FERC Issues DEIS, Setting in Motion the Biggest River Restoration Project in History
Last week the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on dam removal. In it, FERC staff recommends dam removal be carried out. The DEIS states, “any short- and long-term, adverse environmental effects and the loss of power generation…would be outweighed by the substantial long-term environmental benefits gained from project decommissioning.”
While this sounds a bit like boring bureaucratic talk, it’s a signal that the lower four Klamath dams will finally be removed. Check out the press coverage from around the nation below to learn more, and visit the link in the "In Case You Missed It" section to learn how to file your own FERC comment.
News
Stage set to demolish 4 dams near Oregon-California border - oregonlive.com
Federal regulators on Friday issued a draft environmental impact statement saying there were significant benefits to a plan to demolish four massive dams on Northern California’s Klamath River to save imperiled migratory salmon, setting the stage for the largest dam demolition project in U.S. history.
Public comment opens on Klamath dam removal plan | Jefferson Public Radio
Dam removal on the Klamath River is one step closer to reality. A draft environmental impact statement was released on Friday by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It’s an opportunity to get feedback on the dam removal plan along the Oregon-California border.
Arcata enviromental group among plaintiffs in potential conservation suit – Times-Standard
On Thursday, The Western Environmental Law Center announced its intent to file a federal lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency operating under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, regarding a “safe harbor” conservation program the filing parties believe is flawed. The Environmental Protection Information Center, or EPIC, is listed as a plaintiff along with Yreka-based group Friends of the Shasta River.
Indigenae Podcast: We belong to the land - Indigenous Stewardship with Kathy McCovey and Lisa Hillman on Apple Podcasts
On the final episode of Indigenae, cultural practitioners Kathy McCovey and Lisa Hillman teach us about Indigenous stewardship and the sacred connection between land and our physical, spiritual, and mental wellbeing.
Kathy McCovey, is a fourth-generation forester, archeologist, and Cultural Resource Specialist. She has dedicated her life to revitalizing traditional land management practices in the Karuk homelands, what is now known as Northern California.
Lisa Hillman is a renowned Karuk basketweaver - an art form that has been passed from generation to generation since time immemorial. Lisa is the founder of the Tribe’s Píkyav Field Institute, which aims to augment long-term eco-cultural revitalization for the Tribe.
Friends of the Shasta River and partners announce intent to sue feds over Shasta River 'safe harbor' agreements - Friends of the Shasta River
ARCATA, Calif.—Today, on behalf of the Friends of the Shasta River and Environmental Protection Information Center, the Western Environmental Law Center notified the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the groups’ intent to challenge its flawed Shasta River safe harbor program in federal court. The NMFS safe harbor program provides legal immunity for harming protected species in exchange for stewardship practices on private land
Judge advances lawsuit over disputed rights to water in Oregon lake | Courthouse News Service
SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — In the midst of a devastating Western drought, a massive freshwater lake in Southern Oregon has become the focal point of the latest battle in a long-running legal dispute over water rights in the Pacific Northwest.
For the Planet’s Sake and Our Own, We Should Let Rivers Run Free
THE WORLD’S BIGGEST dam removal effort is set to begin next year on the Klamath River, a waterway that winds more than 250 miles from southern Oregon through Northern California, before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Four outdated hydropower dams on the Klamath have decimated salmon runs and rendered the river and its reservoirs toxic.
Senator Huffman Calls for Immediate Action to Perserve Water Levels in Trinity Lake Ahead of Anticipated Drought – Redheaded Blackbelt
“Conditions in the Trinity and Klamath river watershed are too dire to risk business as usual for the Central Valley Project. I ask that you quickly and carefully weigh all available options to preserve the Trinity River’s cold water and the fish and communities that depend on it.”
Leading water conservation group IDs top five obsolete dams to remove in California | News | triplicate.com
Fish and watershed conservation non-profit organization California Trout (CalTrout) released a new report today detailing the top five dams ripe for removal in the Golden State. The lower four Klamath Dams are on the list. Removal of the dams named in the Top 5 California DAMS OUT Report would support the recovery of California’s native migratory salmon and steelhead populations, many of which are at critical risk of extinction; improve the health of watersheds, which benefits both people and wildlife; and provide economic, recreational and safety benefits to local communities. The dams identified in the report were carefully selected: dams that provide the least benefit for people and cause the greatest harms to imperiled native fish rose to the top.
Major hurdle cleared in plan to demolish 4 California dams | Miami Herald
Federal regulators on Friday issued a draft environmental impact statement saying there were significant benefits to a plan to demolish four massive dams on Northern California’s Klamath River to save imperiled migratory salmon, setting the stage for the largest dam demolition project in U.S. history.
In Case You Missed It...
File a FERC Comment
TAKE ACTION - Be a part of undamming the Klamath River, learn how to file a FERC comment.
Karuk tribe ceremony makes it to Sundance - OPB
Members of the Karuk tribe have shared their stories on water rights and salmon but are now letting the world know a more intimate side of their traditions. The Karuk tribal territory ranges from California to Southern Oregon. The new film, “Long Line of Ladies,” documents Ahty Allen’s journey through the Ihuk ceremony also known as the Flower Dance, which celebrates a girl’s first menstruation and marks her transition into womanhood. The sacred ceremony has only recently begun to be practiced after years of dormancy. Rayka Zehtabchi codirected the film with Shaandiin Tome. Zehtachi joins us to share her work on the documentary along with Ahty Allen, along with her mother Pimm Allen.
Klamath Falls Herald and News to lose entire reporting staff | Jefferson Public Radio
The Great Resignation has come to the Klamath Falls Herald and News. All members of the four-person newsroom are leaving their jobs this week.
