like to point out the Mr. McClintock has absolutely nothing to do with Northern California. So including him on Northern California issues is actually quite irrelevant.