Issue 27

Fixing a Broken System

The Klamath Basin has had a rough summer of drought and fire. While climate change plays a role in our recent weather extremes, it does not bear sole responsibility for the intense fire season that we are experiencing. We are up against a century of mismanagement and resource extraction, something that must be kept in mind as we try to mitigate the impacts of our changing climate.

Explore the articles below to learn more

News

‘Cheerleading for a broken system’: fire exclusion in the Klamath National Forest | Jefferson Public Radio

A conversation with Will Harling of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council about the McKinney Fire and the need to talk more about beneficial fire in our public lands.

Nearly extinct, California condors return thanks to Yurok, scientists - Washington Post

Once pushed to the brink of extinction, condors are soaring in Northern California skies again with the help of an Indigenous tribe and a team of scientists.

Forest Service resumes prescribed fire program, but some fear new rules will delay projects

Some experts say the restrictions create more barriers to doing controlled burns precisely when the need for them is most acute.

Yurok Forestry Director Becomes First Native Woman Appointed to State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection | Lost Coast Outpost | Humboldt County News

On Tuesday evening, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Yurok Tribe’s Forestry Department Director Dawn Blake to the State Board of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Yurok, Karuk chairs testify in support of House bills returning land

North Coast tribes have been working for years on restoring their ancestral land, and the federal government seems poised to return some of that land to the Yurok and Karuk tribes in the near future.

The Land, Fire, and Community Are Moving Together: Managing Fire Since Time Immemorial: Kathy McCovey (Season 1, Episode 2)

Listen to this episode from Intentional Fire: Karuk Tribe/SWCS on Spotify. "People were here for thousands of generations and in 120 years non-native people who came over were able to change the environment because they stopped using fire." Joining Vikki Preston (Karuk Department of Natural Resources) and Anna Malka Murviet (University of Arizona/Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center) as they are joined by Kathy McCovey a fierce and knowledgeable Karuk gatherer, knowledge holder/teacher, and plant expert. Listen in on how she has used her traditional knowledge throughout her life and career.

U.S. declares disaster for tribal salmon fisheries on the West Coast - The Washington Post

For generations upon generations, the Yurok tribe has relied on Chinook salmon from the Klamath River in Northern California for ceremonies, subsistence and commercial gain.

Editorial: It's time for Newsom to order cuts in water use. - Los Angeles Times

The drought is getting worse, and Californians are ignoring pleas to reduce water use voluntarily. It's time for Gov. Gavin Newsom to order cuts.

How wildfire can cause flooding – The Lumberjack

After the consuming heat and flame of a wildfire, flooding seems an unlikely problem to have to worry about. But catastrophic floods after a section of land is burned often threaten both human settlements and ecosystems.

Groups File Suit Over Denial of Endangered Species Protection for West Coast Fishers | The Daily Chronicle

The Center for Biological Diversity and two other environmental groups filed a lawsuit on Sept. 13 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) after its denial of endangered species protection status for West Coast fishers.

In Case You Missed It...

A Basket Weaver's Story: Verna Reece (Season 1, Episode 1) - Intentional Fire: Karuk Tribe/SWCS

Listen to this episode from Intentional Fire: Karuk Tribe/SWCS on Spotify. Join Vikki Preston (Karuk Department of Natural Resources) and Anna Malka Murveit (University of Arizona/Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center) as they interview Karuk master basket weaver Verna Reece. Verna is a gracious and powerful basket weaver, teacher, and advocate for Indigenous led burning practices. Listen in on an Indigenous weaver’s story as she struggles against barriers placed through colonization and mismanagement of the land. The sharing and community weaving build is important to the foundation of burning, stay tuned for more episodes and stories behind intentional burning with traditional practitioners and their connections and advocacy for fire.

CDFW News | Forest Grouse, Mountain Quail Hunters Advised to Check for Wildfire-Related Closures Before Heading Afield This Season

For the first time in three years, grouse and mountain quail hunters should find the state’s national forests along with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) properties mostly open for hunting when seasons begin Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022. That’s the good news.