Northern California Tribes Reach National Audiences
The growing national and international attention to Klamath Basin communities continued last week. Hoopa Valley Tribal member Danielle Frank was featured in Vogue magazine for her activist work on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers and the next day Karuk Tribal member and Natural Resources Director, Bill Tripp, was named to the Biden Administration' Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
This attention is translating into real political progress. Karuk's sacred lands bill gained momentum in Congress. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein are co-sponsoring a Senate Bill and hearings are scheduled later this month.
California communities continue to grapple with drought, and concerns about fire are building throughout the state as we get deeper into the fire season.
Explore the articles below to learn more.
News
A New Series, “Tokala,” Spotlights BIPOC Youth Climate Activists | Vogue
At just seven years old, Hoopa activist and water protector Danielle Rey Frank attended her first protest on the Hoopa Valley Reservation in Northern California where she grew up. “I went to my first in-person water dam protest with my father,” says Frank, now 18. “It’s been an intergenerational fight to get these dams taken down."
Karuk Tribe Official Brings Traditional Knowledge to Federal Wildfire Commission | News Blog
The director of the Karuk Tribe’s Natural Resources Department was named July 7 to the Biden-Harris administration's Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which is tasked with recommending policies and strategies to better prevent, mitigate, manage and recover from wildfire to Congress.
Karuk leader Bill Tripp appointed to new federal wildfire commission – Times-Standard
On Thursday, the Biden-Harris administration announced that Bill Tripp, the Karuk Tribe's director of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy, was among those appointed to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The commission is expected to provide recommendations to the federal government on how to address catastrophic wildfires.
Episode 12: Is Suppressing Wildfire Actually More Of A Liability Than Prescribed Burning? With Will Harling — Life With Fire Podcast
In this episode we spoke with Will Harling about his work with the Mid-Klamath Watershed Council, as well as his experiences of growing up in Northern California on the banks of the Salmon and Klamath Rivers. Will had some fantastic insights on how prescribed fires are burdened with immense liability, restrictions and permitting, while wildfires are not treated the same—despite that modern wildfires are more severe because of human behaviors like full suppression firefighting and climate change. Will argues that modern wildfires are no longer an act of God, and that things like managing wildfires for prescriptive purposes could be a good step towards meeting forest management objectives. For more information on the Mid-Klamath Watershed Council—which Will is the executive director of—check out their website: http://www.mkwc.org/
Bill would transfer California public lands to Karuk Tribe trust
The legislation would transfer about 1,000 acres from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Interior to re-establish the tribe as steward of the land.
Bill in Congress proposes transfer of sacred lands to Karuk Tribe | Jefferson Public Radio
Bill in Congress proposes transfer of sacred lands to Karuk Tribe
Lawsuit aims to protect threatened species, but fire scientist says management delays could be worse | Jefferson Public Radio
Four environmental groups are threatening to sue federal agencies over a new forest treatment plan. The activists say the Bureau of Land Management isn’t doing enough to protect two threatened species in Southern Oregon.
First foods: How Native people are revitalizing the natural nourishment of the Pacific Northwest | | yakimaherald.com
Five or six generations ago, Native people of this region ate a complex diet that changed with the seasons. Called First Foods, these are the staples they always relied on. Today a movement in tribal communities is promoting First Foods traditions and decolonizing Native diets and taste buds to restore bodily, cultural and spiritual health.
State's leaders must change water agreements to reflect climate realities - CalMatters
State and federal water managers have drawn down California reservoirs rapidly over the past three years, leaving water in short supply. Why? To provide water to a small subset of commercial growers.
In Case You Missed It...
Indigenous tribes and the environment pay the price for new reservoirs
Environmental advocates warn that more artificial reservoirs could further imbalance waterways already damaged by the ongoing drought.
Calif. invests $2M in urgent drought relief projects | WaterWorld
The state’s Department of Water Resources announced financial support to four separate drought relief projects as part of the Small Community Drought Relief Program.
Dept. of Interior visits Klamath Basin
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Senior leaders from the Department of the Interior finished a two-day visit to the Klamath Basin this week to meet with Tribes, state and county officials, interagency partners, and water users to discuss near- and long-term solutions related to drought impacts and highlight how investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help protect and conserve species and their habitats in the region.
‘No easy solutions left’ - The Sacramento Bee
California can’t turn to big water projects to combat the drought
The funky politics of wildfire right now — High Country News – Know the West
After New Mexico’s record-breaking fires, the politics of wildfire are morphing into weird configurations.
How one town put politics aside to save itself from fire | Grist
Timber Wars tore the town of Ashland apart. Wildfire prevention brought it back together.
Yurok Tribe's wildlife director nominated for UCLA genius award | KRCR
KRCR News Channel 7 and KCVU Fox 20 offers local and national news, sports, and weather forecasts to viewers in the Northstate including Redding, Shasta Lake, Shingletown, Anderson, Red Bluff, Corning, Chico, and Oroville. Coverage is also provided on the North Coast through KBVU Fox 28 and KAEF ABC 23.
