From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 3 09:21:09 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2018 17:21:09 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Interior secretary nixes water agreement: Tribes, Upper Basin irrigators react Tribes, Upper Basin irrigators react References: <469813148.7481240.1515000069652.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <469813148.7481240.1515000069652@mail.yahoo.com> Interior secretary nixes water agreement: Tribes, Upper Basin irrigators react | | | | | | | | | | | Interior secretary nixes water agreement: Tribes, Upper Basin irrigators react By By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter An agreement created in 2014 between the Klamath Tribes and Upper Basin landowners that was contingent on the fo... | | | | Interior secretary nixes water agreement: Tribes, Upper Basin irrigators react Tribes, Upper Basin irrigators react - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter ?- 16 hrs ago ?- ?(0) - Facebook - Twitter - Email ? An agreement created in 2014 between the Klamath Tribes and Upper Basin landowners that was contingent on the former Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement has dissolved.U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke issued a negative notice in the Federal Register, effective Dec. 28, for the Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement (UKBCA), essentially the final step in terminating the comprehensive agreement between Upper Basin irrigators and land owners and the Klamath Tribes.Zinke phoned Klamath Tribes Chairman Don Gentry on Dec. 21 to let him know of the pending action, an outcome the Tribes have been pursuing since a request was first made to the U.S. Department of Interior in January 2016. The Tribes reiterated the request in April and September 2017.?The Tribes appreciate the Secretary?s work in reaching this decision, in particular the collaborative efforts of Interior?s Alan Mikkelsen meeting with the Klamath Tribes and other stakeholders in the Basin, and for hearing the Tribes? concerns and ultimately issuing the Notice,? said Gentry, in a news release.The UKBCA addressed the needs of water users in the Klamath Basin outside of the Klamath Project, according to the negative notice. The agreement also included a commitment by the Tribes to limit enforcement of their water rights so long as other parties met certain ?milestones,? which went unmet in 2017 and were enforced by Oregon Water Resources, according to the negative notice.?No legislation was passed by Congress before Dec. 31, 2015, and the KBRA expired on its own terms,? Zinke said in the statement of findings of the notice.?This fact alone means I will not be able to issue an affirmative notice, and warrants issue of a negative notice.?No legislation was passed by Congress that would have enacted provisions for water usage or riparian protection programs under the UKBCA, the statement read.?I am not aware of any pending legislation that would do so in the foreseeable future,? Zinke said in the findings.In addition, the negative notice outlines other unmet conditions in the UKBCA, including a required appropriation of federal funds to provide an economic development fund for the Tribes, as well as funding to enable the Joint Management Entity and Landowner Entity to carry out their responsibilities under the UKBCA.?Those funds have not been appropriated and I am not aware of any plans to provide this funding in the forseeable future,? Zinke wrote in the findings.Tribes ?thankful? of outcomeGentry expressed thankfulness at the outcome of a process that has spanned nearly two years, that included failed mediated talks with landowners to seek a solution.?We?ve gone through the process of meet and confer and mediation, and nothing resulted from that that would keep the agreement in place,? Gentry said.?We believe that it was just a formality that needed to be done to terminate the agreement. It was never intended to be a stand-alone agreement,? Gentry added. ?The Upper Basin agreement couldn?t be implemented without successful legislation ? the KBRA ? because we know the Upper Basin agreement was built out of that.?Gentry plans to meet with members of the Tribal community and the Tribal Council to find direction going forward.?We?re not sure what the next steps are,? Gentry said. ?We?ll be communicating with our members in the very near future, and discussing the current situation with the agreements we made.?Obviously our goal is to restore our treaty fisheries that have been lost to agriculture ? the salmon, steelhead, suckers,? Gentry said. ?And to provide for other treaty resource needs.?That?s a focus of what our water rights are for and the focus of our tribal goals so that hasn?t changed,? Gentry added.When asked about the possibility of returning to negotiations with irrigators, Gentry said Tribal members will discuss the matter.?I?m really not sure what opportunities are there,? Gentry said. ?I think it?s pretty clear our members don?t want to do what we did the last time, expend so much time and resources only to end up with an agreement, and legislation that didn?t move. Our members would really want to be assured that there were some opportunities and that it would be worthwhile to engage. At this point, I?m not sure what our tribal members? interest is. Those are the things that we want to be talking to (tribal) members about.?Landowners look aheadLandowners in the Upper Klamath Basin are looking at the action as a way to move forward, and hope the outcome is an opportunity to return to the negotiating table with the Tribes toward a settlement of some kind.?The landowners in the Upper Klamath Basin are disappointed that an agreement did not move forward, but we acknowledge the termination and hope that it clears a path for renewed conversations with the Klamath Tribes,? according to a statement issued by Randall Kizer, president of the Landowners Entity in the Upper Basin.?We look forward to finding a long-term solution that creates economic stability for everyone in the Klamath Basin.??This is the step that we needed to take to get something going again,? Kizer said later Tuesday afternoon.?We hope that this paves the way for more talks and helping everybody get what they want out of this so we get the Upper Basin back to running again,? Kizer added.Kizer expressed the need for more time before he made additional comments regarding the notice.hdillemuth at heraldandnews.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 3 09:36:56 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2018 17:36:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Vacancy Announcement - Secretary TRRP Weaverville CA In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1021396340.7487316.1515001016747@mail.yahoo.com> On Wednesday, January 3, 2018 9:32 AM, "Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn" wrote: The??Trinity River Restoration Program?is?currently recruiting for a Secretary (OA), GS-0318-05/06?position in Weaverville, CA. ? The following?announcement?has been prepared via Reclamation's HireMe on-line application system. BR-MP-2018-001,? Secretary (OA), GS-0318-05/06?(MPP)(ES) Interested applicants?can view the?announcement?through USAJOBS at the following link? for federal employees?:?https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJ ob/ViewDetails/487772900 ? ??AND? for non-feds?:???https://www.usajobs.gov/ GetJob/ViewDetails/487770100? ? First time applicants must register with USAJOBS at?https://www.usajobs.gov/Acc ount/Account??to create an account.? For additional information regarding this?vacancy, please call Erica Settlemyer at 916-978-5490 or email:?esettlemyer at usbr.gov. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Jan 3 10:26:42 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 3 Jan 2018 18:26:42 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 1 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 1 (January 7th). All the spawning that is going to happen at TRH has occurred this week already and since I've been so remiss for the last two weeks I thought I'd get this out now. >From what I hear there are still plenty of steelhead in the river (though not so much in the upper 20 miles), but they don't seem to be making it into the hatchery in any numbers. Let's hope for some rain and snow, folks. Cheers to you all in the New Year! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW1.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 63300 bytes Desc: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW1.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jan 8 10:09:53 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 8 Jan 2018 18:09:53 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] EDITORIAL Block Trump plan to pump more Delta water south References: <1374849941.2688310.1515434993340.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1374849941.2688310.1515434993340@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=0f5d066d5EDITORIALBlock Trump plan to pump more Delta water south?Few things are more important to the future of the Bay Area and Northern California than the quality of our water supply.And here comes the latest threat.At the behest of the Central Valley?s billionaire agribusiness operators, the Trump admin-istration on Dec. 29 proposed pumping more water south from the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta despite the potentially devastating longterm impact on the water Silicon Valley and the East Bay count on.California has to block this effort to ?maximize water deliveries,? especially with the prospect of climate change further threatening the health of the Delta.The State Water Resources Control Board is responsible for ensuring that any pumping from the Delta complies with California environmental laws. It can block even federal plans if it finds they would would damage the largest estuary west of the Mississippi.The board should deny the Trump administration request.Central Valley agribusiness likes to argue that sending more water south is prioritizing ?people before fish,? since the sharp decline in Delta smelt populations has been cited to block increased pumping. But the Delta smelt are the canary in the coal mine.Every scientific study of the Delta has yielded the same result: The only way to preserve its health and water quality is to allowmore fresh water to run through it, not less.This same principle of Delta health argues against Gov. Jerry Brown?s separate, $17 billion twin-tunnel Delta plan to create capacity for greater flows to the Central Valley and Southern California.The federal proposal arrived?as a Bureau of Reclamation notice of intent to review Delta water flows. It outlines four goals: maximize water supply delivery; review and consider modifications to regulatory requirements; evaluate stressors on fish and beneficial non-flow measures to decrease stressors; and evaluate potential changes in laws, regulations and infrastructure that may benefit power marketability.Trump won big support from Central Valley farmers in 2016 when he promised to solve the water problem, saying, ?It is so ridiculous, where they?re taking the water and shoving it out to sea.?But there is a wide-ranging value in allowing sufficient flows of water from California?s snow-covered mountains to the ocean. The water boosts groundwater tables ? the very ones Central Valley farmers have overdrawn to a degree that land there is sinking at a rate of almost a foot a year, damaging bridges, roads and even the California Aqueduct. Allowing more water to flow through the Delta also preserves all manner of wildlife beyond the Delta smelt.Once upon a time, Republicans believed in helping protect the environment. It was President Nixon who signed the Environmental Protection Act into law in 1970, and it was President George H.W. Bush who in 1992 signed a bill co-written by Martinez Rep. George Miller making restoring fish life in San Francisco Bay and the Delta a priority.California must block this plan to curry favor with Trump supporters at the expense of the Delta and the communities that now rely on its water.The Trump administration on Dec. 29proposed pumping more water south from the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta despite the potentially devastating longterm impact on the water Silicon Valley and the East Bay count on.STAFF FILE PHOTO -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Jan 11 11:06:21 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 11 Jan 2018 19:06:21 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 2 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW2 (January 14). The good news is there was a slight uptick in steelhead entering the hatchery this week, the less good news is that it wasn't a larger uptick. I am holding onto hope for more rain and more fish! Until next week, Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW2.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 63224 bytes Desc: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW2.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jan 12 14:01:37 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2018 22:01:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Brown administration working to scale down $17 billion Delta tunnels project References: <1536055498.1646065.1515794497601.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1536055498.1646065.1515794497601@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/12/brown-administration-working-to-scale-down-17-billion-delta-tunnels-project/ Brown administration working to scale down $17 billion Delta tunnels project By?PAUL ROGERS?|?progers at bayareanewsgroup.com?| Bay Area News GroupPUBLISHED:?January 12, 2018 at 12:15 pm?| UPDATED:?January 12, 2018 at 1:13 pmFaced with a shortage of money and political support after seven years of work, Gov. Jerry Brown?s administration is working on a plan to scale back one of his key legacy projects, a $17 billion proposal to build two massive tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to make it easier to move water from Northern California to the south.Instead of two tunnels, each 40 feet high and 35 miles long, Brown?s Department of Water Resources has been negotiating with major California water agencies in recent weeks on a revised plan to build just one tunnel at slightly more than half the cost of the original project.The new plan reflects the reality that Brown only has one year remaining in office and that the original project has failed to win enough financial backing from water agencies around California whom Brown was asking to pay for construction.The new approach ? a huge shift in the often-intractable world of California?s water politics that has implications on everything from the environment to the water bills of millions of people ? could be announced in the next month, said Jeff Kightlinger, CEO of the influential Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 20 million people in Los Angeles, San Diego and other areas.?I?m hopeful this will be seen as a kinder, gentler, more agreeable approach,? said Kightlinger.Rather than two tunnels with a capacity of 9,000 cubic feet per second, which is about 4 million gallons per minute, as the original project calls for, the one-tunnel proposal would carry between 3,000 and 6,000 cubic feet per second, Kightlinger said.The two-tunnel project could still be saved in its current form, Kightlinger said. But he conceded that it is increasingly unlikely, given the fact that major players such as Westlands Water District in Fresno and the Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose voted in recent months not to fund it. But in negotiations over two vs. one tunnel, there are nearly enough commitments from water agencies to get close to funding a smaller, one-tunnel project, he said.?Unless we can figure out the money in the next 30 days, which seems really difficult, my hunch is we?re heading toward the latter,? he said.?I think there?s a pretty decent chance it will happen,? he added. ?You need about $10 billion to get to the single-barrel approach. I think we?re pretty close to having that.?Bay Area News GroupKightlinger said the project could be built in phases, with a second tunnel an option in the plan but with no timetable for construction. ?Whether or not that ever happens, who knows,? he said.Environmental groups have fought the twin tunnels plan and vowed to tie them up in court over concerns that the project could allow large San Joaquin Valley farms and Southern California cities to potentially take more water in the future from Northern California, harming the Delta?s fragile ecosystem. But in 2013, several environmental groups, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, Planning and Conservation League, Defenders of Wildlife and the Bay Institute?called for the state and federal government to study a smaller, one-tunnel project?that would carry 3,000 cubic feet per second, as a way to potentially move water south during wet years, and reduce pumping during dry years when salmon, smelt and other fish species are most at risk.On Friday, they said they need to see more details.?We?ve always wanted to study a smaller facility,? said Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. ?But the state and feds refused to study it. And it?s pretty ironic that they seem to be pivoting to a smaller project now.?Obegi said the primary goal of his organization is for the state to take less water from the Delta. Regional projects like water recycling, stormwater capture and the construction of new off-stream reservoirs should instead meet California?s future water needs, he said. Other environmentalists agreed, and said they want to see studies that would show how much water would be taken in a single tunnel, when and what the impacts on the environment would be.?After spending over a quarter of a billion dollars pushing for the big tunnels, the state and the Metropolitan Water District have finally recognized that it is dead,? said Jonas Minton, a senior water analyst with the Planning and Conservation League. ?The problem with a somewhat smaller version is that it still lacks all the safeguards required to ensure that it will not destroy the environment and economy of the Bay Delta estuary.?The water agencies involved in the negotiations reportedly include Metropolitan, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Kern County Water Agency and other contractors of the State Water Project.?Let?s try it in a smaller size, and if it works, the people will have confidence in it. I think that is a fair compromise,? said Dick Santos, chairman of the Santa Clara Valley Water District board.A report released in October?by State Auditor Elaine Howle found that the state originally said the tunnels project would cost $140 million to study and permit, but that so far, local water agencies have spent $280 million. The state ?has not completed either an economic or financial analysis to demonstrate the financial viability? of the project, which the Brown administration calls the California WaterFix, Howle added.John Laird, secretary of California?s Natural Resources Agency, said he could not discuss details of the current negotiations between the state Department of Water Resources and other large water agencies. But he did not dispute Kightlinger?s characterization of the talks.?We are in negotiations,? Laird said. ?We hope they are concluded in the next few weeks. Everything is on the table and we hope to get a project that can be built.?The Delta, a vast slough of wetlands and channels where the state?s two largest rivers ? the Sacramento and the San Joaquin ? meet before flowing into San Francisco Bay, is one of California?s most important water sources. It provides water to 23 million people from Silicon Valley to San Diego and irrigates millions of acres of Central Valley farmland.The Delta tunnels plan was begun under former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The idea is that the tunnels would take water from the Sacramento River, south of Sacramento near the town of Courtland, and move it to the huge pumps near Tracy that are part of the State Water Project and Central Valley Project. That, supporters say, would reduce reliance on the pumps and make water deliveries more reliable by protecting endangered salmon, smelt and other fish, which can be killed by the pumps. Protecting the fish leads to reduced pumping.But critics call the tunnels a huge boondoggle that will eventually allow large agribusiness interests in the San Joaquin Valley, as well as urban users in Los Angeles, to take more water out of the Delta, regardless of what promises are made now.Complicating Brown?s plans, his administration has not been able to guarantee that the tunnels will allow any more water to be pumped out of the Delta than is being pumped out now ? roughly 50 percent of all its fresh water in most years.Meanwhile, political intrigue is swirling. Earlier this week, Grant Davis, who was named executive director of the state Department of Water Resources in July, resigned abruptly to take back his former job as general manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency. Davis, a former environmental activist with the Bay Institute, was replaced by Karla Nemeth, who has worked in the Schwarzenegger and Brown administrations since 2009, largely on Delta tunnels projects. Nemeth is married to Tom Philp, a chief strategist at the Metropolitan Water District. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Mon Jan 15 12:41:56 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 12:41:56 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Shasta River to be a focus of UC Climate Effects study Message-ID: <00da01d38e41$493d2a00$dbb77e00$@sisqtel.net> www.independentnews.com/news/project-to-study-climate-effects-on-california- water-systems-from/article_eced7624-f678-11e7-a8b7-b31bbeebf29e.html Project to Study Climate Effects on California Water Systems from Headwaters to Groundwater Posted: Thursday, January 11, 2018 12:00 am To address future climate change effects on water resources, scientists at five UC campuses, and Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories will study California's water systems, from the headwaters in the Sierra Nevada, through rivers, reservoirs and groundwater in the Central Valley. The goal is to provide information to optimize water storage, quality and groundwater sustainability. The "Headwaters to groundwater resources in a changing climate" project recently received a 2018 Collaborative Research and Training Award from the UC Laboratory Fees Research Program. The project will allow scientists to examine hydrologic sensitivities of California headwaters and agricultural demand and will consider plausible societal adaptations. The team will use information in the historical record and its interaction with physical characteristics of the basins and strategies for water management as precipitation varies, temperatures warm and population grows. Ate Visser, LLNL's lead on the project, stated, "The structure of California's water system, both natural and man-made, shapes current and future management and adaptation options to climate change and to the increasing demand from a growing population." Four river systems across gradients of precipitation, geology and populations will be under investigation: Shasta River in the north, American and Cosumnes rivers in central California and Kings river in the south. These river basins span a range of different characteristics in terms of temperature, precipitation, underlying geology, vegetation and ecosystems, land management, groundwater resources and economic development. The research will address six key uncertainties and uncertain responses: . Trends and variability in a future that likely experiences a greater fraction of precipitation as rain instead of snow, earlier snowmelt and higher rates of evapotranspiration. . Response of ecosystems to changing quantity and timing of water supply, and feedback on precipitation, evapotranspiration and the overall water balance. . Response of headwater catchments and uncertainty in future river discharge characteristics. . Storage and use of water in the subsurface, considering efficiency of storage and recharge and energy requirements for recovery. . Responses of water and agricultural management agencies and other institutions to changing supply and demand, including management of water markets to both agricultural and urban users. . Resolution of the effect of uncertainties themselves on abilities to manage water for multiple objectives and adaptation to changes in supply and demand. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Mon Jan 15 13:24:49 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 13:24:49 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Governor's 2018 Budget: CDFW Message-ID: <00f001d38e47$46a6b8f0$d3f42ad0$@sisqtel.net> https://www.scribd.com/document/368857170/California-Budget-Summary-2018-19#from_embed Department of Fish and Wildlife The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages California?s diverse ?sh, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend for their ecological value and for their use and enjoyment by the public. While other state agencies? missions cover conservation, the Department is the state?s trustee agency speci?cally charged with protecting and conserving ?sh and wildlife habitat. The Budget includes $609.7 million($93.9 million General Fund) and 2,171.8 positions for the Department. Since the completion of the California Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision report to the Legislature in 2012, the Department has worked with stakeholders to review policies to improve and enhance the Department?s capacity and effectiveness in ful?lling its core mission. Since that time, the Department has also pursued numerous efforts to align its fees and costs, including the establishment of regional conservation investment strategies, mitigation banking, California Endangered Species Act permitting fees, revenues for timber harvest plan review, a scienti?c collecting permit fee, a lands pass program, indexing fees to account for in?ation, and increasing commercial ?shing fees. Subsequently, the 2017 Budget Act required the Department to reconvene its stakeholder group to provide the Legislature with an update on progress toward meeting the 2012 report?s recommended actions. The Department released this update in October 2017 showing numerous accomplishments in meeting the original goals identi?ed in the 2012 report. This past fall, the Department also produced a new plan in collaboration with the stakeholder group that outlines a future vision for the Department that is only achievable with long-term sustainable funding. Signi?cant Adjustment: ?Sustainable Funding for Fish and Wildlife?$50.6 million of ongoing funding ($6.6 million General Fund, $18 million Motor Vehicle Account and $26 million Tire Recycling Management Fund) to address the structural imbalance in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund and to support the future vision detailed by the Department and stakeholder group. This integrated and sustainable funding proposal supports the four elements identi?ed this fall with the Department?s stakeholders: (1) expanding conservation efforts, (2) improving hunting and ?shing and increased participation, (3) connecting more Californians to the outdoors, and, (4) increasing stability and services for the public and private partners of the Department. Speci?cally, the proposal consists of two components described below. CONTINUING CRITICAL PROGRAMS ($19.6 MILLION) The ?rst funding component provides $19.6 million to allow the Department to continue critical programs supported by the Fish and Game Preservation Fund that are threatened by the long-running structural imbalance. While revenues in this Fund have remained relatively stable over the last decade, the expansion of statutory requirements have resulted in additional costs. This component avoids funding reductions to the current level of service or loss of entire program elements. These activities span all Department functions, and include: ? Recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters and anglers. ? Communication with hunters and anglers to provide timely information on hunting and ?shing opportunities throughout the state. ? Preserve ?sheries management in support of ?sh stocking in California waterways. ? Address human-wildlife interaction. ? Maintain law enforcement capacity to prevent the illegal take of ?sh and wildlife, thereby maximizing ?shing and hunting opportunities for law abiding license holders. ? Continue native and game ?sheries monitoring. ? Manage lands for the improvement of wildlife related outdoor recreation. ? Upgrade and modernize marine ?sheries data management systems. ? Address emerging management needs relating to commercial ?sheries, including permitting, licensing, and environmental review. EXPANDED PROGRAM ACTIVITIES ($31 million) The second component is a $31 million augmentation to implement speci?c priorities identi?ed through the stakeholder process and detailed in the future vision for the Department, including: ? Expanding conservation efforts on land, in rivers and streams, and in the ocean to bene?t iconic species like salmon. ? Increasing efforts to recover key declining and endangered species. ? Increasing hatchery production through scienti?c and production support for inland ?sheries. ? Supporting voluntary conservation programs for local governments, private landowners, and conservation organizations across California. ? Increasing efforts to combat wildlife traf?cking and expansion of marine enforcement. In addition, the Department will be working collaboratively with CalHR to explore options for improving recruitment and retention of wardens. ? Exploring new approaches to ensure sustainable marine ?sheries in the face of a changing climate, including responding to challenges like whale entanglements. ? Updating the joint Caltrans and Department assessment ?Essential Connectivity? that describes the most important wildlife and ?sheries connectivity areas throughout California and will assist with the wildlife and ?shery sensitive approach to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 investments. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lrlake at aol.com Mon Jan 15 14:45:28 2018 From: lrlake at aol.com (lrlake at aol.com) Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2018 17:45:28 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Governor's 2018 Budget: CDFW In-Reply-To: <00f001d38e47$46a6b8f0$d3f42ad0$@sisqtel.net> References: <00f001d38e47$46a6b8f0$d3f42ad0$@sisqtel.net> Message-ID: <160fbffb571-1724-5b3a2@webjas-vaa234.srv.aolmail.net> Swell. $19M for critical programs and $31M for out-reach and feel-good BS. Something is wrong with this picture. Looks like a job security program for too many DFGW drones to me... Amazing how a term like 'stakeholders' can make budget BS seem OK... Lawrence Lake, RPF Redding, CA -----Original Message----- From: Sari Sommarstrom To: 'Env-trinity' Sent: Mon, Jan 15, 2018 1:25 pm Subject: [env-trinity] Governor's 2018 Budget: CDFW https://www.scribd.com/document/368857170/California-Budget-Summary-2018-19#from_embed Department of Fish and Wildlife The Department of Fish and Wildlife manages California?s diverse ?sh, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend for their ecological value and for their use and enjoyment by the public. While other state agencies? missions cover conservation, the Department is the state?s trustee agency speci?cally charged with protecting and conserving ?sh and wildlife habitat. The Budget includes $609.7 million($93.9 million General Fund) and 2,171.8 positions for the Department. Since the completion of the California Fish and Wildlife Strategic Vision report to the Legislature in 2012, the Department has worked with stakeholders to review policies to improve and enhance the Department?s capacity and effectiveness in ful?lling its core mission. Since that time, the Department has also pursued numerous efforts to align its fees and costs, including the establishment of regional conservation investment strategies, mitigation banking, California Endangered Species Act permitting fees, revenues for timber harvest plan review, a scienti?c collecting permit fee, a lands pass program, indexing fees to account for in?ation, and increasing commercial ?shing fees. Subsequently, the 2017 Budget Act required the Department to reconvene its stakeholder group to provide the Legislature with an update on progress toward meeting the 2012 report?s recommended actions. The Department released this update in October 2017 showing numerous accomplishments in meeting the original goals identi?ed in the 2012 report. This past fall, the Department also produced a new plan in collaboration with the stakeholder group that outlines a future vision for the Department that is only achievable with long-term sustainable funding. Signi?cant Adjustment: ?Sustainable Funding for Fish and Wildlife?$50.6 million of ongoing funding ($6.6 million General Fund, $18 million Motor Vehicle Account and $26 million Tire Recycling Management Fund) to address the structural imbalance in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund and to support the future vision detailed by the Department and stakeholder group. This integrated and sustainable funding proposal supports the four elements identi?ed this fall with the Department?s stakeholders: (1) expanding conservation efforts, (2) improving hunting and ?shing and increased participation, (3) connecting more Californians to the outdoors, and, (4) increasing stability and services for the public and private partners of the Department. Speci?cally, the proposal consists of two components described below. CONTINUING CRITICAL PROGRAMS ($19.6 MILLION) The ?rst funding component provides $19.6 million to allow the Department to continue critical programs supported by the Fish and Game Preservation Fund that are threatened by the long-running structural imbalance. While revenues in this Fund have remained relatively stable over the last decade, the expansion of statutory requirements have resulted in additional costs. This component avoids funding reductions to the current level of service or loss of entire program elements. These activities span all Department functions, and include: ? Recruitment, retention and reactivation of hunters and anglers. ? Communication with hunters and anglers to provide timely information on hunting and ?shing opportunities throughout the state. ? Preserve ?sheries management in support of ?sh stocking in California waterways. ? Address human-wildlife interaction. ? Maintain law enforcement capacity to prevent the illegal take of ?sh and wildlife, thereby maximizing ?shing and hunting opportunities for law abiding license holders. ? Continue native and game ?sheries monitoring. ? Manage lands for the improvement of wildlife related outdoor recreation. ? Upgrade and modernize marine ?sheries data management systems. ? Address emerging management needs relating to commercial ?sheries, including permitting, licensing, and environmental review. EXPANDED PROGRAM ACTIVITIES ($31 million) The second component is a $31 million augmentation to implement speci?c priorities identi?ed through the stakeholder process and detailed in the future vision for the Department, including: ? Expanding conservation efforts on land, in rivers and streams, and in the ocean to bene?t iconic species like salmon. ? Increasing efforts to recover key declining and endangered species. ? Increasing hatchery production through scienti?c and production support for inland ?sheries. ? Supporting voluntary conservation programs for local governments, private landowners, and conservation organizations across California. ? Increasing efforts to combat wildlife traf?cking and expansion of marine enforcement. In addition, the Department will be working collaboratively with CalHR to explore options for improving recruitment and retention of wardens. ? Exploring new approaches to ensure sustainable marine ?sheries in the face of a changing climate, including responding to challenges like whale entanglements. ? Updating the joint Caltrans and Department assessment ?Essential Connectivity? that describes the most important wildlife and ?sheries connectivity areas throughout California and will assist with the wildlife and ?shery sensitive approach to the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017 investments. _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jan 16 10:27:42 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2018 18:27:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] East Bay Times Editorial: How to decide if a single Delta tunnel makes more sense References: <1529441192.3120591.1516127262804.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1529441192.3120591.1516127262804@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=16f23e368 EditorialHow to decide if a single Delta tunnel makes more sense?One of Jerry Brown?s biggest failures as governor has been his stubborn, foolhardy approach to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta that provides a portion of the drinking water for 25 million Californians, including more than 5 million South Bay and East Bay residents.The news Friday that the Brown administration is reportedly scaling back his $17 billion, twin-tunnel plan to a single tunnel at slightly more than half the cost is a relief for Northern Californians fearing a massive Southern California water grab at the expense of the health of the Delta.But support for any single- tunnel deal should be dependent on four basic principles:?? The long-term health of the Delta and the quality of its fresh water supply should be paramount.? A full environmental impact report and a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis are necessary.? A binding agreement on who will pay for the tunnel, who will govern it and how they will determine who gets water from the tunnel must be in place.? A comprehensive water plan should accompany any tunnel plan including greater conservation, recycling, groundwater restoration and water storage.Adhering to these principles will push out the timetable for breaking ground on a single-tunnel project until long after Brown has left office. Voters will want to pay close attention when the candidates vying to replace him discuss water policy, which is easy to obfuscate.They also should track which candidates are taking money from Central Valley farmers and Southern California water districts.?Both have a long history of wanting as much?water as possible from the Delta, regardless of the effect on its fragile ecology and, by extension, its water quality.A single-tunnel project could have been explored as an alternative in the environmental impact report for the governor?s Water-Fix plan. But the Brown administration ignored requests from, among others, the Contra Costa Water District, East Bay Municipal Utility District and the Alameda County Water District ? perhaps knowing the two tunnels would look even more ridiculous by comparison.Now there?s talk that the administration hopes to avoid doing another costly and time-consuming EIR by saying the single tunnel isn?t a new proposal, it?s just a phased approach that could expand to a second tunnel later.No way. Any plan that includes even the possibility of a second tunnel should be a non-starter. The state needs a comprehensive environmental study of digging a single tunnel.This delay in arriving at a ?WaterFix? is the governor?s own fault. His desire to create a legacy with the massive twin tunnels and break ground before he leaves office has been secondary to establishing the facts and winning broad support for a plan.It?s also secondary, by a long shot, to concerns for the long-term environmental health of the largest estuary west of the Mississippi?River. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 17 09:14:59 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2018 17:14:59 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] California Governor Considers One-Tunnel Water Plan References: <117762509.3615810.1516209299562.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <117762509.3615810.1516209299562@mail.yahoo.com> http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2018/01/16/california-governor-one-tunnel-water-plan/ California Governor Considers One-Tunnel Water?Plan January 16, 2018 at 5:19 pmSAN FRANCISCO (AP) ??Gov. Jerry Brown?s administration is proposing scaling back his troubled plans to redo California?s water system, releasing a new plan that would build only one tunnel to ship water from Northern California instead of two, and put Southern and central California water agencies directly in charge of designing and?building?it.The state posted the revised?proposal?late Friday on a state website that solicits bids for state contracts, saying for the first time that it was considering postponing one of the two tunnels indefinitely and asking potential?contractors?for engineering and other services to say how they would handle a one-tunnel project instead.Lisa Lien-Mager, a spokeswoman for the state, said Tuesday that ?no decision has been made to change the?project.?Brown had been pushing to launch construction of two giant $16 billion water tunnels to better secure water supplies for farms and cities to the south before he leaves?office?this year. The project, which would be California?s biggest water project in decades, last year failed to gain enough support from local water agencies that would benefit from the project and pay for it.Environmental groups have opposed the original twin-tunnel project, fearing Southern California water agencies would use the 35-mile (55-kilometer) tunnels to drain too much water from the Sacramento River, above its delta with the San Joaquin River.The Sacramento is the state?s biggest river and a vital supplier of fresh water to the San Francisco Bay, part of the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas.Brown and other project supporters say the tunnel project would modernize California?s current, outdated north-south delivery system, where pumps and overall water withdrawals are blamed for the steady dwindling of native fish and other wildlife that depend on delta water. Brown?s father, then-Gov. Pat Brown, oversaw building of that water project in the 1950s and 1960s.The revised state proposal talks of building the tunnels in stages, with one of the four-story-high tunnels built now, and the second tunnel at some unspecified time. The new proposal also would cut the number of intakes pulling water from the Sacramento River, from three to two.Water contractors have previously said they were considering paring the project from two tunnels to one, in hopes of more easily winning support for a smaller project. The newly posted revised state proposal marks the first time the state has publicly put such a proposal in writing.The state did not immediately release a revised cost for the scaled-down proposal.Osha Meserve, an attorney working for Northern California farmers opposing the project, said the revised proposal makes ?more clear the project they want to do is a failure. Now they?re trying to morph into something else.?Scaling down to one tunnel would make the project more affordable. Also, some environmental groups that oppose the two-tunnel plan have been receptive to the idea of one tunnel, if it takes less water than a bigger project and is operated carefully.Project opponent Restore the Delta said any one-tunnel project would require new environmental?studies?and applications. Another state water agency whose approval is necessary for the project, the state Water Resources Control Board, is watching the discussions on a possible scaled-down project, and would take any project changes under consideration, spokesman Tim Moran said.Bob Muir, a spokesman for Southern California?s giant Metropolitan Water District, the project?s main backer along with the Brown administration, referred questions to the state and to an association of state water contractors.Water districts choosing to buy into the project would manage the design and build of the tunnels, including choices on contractors, rather than the state?s Department of Water Resources.Lien-Mager, the state spokeswoman, said state water officials would retain ?a strong oversight and supervisory role? over building of any eventual water project.Metropolitan, which supplies water to almost half of California?s 39 million residents, so far has been the main water agency to say a single tunnel could work, helping assure a more reliable water supply for its urban Southern California?customers. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 17 13:15:42 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:15:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] January 23 Rally in Sacramento: Stop Trump's Water Plan References: <964090339.3773246.1516223742999.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <964090339.3773246.1516223742999@mail.yahoo.com> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 17 13:30:19 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:30:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] January 23 Rally in Sacramento: Stop Trump's Water Plan In-Reply-To: <964090339.3773246.1516223742999@mail.yahoo.com> References: <964090339.3773246.1516223742999.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <964090339.3773246.1516223742999@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2024837950.3758491.1516224619146@mail.yahoo.com> Try this.? On Wednesday, January 17, 2018 1:15 PM, Tom Stokely wrote: _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Sacramento Flyer.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 307970 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jan 17 13:36:53 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:36:53 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River Renewal Corporation Announces New Community Liaison- Dave Meurer References: <53463213.3760304.1516225013650.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <53463213.3760304.1516225013650@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.facebook.com/YrekaNews/posts/733479196841695 Yreka News January 11 at 3:09pm???Klamath River Renewal Corporation Announces New Community LiaisonKlamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), a non-profit formed to decommission four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, has announced Dave Meurer as its Community Liaison. Dave will represent KRRC at events in Klamath, Siskiyou, and Humboldt counties and support KRRC?s community and outreach efforts.??We are pleased to announce that Dave is joining the KRRC team,? reported Mark Bransom, KRRC?s Executive Director. ?Dave has deep ties in the Klamath region and understands the nuances of how this project fits into the larger vision for resolving water and natural resource management challenges in the basin. Dave will enhance KRRC?s ability to provide information to the community and respond to a variety of questions about the project.?Dave is a seasoned congressional and state legislative staff member who has spent years gathering community perspectives, forging relationships with local government representatives, tribal and farm interests, and residents, and building consensus. Dave was previously the District Representative for Senator Ted Gaines (R-El Dorado Hills), and served as Deputy District Director for former Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA2). Dave holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from California State University Chico in Political Science and Information & Communication Studies.??I look forward to reconnecting with stakeholders up and down the Klamath River in my new capacity and providing important information on this project,? Meurer stated. ?I believe KRRC?s work is an important first step to resolving the revolving water crises in the region.?###About KRRCKlamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is an independent nonprofit organization formed in 2016 as part of the amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). KRRC is part of a cooperative effort to re-establish the natural vitality of the Klamath River so that it can support all communities in the basin. Signatories of the amended KHSA, including the States of California and Oregon, local governments, Tribal Nations, dam owner PacifiCorp, irrigators, and several conservation and fishing groups, appointed KRRC to take ownership and oversee removal of four hydroelectric dams on the river. KRRC?s work is funded by PacifiCorp customer surcharges and California Proposition 1 water bond funds.KRRC?s job is to take ownership of four PacifiCorp dams ? JC Boyle, Copco, No. 1 & 2, and Iron Gate ? and then remove these dams, restore formerly inundated lands, and implement required mitigation measures in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations. PacifiCorp will continue to operate the dams in the interim. Removal of the hydroelectric dams is the first crucial step to restore the health of the Klamath River and the communities that depend upon it. KRRC?s sole focus is to accomplish this first step.More information about KRRC and its mission can be found at the KRRC?s website:??www.klamathrenewal.org1 Like5 Shares -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jan 18 08:37:15 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:37:15 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Herald and News: KRRC liaison breaks down dam removal References: <525178102.367842.1516293435719.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <525178102.367842.1516293435719@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/krrc-liaison-breaks-down-dam-removal/article_77b82733-fd73-5f8d-b20d-b7734e545b47.html KRRC liaison breaks down dam removal - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter ?- 8 hrs ago ?- ?(0) - Facebook - Twitter - Email ?Tired of seeing surveys on articles? If you are a subscriber, simply?log in?or?Subscribe now! - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save Removal of four dams along the Klamath River ? J.C. Boyle, Copco 1 and 2, and Iron Gate Dam ? by non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), will need to be paired with a long-term agreement in order to solve long-term water quality issues for the Klamath River.That is, both during and after dam removal, according to Dave Meurer, newly appointed community liaison for KRRC for Klamath, Siskiyou and Humboldt counties.Dam removal is slated to start as early as 2020, pending approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), according to Meurer, and he confirmed it?s likely that fish could die as sediment flows downstream.Meurer is confident that the dams will be removed, looking at past backing by the states of Oregon and California, and PacifiCorps, the owner of the hydroelectric dams, as well as the Departments of Interior and Commerce.?If I did not believe this was happening and that dam removal was a certainty, I would not have recently quit my job and joined this organization,? Meurer said. ?I am highly convinced that this is moving forward.?FERC still needs to sign off on the project, Meurer said.KRRC has hired Los Angeles-based AECOM, which Meurer called a ?gargantuan? firm known world-wide for dam removal.?The short-term, it?s going to hammer the river pretty hard,? Meurer said. ?There?s going to be a lot of sediment moving through the system that is not friendly to fish. But all the fishery?s biologists and agencies that weighed in on this said this would be a short-term hit for a very long-term gain.?There would be an unavoidable impact,? Meurer added. ?But they?re going to try to do this sediment release during the time that is going to be least damaging to the fishery. So we are going to be aiming for that very specific window precisely to minimize, avoid as much as possible, impacts to key species of fish.?If fish are not prospering, then everybody pays a price, Meurer said.?I still see the Basin farmers being in a highly vulnerable position from a regulatory and legal point of view because of fish Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues, water quality issues. So this attempt by KRRC to restore the river, restore the fishery is also an attempt to bring long-term stability and prosperity to the region, and that includes the ag economy.?We?ve been lurching from ESA crisis to ESA crisis for too long and I understand there are concerns people have about is the water too impaired.?Anticipated water quality issues for the Klamath River are what make this project trickier than other dam removal projects, according to Meurer.?In this case, we have some really difficult water quality problems,? Meurer said. ?There are already enormous efforts underway to improve water quality and there are a lot of restoration efforts.?Dam removal; it will take care of the blue green algae issue,? he emphasized. ?It will make a difference in C. Shasta disease. The dam removal piece doesn?t complete the water quality requirements that are going to be needed to get the Klamath from being a sick patient back into being healthy.?Meurer said KRRC officials are aware that dam removal in and of itself is not a complete solution but a necessary step in process to address concerns, both short and longterm.?(KRRC) ? they?re fully cognizant that they?re has to be a phase II or else this would really not be successful,? Meurer said.?Dam removal in and of itself does not really resolve some really key water quality issues. There will have to be some other agreement going forward,? Meurer added. ?There will have to be something, probably at the congressional level that will require appropriations.?He said KRRC echoes the belief that more beyond dam removal is needed as a long-term solution.?Although this is a very large and ambitious program, it is not unprecedented to perform a dam removal and then see a positive response from the fishery,? Meurer said.Meurer detailed that dam removal, for which there hasn?t been a determined start date, will be a slow and carefully controlled draining process that would likely take place in the months of January and February. Meurer said he couldn?t specify a year but said, following the ?draw down? of water from the dam.An estimated 15-20 million cubic yards of ?very fine? sediment could wash down the river and into the Pacific Ocean, according to Meurer.?There?s a lot of sediment built up behind the dams and when they start start drawing down the dams, that sediment is going to be transported downstream,? Meurer said.Meurer said that left-over sediment would make up the riverbank, which would return to a naturally vegetative state.Meurer said KRRC believes any concerns about the contents of the sediment are diminished by a letter the non-profit received from the Environmental Protection Agency.?The trajectory we?re on right now is not good,? Meurer said, in comparison. We are very close to extinction frankly on Spring Chinook and numbers are down on the fall run 10 percent of historic numbers. The trajectory has to change, and that is the goal of this project.Benefits of dam removal will make an impact as well, according to Meurer.?You?re going to get rid of that ongoing seasonal toxic algae bloom that happens behind some reservoirs,? Meurer said. ?That?s a chronic issue. That water becomes dangerous, not just for fish, but for people, and you don?t want to let your dog jump in the river either.?Admittedly not a biologist or fisheries expert, Meurer said ample research backs the need for dam removal.?An enormous amount of work has gone into researching this before proceeding and there is a pretty deep scientific consensus that you can make a lot of difference with this project,? Meurer said. ?And it begins with the work that KRRC is performing.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jan 18 08:53:41 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 18 Jan 2018 16:53:41 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Herald and News: KRRC liaison breaks down dam removal In-Reply-To: <525178102.367842.1516293435719@mail.yahoo.com> References: <525178102.367842.1516293435719.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <525178102.367842.1516293435719@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <13487859.380073.1516294421206@mail.yahoo.com> There was also this sidebar on the same url: KRRC community liaison to strengthen ties Dave Meurer, recently named as community liaison for non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), recalled Wednesday what it was like to watch the water shutoffs of 2001 unfold in the Klamath Basin.At the time, Meurer was serving as legislative staff for California Congressman Wally Herger, a position he held for more than 20 years. Meurer will now serve as a point person for communities in Klamath, Siskiyou, and Humboldt counties on the more than $450 million removal of four Klamath River dams.?I saw first-hand, I was up there meeting with constituents, attending hearings, attending rallies and just saw the incredible amount of devastation that brought to that regional economy,? Meurer said in a phone interview Wednesday.?That was a crushing blow and there was a mad scramble to get the water turned back on,? Meurer added.Meurer continued to follow water conflicts in the Basin following the shutoffs. He recently left a longtime position to serve as the KRRC's community liaison to ensure the community is made aware of all that's involved in the process to remove the dams.?I will be traveling extensively throughout Southern Oregon and Northern California,? Meurer said. ?If I can play some kind of constructive role here, I would like to do so.?Meurer comes to the position having spent years as a legislative and senatorial staffer for both U.S. Rep. Herger and Sen. Ted Gaines,R-El Dorado Hills. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University in political science and communication studies.With roots in Corning, Chico and Red Bluff, Calif., Meurer currently calls Redding home, and may eventually work remotely in the Basin, though nothing has been finalized.He's logging miles this week between tribal consultation meetings with FERC, which is holding a public meeting at 10 a.m. Thursday in Chiloquin, with intervenors, including the Klamath Tribes.Although Meurer's schedule doesn't allow him to be present at the meeting Thursday, Meurer said two KRRC board members will be on-hand at the meeting, including former Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski, a Democrat.While much of Meurer's work has been in California, Meurer said he's familiar with Klamath Water User's Association and worked with Scott White, current executive director, and former executive director Greg Addington.?I want to strengthen those ties and I want to get more deeply involved with Klamath County,? he said.?I'm going to try to make myself available, either regularly attending meetings of the (Siskiyou) Board of Supervisors, (Klamath County) board of commissioners up in Oregon, various invitations to various stakeholder groups, but also just community folks who are interested in what's going on. I'll be interacting with the EDC (Economic Development Corporation) and the chambers of commerce. There are a lot of interested parties and I am going to try to be making the rounds on a very regular basis.?~Holly Dillemuth Impacts of dam removal on native fish >From Klamath River Renewal Corporation"What are the negative impacts of this project to native fish? Dam removal and the release of sediments will kill all the fish."? The impacts from dam removal on lower river salmonids (particularly sediment impacts) would be short-term, and would last 1-2 years, with populations recovered from those sediment impacts by 5 years.? Reservoir species are not expected to survive in the colder river waters post dam removal.Additional information? Dam removal and the release of sediments would unavoidably impact fish, particularly in the first year. To mitigate the concern, the Detailed Plan for dam removal would draw down the three reservoirs in January and February of 2020 when salmon are most sparse in the main-stem Klamath River and are primarily present downstream, in tributaries and the ocean.?The studies project the following impacts in the first year after dam removal under low-flow or worst-case conditions:? An 8 percent basin-wide mortality of fall-run Chinook salmon adults,? Negligible impacts on spring-run adult and juvenile Chinook salmon,? An 8 percent basin-wide mortality for juvenile coho salmon and less than 1 percent for adult coho salmon,? Basin-wide mortality for adult and juvenile steelhead of about 28 percent and 19 percent, respectively, under worst-case, low-flow conditions. Mortality for steelhead would be about 14 percent for both adults and juveniles under more normal flow conditions.? The studies further project that salmon and steelhead populations would recover to pre-dam removal levels in 1-2 years and increase in subsequent years. Fall Chinook productions would increase about 80 percent following dam removal. Harvest of these fish would increase about 47 percent in the ocean, 55 percent for tribes, and 9 percent for in-river sport fisheries."There are tons of sediments behind the dams and they are toxic. What will happen when these sediments are released?"Accumulated sediment within the reservoir has been tested and no contaminants have been detected in violation of human health or drinking water standards. Of the approximately 15 million cubic yards of sediment behind the four dams, between 5 and 9 million cubic yards will erode downstream soon after dam removal and the remainder will remain behind, effectively becoming soil that would be replanted with native vegetation."Sediment delivery post dam removal will have negative impacts. How much sediment is behind the dams and how will it move downstream?"There will be approximately 15 million cubic yards behind the dams by 2020. About 5 to 9 million cubic yards of sediment (36 percent to 57 percent of the total, depending on flow conditions during dam removal) will travel downstream soon after dam removal and the remainder will become soil that will be replanted with native vegetation.Of the sediments that travel downstream, about 85 percent will be silt and clay that will be suspended in winter and spring flows and carried down to the Pacific Ocean within months after dam removal. The other 15 percent will be sand and gravel that will be transported through the river system over years or decades depending on flow conditions. Modeling estimates about 18 inches of coarser sediment will be deposited along a five-mile reach downstream of Iron Gate dam soon after dam removal. Deposits will be progressively thinner further downstream, becoming less than three inches thick about 10 miles downstream of Iron Gate dam.KRRC is undertaking further engineering and hydraulic studies to assure a comprehensive understanding of sediment transport, subject to public comment and then review by FERC and other regulators.The States and FERC will evaluate impacts from this sediment and determine mitigation. On Thursday, January 18, 2018 8:38 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/krrc-liaison-breaks-down-dam-removal/article_77b82733-fd73-5f8d-b20d-b7734e545b47.html KRRC liaison breaks down dam removal - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter ? - 8 hrs ago ? - ?(0) - Facebook - Twitter - Email ?Tired of seeing surveys on articles? If you are a subscriber, simply?log in?or?Subscribe now! - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save Removal of four dams along the Klamath River ? J.C. Boyle, Copco 1 and 2, and Iron Gate Dam ? by non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), will need to be paired with a long-term agreement in order to solve long-term water quality issues for the Klamath River.That is, both during and after dam removal, according to Dave Meurer, newly appointed community liaison for KRRC for Klamath, Siskiyou and Humboldt counties.Dam removal is slated to start as early as 2020, pending approval by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), according to Meurer, and he confirmed it?s likely that fish could die as sediment flows downstream.Meurer is confident that the dams will be removed, looking at past backing by the states of Oregon and California, and PacifiCorps, the owner of the hydroelectric dams, as well as the Departments of Interior and Commerce.?If I did not believe this was happening and that dam removal was a certainty, I would not have recently quit my job and joined this organization,? Meurer said. ?I am highly convinced that this is moving forward.?FERC still needs to sign off on the project, Meurer said.KRRC has hired Los Angeles-based AECOM, which Meurer called a ?gargantuan? firm known world-wide for dam removal.?The short-term, it?s going to hammer the river pretty hard,? Meurer said. ?There?s going to be a lot of sediment moving through the system that is not friendly to fish. But all the fishery?s biologists and agencies that weighed in on this said this would be a short-term hit for a very long-term gain.?There would be an unavoidable impact,? Meurer added. ?But they?re going to try to do this sediment release during the time that is going to be least damaging to the fishery. So we are going to be aiming for that very specific window precisely to minimize, avoid as much as possible, impacts to key species of fish.?If fish are not prospering, then everybody pays a price, Meurer said.?I still see the Basin farmers being in a highly vulnerable position from a regulatory and legal point of view because of fish Endangered Species Act (ESA) issues, water quality issues. So this attempt by KRRC to restore the river, restore the fishery is also an attempt to bring long-term stability and prosperity to the region, and that includes the ag economy.?We?ve been lurching from ESA crisis to ESA crisis for too long and I understand there are concerns people have about is the water too impaired.?Anticipated water quality issues for the Klamath River are what make this project trickier than other dam removal projects, according to Meurer.?In this case, we have some really difficult water quality problems,? Meurer said. ?There are already enormous efforts underway to improve water quality and there are a lot of restoration efforts.?Dam removal; it will take care of the blue green algae issue,? he emphasized. ?It will make a difference in C. Shasta disease. The dam removal piece doesn?t complete the water quality requirements that are going to be needed to get the Klamath from being a sick patient back into being healthy.?Meurer said KRRC officials are aware that dam removal in and of itself is not a complete solution but a necessary step in process to address concerns, both short and longterm.?(KRRC) ? they?re fully cognizant that they?re has to be a phase II or else this would really not be successful,? Meurer said.?Dam removal in and of itself does not really resolve some really key water quality issues. There will have to be some other agreement going forward,? Meurer added. ?There will have to be something, probably at the congressional level that will require appropriations.?He said KRRC echoes the belief that more beyond dam removal is needed as a long-term solution.?Although this is a very large and ambitious program, it is not unprecedented to perform a dam removal and then see a positive response from the fishery,? Meurer said.Meurer detailed that dam removal, for which there hasn?t been a determined start date, will be a slow and carefully controlled draining process that would likely take place in the months of January and February. Meurer said he couldn?t specify a year but said, following the ?draw down? of water from the dam.An estimated 15-20 million cubic yards of ?very fine? sediment could wash down the river and into the Pacific Ocean, according to Meurer.?There?s a lot of sediment built up behind the dams and when they start start drawing down the dams, that sediment is going to be transported downstream,? Meurer said.Meurer said that left-over sediment would make up the riverbank, which would return to a naturally vegetative state.Meurer said KRRC believes any concerns about the contents of the sediment are diminished by a letter the non-profit received from the Environmental Protection Agency.?The trajectory we?re on right now is not good,? Meurer said, in comparison. We are very close to extinction frankly on Spring Chinook and numbers are down on the fall run 10 percent of historic numbers. The trajectory has to change, and that is the goal of this project.Benefits of dam removal will make an impact as well, according to Meurer.?You?re going to get rid of that ongoing seasonal toxic algae bloom that happens behind some reservoirs,? Meurer said. ?That?s a chronic issue. That water becomes dangerous, not just for fish, but for people, and you don?t want to let your dog jump in the river either.?Admittedly not a biologist or fisheries expert, Meurer said ample research backs the need for dam removal.?An enormous amount of work has gone into researching this before proceeding and there is a pretty deep scientific consensus that you can make a lot of difference with this project,? Meurer said. ?And it begins with the work that KRRC is performing.? _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Fri Jan 19 11:15:31 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2018 11:15:31 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Looks At How Elwha Dam Removals Changed Nearshore Ecosystems Near Mouth Message-ID: <00e201d39159$e0cb19c0$a2614d40$@sisqtel.net> The Columbia Basin Bulletin: Weekly Fish and Wildlife News www.cbbulletin.com January 19, 2018 Issue No. 859 Study Looks At How Elwha Dam Removals Changed Nearshore Ecosystems Near Mouth In the time since the removal of two dams on Washington's Elwha River, scientists from University of Washington-based Washington Sea Grant, the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the Environmental Protection Agency and the UW have sifted through eight years of data collected before and after the dam removal projects to analyze the impacts the resulting sediment load has had on the nearshore ecosystems near the mouth of the Elwha River. The dams sat on the river for more than 100 years, trapping approximately 30 million tons of sediment behind their concrete walls. As the dams were removed between 2012 and 2014, much of this sediment was released downstream. "The main impetus for the dam removal was the salmon reintroduction," said study co-author Stephen Rubin, a USGS fishery biologist. "But it was also about a whole ecosystem restoration, all the way from above the dams to the strait." In the short-term, however, some hypothesized that the sediment influx to the nearby coastal marine ecosystem could negatively impact certain species. This study sought to monitor these potential impacts and the ecosystem's progression as it adjusted to post-dam life. They found that how organisms were affected depended on the type of sediment that was deposited in their habitat (for example, whether it was sand or mud) and the local turbidity (how murky suspended sediment had made the water). Still, some organisms were more resilient to the changes than others. According to the study, the dam removal projects did not result in significant overall changes in the invertebrate or fish communities. Kelp, however, markedly decreased. Understandably so, since kelp relies on light for photosynthesis, and when more sediment is suspended in the water, there is less light available to them. "We viewed this as an opportunity to find out what really happens to the nearshore environment after a dam is removed," said co-author Ian Miller, coastal hazards specialist at Washington Sea Grant. Their findings http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0187742 were published in the journal PLOS ONE in December 2017. The researchers used SCUBA surveys and towed video transects to quantify the relative abundances of algae, invertebrate species and benthic fish living along the shore near the river, and then compared these findings to the patterns of sediment influx using data collected by the USGS and the UW School of Oceanography on substrate changes, and MODIS satellite imagery to track changes in the suspended sediment in the water column. "We had a huge suite of data we were working with, which is one of the things that made this such a complicated endeavor," Miller said. While the study showed a decrease in kelp, Miller notes that these are still relatively early days on the Elwha's road to recovery. More recent data suggests that, over the last two years, kelp populations at the mouth of the river have already begun to rebound. "Even where we saw a negative consequence for one group of organisms, kelp, in our more recent surveys we've already begun to see a rapid recovery," Miller said. Another proverbial grain of sand to add to the pile of knowledge that could help resource managers elsewhere assess the impacts of events that send large amounts of sediment into the coastal zone - and answer questions such as whether to remove dams on their own local rivers. Abstract The coastal marine ecosystem near the Elwha River was altered by a massive sediment influx-over 10 million tonnes-during the staged three-year removal of two hydropower dams. We used time series of bathymetry, substrate grain size, remotely sensed turbidity, scuba dive surveys, and towed video observations collected before and during dam removal to assess responses of the nearshore subtidal community (3 m to 17 m depth). Biological changes were primarily driven by sediment deposition and elevated suspended sediment concentrations. Macroalgae, predominantly kelp and foliose red algae, were abundant before dam removal with combined cover levels greater than 50%. Where persistent sediment deposits formed, macroalgae decreased greatly or were eliminated. In areas lacking deposition, macroalgae cover decreased inversely to suspended sediment concentration, suggesting impacts from light reduction or scour. Densities of most invertebrate and fish taxa decreased in areas with persistent sediment deposition; however, bivalve densities increased where mud deposited over sand, and flatfish and Pacific sand lance densities increased where sand deposited over gravel. In areas without sediment deposition, most invertebrate and fish taxa were unaffected by increased suspended sediment or the loss of algae cover associated with it; however, densities of tubeworms and flatfish, and primary cover of sessile invertebrates increased suggesting benefits of increased particulate matter or relaxed competition with macroalgae for space. As dam removal neared completion, we saw evidence of macroalgal recovery that likely owed to water column clearing, indicating that long-term recovery from dam removal effects may be starting. Our results are relevant to future dam removal projects in coastal areas and more generally to understanding effects of increased sedimentation on nearshore subtidal benthic communities. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Jan 21 08:55:14 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2018 16:55:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?New_state_water_chief_is_married_to_SoCal?= =?utf-8?q?_water_strategist=2E_Critics_say_that=E2=80=99s_too_close?= References: <654881774.1489160.1516553714472.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <654881774.1489160.1516553714472@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article195651064.html New state water chief is married to SoCal water strategist. Critics say that?s too close BY RYAN SABALOW AND DALE KASLERrsabalow at sacbee.comJanuary 19, 2018 01:37 PMUpdated January 20, 2018 08:49 AMCritics who say state water policy tilts too far toward Southern California got additional ammunition last week, when Gov. Jerry Brown named a new director to run his Department of Water Resources.New DWR Director Karla Nemeth is married to Tom Philp, an executive strategist with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Nemeth?s duties include overseeing the State Water Project, which delivers water from Northern California to the southern half of the state, and forging ahead with Brown?s controversial Delta tunnels project.Metropolitan, which serves 19 million people, is the State Water Project?s largest customer. It?s also a key backer of the $17.1 billion tunnels proposal, which is fiercely opposed by many elected officials in Northern California as well as Delta farmers and environmentalists.In the contentious world of California water policy, battle lines tend to be drawn between north and south, and anything that would appear to give Metropolitan more influence is met with instant suspicion among water advocates in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Sacramento Valley.?Putting someone who is in charge of DWR who you might say is married to the Metropolitan Water District in more ways than one sort of makes sense if you look at it from the governor?s standpoint,? said George Hartmann, a Stockton attorney who represents Delta farmers. ?But is it ethical? I don?t think so. Is it proper? I don?t think so.?Ethics specialists say the situation is complicated. Robert Stern, co-author of California?s Political Reform Act, an anti-government corruption law, said there?s nothing illegal about Nemeth running DWR while being married to a Metropolitan employee. And so long as her decision-making is limited to issues affecting statewide water policy, there is no ethical violation, either.The relationship could be problematic, however, if Nemeth has to make a decision that specifically affects Metropolitan, he said.Hana Callaghan, a government ethics expert at Santa Clara University, said the relationship creates the perception of a conflict of interest, and she agreed that Nemeth should shy away from decisions involving Metropolitan directly. ?It does raise some red flags,? she said.State officials said they see no problem.Nemeth and Philp?s relationship breaks no rules and ?poses no conflict,? DWR spokeswoman Erin Mellon said in an email. ?Karla?s marriage has long been public knowledge and has no bearing on her work for the state,? Mellon said. ?Whether at the Resources Agency or now at the Department of Water Resources, her focus remains on doing what?s best for all of California, and her experience speaks for itself.?Nemeth had been deputy secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, a role that already put her on the front lines of the debate over the tunnels and other state water policy issues. Her new salary is $194,600.Philp, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer for The Sacramento Bee, is an executive strategist who works on communications for Metropolitan, including its advocacy of the tunnels. His salary is $211,723, according to the public employee salary website?Transparent California.Philp declined to comment through a Metropolitan spokesman, but executives at the Southern California agency said the marriage doesn?t raise ethical concerns.?I don?t believe there?s any conflict there at all,? said Roger Patterson, Metropolitan?s assistant general manager.Nemeth?s appointment comes as the DWR has been criticized for its handling of the Oroville Dam spillway crisis last winter. An independent forensic team the state hired to determine what caused the spillway to fail said the crisis was caused in part because DWR was too focused on the ?water delivery needs? of its customers to the south, and gave dam safety less of a priority. RELATED STORIES FROM SACRAMENTO BEE State moves step closer to downsizing Delta tunnels project After Oroville disclosures, embattled California water agency names new director As fish disappear, Trump administration seeks to pump more California water south State water contractors, such as Metropolitan, store water behind the dam and pay for its upkeep.The forensic team also alleged that top DWR officials made a series of decisions during the crisis that eventually triggered the two-day evacuation of 188,000 Northern Californians in part because they were?worried about preserving the water supply for Southern California.Officials at DWR and Metropolitan refuted those claims, saying the integrity of the dam and the safety of downstream residents were their only concerns.Long before the Oroville emergency spillway nearly failed, north state critics argued Metropolitan enjoyed far too much influence over state water policies, especially when it came to the Delta, the hub of California?s water delivery network.Brown?s administration insists the $17.1 billion tunnels project won?t increase deliveries south. Instead, officials say it will allow the massive pumping stations at the south end of the Delta to operate more reliably while improving the environment in the West Coast?s largest estuary. In recent months, state officials have been weighing whether to?downsize the project to a single tunnel. Metropolitan?is the only major water agency?to have agreed to pay for the project in its current, two-tunnel form.Tunnels opponents adamantly dispute the Brown administration?s claims that the tunnels won?t harm the environment and Delta farms and cities. They say the insatiable water demands of Southern California will ensure that more water is pumped than what Brown?s office promises.?In the Delta, ?Stop the Tunnels? signs are common along roadsides and in store fronts. Anti-tunnels advocates, such as Hartmann, the Stockton attorney, call the project a blatant south state ?water grab.??When Metropolitan bought?several parcels of land in the Delta to facilitate the project, critics called it another ?Chinatown.? Northern Californians often invoke the the 1974 movie staring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, which presented a fictionalized version of how the city of Los Angeles took water away from?farmers in the Owens Valley?in 1913.Nemeth?s appointment drew immediate criticism from the anti-tunnels camp. Soon after it was announced, anti-tunnels groups began circulating information from Transparent California that showed Nemeth was at one point on Metropolitan?s payroll, earning a six-figure salary.Patterson, the Metropolitan assistant general manager, acknowledged that Nemeth?s name appeared on Metropolitan?s books from 2012 to 2014. But he said Nemeth was never a Metropolitan employee and her presence on the payroll was more of a technicality.In reality, Patterson said Nemeth was working for the state Natural Resources Agency under an inter-governmental agreement, focusing on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the previous name for the tunnels project. The tunnels project now goes by ?California WaterFix.?The state paid her salary, although the state and federal water contractors working on the Delta project, such as Metropolitan, reimbursed the state, according to Patterson.Patterson said the arrangement changed when her duties at the Resources Agency were broadened in 2015, and Nemeth?s position then shifted to the state?s payroll.?Jay Lund, the director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, says Nemeth?s relationship with Philp isn?t as controversial as critics make it out to be.?He said the world of water policy is a small one, so it?s natural that like-minded people with similar interests would sometimes get married.?Lund said there weren?t many complaints raised in the north state when a former DWR director, Mark Cowin, was married to a prominent environmental attorney.??Highfalutin people have highfalutin spouses,? Lund said. ?Some of this comes with the territory.?? Delta tunnels battle heats up One Delta farmer talks about his family history and why he opposes Gov. Jerry Brown's tunnels plan.Dale Kasler?The Sacramento BeeRyan Sabalow:?916-321-1264,?@ryansabalow Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article195651064.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kierassociates at att.net Sun Jan 21 15:04:25 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2018 15:04:25 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?New_state_water_chief_is_married_to_SoCal?= =?utf-8?q?_water_strategist=2E_Critics_say_that=E2=80=99s_too_clos?= =?utf-8?q?e?= In-Reply-To: <654881774.1489160.1516553714472@mail.yahoo.com> References: <654881774.1489160.1516553714472.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <654881774.1489160.1516553714472@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <000001d3930c$2f3ffe50$8dbffaf0$@att.net> Having done a deep dive into California law concerning conflict of interest 15 years ago as a member of the board of directors of the Marin Municipal Water District, a seat that I ceded rather than drag the District into further controversy and legal expense, I can tell you that it boils down to is this: If there?s even an appearance of conflict there is a conflict. The Brown administration must be weary to the bone to make such a thoughtless appointment. Bill Kier From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom Stokely Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2018 8:55 AM To: Env-trinity Subject: [env-trinity] New state water chief is married to SoCal water strategist. Critics say that?s too close http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article195651064.html New state water chief is married to SoCal water strategist. Critics say that?s too close BY RYAN SABALOW AND DALE KASLER rsabalow at sacbee.com Image removed by sender. My feed January 19, 2018 01:37 PM Updated January 20, 2018 08:49 AM Critics who say state water policy tilts too far toward Southern California got additional ammunition last week, when Gov. Jerry Brown named a new director to run his Department of Water Resources. New DWR Director Karla Nemeth is married to Tom Philp, an executive strategist with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Nemeth?s duties include overseeing the State Water Project, which delivers water from Northern California to the southern half of the state, and forging ahead with Brown?s controversial Delta tunnels project. Metropolitan, which serves 19 million people, is the State Water Project?s largest customer. It?s also a key backer of the $17.1 billion tunnels proposal, which is fiercely opposed by many elected officials in Northern California as well as Delta farmers and environmentalists. In the contentious world of California water policy, battle lines tend to be drawn between north and south, and anything that would appear to give Metropolitan more influence is met with instant suspicion among water advocates in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Sacramento Valley. ?Putting someone who is in charge of DWR who you might say is married to the Metropolitan Water District in more ways than one sort of makes sense if you look at it from the governor?s standpoint,? said George Hartmann, a Stockton attorney who represents Delta farmers. ?But is it ethical? I don?t think so. Is it proper? I don?t think so.? Ethics specialists say the situation is complicated. Robert Stern, co-author of California?s Political Reform Act, an anti-government corruption law, said there?s nothing illegal about Nemeth running DWR while being married to a Metropolitan employee. And so long as her decision-making is limited to issues affecting statewide water policy, there is no ethical violation, either. The relationship could be problematic, however, if Nemeth has to make a decision that specifically affects Metropolitan, he said. Hana Callaghan, a government ethics expert at Santa Clara University, said the relationship creates the perception of a conflict of interest, and she agreed that Nemeth should shy away from decisions involving Metropolitan directly. ?It does raise some red flags,? she said. State officials said they see no problem. Nemeth and Philp?s relationship breaks no rules and ?poses no conflict,? DWR spokeswoman Erin Mellon said in an email. ?Karla?s marriage has long been public knowledge and has no bearing on her work for the state,? Mellon said. ?Whether at the Resources Agency or now at the Department of Water Resources, her focus remains on doing what?s best for all of California, and her experience speaks for itself.? Nemeth had been deputy secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, a role that already put her on the front lines of the debate over the tunnels and other state water policy issues. Her new salary is $194,600. Philp, a former Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer for The Sacramento Bee, is an executive strategist who works on communications for Metropolitan, including its advocacy of the tunnels. His salary is $211,723, according to the public employee salary website Transparent California. Philp declined to comment through a Metropolitan spokesman, but executives at the Southern California agency said the marriage doesn?t raise ethical concerns. ?I don?t believe there?s any conflict there at all,? said Roger Patterson, Metropolitan?s assistant general manager. Nemeth?s appointment comes as the DWR has been criticized for its handling of the Oroville Dam spillway crisis last winter. An independent forensic team the state hired to determine what caused the spillway to fail said the crisis was caused in part because DWR was too focused on the ? water delivery needs? of its customers to the south, and gave dam safety less of a priority. RELATED STORIES FROM SACRAMENTO BEE Error! Filename not specified. State moves step closer to downsizing Delta tunnels project Error! Filename not specified. After Oroville disclosures, embattled California water agency names new director Error! Filename not specified. As fish disappear, Trump administration seeks to pump more California water south State water contractors, such as Metropolitan, store water behind the dam and pay for its upkeep. The forensic team also alleged that top DWR officials made a series of decisions during the crisis that eventually triggered the two-day evacuation of 188,000 Northern Californians in part because they were worried about preserving the water supply for Southern California. Officials at DWR and Metropolitan refuted those claims, saying the integrity of the dam and the safety of downstream residents were their only concerns. Long before the Oroville emergency spillway nearly failed, north state critics argued Metropolitan enjoyed far too much influence over state water policies, especially when it came to the Delta, the hub of California?s water delivery network. Brown?s administration insists the $17.1 billion tunnels project won?t increase deliveries south. Instead, officials say it will allow the massive pumping stations at the south end of the Delta to operate more reliably while improving the environment in the West Coast?s largest estuary. In recent months, state officials have been weighing whether to downsize the project to a single tunnel. Metropolitan is the only major water agency to have agreed to pay for the project in its current, two-tunnel form. Tunnels opponents adamantly dispute the Brown administration?s claims that the tunnels won?t harm the environment and Delta farms and cities. They say the insatiable water demands of Southern California will ensure that more water is pumped than what Brown?s office promises. In the Delta, ?Stop the Tunnels? signs are common along roadsides and in store fronts. Anti-tunnels advocates, such as Hartmann, the Stockton attorney, call the project a blatant south state ?water grab.? When Metropolitan bought several parcels of land in the Delta to facilitate the project, critics called it another ?Chinatown.? Northern Californians often invoke the the 1974 movie staring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, which presented a fictionalized version of how the city of Los Angeles took water away from farmers in the Owens Valley in 1913. Nemeth?s appointment drew immediate criticism from the anti-tunnels camp. Soon after it was announced, anti-tunnels groups began circulating information from Transparent California that showed Nemeth was at one point on Metropolitan?s payroll, earning a six-figure salary. Patterson, the Metropolitan assistant general manager, acknowledged that Nemeth?s name appeared on Metropolitan?s books from 2012 to 2014. But he said Nemeth was never a Metropolitan employee and her presence on the payroll was more of a technicality. In reality, Patterson said Nemeth was working for the state Natural Resources Agency under an inter-governmental agreement, focusing on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, the previous name for the tunnels project. The tunnels project now goes by ?California WaterFix.? The state paid her salary, although the state and federal water contractors working on the Delta project, such as Metropolitan, reimbursed the state, according to Patterson. Patterson said the arrangement changed when her duties at the Resources Agency were broadened in 2015, and Nemeth?s position then shifted to the state?s payroll. Jay Lund, the director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, says Nemeth?s relationship with Philp isn?t as controversial as critics make it out to be. He said the world of water policy is a small one, so it?s natural that like-minded people with similar interests would sometimes get married. Lund said there weren?t many complaints raised in the north state when a former DWR director, Mark Cowin, was married to a prominent environmental attorney. ?Highfalutin people have highfalutin spouses,? Lund said. ?Some of this comes with the territory.? Delta tunnels battle heats up One Delta farmer talks about his family history and why he opposes Gov. Jerry Brown's tunnels plan. Dale Kasler The Sacramento Bee Ryan Sabalow: 916-321-1264, @ryansabalow Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article195651064.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD000.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tgstoked at gmail.com Tue Jan 23 09:44:45 2018 From: tgstoked at gmail.com (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 09:44:45 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Delta & River Advocates Stand Up for Salmon & Delta Smelt with Capitol Rally and Comments to Bureau of Reclamation In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: * Contact: * Noah Oppenheim, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, 415-561-5080 <(415)%20561-5080>, noah at ifrfish.org Annelia Hillman, Klamath Justice Coalition & Yurok Tribal Member, 707-499-6061 <(707)%20499-6061>, norris_annelia at yahoo.com Regina Chichizola, Save California Salmon, 541 951-0126, klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, 209-479-2053 <(209)%20479-2053>, barbara at restorethedelta.org *Delta & River Advocates Stand Up for Salmon & Delta Smelt with Capitol Rally and Comments to Bureau of Reclamation * *SACRAMENTO* ? Today, Delta and river advocates?including Klamath River Tribal Members, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, commercial & recreational fishing groups, and Restore the Delta?rallied at the State Capitol to voice their opposition against the Trump Administration?s proposal to maximize water deliveries to the Central Valley Project. After the rally they The new federal proposal to increase Delta exports could impact flows on the Sacramento, Feather, American-San Joaquin, Trinity, and Klamath Rivers, and comes at a time when salmon returns and Delta Smelt numbers have reached record lows. *Klamath Justice Coalition member and Yurok tribal member Annelia Hillman said, * ?The Bureau of Reclamation needs to deeply consider the greater detrimental environmental effects that are already evident from manipulating natural water systems. On the Klamath River, we can testify to the damage that reservoirs and diversions have caused on tribal subsistence fishing, water quality and all life dependent on it. ?We are all aware that maximizing water flows to the Central Valley does not mean sending clean drinking water to residents?it means meeting corporate demands that waste water on fracking and unsustainable big-ag industries.? Hillman went on to say that the Yurok Tribe is California?s largest Tribe and faced an allocation of one fish per eight Tribal members due to the Klamath River having the worst salmon run in history last year. *Executive Director of The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations,* *Noah Oppenheim said, * "California's commercial salmon fishery was mortally wounded by the drought, catastrophic water mismanagement, and excessive south-of-Delta exports. Now the Bureau of Reclamation is here to twist the knife. What began last year as a non-jeopardy reinitiation of consultation has become a water grab fueled by greed and opportunism. If the Bureau gets its way, commercial and recreational salmon fishing will be lost forever in the Central Valley. Fishermen and anglers from the Golden Gate to Redding and all the way to Seattle need healthy salmon runs to survive.? *Representative of Save California Salmon, Regina Chichizola said, * "We are facing the worst salmon runs we have ever had on the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers due to bad water management during the drought, and the only thing that saved us from losing our drinking water supply last year was a rainy winter. California needs to start managing our water responsibly. The Trump plan is the opposite of responsible, and is especially troubling when the impacts of the Twin Tunnels and new dam proposals are factored in." *Executive Director of Restore the Delta, Barbara Barrigan Parrilla said, *?The Delta smelt could be the first fish species to become extinct in the United Since since the Endangered Species Act was signed in 1973. With only two delta smelt identified in the last fish survey, state and federal agencies need to focus time, money, and energy on restoring smelt populations instead of turning up the pumps. If California loses Delta smelt, the salmon will follow, then larger aquatic species that rely on salmon runs like Puget Sound Orcas will die off as well. We are looking at the potential collapse of an entire food chain.? Last year the Klamath River suffered the worst fall run salmon return in history, and the Sacramento River only had 230,700 projected fall run salmon returning down from 650,000 only years before. Low salmon runs led to a disaster declaration in California and Oregon due to the loss of the commercial fisheries. The Trinity River is the Klamath's largest tributary. The rally will take place on the sidewalk outside 650 Capitol Mall at 1 p.m., while the public meeting will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Stanford Room, 650 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Thu Jan 25 15:27:35 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2018 23:27:35 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 4 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW4 (January 28). Sorry I missed a week, but I got JW3 and JW4 data fairly close together so am sending out as one summary. Since the last summary we did get rain, and we did get more fish... and we got a nice little second peak of steelhead at the hatchery just when all you naysayers were thinking the season was over. Who knows what next week brings? Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW4.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 63311 bytes Desc: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW4.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jan 25 17:07:17 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 01:07:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Save the Date- Klamath Fish Health Workshop April 3-4, 2018 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1953644731.730911.1516928837656@mail.yahoo.com> On Thursday, January 25, 2018 1:46 PM, "Hetrick, Nick" wrote: Please save the date as we have settled on a April 3-4 for this year's annual Klamath Fish Health conference, to be held in Yreka, CA. We are currently in the process of setting up a block of rooms at a reduced rate and will pass that information on once it is available, along with an agenda for the meeting.? ? ?? Please note that we are planning to follow a similar format that used last year, with a full day of presentations during which new information and developments regarding fish health in the lower Klamath Basin are shared, followed by a general discussion and a Q&A session between basin managers and researchers. If you would like to give a brief presentation on new fish health-related information, please send a brief description or abstract to myself (nick_hetrick at fws.gov, Sasha Hallet (halletts at oregonstate.edu) and Nicholas Som (nicholas_som at fws.gov) so we can begin putting the agenda together.? ? We look forward to connecting and sharing info with you all at this annual workshop.? ?More to follow soon...?? nicholas hetrick? ? ? ? -- Nicholas J. HetrickProgram LeadFish & Aquatic Conservation ProgramArcata Fish and Wildlife OfficeArcata, CA 95521office (707) 822-7201 fax (707) 822-8411 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com Thu Jan 25 23:55:07 2018 From: klamathtrinityriver at gmail.com (Regina Chichizola) Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2018 23:55:07 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?b?SWRlYSBvZiDigJhtYXhpbWl6aW5n4oCZIHdhdGVy?= =?utf-8?q?_deliveries_takes_a_beating?= Message-ID: Idea of ?maximizing? water deliveries takes a beating http://www.chicoer.com/general-news/20180125/idea-of-maximizing-water-deliveries-takes-a-beating Chico >> The Bureau of Reclamation came to Chico Thursday to take input on a proposal to maximize water deliveries from the Central Valley Project, and for two hours a succession of speakers told them it was a bad idea. The meeting was nominally to get comments just on what the environmental studies for the proposal should look at, but most of the speakers objected to the basic idea of taking more water from the north to deliver to the San Joaquin Valley for what more than one speaker called ?desert agriculture.? Rick Switzer compared the proposal to seeing how much more could be squeezed from an already dry sponge. ?I question the premise of what you are doing. Water?s finite; you people don?t seem to be familiar with the concept.? There were close to a hundred people crowded into a room at the Bell Memorial Union on the Chico State University campus, and dozens of them spoke. The proposal to revise the operations of the Central Valley Project ? and the State Water Project ? first surfaced in December. It seems to be fulfillment of a campaign promise then-candidate Donald Trump made in May 2016 during a speech in Fresno to deliver more water there if he was elected. Reclamation officials Thursday stressed the proceedings were in their infancy and alternatives haven?t been developed, but the documents accompanying it start with the statement that the amount of water available for south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has decreased since the project was built in the 1930s. The goals laid out for the revision include maximizing water deliveries and hydropower marketing, giving consideration to modifying environmental regulations to do that. Numerous people asked where the new water was going to come from. Grim pictures of the health of the rivers were painted with accounts of dwindling numbers of fish. Well owners talked about how groundwater levels were already dropping. ?Our environment is already collapsing from the over allocation of water,? said Robert Dunn of the Northern California Guides Association. ?We?re totally opposed to more water going south.? There was no support for relaxing protections for fish to send more water south, so farmers ?can make money from it downstream,? as one speaker put it. ?We don?t have any more in the environment to take from,? said Lucas RossMerz of the Sacramento River Preservation Trust. ?When is the agriculture side of this have to give something back?? That point was also made by James Dunlap of the Yurok on the Klamath River. The tribe has had to have an emergency declared in order to get extra water released into the river to battle a fish disease. ?The Westlands (the largest San Joaquin irrigation district) should have to prove a emergency to get the water instead of the tribes having to prove an emergency.? Dunlap said he?d really like to see the Central Valley Project dismantled. Failing that, ?consider what the environment was prior to the CVP and start from there.? The meeting was the final one of three to take input on the ?scope? of the environmental impact statement to be prepared for the proposal. There was a meeting Tuesday in Los Banos and Wednesday in Sacramento. Ben Nelson, a natural resources specialist with the bureau, said there were about 30 people at the Los Banos meeting, and only about three citizens spoke. There were about 100 in Sacramento, but far fewer comments than Thursday. Comments on the scope of the EIS will be taken until the close of business next Friday, Feb. 1. The current plan is laid out in a Federal Register filing, which can be viewed at http://tinyurl.com/cvp2018change. Written comments can be mailed or hand-delivered to Katrina Harrison, project manager, Bureau of Reclamation, Bay-Delta Office, 801 I St., Suite 140, Sacramento, CA, 95814-2536; or faxed to 1-916-414-2439; or emailed to kharrison at usbr.gov. The comments will be used to shape a draft EIS laying out a number of alternatives and evaluating their impacts. That will then be opened to another round of public comment and additional revisions before a final EIS is approved. For additional information, contact Harrison at 1-916-414-2425 (TTY 1-800-877-8339) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jan 26 09:09:18 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2018 17:09:18 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?How_Trump=E2=80=99s_pumping_plan_is_divid?= =?utf-8?q?ing_California_over_water_=E2=80=93_again?= References: <1300636814.1173687.1516986558919.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1300636814.1173687.1516986558919@mail.yahoo.com> How Trump?s pumping plan is dividing California over water ? again | | | | | | | | | | | How Trump?s pumping plan is dividing California over water ? again The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation wants to ship more water south through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, pitting ... | | | | WATER & DROUGHT How Trump?s pumping plan is dividing California over water ? again BY DALE KASLER AND RYAN SABALOWdkasler at sacbee.comJanuary 26, 2018 03:55 AMUpdated 5 hours 10 minutes ago?They gathered this week at Sacramento?s federal building on Capitol Mall, carrying protest signs and vowing to resist the Trump administration?s plan to pump more of Northern California?s water through the Delta to the southern half of the state.?The government ?wants to suck our lifeblood dry,? said Noah Oppenheim, leader of a group representing commercial fishermen. An ally hoisted a sign that said, ?Don?t pump the Delta to extinction.? Dania Rose Colegrove, a Hoopa Valley Tribe member, said the Trump proposal would suck more water from the Trinity River, a place her tribe considers sacred, to keep wealthy farmers? crops growing hundreds of miles south.The scene couldn?t have been more different the following night in Los Banos, on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, where farmers gathered at a community center to voice their support for the Trump administration?s proposal. They see it as Trump making good on a?campaign promise in Fresno?in 2016, when he derided efforts to ?protect a certain kind of 3-inch fish? ? the nearly extinct Delta smelt ? and promised to bring more water through the Delta to agriculture.ADVERTISINGinRead?invented by Teads?I finally have some optimism,? said Mitch Coit, a grower in the Los Banos area.Nothing sharpens the political divide in California like a fight over water. Just before New Year?s, the U.S. Bureau of Administration announced it would try to??maximize water deliveries??to the agricultural districts that belong to the federal government?s Central Valley Project. A series of public comment hearings this week, in Sacramento, Los Banos and Chico, illustrated the vast gulf between the warring factions.In Sacramento on Tuesday, nearly three-dozen environmentalists, tribal representatives and others held a brief protest outside the federal building, then marched inside to blast the plan in front of Bureau of Reclamation employees.?They believe moving more water through the Delta pumps would bring more environmental ruin to the troubled estuary and kill more Delta smelt, Chinook salmon and other endangered fish species. The harm would spread as far north as the Oregon border, where rivers would get sucked dry to feed the Delta pumps, they said.Gary Mulcahy, 63, a Winnemem Wintu Tribe member from Shasta County, nearly broke down as he described a salmon population decimated by water shortages. ?Now, you could sit there for hours and not see a single salmon come back,? he said.?Mocking President Donald Trump?s campaign slogan, Mulcahy wore a red hat that read, ?Make America Sacred Again.?The Trump administration?s plan, which will take about a year to finalize, is based in large part on a 2016 law signed by former President Barack Obama. The vaguely worded law creates some additional protections for the Delta but also directs pump operators to deliver more water when possible to customers of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Many environmental groups condemn the law, but its backers, including California?s U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, said it served as a compromise between environmental and water-supply needs.?Reclamation officials said they won?t run roughshod over the environment in their effort to bring more water south. Rather, they want to take a fresh look at Delta waterways to see if there?s a way to help farmers while still protecting fish.?Both sides are struggling,? said Austin Ewell, a recent Trump appointee who is the Interior Department?s deputy assistant secretary for water and science. ?The current system is not necessarily working for whatever party.?Reclamation?s effort comes at a pivotal time. Gov. Jerry Brown is expected to announce soon whether to?downsize the Delta tunnels project, his $17-billion plan designed to improve fish habitats and water deliveries by rerouting how water reaches the state and federal pumping stations. Meanwhile, two federal agencies that oversee the Delta?s struggling fish populations have launched a review of decade-old pumping regulations, and California?s State Water Resources Control Board is examining the Delta?s water quality with an eye toward reducing pumping.Where does all that leave Reclamation?s plan to ?maximize? water deliveries? In Los Banos, farmers said they expect California officials, who have fought Trump on everything from immigration to climate change, to use powerful state laws to limit the effect of the Reclamation proposal or halt it altogether. State officials have vowed to protect California?s fish and wildlife as they scrutinize Reclamation?s plan.?We?re seeing more evidence of a state that?s willing to backstop environmental protections and push back on any federal intrusion, particularly from the Trump administration,? said Cannon Michael, a farmer from the Los Banos area and chairman of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, a major valley water agency.Still, the mood among valley farmers and their leaders was one of cautious optimism. Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, told the crowd gathered in Los Banos that Reclamation?s plan could reverse more than 20 years of declining water deliveries, brought on by court decisions and regulations, that have devastated valley farm communities.?Places like Los Banos, Dos Palos, Mendota have felt the burden of the lack of water,? the congressman said. ?It breaks your heart.?Among farmers, the Reclamation proposal affirms their belief that they have a friend in Washington in Trump.?He has at least come out and said, ?We?re going to do something about the water,??? said Joe Del Bosque, a prominent valley farmer from Firebaugh. ?We?ve been through years with no water.?Dale Kasler:?916-321-1066,?@dakasler Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article196723524.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Jan 28 14:47:42 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2018 22:47:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Editorial_Don=E2=80=99t_give_control_of_D?= =?utf-8?q?elta_water_to_S=2E_California?= References: <587869784.2192332.1517179662178.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <587869784.2192332.1517179662178@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=2ad191e21EditorialDon?t give control of Delta water to S. California?Seven years into Jerry Brown?s final tour as governor, his promise to create a reliable water delivery system that protects the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is in shambles. His twin-tunnel fixation was ill-conceived and, for Northern California at least, unacceptable, and he is not giving up.His administration is expected to announce a new strategy soon that should alarm South Bay and East Bay residents, businesses and water system operators.The Associated Press reports that the governor is considering removing control of design, construction and operation of any Delta project from the state Department of Water Resources and giving it to the water agencies that pay for it. This means any Delta water conveyance project would be largely driven by Southern California?s Metropolitan WaterDistrict.?Metropolitan is the largest supplier of treated water in the United States, serving 19 million people in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties. Its thirst is unquenchable. Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, warns that ?We?ve seen Metropolitan promote junk science before. Ceding control to them is a recipe for problems.?It would indicate that the state is not managing its water resources on behalf of all Californians but only of water districts buying into his twin-tunnel plan.Intensifying concerns is Brown?s choice this month of Karla Nemeth to run the state Department of Water Resources, whichmanages the California State Water Project and is supposed to manage and protect the state?s waterways.Nemeth is married to Tom Philp, a Metropolitan senior strategist, but that?s just part of the conflict. The bigger concern is Nemeth?s own connections to Metropolitan, which paid her salary for two years when when she worked for the California Resources Agency.This could solidify Met?s ability to speedwater south from the Delta.The governor also is likely to announce that the $17 billion?plan for two massive tunnels under the Delta will be scaled back initially to a single tunnel at around half the price. But it will be framed as a project in phases, leaving the prospect of a second tunnel still very much alive. Metropolitan, with its support from the state water resources department, can declare victory.Six years ago Sen. Dianne Feinstein called on the National Academy of Sciences to study the Delta because the agency ?is the only body whose views will be respected by all the relevant parties as a truly independent voice.?The academy concluded that the best approach to reduce demand for Delta water was pursuing more efficient water use. It said pouring more water, not less, through the Delta to San Francisco Bay was the best way to preserve its health.Brown?s interests are clear: Send water south. We?ll be looking carefully at his wouldbe successors to see who will stand up for the Delta ? and for Northern California?s economy and water supply.Gov. Jerry Brown is reportedly weighing removing control of any Delta project from the state and giving it to the water agencies that pay for it, which largely means Southern California?s Metropolitan Water District.STAFF FILE PHOTO -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jan 29 10:27:46 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2018 18:27:46 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Dan_Walters_Commentary=3A_Jerry_Brown?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99s_two_big_public-works_projects_are_foundering?= References: <1849384677.2776339.1517250466965.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1849384677.2776339.1517250466965@mail.yahoo.com> https://calmatters.org/articles/commentary/commentary-jerry-browns-two-big-public-works-projects-foundering/Commentary: Jerry Brown?s two big public-works projects are founderingBy?Dan Walters?| Jan. 29, 2018 |?COMMENTARY - - - During his second governorship, Jerry Brown has frequently touted big public-works projects as the mark of a great society?a marked change from his first stint four decades ago, when ?small is beautiful? and ?lower your expectations? were his oft-voiced themes.He did it again last week, effusively plugging two major public works, twin water tunnels and a high-speed rail network, during his final State of the State address.One might conclude that Brown 2.0 has been channeling his father, Pat Brown, who as governor in the 1960s was also a big booster of public works, including highways, universities and, most of all, a massive water project.How California policy affects you, straight to your inboxAs he nears the end of his gubernatorial career, however, he must contend with the near-failure of the centerpiece of his father?s cherished water system, Oroville Dam, and the conclusions of an expert panel that it was poorly designed, poorly constructed and poorly maintained.Hundreds of millions of dollars that otherwise might have been spent on improving the system now must be spent to repair Oroville?s collapsed spillways.Moreover, the two big projects that Jerry Brown has pushed are foundering.With the exception of Southern California?s Metropolitan Water District, other major beneficiaries of the tunnels, which would supposedly improve reliability of the system, are shying away from committing to many billions of dollars in cost.The defection has become so serious that Brown?s Department of Water Resources is now contemplating?reduction to a single tunnel, hoping that its less expensive cost would bring the straying sponsors back.However, even that strategy is fraught with political and financial peril, and it?s not at all certain that anything will happen before Brown departs a year hence.The bullet train is also running into trouble.Construction has begun on 119 miles of track in the San Joaquin Valley, from Madera to near Bakersfield, that originally was supposed to cost $6 billion, financed from a federal grant and state bonds.However, the cost jumped to nearly $8 billion and the High-Speed Rail Authority?s board has been told that?the estimate is now $10.6 billion?for a variety of reasons, including higher land costs and construction delays.The project was already plagued by rising costs and the lack of any feasible plan to finance the entire cost, which now is somewhere north of $70 billion and could easily be much more than that.Public support for the bullet train is scant and, in truth, it seems to be a solution in search of a problem rather than the vital transportation system Brown portrays it as being.Conversely, the need for some sort of water conveyance around or under the Delta has been evident for decades. Pulling water out of the estuary has created no end of environmental problems, leading to court-ordered reductions in diversions that have sometimes left water users short of what they needed.Brown took one stab at solving the dilemma during his first stint as governor?a ?peripheral canal? to bypass the Delta?and won legislative approval, only to see it rejected by voters in 1982.The canal was Brown 1.0?s only major public-works effort, and now he faces the strong possibility that Brown 2.0?s two big projects will also stall out.Brown insists that he?s not in legacy mode these days. However, he often refers to his father?s legacy of public works, and striking out on his two big projects would be a bitter pill to swallow. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Mon Jan 29 10:29:37 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2018 10:29:37 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Dan_Walters_Commentary=3A_Jerry_Brown?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99s_two_big_public-works_projects_are_foundering?= In-Reply-To: <1849384677.2776339.1517250466965@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1849384677.2776339.1517250466965.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1849384677.2776339.1517250466965@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2DAEB031-9F6E-4B9A-BAB4-F543CAFFAF65@fishsniffer.com> Tom Are you getting my articles? Thanks Dan > On Jan 29, 2018, at 10:27 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > https://calmatters.org/articles/commentary/commentary-jerry-browns-two-big-public-works-projects-foundering/ > Commentary: Jerry Brown?s two big public-works projects are foundering > By Dan Walters | Jan. 29, 2018 | COMMENTARY > > During his second governorship, Jerry Brown has frequently touted big public-works projects as the mark of a great society?a marked change from his first stint four decades ago, when ?small is beautiful? and ?lower your expectations? were his oft-voiced themes. > He did it again last week, effusively plugging two major public works, twin water tunnels and a high-speed rail network, during his final State of the State address. > One might conclude that Brown 2.0 has been channeling his father, Pat Brown, who as governor in the 1960s was also a big booster of public works, including highways, universities and, most of all, a massive water project. > How California policy affects you, straight to your inbox > > > > As he nears the end of his gubernatorial career, however, he must contend with the near-failure of the centerpiece of his father?s cherished water system, Oroville Dam, and the conclusions of an expert panel that it was poorly designed, poorly constructed and poorly maintained. > Hundreds of millions of dollars that otherwise might have been spent on improving the system now must be spent to repair Oroville?s collapsed spillways. > Moreover, the two big projects that Jerry Brown has pushed are foundering. > With the exception of Southern California?s Metropolitan Water District, other major beneficiaries of the tunnels, which would supposedly improve reliability of the system, are shying away from committing to many billions of dollars in cost. > The defection has become so serious that Brown?s Department of Water Resources is now contemplating reduction to a single tunnel , hoping that its less expensive cost would bring the straying sponsors back. > However, even that strategy is fraught with political and financial peril, and it?s not at all certain that anything will happen before Brown departs a year hence. > The bullet train is also running into trouble. > Construction has begun on 119 miles of track in the San Joaquin Valley, from Madera to near Bakersfield, that originally was supposed to cost $6 billion, financed from a federal grant and state bonds. > However, the cost jumped to nearly $8 billion and the High-Speed Rail Authority?s board has been told that the estimate is now $10.6 billion for a variety of reasons, including higher land costs and construction delays. > The project was already plagued by rising costs and the lack of any feasible plan to finance the entire cost, which now is somewhere north of $70 billion and could easily be much more than that. > Public support for the bullet train is scant and, in truth, it seems to be a solution in search of a problem rather than the vital transportation system Brown portrays it as being. > Conversely, the need for some sort of water conveyance around or under the Delta has been evident for decades. Pulling water out of the estuary has created no end of environmental problems, leading to court-ordered reductions in diversions that have sometimes left water users short of what they needed. > Brown took one stab at solving the dilemma during his first stint as governor?a ?peripheral canal? to bypass the Delta?and won legislative approval, only to see it rejected by voters in 1982. > The canal was Brown 1.0?s only major public-works effort, and now he faces the strong possibility that Brown 2.0?s two big projects will also stall out. > Brown insists that he?s not in legacy mode these days. However, he often refers to his father?s legacy of public works, and striking out on his two big projects would be a bitter pill to swallow. > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jan 29 14:13:14 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2018 22:13:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Trump water plan will exterminate salmon and Delta smelt In-Reply-To: <6539B429-B372-4811-8DF1-56FF4F4CE3F6@fishsniffer.com> References: <59E8FBF7.3090101@dcn.org> <59E8FC65.9050609@dcn.org> <3E36C073-EDF0-4BEA-B348-C20481724B77@fishsniffer.com> <19C3BF8B-1A6B-494B-9ACF-C4A3628768DF@fishsniffer.com> <32B5342D-464A-43E5-ACF1-4852567DC56B@fishsniffer.com> <95E5D164-5003-4340-9049-DD4376B1F7A8@fishsniffer.com> <8E1C2C09-4789-41F7-95E0-1E783876C2D0@fishsniffer.com> <09B547B1-E075-4E48-ABFA-C31BCDCEA696@fishsniffer.com> <35E29268-AF62-49EA-92CF-86D6E0F6CD77@fishsniffer.com> <63653CA5-553D-48E2-BA32-C7DAE3E2BFFB@fishsniffer.com> <32D8355E-C26A-463E-9282-B4EE6206515A@fishsnif fer.com> <6EF93FD8-4B55-4A03-9457-15D59505B465@fishsniffer.com> <222020F4-BCFE-48F2-A455-644BC1EF94DA@fishsniffer.com> <549F3071-8CD8-43BE-979B-58710EE73C8F@fishsniffer.com> <6BD357AA-081F-46CB-911F-03E96C26C9DB@fishsniffer.com> <99442AE9-ABA1-4F9F-A201-6F4A2E3EA1DC@fishsniffer.com> <13BD822C-1E50-4536-8348-2C2558491EFD@fishsniffer.com> <766811334.2828896.1517253768105@mail.yahoo.com> <6539B429-B372-4811-8DF1-56FF4F4CE3F6@fishsniffer.com> Message-ID: <1441254436.2913714.1517263995024@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/23/1735355/-Stop-the-Trump-water-plan ?Water protectors from the Pit, Trinity and Klamath rivers hold a banner after conducting a rally with fishing groups and Restore the Delta against the Trump water plan at the federal building at Capitol Mall in Sacramento on January 23.Photo by Dan Bacher. Trump water plan will exterminate salmon and Delta smelt? By Dan BacherBelow is my brief comment at the?Bureau of Reclamation public meeting in Sacramento on January 23:?I ?strongly oppose the Trump administration?s?draft plan to ?maximize water deliveries? and increase?Delta water exports to corporate agribusiness interests in the San Joaquin Valley.?Over 28 years ago a small group of anglers and environmentalists fought to get the Sacramento??winter-run Chinook salmon listed for protection under the state and federal Endangered Species Acts.?Historically, winter-run Chinook spawned in the upper reaches of Sacramento River tributaries, including the McCloud, Pit, and Sacramento rivers. Shasta and Keswick dams now block access to the historic spawning areas.Beginning in 1970, the remaining population experienced a dramatic decline, plummeting?to a low of only 200 spawners by the early 1990?s, due to dramatic increases in water exports through the State Water Project and Central Valley water project pumps in the South Delta.A small but vocal group, including Chuck De Journette of the Tehama Fly Fishers and John Merz, then the executive director of the Sacramento River Preservation Trust, the Fish Sniffer publisher Half?Bonslett and others,?kept going to the Commission meetings and working on the federal level for the listing of the winter run Chinook as endangered.We finally succeeded on the state level later that year when the fish was listed as ?endangered.? The National Marine Fisheries Service also listed the winter run as ?threatened,? five years after the agency received the petition calling for the listing.After receiving another petition, NMFS listed the fish as ?endangered? in 1990. In the years since the initial listing, run numbers have bounced up and down, with a number of measures taken, including the screening of unscreened diversions on the Sacramento, the removal of the Red Bluff Diversion Dam and some limited?restrictions on Delta pumping resulting from federal biological opinions. We hoped that the fishery would recover with the listing and some measures taken to restore the salmon, but it hasn?t.It?s now 2018, over 28 years after the initial listing, and the winter run Chinook salmon is still in deep, deep trouble. ?Record exports of water by the state and federal governments?and poor management of upstream reservoirs, combined with a historic drought, have counteracted the proactive measures taken, leading to the decline of the fish in recent years.The Winnemem Wintu Tribe and their allies are working to reintroduce the original run of McCloud winter run Chinook. now thriving on the Rakaira River in New Zealand where they were introduced over a hundred of years ago, back to their ancestral home on the McCloud.The tribe has set up a Go Fund Me site to raise money to conduct DNA testing of the Rakaira River salmon, as required by the National Marine Fisheries Service to allow reintroduction of these fish. ?Only 1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon, once one of the biggest salmon runs on the Sacramento River and its tributaries, returned to the Sacramento Valley in 2017, according to a report sent to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).?This is the second lowest number of returning adult winter run salmon since modern counting techniques were implemented in 2003.?The decline of the winter run Chinook parallels the dramatic decline of?spring run and fall run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, delta and long fin smelt, green sturgeon?and host of other species. In spite of a record water year in Northern California, the abundance of Delta smelt recorded in the state?s annual fall midwater survey (FMWT) is the lowest in the survey?s 50-year history.?Only two Delta smelt were collected at Delta index stations in October.Meanwhile, the Klamath and Trinity River salmon runs declined to record lows this years, forcing the closure of recreational and commercial fishing and severely limiting Tribal subsistence fishing.Yet today, rather than do the right thing at take measures today to restore these species,?the Trump administration aims to increase pumping and take other measures to ?maximize water deliveries? for Central Valley Project irrigators, making conditions even worse for the salmon, smelt and other fish.Everybody who supports the Delta, Sacramento,?Klamath and Trinity River and other fish populations must oppose this latest effort by the water contractors to enrich themselves at the expense of fish, Tribes, fishermen,?family farmers and all of the people of California ??and support the Winnemem Wintu Tribe?s plan to restore the original population of Chinooks to the McCloud River above Shasta Dam, as well as the campaign?by the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa Valley Tribes, fishing groups and environmentalists to bring down the dams on the Klamath River.The Bureau must increase Delta flows, not decrease them, to restore salmon and Delta smelt rather than driving them to extinction.?We cannot allow this massive water grab to happen! ?Background: On December 29, the Bureau of Reclamation announced it will conduct an environmental analysis of potential modifications to the operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP), in coordination with California?s State Water Project, to ?maximize water deliveries? and ?optimize marketable power generation.? In other words, the Trump administration wants to increase water exports to agribusiness interests in the San Joaquin Valley at a time when the Delta smelt are near extinction and winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species are struggling to survive after decades of massive water deliveries. Written comments are due by close of business, Feb. 1, 2018, by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to Katrina Harrison, project manager, Bureau of Reclamation, Bay-Delta Office, 801 I Street, Suite 140, Sacramento, CA 95814-2536; fax 916-414-2439; or email kharrison at usbr.gov. For additional information, please contact Harrison at 916-414-2425 (TTY 800-877-8339).The Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), ?Revisions to the Coordinated Long-term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, and Related Facilities? was published in the Federal Register, Friday, Dec. 29, 2017 and can be accessed at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/current#reclamation-bureau.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Group_Shot.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 192038 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jan 30 11:00:05 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2018 19:00:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Congress whiffed, so Interior restarts Westlands drainage work References: <1392996659.3563785.1517338805409.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1392996659.3563785.1517338805409@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060072111/print WESTERN WATER Congress whiffed, so Interior restarts Westlands drainage work Michael Doyle, E&E News reporterGreenwire: Friday, January 26, 2018The Interior Department has resumed the long slog toward development of a big California irrigation drainage system, because the controversial alternative remains mired down in Congress.With a Jan. 15 deadline for Capitol Hill action having passed, officials have advised a federal judge they will return to planning drainage for the Westlands Water District. Interior's renewed efforts to solve the decades-old problem will continue until lawmakers finish legislation."That bill has not received a floor vote in the House and the Senate has yet to take action on legislation to authorize the Westlands Settlement," the Justice Department noted in a Jan. 19 court filing. "Accordingly, Reclamation will resume work under a control schedule while efforts to secure enactment of authorizing legislation continue."The "control schedule" sets out a timetable and some anticipated costs for developing the drainage system needed to shed the tainted irrigation water that troubles California's San Joaquin Valley (Greenwire, Jan. 10)."We're moving forward," Ali Forsythe, program manager for the Bureau of Reclamation, said today, while adding that "we do believe the settlement would be preferable."The problem defies easy solutions and will take many years and lots of money to fix. The revised schedule submitted Jan. 19 to U.S. District Judge Lawrence O'Neill extends to 2026, with expenditures of up to $3.5 million this year and $12 million next year.Federal officials have already "had an initial discussion with Westlands regarding a repayment contract" for the drainage work, Federico Barajas, Reclamation's deputy director for the Mid-Pacific Region, advised O'Neill."Westlands will need to repay all other costs of constructing, operating and maintaining all drainage facilities that Reclamation determine are allocated [to the district]," Barajas stated in a declaration.That would add up. According to the?Congressional Budget Office, citing Reclamation's estimates, the drainage "facilities will take more than a decade to complete under current law" and "will cost about $2.5 billion."In what remains of fiscal 2018, the latest schedule anticipates work ranging from re-evaluating "system layout options" to the purchase of "land and rights."Although Interior officials and San Joaquin Valley lawmakers still hope to pass legislation that changes how the Westlands drainage problem is addressed, they had little choice about resuming, at least for now, the federal steps spelled out Jan. 19.O'Neill, based in Sacramento, had given Westlands and federal officials until Jan. 15 to complete the irrigation drainage deal through the passage of necessary legislation. He added that there would be no further extensions."The parties are warned that this case has been pending for more than a quarter century," O'Neill wrote last year. "The buck is being passed from Congress to Congress, and the court will not continue to enable this pattern of delay."The underlying lawsuit at the heart of the drainage issue was filed in 1988.The proposed deal would forgive a roughly $375 million debt owed by Westlands for its share of Central Valley Project construction. The CVP's network of reservoirs, canals and pumping plants enabled the Rhode Island-sized Westlands district to become an agricultural powerhouse.The deal struck during the Obama administration also would set terms on future water contracts and require Westlands to retire 100,000 of its 600,000 acres. In return, the federal government would be relieved of the obligation to construct expensive irrigation drainage facilities, needed to prevent buildup of tainted groundwater.The House has not yet voted on legislation to approve the deal,?H.R. 1769, which passed the House Natural Resources Committee last April. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) wanted the language included in the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, but California's Democratic senators, Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein, opposed the move (Greenwire, Nov. 16, 2016).Twitter:?@MichaelDoyle10?Email:?mdoyle at eenews.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 2 11:09:56 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 19:09:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Mark Arax Story on Resnick Ag Empire References: <1632867831.2174599.1517598596119.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1632867831.2174599.1517598596119@mail.yahoo.com> Here is a very long but interesting story on the Resnicks of Wonderful, POM and other agricultural customers.A Kingdom from Dust | | | | | | | | | | | A Kingdom from Dust A story of power, drought, migrant labor, and an insatiable drive to expand. | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 2 13:11:37 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 21:11:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] INTERIOR Department Document reveals ambitious reorganization timeline References: <523336890.2316934.1517605897594.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <523336890.2316934.1517605897594@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/02/02/stories/1060072789 INTERIOR Document reveals ambitious reorganization timeline Kellie Lunney, E&E News reporter? Published: Friday, February 2, 2018Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke aims to overhaul the agency?s structure.?Interior DepartmentNew Interior Department regional boundaries will be in place this year, and the agency's massive reorganization will begin in Alaska, according to a document obtained by E&E News.Todd Wynn, director of Interior's Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, sent a list of 39 "frequently asked questions" to state and local stakeholders Jan. 19 about the proposed department restructuring.That seven-page?document?says the revamped boundaries for the 13 regional hubs will "take effect" in the second half of fiscal 2018, which begins April 1 and ends Sept. 30.The cities where the regional hubs will be located also could be identified over the spring and summer, but the department does not plan any moves in fiscal 2018, according to the document.It does not address what criteria will be used to determine the new locations, but cities including Denver; Toledo, Ohio; and Birmingham, Ala., have been mentioned previously as possibilities.While the department's timeline for jump-starting the reorganization is ambitious, the FAQs acknowledged that fully implementing the changes will "take several years because there are a lot of details that will need to be worked out over time."Interior did not respond to questions asking for more information on the ideas outlined in the document."I'll let you know if we have anything more to add on this document," spokeswoman Heather Swift said in an email yesterday.Secretary Ryan Zinke has proposed dividing the department's various bureaus into 13 geographic regions across the country based on watershed and other natural resource boundary lines. The change is intended to improve agency collaboration and efficiency by shifting more authority from Washington to communities out West, where the government owns huge swaths of land (Greenwire, Jan. 10).Jim Cason.?Cason/LinkedInA separate leader would oversee each region, and directors and field managers from the various Interior bureaus inside each region would report to that person, a chain of command that the FAQ attempts to sketch out. Bureau regional directors generally would report to the regional leader under the proposal.Wynn's Jan. 19 email was a follow-up to a Jan. 12 phone briefing with Interior Associate Deputy Secretary Jim Cason on the department's draft regional boundaries. Cason on Jan. 16 also briefed the House Natural Resources Committee's Republican and Democratic staff on the reorganization."As discussed, we envision these proposed boundary changes will reduce administrative redundancy, share resources more effectively, improve coordination among federal, state and local agencies, improve interagency coordination, drive more decisions to be made at the regional level rather than in Washington D.C. and facilitate joint problem-solving," Wynn wrote in the email.The FAQ document offered these details: - The department will use Alaska as its "pilot" site for the new regional management concept because "it is a large geographic area, most bureaus are active there, all existing regional offices are already in the same city, and there is only one state government with which to interact," the document said. - Interior does not anticipate that organizational changes will adversely affect or close national parks, wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries or Bureau of Indian Affairs offices. - The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement will be the least affected by the reorganization because they are focused on marine activities. - The new management structure could lead to more managers in the long term. "During the first year or so transition period it is more likely that a single manager might have responsibilities in more than one region," the FAQ document states. "Over time, it is likely that the total number of bureau regional directors will increase so that all regions where a bureau has a significant presence have a senior manager located in that region." Kate Kelly, director of public lands at the Center for American Progress, said the FAQ document raised more questions than it answered. "There are some glaring holes and lack of real analysis that I think comes through in this document," she said, "including how much this will cost in staff time and agency resources, and importantly, what role Congress will play in the reorganization."House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) has been supportive of Zinke's effort to reshape the department and of moving some decisionmaking authority out of the Washington region to Western states "closer to the ground" where policies have the most impact (E&E News PM, Jan. 31).Bishop is headed to Utah today to attend a forum on the reorganization with Cason and Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (R), a committee aide confirmed."Any discussion of government reorganization requires a vertical perspective, from all levels of government, and active collaboration with various stakeholders," committee majority press secretary Katie Schoettler said in an email. "At this forum, we're bringing all stakeholders together to discuss best practices, intended outcomes and metrics of success to drive meaningful reform."Zinke yesterday held a town hall event with employees at Interior headquarters in Washington, where he discussed the reorganization in broad terms (E&E News PM, Feb. 1). More details about the overhaul are expected in the president's fiscal 2019 budget request, slated for a Feb. 12 release."At the end of the day, I don't think we're going to lose any [employees]," Zinke said during the session, telling employees not to "hold your breath on timing."The secretary noted that he has to work with Capitol Hill to make any significant changes, especially when it comes to physically moving staff and resources to different locations across the country. Who's the boss? Many questions remain over how the new regional hub structure will affect lines of authority.The FAQs attempt to answer some of those questions, but the responses illustrate the can of worms over chain of command issues that often stymie major reorganizations, especially in the federal government.[+]?This map, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, shows 13 proposed Interior Department regions: North Atlantic-Appalachian, South Atlantic-Gulf, Great Lakes-Ohio, Mississippi Basin, North Central, South Central, Colorado Basin, Northern Rockies, Great Basin, Northern Pacific Mountains, Southern Pacific Mountains, Alaska and Pacific Islands.?Special to E&E NewsThe change could be particularly significant for the Bureau of Land Management, which currently divides the management of nearly 245 million federal acres in its jurisdiction mostly along state lines ? not ecosystems.Governors in the West have traditionally supported a single BLM state office, with one state director with whom their staff can coordinate on issues or problems. Any BLM move away from state boundaries is almost certain to encounter stiff resistance from congressional leaders from both parties.The Western Energy Alliance has already raised concerns about aspects of the reorganization involving BLM.Kathleen Sgamma, the alliance's president, stated in written testimony to a House panel in December that it is "skeptical of efforts to change BLM from a mostly state-based organization to one based on ecosystems or watersheds," and that "the best structure for the BLM is the current one, based largely on states" (Greenwire, Dec. 7, 2017).Jason Briefel, executive director of the Senior Executives Association, said there are still a lot of unknowns associated with Interior's plan to undertake such a historic overhaul."What is the full business plan for this transformation? How will employees be educated, communicated with, and prepared to understand how their roles fit into the big picture?" he asked.Zinke last month invited 150 department senior executives to Washington for a briefing on the reorganization (Greenwire, Jan. 11)."It is my hope that Interior learned a lesson from the debacle of how it initiated and executed its initial rounds of relocating and reassigning SESers last year that can inform the ongoing transformation being directed by Secretary Zinke," Briefel said, referring to the department's decision to move some high-level career officials in the Senior Executive Service around, which sparked some controversy and prompted an ongoing inspector general investigation."Treating employees with respect and empathy goes a long way in rallying them to shared objectives," he said.The FAQ document briefly nodded to that idea: "We plan to work with current regional directors and bureau leadership to determine the most effective and reasonable ways to operationalize the new approach. Any changes will need to be carefully identified and thoughtfully implemented."The mystery around the reorganization has some on edge, however."Lots of rumors abound that the secretary wants to use executives already out West and eliminate or minimize those in D.C.," said one Interior senior executive.The employee, who asked to remain anonymous, also questioned the cost of such a huge undertaking. "This is at an exorbitant expense, especially if you consider staff hours for planning, disruption for reorganization, etc.," the employee said. "There should be questions asked about 2018 and 2019 budget costs per bureau ? all at a time when resources are already strained."Reporter Scott Streater contributed. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Fri Feb 2 13:33:24 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 13:33:24 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Tribes and fishermen slam Trump plan to export more water from the Delta In-Reply-To: <523336890.2316934.1517605897594@mail.yahoo.com> References: <523336890.2316934.1517605897594.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <523336890.2316934.1517605897594@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/28/1735777/-Tribes-and-fishermen-slam-Trump-plan-to-export-more-water Water protectors from the Klamath, Trinity, Sacramento and Pit Rivers rally in front of the federal building in Sacramento to oppose the Trump plan to "maximize water deliveries" from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Photo by Dan Bacher. Tribes and fishermen slam Trump plan to export more water from the Delta By Dan Bacher Members of the Yurok Tribe on the Klamath River, Hoopa Valley Tribe on the Trinity River, Winnemem Wintu Tribe on the McCloud River and the Pit River Tribe joined with commercial and recreational fishing groups and Restore the Delta to protest Trump administration water grab in front of the federal building on Capitol Mall in Sacramento on January 23. Many of them also later testified at a public comment period inside the building to to voice their opposition against the Trump Administration?s proposal to ?maximize water deliveries? to the federal Central Valley Project. In fact, every single one of the 15 people that spoke at the meeting testified against the increased exports plan. They spoke to stop a proposal to increase Delta exports to agribusiness interests that could devastate populations of salmon, steelhead and other fish species on the Sacramento, Feather, American, San Joaquin, Trinity, and Klamath Rivers at a time when salmon populations on many rivers and Delta smelt numbers have reached historic lows. A large number of project opponents arrived in the federal building late because they had wait in a long line as they proceeded through Homeland Security. I personally spent 30 minutes in line as the security checked I.D.s. and ran our belongings through the security cameras. ?The Bureau of Reclamation needs to deeply consider the greater detrimental environmental effects that are already evident from manipulating natural water systems,? said Klamath Justice Coalition member and Yurok Tribal Member Annelia Hillman, before the rally. ?On the Klamath River, we can testify to the damage that reservoirs and diversions have caused on tribal subsistence fishing, water quality and all life dependent on it.? ?We are all aware that maximizing water flows to the Central Valley does not mean sending clean drinking water to residents?it means meeting corporate demands that waste water on fracking and unsustainable Big Ag industries,? she emphasized. The Klamath and Trinity rivers witnessed the worst fall run Chinook salmon return in recorded history, leading to a disaster declaration in California and Oregon due to the loss of the commercial fisheries. The recreational fall Chinook salmon fishery in both the ocean and the Trinity and Klamath rivers was also closed in 2017. The Yurok Tribe , California?s largest tribe, faced a subsistence allocation of just one fish per eight Tribal members, due to the Klamath River having the worst salmon run in history last year. Hillman said the plan to increase water exports, in face of this disaster, is a ?terrible, terrible idea.? ?We?re now to the breaking point,? Hillman said, ?and we must reduce water use. If we keep allowing the corporate use of water for bad and unsustainable uses, the authorities are putting all lives and the environment in danger. People are starting to feel the effect over a long period of time...we can?t afford to live without water. The best thing is to take care of the river and restore it.? On December 29, 2017, the Bureau of Reclamation announced it would conduct an environmental analysis of potential modifications to the operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP), in coordination with California?s State Water Project, to ?maximize water deliveries? and ?optimize marketable power generation.? Although the plan is being currently promoted by the Donald Trump administration, it is based on legislation sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein and signed by President Barack Obama right before he left office in January 2017. ?We come here to speak a message of peace,? said Samuel Gensaw, Yurok Tribal Member and a traditional salmon fishermen from the Klamath River. ?People have a right to protest. We will protest anything that poses a threat to our way of life.? Dania Rose Colegrove, Hoopa Valley Tribe Member and organizer for the Klamath Justice Coalition, said 49 percent of the water from the Trinity, the largest tributary of the Klamath, is diverted to the Sacramento River through a tunnel that takes water from Trinity and Lewiston Dams through the Trinity Mountains into Whiskeytown Reservoir. The water is then released from the Whiskeytown Dam into Clear Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River, until it is diverted into the Delta Mendota Canal to be shipped to irrigators on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. ?A couple of nuts are not worth destroying our rivers,? Colegrove emphasized, referring to the almonds, pistachios and other nuts grown by corporate agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley with Trinity River water. ?We oppose the taking of any more water from the Trinity. They can?t keep taking water from our river.? Gary Mulcahy, governmental affairs representative for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, said at the rally, ?We are not here to speak a message of peace. We have been in a state of war with the Bureau of Reclamation. We were flooded out by Shasta Dam when it was built. We are fighting to bring back the original winter-run Chinook salmon to the McCloud River above the dam.? He recalled that in the 1960s. ?We could see so many salmon that we could nearly walk across them. Now you go to the salmon viewing area on the river and don?t see a single salmon. We plan to bring the salmon back by developing a volitional passageway to get the fish to the McCloud River above the lake.? He wore a red hat with ?Make America Sacred Again,? a play on the Trump campaign?s hat, ?Make America Great Again,? and discussed the Tribe?s current efforts to return the fish, now thriving in New Zealand on the Rakaira River, to the fishery to the river above the dam. The Tribe has been forced by NOAA Fisheries to pay for DNA testing to prove that the New Zealand fish are the original strain of the winter run, even though it is clear from planting records that the fish is indeed the original strain. Morning Star Gali, Pit River Tribal Member, spoke on the devastating impact of the building of Shasta Dam and other dams on her tribe, which subsisted on salmon for many thousands of years before colonization. ?We need our salmon returned,? she said. Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA), discussed how California?s commercial salmon fishery was ?mortally wounded? by a combination of the drought, catastrophic water mismanagement, and excessive south-of-Delta exports. ?Now the Bureau of Reclamation is here to twist the knife,? he explained. ?What began last year as a non-jeopardy reinitiation of consultation has become a water grab fueled by greed and opportunism. If the Bureau gets its way, commercial and recreational salmon fishing will be lost forever in the Central Valley. Fishermen and anglers from the Golden Gate to Redding and all the way to Seattle need healthy salmon runs to survive.? Regina Chichizola, a representative of Save California Salmon, said, ?We are facing the worst salmon runs we have ever had on the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers due to bad water management during the drought, and the only thing that saved us from losing our drinking water supply last year was a rainy winter. California needs to start managing our water responsibly. The Trump plan is the opposite of responsible, and is especially troubling when the impacts of the Twin Tunnels and new dam proposals are factored in.? Only 1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon returned to the Sacramento Valley in 2017, according to a report sent to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). This is the second lowest number of returning adult winter run salmon since modern counting techniques were implemented in 2003. By comparison, over 117,000 winter Chinooks returned to spawn in 1969. The decline of the winter run Chinook parallels the dramatic decline of spring run and fall run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, delta and long fin smelt, green sturgeon and a host of other species. In spite of a record water year in Northern California in 2017, the abundance of Delta smelt recorded in the CDFW?s annual fall midwater survey (FMWT) is the lowest in the survey?s 50-year history. Only two Delta smelt were collected at Delta index stations in October The Delta smelt could be the first fish to to become extinct in the wild in the U.S. since President Nixon signed the landmark Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. Maligned by the water contractors as a ?little minnow,? the smelt is in fact an indicator species that demonstrates the health of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. ?With only two delta smelt identified in the last fish survey, state and federal agencies need to focus time, money, and energy on restoring smelt populations instead of turning up the pumps,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. ?If California loses Delta smelt, the salmon will follow, then larger aquatic species that rely on salmon runs like Puget Sound Orcas will die off as well. We are looking at the potential collapse of an entire food chain.? Other speakers at the rally included John McManus, the Executive Director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association; Thomas Joseph, a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe; and Roger Mammon, President of the California Striped Bass Association, West Delta Chapter, and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Restore the Delta. In addition to the Sacramento meeting, a meeting on the plan was also held in Los Banos the night before and in Chico two days later. The overwhelming majority of people who spoke in the two meetings, including many farmers, spoke in opposition to it. A Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), ?Revisions to the Coordinated Long-term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, and Related Facilities? was published in the Federal Register, Friday, Dec. 29, 2017 and can be accessed at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/current#reclamation-bureau . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Group_Shot.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 192038 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 2 14:55:32 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 22:55:32 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Chico_ER_Editorial=3A_There=E2=80=99s_a_c?= =?utf-8?q?lear_difference_when_it_comes_to_water=E2=80=99s_value?= References: <185446109.2346102.1517612132050.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <185446109.2346102.1517612132050@mail.yahoo.com> Editorial: There?s a clear difference when it comes to water?s value Last week?s meeting in Chico to take public comment on an initiative to maximize water deliveries from the federal Central Valley Project pointed out a fundamental difference between the two sides of the issue.The meeting was called for a limited objective: to take input on what topics an environmental review should look at.While some speakers were on task and gave the Bureau of Reclamation some specific issues that needed to be addressed, most spoke instead of the need to protect the north state?s living rivers.And there?s the difference. South of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the concept of a living river is unfamiliar and suspect.In the Los Angeles basin, rivers run through concrete channels.The Kern, Tule and Kaweah rivers used to fill Tulare Lake, the largest freshwater lake by surface west of the Mississippi. Their waters don?t make it past the farms and cities along Highway 99 anymore. The lake bed is dry, dependent on even more distant water or water pumped from deeper and deeper in the ground to grow crops.Parts of the Kings and the San Joaquin rivers ran dry every year because the water was also diverted to the Highway 99 corridor. The Kings still does dry up, but a restoration project has restored some flow to the San Joaquin, once the second largest river in the state. This year, spring-run chinook salmon spawned in the river, for the first time in 60 years.The fact that the restoration is controversial is telling. The idea that a river might have a value beyond the price per acre-foot of the water in it is missing south of the delta. They have no examples to learn from. In the south a river is just a somewhat unruly canal useful for transporting water and nothing more.That was what the Bureau of Reclamation might have learned from the Chico meeting last week. Most of the speakers testified with love and affection for our rivers as communities of fish and plants, birds and animals, drawn together and dependent on the water flowing by.Speakers here were concerned for the rivers? health, as measured by declines in fish populations and other indicators. South of the delta the idea a river might have ?health? would have been mystifying. It is, after all, just a bunch of water.And there?s the difference. We have one side that sees water as a commodity, and one side that sees it as so much more. In the north we see water, flowing through rivers and streams, as the lifeblood of living ecosystems assembled by some higher power hundreds of thousands of years before mankind wandered in and muddled things up.We are in awe, appreciative of something more valuable than all the money in the world. To the south, if you can?t put a price on it, it?s not worth a thing.There?s the choice the Bureau of Reclamation faces. http://www.chicoer.com/article/NA/20180201/LOCAL1/180209979 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lrlake at aol.com Fri Feb 2 15:24:32 2018 From: lrlake at aol.com (lrlake at aol.com) Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2018 18:24:32 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Tribes and fishermen slam Trump plan to export more water from the Delta Message-ID: <16158d5f52e-171f-21697@webjas-vaa154.srv.aolmail.net> If there was ever a department in the executive branch that requires vigilance, it is Interior. Keep up the good work. As a retired industry resource due, I've worked for managers like Trump. All he is asking his cabinet Secretaries to do is look at delivering water better. He does not trust what 'his' people have not blessed; especially if artificial constraints came from the prior administration.. This happens whenever a new CEO takes over, in his world. You all know the last 20-100 years of politics. Every faction knows we can do a better job than is being done. Don't get your dander up too soon. There is plenty of near-term stuff to worry about. Larry Lawrence Lake, RPF Redding, CA -----Original Message----- From: Daniel Bacher To: undisclosed-recipients:; Sent: Fri, Feb 2, 2018 2:08 pm Subject: [env-trinity] Tribes and fishermen slam Trump plan to export more water from the Delta https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/1/28/1735777/-Tribes-and-fishermen-slam-Trump-plan-to-export-more-water Water protectors from the Klamath, Trinity, Sacramento and Pit Rivers rally in front of the federal building in Sacramento to oppose the Trump plan to "maximize water deliveries" from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Photo by Dan Bacher. Tribes and fishermen slam Trump plan to export more water from the Delta By Dan Bacher Members of the Yurok Tribe on the Klamath River, Hoopa Valley Tribe on the Trinity River, Winnemem Wintu Tribe on the McCloud River and the Pit River Tribe joined with commercial and recreational fishing groups and Restore the Delta to protest Trump administration water grab in front of the federal building on Capitol Mall in Sacramento on January 23. Many of them also later testified at a public comment period inside the building to to voice their opposition against the Trump Administration?s proposal to ?maximize water deliveries? to the federal Central Valley Project. In fact, every single one of the 15 people that spoke at the meeting testified against the increased exports plan. They spoke to stop a proposal to increase Delta exports to agribusiness interests that could devastate populations of salmon, steelhead and other fish species on the Sacramento, Feather, American, San Joaquin, Trinity, and Klamath Rivers at a time when salmon populations on many rivers and Delta smelt numbers have reached historic lows. A large number of project opponents arrived in the federal building late because they had wait in a long line as they proceeded through Homeland Security. I personally spent 30 minutes in line as the security checked I.D.s. and ran our belongings through the security cameras. ?The Bureau of Reclamation needs to deeply consider the greater detrimental environmental effects that are already evident from manipulating natural water systems,? said Klamath Justice Coalition member and Yurok Tribal Member Annelia Hillman, before the rally. ?On the Klamath River, we can testify to the damage that reservoirs and diversions have caused on tribal subsistence fishing, water quality and all life dependent on it.? ?We are all aware that maximizing water flows to the Central Valley does not mean sending clean drinking water to residents?it means meeting corporate demands that waste water on fracking and unsustainable Big Ag industries,? she emphasized. The Klamath and Trinity rivers witnessed the worst fall run Chinook salmon return in recorded history, leading to a disaster declaration in California and Oregon due to the loss of the commercial fisheries. The recreational fall Chinook salmon fishery in both the ocean and the Trinity and Klamath rivers was also closed in 2017. The Yurok Tribe , California?s largest tribe, faced a subsistence allocation of just one fish per eight Tribal members, due to the Klamath River having the worst salmon run in history last year. Hillman said the plan to increase water exports, in face of this disaster, is a ?terrible, terrible idea.? ?We?re now to the breaking point,? Hillman said, ?and we must reduce water use. If we keep allowing the corporate use of water for bad and unsustainable uses, the authorities are putting all lives and the environment in danger. People are starting to feel the effect over a long period of time...we can?t afford to live without water. The best thing is to take care of the river and restore it.? On December 29, 2017, the Bureau of Reclamation announced it would conduct an environmental analysis of potential modifications to the operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP), in coordination with California?s State Water Project, to ?maximize water deliveries? and ?optimize marketable power generation.? Although the plan is being currently promoted by the Donald Trump administration, it is based on legislation sponsored by Senator Dianne Feinstein and signed by President Barack Obama right before he left office in January 2017. ?We come here to speak a message of peace,? said Samuel Gensaw, Yurok Tribal Member and a traditional salmon fishermen from the Klamath River. ?People have a right to protest. We will protest anything that poses a threat to our way of life.? Dania Rose Colegrove, Hoopa Valley Tribe Member and organizer for the Klamath Justice Coalition, said 49 percent of the water from the Trinity, the largest tributary of the Klamath, is diverted to the Sacramento River through a tunnel that takes water from Trinity and Lewiston Dams through the Trinity Mountains into Whiskeytown Reservoir. The water is then released from the Whiskeytown Dam into Clear Creek, a tributary to the Sacramento River, until it is diverted into the Delta Mendota Canal to be shipped to irrigators on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. ?A couple of nuts are not worth destroying our rivers,? Colegrove emphasized, referring to the almonds, pistachios and other nuts grown by corporate agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley with Trinity River water. ?We oppose the taking of any more water from the Trinity. They can?t keep taking water from our river.? Gary Mulcahy, governmental affairs representative for the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, said at the rally, ?We are not here to speak a message of peace. We have been in a state of war with the Bureau of Reclamation. We were flooded out by Shasta Dam when it was built. We are fighting to bring back the original winter-run Chinook salmon to the McCloud River above the dam.? He recalled that in the 1960s. ?We could see so many salmon that we could nearly walk across them. Now you go to the salmon viewing area on the river and don?t see a single salmon. We plan to bring the salmon back by developing a volitional passageway to get the fish to the McCloud River above the lake.? He wore a red hat with ?Make America Sacred Again,? a play on the Trump campaign?s hat, ?Make America Great Again,? and discussed the Tribe?s current efforts to return the fish, now thriving in New Zealand on the Rakaira River, to the fishery to the river above the dam. The Tribe has been forced by NOAA Fisheries to pay for DNA testing to prove that the New Zealand fish are the original strain of the winter run, even though it is clear from planting records that the fish is indeed the original strain. Morning Star Gali, Pit River Tribal Member, spoke on the devastating impact of the building of Shasta Dam and other dams on her tribe, which subsisted on salmon for many thousands of years before colonization. ?We need our salmon returned,? she said. Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA), discussed how California?s commercial salmon fishery was ?mortally wounded? by a combination of the drought, catastrophic water mismanagement, and excessive south-of-Delta exports. ?Now the Bureau of Reclamation is here to twist the knife,? he explained. ?What began last year as a non-jeopardy reinitiation of consultation has become a water grab fueled by greed and opportunism. If the Bureau gets its way, commercial and recreational salmon fishing will be lost forever in the Central Valley. Fishermen and anglers from the Golden Gate to Redding and all the way to Seattle need healthy salmon runs to survive.? Regina Chichizola, a representative of Save California Salmon, said, ?We are facing the worst salmon runs we have ever had on the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers due to bad water management during the drought, and the only thing that saved us from losing our drinking water supply last year was a rainy winter. California needs to start managing our water responsibly. The Trump plan is the opposite of responsible, and is especially troubling when the impacts of the Twin Tunnels and new dam proposals are factored in.? Only 1,123 adult winter Chinook salmon returned to the Sacramento Valley in 2017, according to a report sent to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW). This is the second lowest number of returning adult winter run salmon since modern counting techniques were implemented in 2003. By comparison, over 117,000 winter Chinooks returned to spawn in 1969. The decline of the winter run Chinook parallels the dramatic decline of spring run and fall run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, delta and long fin smelt, green sturgeon and a host of other species. In spite of a record water year in Northern California in 2017, the abundance of Delta smelt recorded in the CDFW?s annual fall midwater survey (FMWT) is the lowest in the survey?s 50-year history. Only two Delta smelt were collected at Delta index stations in October The Delta smelt could be the first fish to to become extinct in the wild in the U.S. since President Nixon signed the landmark Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973. Maligned by the water contractors as a ?little minnow,? the smelt is in fact an indicator species that demonstrates the health of the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. ?With only two delta smelt identified in the last fish survey, state and federal agencies need to focus time, money, and energy on restoring smelt populations instead of turning up the pumps,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. ?If California loses Delta smelt, the salmon will follow, then larger aquatic species that rely on salmon runs like Puget Sound Orcas will die off as well. We are looking at the potential collapse of an entire food chain.? Other speakers at the rally included John McManus, the Executive Director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association; Thomas Joseph, a member of the Hoopa Valley Tribe; and Roger Mammon, President of the California Striped Bass Association, West Delta Chapter, and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Restore the Delta. In addition to the Sacramento meeting, a meeting on the plan was also held in Los Banos the night before and in Chico two days later. The overwhelming majority of people who spoke in the two meetings, including many farmers, spoke in opposition to it. A Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), ?Revisions to the Coordinated Long-term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, and Related Facilities? was published in the Federal Register, Friday, Dec. 29, 2017 and can be accessed at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/current#reclamation-bureau. _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Group_Shot.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 192038 bytes Desc: not available URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Feb 5 14:28:15 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2018 22:28:15 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 5 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 5 (Feb 4). Looks like that second bump of steelhead into the hatchery has definitely wound down. With dry weather predicted for at least the next two weeks I can't imagine we'll see a lot of fish movement. Maybe it's a good time to go catch a couple of hatchery steelhead for your smoker? MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW5.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 63104 bytes Desc: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW5.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 6 11:44:20 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2018 19:44:20 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation selects Ali Forsythe as Deputy Regional Director for the Mid-Pacific Region In-Reply-To: <4c653b52159e43d8aa3d4c170dbe3da1@usbr.gov> References: <4c653b52159e43d8aa3d4c170dbe3da1@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <1651613932.4816962.1517946260743@mail.yahoo.com> On Tuesday, February 6, 2018 11:35 AM, Erin Curtis wrote: Reclamation selects Ali Forsythe as Deputy Regional Director for the Mid-Pacific RegionMid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.govFor Immediate Release: Feb. 6, 2018Reclamation selects Ali Forsythe as Deputy Regional Director for the Mid-Pacific RegionSACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Bureau of Reclamation?s Mid-Pacific Region announced Tuesday that Ali Forsythe has been selected as the Deputy Regional Director.?Ali is extremely knowledgeable about the issues and water operations in the Mid-Pacific Region. She has excellent relationships with our stakeholders, partners and sister agencies and has extensive facilitation, managerial and leadership skills that she brings to this position,? said Regional Director David Murillo. ?I am confident that her leadership will prove extremely valuable as we continue to work through the many complex and controversial water policy issues we are grappling with today and into the future.?As Deputy Regional Director, Ali will have direct oversight over the Klamath and Lahontan Basin Area Offices and technical offices and programs within the region including the MP Construction Office, Program Coordination Office, and the Divisions of Environmental Affairs; Safety, Security and Emergency Management; Design and Construction; Resources Management; and Planning.Forsythe has been the program manager for the San Joaquin River Restoration Program since 2011. In that role, she coordinated with the parties to the Settlement in NRDC, et al., v. Rodgers, et al., the other SJRRP Implementing Agencies, downstream landowners and water districts, and many other entities to restore flows to the San Joaquin River from Friant Dam near Fresno to its confluence with the Merced River while reducing the water supply impacts to the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project.Forsythe has managed various National Environmental Policy Act, California Environmental Quality Act, water rights and restoration projects in both the public and private sector. She began her federal career with Reclamation in 2009 as a project manager with the SJRRP Office. She led the program?s Interim Flow activities and three on-going site-specific channel and structural improvements projects, oversaw the SJRRP?s budget and schedule, and worked with the previous program manager to establish and implement SJRRP policies and direction. Before joining the Mid-Pacific Region, she was a project manager with CH2M HILL.Forsythe holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Environmental Studies and in Hydrologic Sciences from the University of Calif., Santa Barbara.###Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Wed Feb 7 17:02:51 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: Wed, 7 Feb 2018 17:02:51 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Brown administration: California WaterFix would be constructed in stages In-Reply-To: References: <1849384677.2776339.1517250466965.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1849384677.2776339.1517250466965@mail.yahoo.com> <2DAEB031-9F6E-4B9A-BAB4-F543CAFFAF65@fishsniffer.com> Message-ID: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/7/1739618/-Breaking-California-WaterFix-would-be-constructed-in-stage s Karla Nemeth, DWR Director. Photo courtesy of DWR. Brown administration: California WaterFix would be constructed in stages By Dan Bacher After months of talk and speculation, the California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation today announced plans for a staged implementation of Jerry Brown?s controversial Delta Tunnels project, also known as the California WaterFix. Karla Nemeth, the recently appointed Director of Water Resources, said in a letter that DWR ?first proposes to focus on elements of the Water Fix that are consistent with the support expressed by water agencies.? The option for the first stage includes two intakes on the Sacramento River in the North Delta with a total capacity of 6,000 cfs per second, one tunnel, one intermediate forebay and one pumping station. The second stage would consist of a third intake with 3,000 cfs capacity, a second tunnel and a second pumping station. This would bring the total capacity of the project from 6,000 cfs in the first phase to 9,000 cfs capacity in total, a volume of water that could exceed the entire volume of the Sacramento River during low flow periods. ?If funding for all elements of the currently proposed WaterFix is not available when construction begins,? she said, ?stage two would begin once additional funding commitments are made from water agencies.? She also said the overall cost of the project has not changed at $16.7 billion in 2017 dollars. The cost of proceeding with the first stage alone would be $10.7 billion. Delta Tunnels critics and economists have pointed out that once cost overruns, debt payments and other factors are considered, the real cost of the tunnels could exceed $68 billion. Nemeth also claimed the state is preparing a cost-benefit cost analysis that will become available ?soon? to ?provide further information about the economic benefit of protecting a critical source of water supplies for the state and safeguarding decades of public investment in the state water project. In addition, she said DWR will ?fully evaluate? the potential environmental impacts of the staged implementation option ? and expects to issue a supplemental draft Environmental Impact Statement in June 2018, with a final statement issued in October 2018. In a statement, Restore the Delta noted that today?s announcement follows months of statements about changes to the project by Metropolitan Water District General Manager Jeff Kightlinger ?after project proponents failed to secure sufficient funding from water districts asked to participate.? Curiously, the announcement takes place just one day after the California WaterFix hearing officers for the State Water Resources Control Board denied the motions by Delta Tunnels opponents to delay the hearing on the permits to build the project, based on alleged illegal exparte communications between Water Board and Department of Water Resources staff. The hearing will resume at 9:30 a.m. on February 8, 2018 in the Coastal Room at the CalEPA building. The officers, Board Chair Felicia Marcus and Member Tam M. Doduc, found that the exparte communications did not violate the law. They also found that no changes to the WaterFix project have been proposed that would warrant re-opening Part 1 or staying Part 2 of the hearing process at this time. More information: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/6/1739359/-State-Water-Board-denies-motions-by-Delta-Tunnels-opponents-to-delay-WaterFix-hearing Delta Tunnels opponents said they were very disappointed by today?s announcement ? and vowed to stop the project from ever being constructed. ?We find it very disconcerting that part two of the Delta tunnels change petition hearing is slated to begin tomorrow at the State Water Board in light of today?s announcement,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. ?Specifically, we are very concerned that this new version of the WaterFix will pursue a larger tunnel than what was presented during part one of the testimony, and before necessary modeling and cost-benefit analysis are completed.? She also noted that while protestants of the tunnels are at the State Water Resources Control Board fighting the change petition tomorrow, Southern California water districts will be evaluating the details of the new project. ?Presently, financial commitments from participating water districts still falls short of the to $10.8 billion needed to build a single tunnel. Consequently, Metropolitan Water District will have to go back to its member agencies seeking additional funding,? she explained. ?Realistically, there is not enough time between now and December, 2018, when DWR plans to break ground?whether symbolically or physically. Impacted parties have the right to measure the impacts of a single 6,000 cfs tunnel on fisheries, water quality for environmental justice communities, and the public interest. DWR?s attempts to jam through a permit for one project, while working secretly with water exporters to create another, is unconscionable, especially when we consider their mission,? Barrigan-Parrilla-Parrilla concluded. Delta Tunnels opponents say the project would hasten the extinction of Sacramento winter and spring run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, as well as imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: KG_Karla_Nemeth.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 24327 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Feb 8 08:32:00 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2018 16:32:00 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] California moves ahead with one delta tunnel, scaling back ambitious water delivery project References: <434422913.4214428.1518107520324.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <434422913.4214428.1518107520324@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-tunnels-size-20180207-story.htmlCalifornia moves ahead with one delta tunnel, scaling back ambitious water delivery projectBy?BETTINA BOXALLFEB 07, 2018?|?7:50 PM????State officials Wednesday said they will press ahead with a smaller version of a long-planned water delivery project, initially building one, instead of two, massive tunnels in the heart of California's vast waterworks.The decision to downsize California WaterFix boils down to money. The urban and agricultural water districts that are supposed to pay for the multibillion dollar project have only committed to enough funding for one water tunnel that would extend 35 miles under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.The reduction is yet another setback for a decade-old proposal that was originally pitched as a grand fix for the ecologically failing delta and the key to sending more water south to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness and Southern California cities.Questions about WaterFix's impact on the delta environment, opposition by delta interests and funding shortfalls have steadily whittled down the project's ambitions and scope. A major habitat restoration program was dropped. The construction footprint was reduced. And now, instead of a $17-billion, two-tunnel project, the state is planning to move ahead with one tunnel that would cost $10.7 billion.The changes are likely to add more delays to WaterFix. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and other agencies that approved funding for the two-tunnel plan have to decide if a scaled-back version will deliver enough water to maintain the project's appeal."Metropolitan recognizes that a staged approach to California WaterFix reflects the project's economic realities at this time," Metropolitan general manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said in a statement. "Metropolitan continues to explore pathways that align cost and benefits and will work with our partners on a financing agreement. But the final decision regarding participation in the staged project will ultimately be made by our board of directors."The Department of Water Resources said it would take until October to complete a supplemental environmental review of the modified plans.And shrinking the project won't quiet criticism that big tunnel diversions on the Sacramento River will hurt migrating salmon and worsen water quality in the delta."The science is clear: We need to increase [delta] outflow and reduce diversions," said Doug Obegi, an attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.The project also has yet to finish the permitting process, which could throw still more hurdles in its path.The tunnel proposal is the latest attempt to halt the delta's steep environmental decline while continuing major water exports that have helped drive that decline. The project's many stumbles illustrate how difficult ? if not impossible ? it is to attain that goal.In a?memo to water contractors, state officials Wednesday said the ultimate scope of WaterFix depended on the participation of local agencies ? construction could begin on a second tunnel if additional funding materialized. "Being prepared and having the option of a staged implementation of WaterFix is prudent, fiscally responsible and meets the needs of the public water agencies funding the project," wrote DWR Director Karla Nemeth.Even a smaller WaterFix would involve a mammoth construction job. Two new intakes, with a total capacity of 6,000 cubic feet per second, would be built on the Sacramento River in the north delta near Courtland. The tunnel ? taller than a three-story building and buried as much as 150 feet underground ? would feed existing government pumping plants in the south delta.Sources: California Natural Resources Agency, Mapzen, OpenStreetMap (Los Angeles Times)?Those pumping operations are so powerful that they have altered delta hydrology, caused delta channels to flow backward and pushed imperiled native fish closer to extinction ? triggering endangered species protections that at times restrict southbound water exports.WaterFix is intended to diminish the environmental impacts of the pumping ? heading off further export restrictions. But opponents argue that the new river diversions will create another set of environmental problems, while years of construction will disrupt one of California's most tranquil farming regions.The original funding plan called for the largely urban water agencies supplied by the State Water Project to pay for 55% of the tunnels, while the largely agricultural customers of the federal Central Valley Project paid for the remaining 45%.But the Central Valley Project districts balked at the costs, saying their growers couldn't afford the tunnel water. That left Metropolitan and other State Water Project contractors holding the bill ? forcing the change to a smaller and less expensive design."It's clear from the memo that Phase 2 probably won't be built," Obegi said.bettina.boxall at latimes.comTwitter:?@boxallUPDATES:7:50 p.m.:?This article was updated with additional details and comments.This article was originally published at 4:35 p.m. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 9 10:00:24 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 9 Feb 2018 18:00:24 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] First Trinity snow survey comes up only 22 percent of average By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal Feb 7, 2018 0 References: <37836367.4953526.1518199224023.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <37836367.4953526.1518199224023@mail.yahoo.com> Bad news. http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_81a2d62a-0ba9-11e8-ab01-f34dac53b07d.html First Trinity snow survey comes up only 22 percent of average - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ? - Feb 7, 2018 ? - ?0 The results of the Feb. 1 snow survey in Trinity County are in, showing the snowpack for the Trinity River Basin to be at only about 22 percent of average for this time of year.The ?Feb. 1? surveys are done over about a week?s time at the end of January and beginning of February.?Pretty sparse up there,? said Josh Smith from the Watershed Research and Training Center, who coordinates the surveys in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.At the Deadfall Lakes at 7,200 feet in northeast Trinity County, 15.5 inches of snow was measured with water content of 4 inches.At Red Rock Mountain in the Trinity Alps Wilderness at 6,700 feet, 39.5 inches of snow was measured with water content of 8 inches. The measurements are higher than the other Alps sites because they were done a few days earlier before the snow warmed and settled.At Bear Basin at 6,500 feet in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, 18 inches of snow was measured, water content 3.5 inches.At Shimmy Lake at 6,400 feet in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, 16 inches of snow was measured with a water content of 5 inches.At the Highland Lakes northeast of Trinity Lake at 6,030 feet, 12.5 inches of snow was measured with water content of 4 inches.At Big Flat at 5,100 feet in northern Trinity County, 9.5 inches of snow was measured with water content of 2.5 inches.Altogether, the basin average was at 22 percent for this time of year. This is similar to the situation statewide, with combined snow courses coming in at 24 percent of the Feb. 1 average. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Feb 13 08:35:50 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2018 16:35:50 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 6 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 6 (Feb 11). Too much sun, not enough snow. I guess it's nice fishing weather, but maybe not such great fish-producing weather. If you are fishing please send in any tags you come across... Oh! Heads up, folks: This next round of tags I will be having expiration dates printed on the tags, so if you don't send them in IN THE SEASON YOU CATCH THEM we'll not be paying out on them anymore. Some of you, and you know who you are, send tags in YEARS after you catch them which serves us no good. We are collecting the tags to make harvest estimates and when we don't get the tag within the season applied it's pretty much useless. Cheers, MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW6.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 63117 bytes Desc: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW6.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 13 10:37:18 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2018 18:37:18 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Basin irrigators, fish face dry year, officials say References: <662488134.242866.1518547038319.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <662488134.242866.1518547038319@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/article/NJ/20180212/NEWS/180219963&template=printart Klamath Basin irrigators, fish face dry year, officials say Feds? proposal seeks to improve water supply management By Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardMonday, February 12, 2018Anticipating a poor water year in California?s and Oregon?s Klamath River Basin, the federal government is seeking to find a way to balance its obligations to protect fish species while also ensuring Klamath Basin irrigators and water districts have access to water.?The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is now taking public comments on a proposal that would allow irrigators and water districts in the basin to use its Klamath Basin Project infrastructure, such as canals, to transport their private water should the project?s water supplies be constrained.Hoopa Valley Tribe Fisheries Director Mike Orcutt said he met with officials from the bureau?s overseeing agency, the U.S. Department of Interior, last week. He said given the context of the poor precipitation so far and a federal court order last year requiring a?new flow plan to protect fish on the lower Klamath River, the feds will be looking at any alternative possible to meet demands.?They?re going to be really, really hard-pressed to meet the project water needs this year with the injunction in place and that?s just the reality,? Orcutt said Monday.U.S. Bureau of Reclamation natural resources specialist Kirk Young in Klamath Falls, Oregon, said the agency proposed a similar program in 2015 during the drought, but said that never was used because of improved snow and rain levels.Under the latest proposal, water districts or irrigators with water rights in the Klamath Project that are unable to get their full water allotment because of low water availability would be able to contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Under the contract, the user would be able to use the bureau?s canals and other infrastructure to transport their own private water such as groundwater or stored rainwater.??It would allow a little more flexibility in our management during water short years,? Young said. ?... Any contracts that result from this, Reclamation would have no claim to that water. That would not be our water.?This proposal is undergoing environmental review, with the public being able to submit comments through Feb. 23. The draft review has found there would be no significant impacts to the environment as defined under the National Environmental Policy Act.Young said any groundwater withdrawals would be regulated by state governments.Following the finalization of the environmental review, a draft of the program would need to be created and vetted by the public. Young said this could occur in a matter of weeks or months.Karuk Tribe natural resources policy advocate Craig Tucker said Monday the tribe is still reviewing the proposal.?We are engaged in discussions on how to navigate what looks like a horrible water year and it?s unclear to me how this factors in,? Tucker wrote in an email to the Times-Standard.Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Feb 14 08:22:06 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:22:06 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Floodplain issue for some seeking to rebuild after fire References: <1914835863.760859.1518625326201.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1914835863.760859.1518625326201@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_fa31146c-112b-11e8-9be7-83ed4a08cf44.html Floodplain issue for some seeking to rebuild after fire - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ?- 1 hr ago ?- ?0 As Junction City residents whose homes burned five months ago in the Helena fire prepare to rebuild, some are hearing about an unexpected complication.If their home was in the Trinity River floodplain, they?ll have to move their site to higher ground or build ?flood safe,? increasing the expense. Responding to that hardship, the county plans to apply for a program that would assist with 75 percent of the cost.In many cases it isn?t the homeowners? fault they?re in the 100-year floodplain. A few years ago, the Federal Emergency Management Agency released more accurate maps than those done in the 1970s. Some of the homes were likely built even before that when there were no floodplain maps available at all, said Rick Tippett, county director of transportation, who oversees floodplain management.?Inadvertently, some had constructed where they believed their house was flood safe and it turned out it was not,? Tippett said. ?They found themselves in the floodplain.?Worse, a few were built in the floodway where floodwaters race more strongly than the floodplain further out, Tippett said. Those structures can?t be rebuilt in the floodway, Tippett said. They could relocate.While some sorts of non-compliant structures can be ?grandfathered? and reconstructed non-compliant, under county ordinance that doesn?t apply to building in the floodplain, Tippett said.?It?s county ordinance but the county ordinance is driven through the National Flood Insurance Program,? Tippett said, adding that it?s important the county continue to be responsive so FEMA, which manages the insurance program, can offer more affordable rates here.Also, he said, it?s the county?s responsibility to ensure that safety issues are addressed when homes are reconstructed.Requirements of rebuilding near the river include a floodplain certification prepared by a licensed land surveyor. Flood safe construction required in the floodplain means that the finished floor elevation must be at least 2 feet above the floodplain elevation, he said.?It?s known as a building on stilts,? Tippett said. ?Those foundations are built with devices that allow water to pass through, in and out, so it doesn?t become an obstacle in the water.?The added cost to reconstructing flood safe could run in the tens of thousands of dollars for a home, Tippett said. ?The problem is a lot of the folks that were insured were insured for existing structures in the manner they were constructed.?He didn?t have an exact number for the homesites involved, but said up to 30 burned properties that include some floodplain might be affected.?Nobody has been identified yet,? Tippett said, adding that usually that happens when people come to the department with their building plans.Floodplain maps are available at the county Department of Transportation, Planning Department and online at the FEMA website. Building sites very close to flood elevation will need a more finely tuned look.To rebuild close to the floodplain, to be prudent the homeowner might want to have a land surveyor or engineer check before they get building plans, he said.?We were hoping to mark the floodplain,? Tippett said, but found the $15,000 to $20,000 cost would put a strain on an already distressed survey program.The good news, Tippett said, is that it looks like the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program administered by FEMA and Cal OES could be of help to homeowners facing the extra cost.Tippett said a note of interest has been submitted to the agencies, and the response was positive. The program can assist with voluntary property acquisition, reconstruction assistance, and assistance for existing structures. The initial ask from the county is $2.7 million, and that would have to be matched 25 percent by homeowners using the program to make their homes flood safe.In addition to assisting with the flood safe aspect of rebuilding, the changes should result in lower flood insurance rates, he said.Before submitting the actual application, which is due mid-summer, ?we need to determine who?s interested,? Tippett said. ?We have to go out and figure the scope and depth of what to apply for.?He anticipates after discussing the program with the Trinity County Board of Supervisors the board will provide direction on how to identify participants.?This is really important for the folks that have to rebuild,? he said. ?Here?s a program that will pick up 75 percent of the cost? to make the home flood safe. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Feb 15 17:17:01 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2018 01:17:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Tribes seek higher water levels for Upper Klamath References: <1795471111.1701834.1518743821455.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1795471111.1701834.1518743821455@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/tribes-seek-higher-water-levels-for-upper-klamath/article_26c6d515-ca76-55b4-a6b3-5905ac084588.html Tribes seek higher water levels for Upper Klamath Lawsuit notice filed, possibility of extinction-level event cited - By KURT LIEDTKE H&N Staff Reporter The Klamath Tribes, in anticipation of drought conditions this summer, have filed a 60-day notice of their intention to file a lawsuit against federal agencies, seeking higher water levels on Upper Klamath Lake for protection of two endangered sucker species.A draft 60-day notice was issued Friday by the Klamath Tribes to the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service, a required action prior to any lawsuit filing under the federal Endangered Species Act. The Tribes are seeking immediate action to prevent destruction of habitat from low water levels this year on Upper Klamath Lake and its tributaries. The notice requests immediate, emergency measures to provide sufficient water for tribal fisheries and to correct deficiencies from a 2013 Biological Opinion that established minimal water levels to sustain species populations and habitats.?The Tribes see 2018 as a potential tipping point, believing that the Biological Opinion is inadequate to preclude the possibility of an extinction level event for the C?waam, the Koptu, or both this water year,? the Klamath Tribes announced in a press release.Central to the argument are Lost River and shortnose suckers, traditionally known as C?waam and Koptu by the Klamath Tribes, species listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1988. The Tribes stopped fishing both species in 1986 in recognition of dwindling populations, with the exception of two fish taken each year for ceremonial purposes.Perceived violations citedThe letter cites perceived violations that have resulted in unlawful taking of suckers as a result of low water levels reducing habitat and causing population die-offs. The Tribes believe that insufficient water levels this year could result in an extinction level event for Lost River and shortnose suckers, as well as the Oregon spotted frog, which is listed as threatened.Per the 2013 Biological Opinion, minimum monthly water elevations were established to maintain species populations, factoring in spawning season and irrigation. The Tribes argue that dangerously low water elevations from 2013-17 have repeatedly dropped below minimum thresholds outside the scope of the biological opinion, resulting in adversely modified and destroyed critical habitat for both species.According to the biological opinion, a minimum elevation of 4,142 feet on Upper Klamath Lake is to be maintained during spawning season between March and May, with a minimum of 4,140 feet by July during irrigation season, and minimums of 4,138 in September. In every year that water levels have been tracked since the biological opinion was established, water levels have dipped at or below minimum thresholds to levels determined to have significant negative effects on suckers.The?measurement of Upper Klamath Lake?as of Tuesday indicated elevations at 4,141.26 feet, or 67 percent of capacity, slightly below minimum threshold standards for February established under the biological opinion.Spawning habitat lossPer the Tribes? letter, failure to increase lake elevations to appropriate levels would continue to pose insurmountable obstacles to sucker species through insufficient inundation of shoreline spawning habitat, shallow shoreline wetland habitat for larvae, and lack of diverse shallow shoreline habitats for juveniles.The biological opinion does include an incidental take permit, which allows a maximum of 164 adult suckers to be ?harmed? in Upper Klamath Lake each year. A 2017 study by the Tribes found at least 499 adult suckers had died that year, and anticipated another significant die-off in 2018.?It is regrettable that we have to consider taking such a serious action as litigation at this time,? said Don Gentry, Klamath Tribal chairman. ?We simply have little choice given the serious declining population status of the C?waam and Koptu in Klamath Lake. Our fisheries staff have shared with us that extinction is imminent given their currently declining population trends, and could occur in any given year due to poor lake conditions. The recent and frequent dry water years, such as that expected to occur again this year, raises our concerns significantly.?Gentry stated that the BOR and USFWS along with other federal agencies are responsible to use every means possible to protect these species from extinction ? including strategic lake level management based on currently available science.The issuance of a notice does not necessarily mean litigation is in the future, however, Gentry emphasized the Tribes continue to invite cooperation with federal agencies to resolve problems outlined within the notice. The notice establishes a deadline to show clear steps being taken to address the concerns, otherwise a lawsuit will follow.Working with the Tribes?We will continue to go through the process to work with the Tribes and respond to concerns,? said Laura Williams, public affairs officer for the Bureau of Reclamation. ?We always want to work with the Tribes. We operate based on requirements established by the joint biological opinion, which addresses needs of salmon and suckers, and also currently under court direction as a result of tribes in the lower basin filing suit. The decisions we make are based on those guiding documents, we really are trying to do the right things with all groups involved ? we want to make things work.?Based on what is deemed by the Tribes as inadequate protections established in the biological opinion, a timeline is now set for federal agencies to prove tangible actions to remedy violations identified for protection of critical habitat, otherwise a citizens? suit will be filed.email?kliedtke at heraldandnews.com?@kliedtkeHN -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 16 13:42:23 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 16 Feb 2018 21:42:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: 2 great jobs with CalTrout References: <1757336580.76377.1518817343098.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1757336580.76377.1518817343098@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, February 16, 2018 12:11 PM, Jacob Katz wrote: Two Open Positions with CalTrout: Sierra Program Director and?Central Valley Project Manager Please share with your networks. Thanks and best?fishes,Jacob Sierra Program DirectorJOB TITLE:?Sierra Program DirectorAPPLICATION DEADLINE:?Open Until FilledOFFICE LOCATION:? Mammoth Lakes, CAEMPLOYMENT STATUS:?Full Time California Trout (www.caltrout.org) is a highly effective 46?year?old environmental non?profit organization based in San Francisco dedicated to ensuring resilient wild fish in healthy waters for a better California. Position Summary:?Reporting to the Executive Director, the Sierra Program Director will have overall responsibility for implementation of CalTrout?s 2018-21 Strategic Plan for the Sierra region. The Director will be responsible for the development, implementation and coordination of California Trout?s Sierra Region and associated annual work plans and budgeting. The Director will supervise Cal Trout?s regional staff to identify and fund conservation priorities, ensure programmatic cohesion, deliver program and project objectives, develop conservation programs and projects, and develop mechanisms to monitor, measure, and adapt these conservation efforts to ensure success. The Director will be responsible for building, advancing and facilitating strategic partnerships and lead policy and advocacy work to advance Cal Trout?s headwaters and meadow initiatives. The Director will work closely with Administrative, Development, Marketing and Conservation staff. This is considered a senior level position that requires independent thinking and initiative while also serving as an essential team player across the organization. The Director will continue working in a leadership role within the Meadows Partnership to advance Meadow Restoration and Science across the Sierra Region. This collaborative effort is an organizational priority. Education, Skills, and Experience: 1.?????Master?s or PhD degree in natural resources management, aquatic ecology, conservation biology, forestry, fisheries ecology, public and environmental policy, environmental law or related field and a minimum of 5 years of related work experience. 2.?????Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience, including ability to motivate, lead, set objectives, and manage performance and evaluations. 3.?????Experience in fund raising and business development including proposal writing, grant research and grant administration. 4.?????Superior verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to articulate complex conservation issues and California Trout?s mission and goals to a wide range of audiences. 5.?????Proven ability to identify with, build rapport, and develop constructive and effective working relationships with scientists, government representatives, conservation partners, applied practitioners, community leaders, land owners, elected officials, corporate representatives, donors, CalTrout members and volunteers. 6.?????Demonstrated ability for strategic analysis/planning and experience designing, implementing and directing multiple complex projects, setting deadlines and ensuring program accountability and legal compliance. 7.?????Knowledge of current trends in California water issues, conservation, fisheries, watershed science, payment for ecosystem services, carbon markets and experience in applying this knowledge to on the ground projects and to a legislative agenda. 8.?????Experience working with state/federal officials and state/federal agencies and knowledge of government workings and of federal and state laws that affect California?s fisheries and watersheds including the Public Trust Doctrine, California Water Act, Endangered Species Act, NEPA, CEQA, and the FERC hydropower relicensing process. 9.?????Experience developing and successfully administering regional budgets. 10.?Ability and willingness to travel frequently and on short notice; and to work on evenings and weekends as needed. 11.?Demonstrated experience using MS Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required. Experience with Geographic Information Systems (ArcGIS) preferred. 12.?Familiarity and understanding of fishing and the California fishing community a plus. Additional evaluation criteria to consider: ???Visionary, thought leader ???Ability to identify, synthesize and integrate scientific research, policy, planning and legislation to advance CalTrout and the Sierra Headwaters Regional Program work. ???Skills and experience in facilitation of diverse stakeholders ???Integrity, ability to put science in front of ideologies To Apply:?Email resume and cover letter to?jobs at caltrout.org Central Valley Project Manager JOB TITLE: Central Valley Project Manager OFFICE LOCATION: Flexible (Davis, Woodland, Sacramento, or possibly Chico) APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open Until Filled FUNCTIONAL AREA: ConservationReply to: Jobs at caltrout.org In the subject line: Central Valley Project ManagerPosition Summary: California Trout is a 45-year-old conservation organization with the mission to protect and restore California?s wild trout, steelhead, salmon, and their waters. Since 1971 CalTrout has worked to ensure there will be resilient populations of wild fish thriving in healthy waters for the future well-being of all Californians. We Solve complex resource issues while balancing the needs of wild fish and people.The Central Valley Project Manager will assist the Program Director in managing the daily activities of CalTrout?s Central California conservation initiatives including science programs and specific restoration projects. The project manager will be responsible for a wide range of activities, including grant proposal development and submittal; project administration, budgeting, budget tracking, and timely processing of invoices; overseeing subcontractors, project deliverables, and timelines; and participating in communications among CalTrout?s Regional Managers and Directors.The Project Manager will be responsible for obtaining, administrating, and managing multiple grants/contracts with large budgets and diverse work elements. A primary task will be managing contracts with the University of California. This position also requires frequent contact and interaction with multiple regional level managers in federal, state, county, Tribal, and other agencies and organizations as well as the general publicThe Project Manager should demonstrate a competence and dedication to CalTrout?s mission, initiatives, and conservation issues. This primarily includes fisheries habitat restoration and conservation. This role requires a high level understanding of water resource management, resource agencies and their mandates, and regulatory compliance for project implementation. Experience with ecosystem markets development would be a major bonus. The Project Manager is expected to work independently, using professional knowledge and judgment in ensuring that duties and responsibilities are carried out in a timely manner.The project manager will contribute to the success of CalTrout?s conservation staff, through expanding our capacity in innovative conservation efforts, such as developing strong partnerships the with farm and water groups to improve the benefit to fish and wildlife from agricultural working landscapes. .This individual is expected to work closely with: 1) Key university partners to ensure that our conservation plans have a strong foundation in science, 2) Governmental agencies, 3) Farm and water district partners, 4) CalTrout?s Marketing, Development and Finance teams to raise funds, build member support and meet fiscal goals, 5) CalTrout?s advocacy team in Sacramento to help influence legislative and regulatory policy initiatives required for success.Education, Skills, and Experience: 1. Master?s degree in biology, fisheries, ecology, hydrology, environmental science/studies or related field and 5-8 years of related work experience. 2. Experience in California?s anadromous fish and their primary habitats 3. Outstanding interpersonal skills and ability to build strong donor relationships 4. Strong leadership skills and excellent written and communication skills required. 5. Successful management experience required, including ability to lead, set objectives, and supervise work plans. 6. Proven experience developing, directing, and managing projects, staff and budget. 7. Excellent organizational and time management skills required. 8. Availability to travel, primarily throughout California (valid CA driver?s license and dependable vehicle required). 9. Experience doing field work including biological and ecological assessments (stream and snorkel surveys, habitat/stream monitoring, flow measurements, etc.) preferred. 10. Demonstrated experience in MS Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint required. Experience with Geographic Information Systems (ArcInfo/ArcView) preferred. 11. Familiarity with the Central Valley region, its ecology, playersReply to: Jobs at caltrout.org In the subject line: Central Valley Project Manager -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Feb 19 15:41:56 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2018 23:41:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Now Accepting Fisheries Habitat Restoration Project Proposals References: <940222934.1137205.1519083716534.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <940222934.1137205.1519083716534@mail.yahoo.com> CDFW Now Accepting Fisheries Habitat Restoration Project Proposals >From the California Department of Fish and Wildlife: The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is now accepting proposals for projects under its Fiscal Year 2018-19 Fisheries Habitat Restoration Proposal Solicitation Notice (PSN). The PSN and online grant application are online at?www.wildlife.ca.gov/Grants/FRGP/Solicitation. Applications must be submitted online by Friday, March 30, 2018 at 5 p.m.CDFW will also hold a series of public workshops to assist applicants in understanding the requirements of the PSN. Applicants are encouraged to attend a workshop even if they have submitted proposals in the past. Workshops will be held in Yreka, Fortuna, Fort Bragg, Sacramento, Petaluma, San Luis Obispo, Los Alamitos, Monterey and Camarillo on various dates in February. For details and meeting contact information, please see the?PSN Workshop Letter.The PSN invites restoration projects that meet the funding requirements of the Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (focusing on recovery of state-listed salmon and steelhead along the coast and in the Central Valley), the Forest Legacy Program (focusing on the restoration of watersheds affected by historic forest practices), the Commercial Salmon Stamp Program (focusing on projects enhancing the salmon fishery) and the Steelhead Restoration and Report Card Program (focusing on projects enhancing the recreational steelhead fishery). Eligible applicants include public agencies, recognized tribes and qualified nonprofit organizations. Funded projects could include habitat restoration, water conservation, education, monitoring and restoration planning.While the amount of available funding is not known at this time, in FY 2017-18 the program was able to provide more than $15 million in funding for eligible projects. Funding for FY 2018-19 grants is expected to be awarded to approved projects in early 2019.For information or questions about the PSN or application process, please contact Tim Chorey, CDFW Fisheries Restoration Grant Program Coordinator, at (916) 327-8842. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Feb 20 12:04:31 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2018 20:04:31 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Big Court Victory: 10-Year California Water Transfer Program Failed Analysis and Disclosure In-Reply-To: <78EC9055-F337-48FC-9ED2-6827974C8BD3@fishsniffer.com> References: <59E8FBF7.3090101@dcn.org> <59E8FC65.9050609@dcn.org> <3E36C073-EDF0-4BEA-B348-C20481724B77@fishsniffer.com> <19C3BF8B-1A6B-494B-9ACF-C4A3628768DF@fishsniffer.com> <32B5342D-464A-43E5-ACF1-4852567DC56B@fishsniffer.com> <95E5D164-5003-4340-9049-DD4376B1F7A8@fishsniffer.com> <8E1C2C09-4789-41F7-95E0-1E783876C2D0@fishsniffer.com> <09B547B1-E075-4E48-ABFA-C31BCDCEA696@fishsniffer.com> <35E29268-AF62-49EA-92CF-86D6E0F6CD77@fishsniffer.com> <63653CA5-553D-48E2-BA32-C7DAE3E2BFFB@fishsniffer.com> <32D8355E-C26A-463E-9282-B4EE6206515A@fishsnif fer.com> <6EF93FD8-4B55-4A03-9457-15D59505B465@fishsniffer.com> <222020F4-BCFE-48F2-A455-644BC1EF94DA@fishsniffer.com> <549F3071-8CD8-43BE-979B-58710EE73C8F@fishsniffer.com> <6BD357AA-081F-46CB-911F-03E96C26C9DB@fishsniffer.com> <99442AE9-ABA1-4F9F-A201-6F4A2E3EA1DC@fishsniffer.com> <13BD822C-1E50-4536-8348-2C2558491EFD@fishsniffer.com> <6704ABB3-8749-435D-82A1-208381E90FCB@fishsniffer.com> <5FE3687D-D067-41BF-88A3-F92AE3917263@fishsniffer.com> <37404D1D-7D80-48D0-94D7-7ECA097E9DFD@fishsniffer.com> <78EC9055-F337-48FC-9ED2-6827974C8BD3@fishsniffer.com> Message-ID: <2119521442.1547920.1519157071403@mail.yahoo.com> For the full press release, click here. -TS On Monday, February 19, 2018 6:54 AM, Daniel Bacher wrote: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/18/1742499/-Big-Court-Victory-10-Year-California-Water-Transfer-Program-Failed-Analysis-and-Disclosure http://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2018/02/19/big-court-victory-10-year-california-water-transfer-program-failed-analysis-and-disclosure/ Big Court Victory: 10-Year California Water Transfer Program Failed Analysis and Disclosure By Dan Bacher On February 15, Federal District Court Judge Lawrence J. O?Neill?in Fresno issued an order supporting many of the claims made by AquAlliance and their co-plaintiff partners in a landmark lawsuit challenging water transfers from rice farmers in the Sacramento Valley to growers in the San Joaquin Valley.AquAlliance filed the litigation in?May 2015 against the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) and San Luis Delta Mendota Water Authority (SLDMWA) over ?their inadequate disclosure, avoidance of impacts, and mitigation of major water transfers? from the Sacramento Valleythrough the Delta to the San Joaquin Valley.The court order is available here:?www.aqualliance.net/...AquAlliance?s co-plaintiff, represented by Aqua Terra Aeris, is the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), led by Executive Director?Bill Jennings.?Additional co-plaintiffs in the litigation include the ?Central Delta Water Agency, Local Agencies of the NorthDelta, and South Delta Water Agency that are represented by the Soluri Meserve law firm.?AquAlliance is elated that the court found in favor of many of our legal arguments that seek to protect the communities, environment, and groundwater dependent farmers in the Sacramento Valley as well as Delta farmers and fish,? said?AquAlliance Executive Director Barbara Vlamis.??This ruling exposes the danger posed by the 10-Year Water Transfer Program?s water-grab that would benefit agricultural interests with junior water rights growing permanent crops in a desert.?USBR and SLDMWA (Agencies) approved a program that could send up to 600,000 acre-feet of SacramentoValley water south of the Delta each year. To look at that amount of water in perspective,?600,000 acre-feet each year for 10 years is equivalent to what a city of 100,000 people would use in 200 years,?according to Vlamis.?When combined with additional state approved transfers, the total could be over 800,000 acre-feet each year,? she said. ?If history is any guide, half of the transfer water could come from groundwater substitution.??Groundwater substitution transfers take place when a water district sells its river water that is normally used to irrigate rice and instead continues growing rice by pumping well water. ?The grower makes money on both the water sale and the rice that is grown,? explained Vlamis.?Although widely opposed by NorthState residents and local government, the Agencies moved forward approving the use of groundwater substitution, fallowing, reservoir releases, and conservation tomake the transfers possible,??according to Vlamis. ?The Agencies proposed a thin veneer for mitigating impacts that depends only on monitoring the stressed hydrologic systems (groundwater, streams, and rivers) to produce data that will be reviewed in the future by USBR and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR).?Vlamis?said the significance of the decision extends well beyond the water transfers to current?litigation in the courts challenging Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels?project.?Some of the same issues raised by Aqualliance regarding the twin tunnels,??such?as the impacts to ground water, land subsidence and climate,?were brought up in this case and the?court ruled?favorably,? she said.?The lawsuit asked the court to declare that the Agencies? Environmental Impact Statement/Report was ?arbitrary and capricious, ignored relevant new information and failed to meet minimum requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).? ?Vlamis said the court order ruled in favor of AquAlliance in many areas. For example?in their?CEQA claims, the court ruled favorably over the?absence of performance standards for groundwater mitigation measures; the FEIS/EIR failure to mitigate for land subsidence; and?the inadequate cumulative biological impact analysis regarding reduced delta outflow.O?Neill also ruled favorably over the?FEIS/EIR?s failure to analyze impacts to the giant garter snake and propose mitigation under CEQA.?This type of failure was deemed dangerous because the lack of analysis and findings about the extent of impacts makes it impossible to determine if the mitigation measures are sufficient,? said Judge O?Neil (Page 132 of ruling).In addition, the decision determined that the U.S.?Fish and Wildlife Service?s biological opinion for the?giant garter snake (?GGS?) is invalid under the?federal Endangered Species Act (ESA)?because it relies on flawed conservation measures.?In the NEPA claims, O?Neill also ruled favorably on?the failure to evaluate the effectiveness of groundwater mitigation and climate change. ?It will be interesting to see the impact that this court decision?will have on proposed water transfers this year.Meanwhile, Governor Brown continues to push his California WaterFix forward, in spite of intense opposition by fishing groups, Tribal leaders, conservation organizations, environmental justice advocates, family farmers, water districts and elected officials.The Brown administration on February 13?released the long-awaited cost-benefit analysis for the Delta Tunnels, claiming that the plan could "bring billions of dollars in benefits."?Delta Tunnels opponents countered that the analysis is "incomplete,? as it only examines the initial phased-in tunnel and states that analysis for the second tunnel would need to be completed in the future. More information:?www.dailykos.com/...Background: 1) U.S. Bureau of Reclamation /SLDMWA 10-Year Water Transfer Programhttp://www.usbr.gov/mp/cvp/ltwt/ andhttp://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_projdetails.cfm?Project_ID=183612) Maps illustrating the groundwater conditions in the Sacramento Valley:http://www.water.ca.gov/groundwater/data_and_monitoring/northern_region/GroundwaterLevel/gw_level_monitoring.cfm ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: WaterTransferBuyersAridSJVgraphic.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 66480 bytes Desc: not available URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Feb 21 13:25:53 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 21:25:53 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 8 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 8 (Feb 25). Fewer and fewer steelhead coming into the Hatchery every week, just like a descending arm on a bell curve, hmm? Another couple of weeks and the whole 2017-18 sampling season will come to a close. Drive safely on those icy roads if you're out there. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW8.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 63120 bytes Desc: 2017 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW8.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Feb 22 11:25:26 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 19:25:26 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Editorial: Make farmers do their fair share to conserve water References: <1351171392.2864479.1519327526673.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1351171392.2864479.1519327526673@mail.yahoo.com> http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=02588e4c9 Make farmers do their fair share to conserve water?The Bay Area should embrace the state?s call Tuesday to make permanent waterwasting rules that were in effect during the last drought. It?s the responsible thing for urban water users to do when the Sierra Nevada snowpack stands at only 20 percent of normal.But farmers should be required to do their part, too.Agriculture is the state?s largest water user, gulping down 80 percent of California?s usable supply. With urban users facing $500 fines for allowing water from sprinklers to run onto sidewalks, shouldn?t Big Ag pay a proportionate fine for allowing sprinklers to water roads and highways when irrigating Central Valley fields? Nearly 60 percent of California farmers still don?t have drip or other efficient irrigation capable of producing crops with 40 percent less water.The State Water Resources Control Board should approve the permanent rules for urban users when it meets next month. The board should also impose a similar set of rules on farmers, including penalties for irrigating low-value crops in dry areas of the state. A little-known provision of the California Constitution gives the state the power to ban ?waste or unreasonable use? of water. It?s past time the board put that power to use.California is the nation?s No. 1 food producer. Its 75,000 farms grow more avocados, grapes, lemons, lettuce, melons,?peaches, plums, tomatoes and strawberries than any other state. But California farmers should be held accountable for the irresponsible choices they make on which crops to grow and the method of irrigation.During the last drought, from 2012 to 2016, Central Valley farmers doubled their plantings in water-intensive almond orchards to 800,000 acres. Ten percent of the state?s available water supply goes to those almond orchards, or roughly half the water consumed by California?s urban users. Every almond harvested in the Central Valley takes a gallon of water to produce, and 70 percent of the crop is exported, primarily to India and China.The State Water Resources Control Board rules under consideration for urban users are reasonable. They make it illegal to, for example, irrigate lawns so much that water runs onto the sidewalk, an adjacent property or the street; wash a motor vehicle with a hose, unless it has a shut-off nozzle; or water lawns within 48 hours of a measurable rainfall, defined as a quarter-inch.California has sufficient water to meet its needs in the event of another drought, but only if the state imposes on farmers the same commonsense approach to conservation?that it proposes for urbanusers.We?re all in this together. It?s time for farmers to do their part.Nearly 60 percent of state farmers don?t have drip or other efficient irrigation capable of producing crops with 40 percent less water.DAVID MCNEW ? GETTY IMAGES -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Feb 22 11:29:31 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 19:29:31 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing the North Coast: Klamath salmon on the rebound References: <1002199323.2890410.1519327771110.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1002199323.2890410.1519327771110@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/sports/20180221/fishing-the-north-coastxa0klamath-salmon-on-the-rebound&template=printart Fishing the North Coast:?Klamath salmon on the rebound Wednesday, February 21, 2018We?ve got a long way to go, but it looks like the worst may be over for the run of fall kings on the Klamath. In 2016, the number of returning Fall Chinook adults to the Klamath River was estimated at 27,353. At the time, those were the lowest returns ever recorded. In 2017, CDFW predicted the numbers would go even lower. Only 18,410 kings were predicted to return, prompting a full closure of the fall season on the Klamath. North Coast ocean anglers also took a hit.?Both the California and Oregon Klamath Management Zones (KMZ) were closed to recreational salmon fishing in 2017 due to the Klamath?s low returns. According to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), which released its ?Review of 2017 Ocean Salmon Fisheries? document on Feb. 15, the 2017 preliminary postseason river run size estimate for Klamath River Fall Chinook was 31,838 adults, a 42 percent increase of what was predicted. The escapement to natural spawning areas was 18,514 adults, which was 163 percent of the preseason prediction of 11,379 adults.?Based on the 2017 returns, it looks like the stocks are rebuilding a year ahead of schedule. The estimated hatchery return was 11,213 adults. Jack returns to the Klamath Basin totaled 21,903 including 16,522 that escaped to natural spawning areas. The average number of jack returns over the last five seasons is 13,398, so these are huge improvements and a good indicator of the number of three-year old?s that are in the ocean and could potentially return to the river next fall.Spawning escapement to the upper Klamath River tributaries (Salmon, Scott, and Shasta Rivers), totaled 6,894 adults, up from 5,462 in 2016. The Shasta River has historically been the most important Chinook salmon spawning stream in the upper Klamath River, supporting a spawning escapement of 27,600 adults as recently as 2012 and 63,700 in 1935. The escapement in 2017 to the Shasta River was 3,287 adults.?Escapement to the Salmon and Scott Rivers was 1,338 and 2,269 adults, respectively. According to the report, the Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes shared a federally-reserved right of 50 percent (814) of the available harvest surplus of adult Klamath fall Chinook.Tribal adult harvest was 1,876 (Yurok: 216 adults; Hoopa Valley: 1,660 adults), which was 230 percent of the tribal allocation. The river recreational fishery for fall Chinook in the Klamath Basin was closed in 2017. However, 71 fall Chinook adults were estimated to have been harvested, almost entirely during the spring Chinook fishery. We?re not out of the woods by any means, but the numbers are now headed in the right direction. The hope is we?ll have some sort of fall quota for the Klamath Basin, and the recreational ocean salmon anglers will get some time on the water as well.Next up is the annual Ocean Salmon Information meeting, which will be held March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency office located at 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. Ocean abundance will be discussed, which will then trickle down to river quotas. For more information on the meeting, please contact CDFW Environmental Scientist Kandice Morgenstern at 707-576- 2879, Kandice.Morgenstern at wildlife.ca.gov.or visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon The weather ahead ?The general weather pattern for the next week will remain the same, storm patterns will be coming out of the north with low elevation snow,? said Ryan Aylward of Eureka?s National Weather Service. ?On Thursday, we?ll see a little precipitation. Most will fall in the mountains, where we could see close to a half-inch. We?ll see a couple tenths closer to the coast. Snow levels will be down to 1,000 feet. Friday is looking clear, with a weak system forecasted for Saturday. Snow levels will be between 1,500 and 2,000 feet, with the Smith River predicted to rise about a foot from the rain and snow melt. Another system will roll through on Sunday, and it?s looking a little more wet. The models are calling for three-quarters of an inch in the mountains of Del Norte, and a half-inch at the coast. Only a couple tenths are predicted for the Eureka area. Lingering showers are forecasted for Monday, we should see another couple tenths of an inch. Right now, Tuesday and Wednesday are looking dry.? Leader Length Restriction upcoming A reminder that the new leader length restriction will go into effect on March 1. The regulation states: It shall be unlawful to use any configuration of fishing tackle in anadromous waters unless the distance between the terminal hook or terminal lure and any weight attached to the line or leader, whether fixed or sliding, is less than six feet. For purposes of this section, ?weight? includes any product used to submerge the line or leader, including non-buoyant artificial flies or artificial lures, but does not include integrated or sinking fly fishing lines, lead core lines used while trolling from a boat, dropper weights used while trolling from a boat, or clipped weights used with downrigger systems. The Rivers: Chetco/Elk/Sixes >> ?The Chetco fished decently during Monday?s winter weather, with some boats hooking up to four fish,? said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. ?Things had slowed again by Tuesday. The freezing weather and snow has caused the river to drop even more. This weekend?s storm should provide relief to the low, clear conditions.? Fishing has been slow on the Elk and Sixes. The Elk has remained around three feet according to Martin.smith river >> The Smith remains low and clear and conditions are tough reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman?s Guide Service. He said, ?Boats are getting a couple chances per day. There?s pods of fish in the river, just getting them to bite in the cold and low water is tough. We?re seeing quite a few fish spawning in the upper river, which is good. A few downers have been reported up high as well.?eel river (main stem) >> The main stem is dropping and getting clear, but it?s the best game in town. Boats drifting from the forks to the lower river are averaging three to four fish per trip. Fish are coming on both yarn and bait as well as plugs. There?s some nice adults in the mix as well as a good number of half-pounders. Flows were right around 1,700 cfs as of Wednesday.EEl river (south fork) >> According to Darren Brown of Brown?s Sporting Goods in Garberville, the river is low and clear. He said, ?Most of the anglers are down on the main stem, there?s a few guys around here, but not many. With the water conditions, you?ll need to cover some ground.? Flows are just over 300 cfs as of Wednesday.Van duzen >> The Van Duzen is low, hovering just above 200 cfs on Wednesday. Bank anglers are catching a few, but getting a little too low to drift.mad river >> The Mad is still in good shape, but the fishing has slowed down from last week reports Justin Kelly of Eureka?s RMI Outdoors. ?The water has some color, but it is starting to clear. We?ve got a little rain and snow melt coming through the weekend, so the bump in the flows should help. There?s still plenty of fish in the river, but they?re scattered. We?re starting to see a bunch of three- to five-pound wild fish around now, but there are still a few hatchery fish in the mix. Fishing pressure has tapered off quite a bit,? added Kelly.Find ?Fishing the North Coast? on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to- date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny at fishingthenorthcoast.com??URL: http://www.times-standard.com/sports/20180221/fishing-the-north-coastxa0klamath-salmon-on-the-rebound -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Thu Feb 22 15:30:40 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2018 15:30:40 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing the North Coast: Klamath salmon on the rebound In-Reply-To: <1002199323.2890410.1519327771110@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1002199323.2890410.1519327771110.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1002199323.2890410.1519327771110@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <025001d3ac35$279078a0$76b169e0$@sisqtel.net> Looks like some of the 2017 figures cited in the article below may be in error. Here are the numbers that were sent out by CDFW on 1/18/18 for their weirs on 3 tribs: ?The Shasta River station was operational on the afternoon of September 6, 2017 and through January 9, 2018 9,935 Chinook and 38 Coho Salmon have been observed. The Bogus Creek station was installed on September 11, 2017 and 2,218 Chinook and 68 Coho Salmon have been observed through January 9, 2018. The Scott River station was operational on September 21, 2017 and through January 8, 2018 2,279 Chinook and 382 Coho Salmon have been observed. The Scott River and Shasta River adult fish counting facilities were removed for the season on January 8th and 9th respectively.? From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom Stokely Sent: Thursday, February 22, 2018 11:30 AM To: Env-trinity Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing the North Coast: Klamath salmon on the rebound http://www.times-standard.com/sports/20180221/fishing-the-north-coastxa0klamath-salmon-on-the-rebound &template=printart Fishing the North Coast: Klamath salmon on the rebound Wednesday, February 21, 2018 Fortuna resident Aaron May landed this quality winter steelhead while fly fishing the Van Duzen River over the weekend. The fish measured 31-inches. We?ve got a long way to go, but it looks like the worst may be over for the run of fall kings on the Klamath. In 2016, the number of returning Fall Chinook adults to the Klamath River was estimated at 27,353. At the time, those were the lowest returns ever recorded. In 2017, CDFW predicted the numbers would go even lower. Only 18,410 kings were predicted to return, prompting a full closure of the fall season on the Klamath. North Coast ocean anglers also took a hit. Both the California and Oregon Klamath Management Zones (KMZ) were closed to recreational salmon fishing in 2017 due to the Klamath?s low returns. According to the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), which released its ?Review of 2017 Ocean Salmon Fisheries? document on Feb. 15, the 2017 preliminary postseason river run size estimate for Klamath River Fall Chinook was 31,838 adults, a 42 percent increase of what was predicted. The escapement to natural spawning areas was 18,514 adults, which was 163 percent of the preseason prediction of 11,379 adults. Based on the 2017 returns, it looks like the stocks are rebuilding a year ahead of schedule. The estimated hatchery return was 11,213 adults. Jack returns to the Klamath Basin totaled 21,903 including 16,522 that escaped to natural spawning areas. The average number of jack returns over the last five seasons is 13,398, so these are huge improvements and a good indicator of the number of three-year old?s that are in the ocean and could potentially return to the river next fall. Spawning escapement to the upper Klamath River tributaries (Salmon, Scott, and Shasta Rivers), totaled 6,894 adults, up from 5,462 in 2016. The Shasta River has historically been the most important Chinook salmon spawning stream in the upper Klamath River, supporting a spawning escapement of 27,600 adults as recently as 2012 and 63,700 in 1935. The escapement in 2017 to the Shasta River was 3,287 adults. Escapement to the Salmon and Scott Rivers was 1,338 and 2,269 adults, respectively. According to the report, the Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes shared a federally-reserved right of 50 percent (814) of the available harvest surplus of adult Klamath fall Chinook. Tribal adult harvest was 1,876 (Yurok: 216 adults; Hoopa Valley: 1,660 adults), which was 230 percent of the tribal allocation. The river recreational fishery for fall Chinook in the Klamath Basin was closed in 2017. However, 71 fall Chinook adults were estimated to have been harvested, almost entirely during the spring Chinook fishery. We?re not out of the woods by any means, but the numbers are now headed in the right direction. The hope is we?ll have some sort of fall quota for the Klamath Basin, and the recreational ocean salmon anglers will get some time on the water as well. Next up is the annual Ocean Salmon Information meeting, which will be held March 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sonoma County Water Agency office located at 404 Aviation Blvd. in Santa Rosa. Ocean abundance will be discussed, which will then trickle down to river quotas. For more information on the meeting, please contact CDFW Environmental Scientist Kandice Morgenstern at 707-576- 2879, Kandice.Morgenstern at wildlife.ca.gov.or visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/oceansalmon The weather ahead ?The general weather pattern for the next week will remain the same, storm patterns will be coming out of the north with low elevation snow,? said Ryan Aylward of Eureka?s National Weather Service. ?On Thursday, we?ll see a little precipitation. Most will fall in the mountains, where we could see close to a half-inch. We?ll see a couple tenths closer to the coast. Snow levels will be down to 1,000 feet. Friday is looking clear, with a weak system forecasted for Saturday. Snow levels will be between 1,500 and 2,000 feet, with the Smith River predicted to rise about a foot from the rain and snow melt. Another system will roll through on Sunday, and it?s looking a little more wet. The models are calling for three-quarters of an inch in the mountains of Del Norte, and a half-inch at the coast. Only a couple tenths are predicted for the Eureka area. Lingering showers are forecasted for Monday, we should see another couple tenths of an inch. Right now, Tuesday and Wednesday are looking dry.? Leader Length Restriction upcoming A reminder that the new leader length restriction will go into effect on March 1. The regulation states: It shall be unlawful to use any configuration of fishing tackle in anadromous waters unless the distance between the terminal hook or terminal lure and any weight attached to the line or leader, whether fixed or sliding, is less than six feet. For purposes of this section, ?weight? includes any product used to submerge the line or leader, including non-buoyant artificial flies or artificial lures, but does not include integrated or sinking fly fishing lines, lead core lines used while trolling from a boat, dropper weights used while trolling from a boat, or clipped weights used with downrigger systems. The Rivers: Chetco/Elk/Sixes >> ?The Chetco fished decently during Monday?s winter weather, with some boats hooking up to four fish,? said Andy Martin of Wild Rivers Fishing. ?Things had slowed again by Tuesday. The freezing weather and snow has caused the river to drop even more. This weekend?s storm should provide relief to the low, clear conditions.? Fishing has been slow on the Elk and Sixes. The Elk has remained around three feet according to Martin. smith river >> The Smith remains low and clear and conditions are tough reports Mike Coopman of Mike Coopman?s Guide Service. He said, ?Boats are getting a couple chances per day. There?s pods of fish in the river, just getting them to bite in the cold and low water is tough. We?re seeing quite a few fish spawning in the upper river, which is good. A few downers have been reported up high as well.? eel river (main stem) >> The main stem is dropping and getting clear, but it?s the best game in town. Boats drifting from the forks to the lower river are averaging three to four fish per trip. Fish are coming on both yarn and bait as well as plugs. There?s some nice adults in the mix as well as a good number of half-pounders. Flows were right around 1,700 cfs as of Wednesday. EEl river (south fork) >> According to Darren Brown of Brown?s Sporting Goods in Garberville, the river is low and clear. He said, ?Most of the anglers are down on the main stem, there?s a few guys around here, but not many. With the water conditions, you?ll need to cover some ground.? Flows are just over 300 cfs as of Wednesday. Van duzen >> The Van Duzen is low, hovering just above 200 cfs on Wednesday. Bank anglers are catching a few, but getting a little too low to drift. mad river >> The Mad is still in good shape, but the fishing has slowed down from last week reports Justin Kelly of Eureka?s RMI Outdoors. ?The water has some color, but it is starting to clear. We?ve got a little rain and snow melt coming through the weekend, so the bump in the flows should help. There?s still plenty of fish in the river, but they?re scattered. We?re starting to see a bunch of three- to five-pound wild fish around now, but there are still a few hatchery fish in the mix. Fishing pressure has tapered off quite a bit,? added Kelly. Find ?Fishing the North Coast? on Facebook and fishingthenorthcoast.com for up-to- date fishing reports and North Coast river information. Questions, comments and photos can be emailed to kenny at fishingthenorthcoast.com URL: http://www.times-standard.com/sports/20180221/fishing-the-north-coastxa0klamath-salmon-on-the-rebound -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Feb 23 15:18:25 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 23 Feb 2018 23:18:25 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Zinke revamps reorganization maps after governors complain In-Reply-To: <67faaefd-078c-466a-b8e5-41b6ec375357@me.com> References: <67faaefd-078c-466a-b8e5-41b6ec375357@me.com> Message-ID: <2005309372.3659333.1519427905203@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2018/02/23/stories/1060074653 INTERIOR Zinke revamps reorganization maps after governors complain Scott Streater and Michael Doyle, E&E News reporters Published: Friday, February 23, 2018Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, shown here in a 2016 file photo, is revamping a planned overhaul of his department?s organization to more closely follow state lines. Gage Skidmore/FlickrThis story was updated at 1:50 p.m. EST.Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has redrawn his ambitious plan for reorganizing the Interior Department after the agency received numerous complaints from Western leaders and members of Congress that splitting up states into multiple regions would cause more harm than good.Facing pushback from governors of both parties ? who objected to not being consulted on maps released last month proposing to divide management of millions of federal acres into 13 regions along boundaries of watersheds and basins ? Zinke is now proposing to largely follow state lines more closely in setting up new management territories.The new map still divides Interior into 13 regions but avoids splitting up states like Colorado, Wyoming and Utah into multiple regions, as proposed in a map released last month during a two-day meeting in Washington with about 150 Interior senior executives (Greenwire, Jan. 10).Western governors, in particular, were concerned that the reorganization outlined in the earlier map would make it complicated for states to work with the Bureau of Land Management ? the federal government's largest landowner, managing nearly 245 million acres. BLM currently divides management of federal lands in its jurisdictions, with few exceptions, along state lines.A prime example was Colorado, which according to the January map would have been broken into three regions. Governors in the West have traditionally supported a single BLM state office, with one state director with whom their staff can coordinate on issues or problems.Colorado is now proposed to be part of a region called the "Upper Colorado Basin," which appears to include all of Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico."The new maps represent the feedback [Zinke] solicited from veteran officials at Interior, Congress and States and they are the latest draft for discussion," Heather Swift, an Interior spokeswoman, said today in an emailed statement to E&E News.The Western Governors' Association this month sent a letter to Zinke expressing "regret that DOI did not seek input from western states on the impact of this proposal" (E&E News PM, Feb. 2)."Six of the seven land-based DOI bureaus currently have state or regional offices with boundaries along state lines," the governors wrote. "Why has DOI deviated from the use of state boundaries in this proposal?"Members of Congress from both parties have expressed reservations about the reorganization.Democratic Reps. Ra?l Grijalva of Arizona and Donald McEachin of Virginia asked Zinke this month to halt it until he provides Congress with more details (Greenwire, Feb. 14).John Tanner, director of Interior's Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, sent an email to members of Congress today explaining the reasoning for adjusting the reorganization maps."Earlier this year DOI released a map that proposed dividing the country into 13 regions that would be delineated using natural features such as watersheds and ecosystems. As this proposed change would be a major shift in the organization of DOI we asked for feedback from our Senior Executive Staff, Members of Congress, Governors, and other partners and friends," Tanner wrote."We have heard you, and have incorporated your feedback." New regions The new map appears to follow state lines more closely, and the regions have been renamed to highlight states.For example, the new map establishes an "Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas Gulf" region that includes all of Texas and Oklahoma.[+] After receiving input from governors, local governments and groups, the Interior Department has revised the map of proposed boundaries with changes it wants to make as part of a reorganization effort. Special to E&E NewsThe area in the January map was part of a proposed South Central region, which included all of Texas and Oklahoma, but also the northwest corner of Louisiana and sections of Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri, as well as the southeast corner of Colorado and the eastern two-thirds of New Mexico.California, however, under the new plan is divided into the "California Great Basin" region and the "Lower Colorado Basin," which includes the southern quarter of the state and Nevada and Arizona to the east.The original map in January proposed to divide California into the "Northern Pacific Mountains" and "Southern Pacific Mountains" regions.Still, the proposed changes to the mysterious Interior reorganization please Western leaders."Western Governors are gratified that the Department of Interior has responded to their previously-stated concerns and are moving towards a state boundary-oriented approach in the latest draft map of its unified regional boundaries," Jim Ogsbury, executive director of the Western Governors' Association, said in a statement.Zinke has stated publicly that he wants to reorganize the department to make it more efficient, and he has testified before Congress that he wants to reduce the department's workforce by 4,000 full-time jobs. He has also floated the idea of moving some agency headquarters, such as that of BLM, out of Washington to Denver or another site in the West, where the vast majority of federally managed lands are located."The governors support the Department's goal of operating more efficiently and effectively by moving more decision making to the field and share their goal of improving coordination among federal, state and local agencies," Ogsbury said in his statement. "We look forward to additional conversations with the Department on how to further refine the plan."John Swartout, a senior adviser for Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D), echoed Ogsbury in an interview today.He said Zinke started reaching out to Western governors earlier this week, saying he was open to meeting with the governors to discuss details of the reorganization.Zinke is scheduled to attend a WGA breakfast on Sunday in Washington, D.C., during which he will meet with individual governors, sources said."We're glad that he's listening to our concerns, and it's really helpful," Swartout said.House Natural Resources Committee spokeswoman Katie Schoettler praised the realignment along state lines."A number of local stakeholders expressed concerns and highlighted the importance of state boundaries in the reorganization proposal. Both Chairman Bishop and Secretary Zinke view state and local input as central to informing the department's actions and polices," Scholettler told E&E News. "We applaud Secretary Zinke for actually listening to the public and adjusting plans based on feedback, a clear departure from the previous administration. Chairman Bishop is eager to continue working with the department as they further develop their plans for reorganization."But Grijalva, the top Democrat on the Natural Resources panel, criticized the new map, asserting it continues to favor natural resource extraction over other uses of public lands."Secretary Zinke's new map shows the same industry-friendly disregard for the Interior Department as his last failed proposal," Grijalva said. "He and his political team want Big Oil to decide the department's future because they don't respect its mission. Agency reorganizations are useful only if they're managed by competent professionals with a healthy respect for science. Unfortunately, that's not what we have with this administration." Unfinished business Zinke previously revealed his intention to solicit gubernatorial feedback during a briefing on the department's proposed $11.7 billion budget for fiscal 2019. The budget proposal includes $17.5 million devoted to the ambitious reorganization effort."At the budget hearings, we'll be able to talk in more detail, based on the states' comments," Zinke said earlier this month.Drawing on his prior military experience with unified combatant commands, Zinke has proposed adopting a similar concept for Interior's multiple agencies. Currently, officials note, Interior's bureaus have more than 40 distinct regions, each with its own geographic boundaries.Zinke said officials relied on maps compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey that use watersheds, wildlife corridors and other elements to "come up with 13 unified regions."But altering Interior jurisdictional boundaries, particularly BLM's, has been controversial in the past.A move by the Obama administration's BLM nearly three years ago to merge the agency's New Mexico and Arizona state offices had to be abandoned after a firestorm of complaints from bipartisan lawmakers.BLM officials said when introducing the merger proposal in March 2015 that it was designed to cut costs and keep more staff in the field.By September of that year, the agency was forced to withdraw the proposal (E&E News PM, Sept. 11, 2015).Reporter Jennifer Yachnin contributed. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Feb 26 09:42:05 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2018 17:42:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Arrests_may_hold_up_feds=E2=80=99_deal_to?= =?utf-8?q?_settle_with_water_district_over_runoff_disaster?= References: <1272115478.4819534.1519666925539.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1272115478.4819534.1519666925539@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Arrests-may-hold-up-feds-deal-to-settle-with-12706139.php Arrests may hold up feds? deal to settle with water district over runoff disaster By?Carolyn Lochhead? Updated 11:52?am, Sunday, February 25, 2018 WASHINGTON ? The manager of a San Joaquin Valley water district seen as a model for how to manage toxic agricultural runoff was jailed last week in Fresno on charges of embezzlement and burying 86 drums of toxic waste on the water district?s property.The arrests of former Panoche Water District General Manager Dennis Falaschi and four others on Thursday could further muddy congressional passage of a multimillion-dollar settlement between the federal government and the nearby Westlands Water District over selenium-tainted irrigation runoff that led to an environmental disaster at the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in 1983.San Joaquin Valley Republicans, led by Rep. David Valadao of Hanford (Kings County), have been trying to push the settlement through Congress for two years, over opposition by Bay Area Democrats who call the deal a taxpayer giveaway.Their last attempt, in December, included a similar deal for the smaller Panoche, Pacheco and San Luis water districts north of Westlands known as ?the northerly districts.?Rep. Jim Costa, a Fresno Democrat allied with Republicans on water issues, had introduced the legislation for a settlement for the smaller districts. Water districts are public agencies that distribute public water, and in farming areas, they are typically controlled by farmers. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed felony charges against Panoche district officials, including Falaschi?s son, Atomic Falaschi, alleging their embezzlement of more than $100,000 in public money for slot machines, landscaping, home remodeling, loans, car repairs and other personal expenses. Of the 10 felony counts, eight were related to embezzlement allegations and two to the charges involving hazardous waste disposal. The investigation into the district?s finances began after the California Department of Toxic Substances Control found the drums of hazardous waste buried on the district?s property.The Panoche water district?s drainage program ?was held up as the model for the Westlands settlement and the architects of that model now have their mug shots in the post office,? said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, who has battled congressional approval of the deal. The criminal charges ?touch on the management of federal drainage funds,? he said, ?and just added another huge waving red flag that hopefully will cause Congress to slow down.?Johnny Amaral, deputy general manager for Westlands, said the Panoche arrests should have no effect on the legislation before Congress because Panoche is independent of the Westlands settlement.?We do not anticipate that actions involving agencies that are not party to the settlement will affect the settlement?s chances of approval,? Amaral said.The proposed settlement was negotiated by the Obama administration after years of litigation, and has been endorsed by the Trump administration. The agreement relieves the federal government of its obligation to provide $2.7 billion to drain selenium-polluted runoff from Westlands, a district that waters 600,000 acres of cropland on the arid west side of the San Joaquin Valley.That obligation stemmed from the government?s decision in 1960 to extend the Central Valley Project to the arid west side of the San Joaquin Valley, despite the knowledge that the soils are laden with salts and selenium, a mineral lethal to wildlife and humans.Under the settlement terms, Westlands would be forgiven the $375 million it still owes the federal government for the construction of the 1960s-era extension of the Central Valley Project that delivers water to the district, which runs along Interstate 5 from Mendota in Fresno County to Kettleman City in Kings County. The district also promises to deal with the drainage problem on its own.Although federal agencies have recommended that Westlands retire up to half its cropland to prevent further drainage problems, the settlement requires the retirement of only 100,000 acres where farming has already been abandoned because of drainage problems.Late last year, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield attempted to attach the Westlands settlement, along with one for Panoche and the other northerly districts, as a rider to a big military authorization bill.But the effort was blocked by Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., after the Interior Department?s inspector general raised alarms about ?significant questionable costs? in a Panoche demonstration water treatment plant intended to show that irrigation runoff can be treated.Critics draw a parallel with Westlands? history of internal accounting problems in 2016, paying a $125,000 fine to the Securities and Exchange Committee for misleading investors in a bond offering, which its general manager, Tom Birmingham, had conceded was ?a little Enron accounting.??The justification for the Westlands mega-deal has been that local districts manage toxic drainage more effectively and with some federal help ... they can solve the problem,? said Hal Candee, a San Francisco attorney for environmental groups in pending drainage litigation. ?Yet now current and former leaders of the ?model district? for this local approach are charged with crimes directly related to the management of toxic wastes and the management of public funds.?Observers expect that the next opportunity for the drainage settlement to pass Congress will be as a rider to giant spending bill set for consideration next month.Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicle?s Washington correspondent. Email:?clochhead at sfchronicle.com?Twitter:?Carolyn Lochhead (@carolynlochhead) | Twitter -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Feb 28 10:12:19 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:12:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] US considers protected status for wild spring Chinook References: <739508791.6290203.1519841539710.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <739508791.6290203.1519841539710@mail.yahoo.com> https://apnews.com/8eb141de3d4f47448f8523286a4ae253 US considers protected status for wild spring Chinook SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Federal fisheries officials said Tuesday they will consider putting the Pacific Northwest?s once-flourishing wild spring-run Chinook salmon on the list of threatened or endangered species.The National Marine Fisheries Services plans a 12-month review on whether to give protected status to the salmon in and around the Klamath River.Spring Chinook, historically the first Chinook salmon to return from the ocean each winter, were once one of the most abundant salmon of the Pacific Northwest, important to tribes, fishermen and wildlife. California?s Kuruk tribe, which joined the Salmon River Restoration Council environmental group in petitioning for more protections for the fish, say the species is nearly extinct throughout much of its range in Oregon and Northern California.The tribe blames Klamath River dams for blocking the fish from their spawning grounds.The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is expected to decide in 2019 whether to approve a deal among tribes, dam-owner PacifiCorp utilities company, and others to remove the dams and reopen hundreds of miles of river to the migrating salmon.The federal fisheries? move comes after a University of California, Davis study showed the spring Chinook are more of an evolutionary rarity than realized when compared to Chinook salmon that return later in the year. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Feb 28 11:19:04 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 19:19:04 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] California Cities Sue State, Allege Secret Discussions of Water Project References: <592631452.6315283.1519845544636.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <592631452.6315283.1519845544636@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.courthousenews.com/california-cities-sue-state-allege-secret-discussions-of-water-project/ California Cities Sue State, Allege Secret Discussions of Water Project? February 27, 2018NICK CAHILLFacebookTwitterGoogle+EmailSACRAMENTO (CN) ?Over a dozen California cities, water agencies and environmentalists?suedthe state late Tuesday, alleging that state regulators have been secretly plotting and discussing a contentious $16 billion water project.The petitioners, led by Sacramento and San Joaquin counties, have uncovered public records that they claim prove that State Water Resources Board staffers discussed technical reviews and other documents regarding the?California WaterFix?with the project?s lead agencies.?Evidence revealed in response to a recent request under the Public Records Act demonstrates deliberate obstruction, and possible collusion by the Department of Water Resources, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and [water board staff],? the complaint filed in Sacramento Superior Court states.The water board must assess and sign off on the project?s environmental review before construction can finally begin on the decades-old project. It finished the first phase of the permit review and is currently holding hearings on the project?s impact on fish and wildlife.More than 50 cities, counties, water suppliers and environmental groups have officially opposed the state?s permit application and the WaterFix as a whole.The project calls for two 35-mile tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The tunnels would funnel water around the delta to the state?s southernmost farmers and cities, including Los Angeles. Gov. Jerry Brown?s administration has signed off on the project and hopes to begin construction by the end of 2018.In their 37-page complaint, the petitioners are asking the court to prevent the water board from continuing public hearings and force it to release all evidence of off-the-record talks between water board staffers and project stakeholders.In the latest twist of the project that has been perennially delayed by lawsuits, design changes and money shortages, someone opposing the project filed a public records request requesting ex parte or private communications between the department of water resources and the water board.In response, a water board attorney released a cache of emails in Oct. 2017, detailing talks and meetings between staffers and project stakeholders. The emails show at least 12 separate instances of private talks from 2015 to 2016, with topics ranging broaching ?preparation of the final environmental impact report? to ?modeling? that was eventually presented to the water board.The records show that staffers were discussing the project privately with the stakeholders, not commissioners who vote on the subject matter.But the water board is defending and downplaying the once-secret private meetings. It says the communications concerned technical matters and that staffers didn?t relay information to commissioners.?Based on the evidence before us, we conclude that no off-the-record information was indirectly passed by water board staff from the department of water resources to us or to any other member of the water board,? states a letter signed by Felicia Marcus, water board chair.The water board did not respond to an email request for comment late Tuesday. Sacramento County?s counsel Andrew Hitchings of Somach Simmons & Dunn said the staffers? ex parte talks have tainted the public hearings. He says the petitioners have already filed a motion for a temporary restraining order and will be in court Friday morning.Other petitioners include the cities of Antioch and Stockton, Yolo, Solano and Contra Costa counties and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance. They are asking for a permanent injunction preventing the water board from continuing hearings until the court weighs in on the ex parte communications.The petitioners say the ongoing water board hearings are the ?most significant water rights proceedings in the history of the state of California.? Among other things, the opponents say the alleged illegal backroom talks have prevented them from receiving a ?fair hearing.?The second stage of the water board?s review is expected to last through June.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Wed Feb 28 11:26:05 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2018 11:26:05 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] MWD seeks control of first Delta tunnel in two phase project In-Reply-To: References: <59E8FBF7.3090101@dcn.org> <59E8FC65.9050609@dcn.org> <3E36C073-EDF0-4BEA-B348-C20481724B77@fishsniffer.com> <19C3BF8B-1A6B-494B-9ACF-C4A3628768DF@fishsniffer.com> <32B5342D-464A-43E5-ACF1-4852567DC56B@fishsniffer.com> <95E5D164-5003-4340-9049-DD4376B1F7A8@fishsniffer.com> <8E1C2C09-4789-41F7-95E0-1E783876C2D0@fishsniffer.com> <09B547B1-E075-4E48-ABFA-C31BCDCEA696@fishsniffer.com> <35E29268-AF62-49EA-92CF-86D6E0F6CD77@fishsniffer.com> <63653CA5-553D-48E2-BA32-C7DAE3E2BFFB@fishsniffer.com> <32D8355E-C26A-463E-9282-B4EE6206515A@fishsniffer.com> <6EF93FD8-4B55-4A03-9457-15D59505B465@fishsniffer.com> <222020F4-BCFE-48F2-A455-644BC1EF94DA@fishsniffer.com> <549F3071-8CD8-43BE-979B-58710EE73C8F@fishsniffer.com> <6BD357AA-081F-46CB-911F-03E96C26C9DB@fishsniffer.com> <99442AE9-ABA1-4F9F-A201-6F4A2E3EA1DC@fishsniffer.com> <13BD822C-1E50-4536-8348-2C2558491EFD@fishsniffer.com> <6704ABB3-8749-435D-82A1-208381E90FCB@fishsniffer.com> <5FE3687D-D067-41BF-88A3-F92AE3917263@fishsniffer.com> <37404D1D-7D80-48D0-94D7-7ECA097E9DFD@fishsniffer.com> <78EC9055-F337-48FC-9ED2-6827974C8BD3@fishsniffer.com> <287B3F2A-9761-4FDD-AE97-4047ED9EC98F@fishsniffer.com> Message-ID: <6BCE251A-B604-4E3D-AEE7-D5A43FF9EAC0@fishsniffer.com> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/2/27/1743946/-MWD-seeks-control-of-first-Delta-Tunnel-in-two-phase-project MWD General Manager Jeff Kightlinger. MWD photo. MWD seeks control of first Delta tunnel in two phase project By Dan Bacher Proponents of Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project continue their campaign to build the new two phase version of the California WaterFix, despite the fact that the project makes no scientific, financial or economic sense, according to critics. In the latest effort by Brown to fast-track the planning of the process before he leaves office, General Manager Jeff Kightlinger and Assistant General Manager Roger Patterson on February 27 revealed that the Governor, the State Water Contractors, and the Department of Water Resources (DWR) have been engaging in discussions to forge ahead with the first tunnel of the new two phase CA WaterFix project. They are doing this ?while keeping quiet about specifics of a potential second tunnel,? according to an analysis from Restore the Delta (RTD). ?In addition to contributing to half of the State Water Project share of the tunnel project, MWD is considering the creation of a separate joint-powers authority (JPA) to pay for the Central Valley Project share of the tunnel, providing it can achieve favorable contractual guarantees from the state to control water deliveries and repayment terms for the project,? stated RTD. The disclosures were made at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) Bay-Delta Committee meeting in Los Angeles, attended by representatives of Food and Water Watch, LA Waterkeeper, the Sierra Club, ratepayer advocates and consumer advocates. During a question and answer period, Kightlinger said that Santa Clara Valley Water District staff is presenting an option to the Santa Clara Valley Board to consider co-financing an $11 billion single tunnel as part of the phased-in project, noted RTD. Kightlinger also explained that Westlands Water District has indicated interest in purchasing wheeled water (water that is moved and resold from project to project) from a project financed by MWD. Kightlinger also noted that Governor Brown wants decisions made by MWD and other key players within a two-week period, said RTD. MWD board members expressed deep reservations about Kightlinger?s goal of a board action vote taking place this April before the supplemental Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is completed, and before the State Water Resources Control Board rules whether or not to approve the petitions by the Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation to change the points of diversion, critical permits that are required to construct the project. ?You don?t dive into a creek until you know whether you?re on rocks or not, and that?s what we?re trying to do here,? Larry Dick, a board member representing Orange County, told the Board today. Delta Tunnels opponents were appalled by the latest move by MWD to fast-track the construction of California WaterFix project. ?It is deeply concerning that Metropolitan Water District is considering taking over the majority cost share of the project,? said Brenna Norton of Food and Water Watch after the meeting. ?MWD would be taking over the agricultural share of project on the backs of the ratepayers.? Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta (RTD), noted, ?There is so much to unpack for the public from what was revealed today at MWD?s Bay-Delta Committee meeting.? ?On the surface, it is clear that the California Department of Water Resources is moving forward with a two tunnels application for the change in the point of diversion to secure a State Water Project right for MWD, who will become the financier and operator of the project,? said Barrigan Parrilla. ?California?s water management is being gamed to give the majority of power over watershed management throughout the state to Metropolitan Water District. The state is abdicating its responsibility to manage water for all people in California as a public trust resource.? Restore the Delta?s tweets of the meeting can be viewed here . Video and handouts from the meeting can be found here . Whether one or two Delta Tunnels are constructed, the results will be the same: higher water rates for people who can't afford them, no new water and the destruction of the West Coast's largest estuary. The California WaterFix is undoubtedly a lose-lose proposal. In other Delta Tunnels news, Courthouse News Service reported that California cities, counties, water agencies and fishing and environmental groups sued the state of California late Tuesday, alleging that state regulators ?have been secretly plotting and discussing a contentious $16 bill water project. To read the full article, go to: www.courthousenews.com/... In other MWD news, documents acquired by RTD from a recent public records act request to MWD confirm that the newly appointed California Department of Water Resources Director (DWR) Karla Nemeth was a MWD employee from 2009 to 2014, earning over $900,000 in total compensation. During her MWD tenure, she was contracted to work for Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) planning under the CalFed program, and then by the California Department of Water Resources,. All PRA documents sent by MWD to Restore the Delta can be read here . In December 2016, I broke the story of the staff shake up at MWD that culminated in the recent appointment of Nemeth, the fourth director appointed in a year. At the time, internal emails, confirmed by a DWR spokesperson, revealed that Mark Cowin, then Director of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), and Carl Torgersen, the DWR Chief Deputy Director, would retire from their positions at the embattled agency at the end of 2016. The chaos within the DWR leadership began months before the Oroville Dam spillway fiasco: www.dailykos.com/? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1_4_1_1-Executive-Staff_Selected_Kightlinger-1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 29893 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Mar 3 10:21:23 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 3 Mar 2018 18:21:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Study: Snowpack has declined dramatically across US West In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1343285134.9179254.1520101283474@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2018/03/02/us/ap-us-snowpack-decline.html WEATHERStudy: Snowpack has declined dramatically across US WestBy Gillian FlaccusThe Associated PressPORTLAND, ORE. ??Scientists?have found dramatically declining snowpack across the American West over the past six decades that will likely cause water shortages in the region that cannot be managed by building new reservoirs, according to a study published?Friday.?The study led by scientists from Oregon State University and the University of California, Los Angeles found drops in snow measurements at more than 90 percent of regional snow monitoring sites that have consistently tracked snow levels since 1955, said Philip Mote, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University.Study authors also used modeling to show the average snowpack in the region dropped between 15 and 30 percent in a little more than a century, he said, and that modeling paralleled the actual findings based on existing measurements.That means the region?s average snowpack has lost the equivalent volume of water that it would take to fill Lake Mead, the West?s largest man-made reservoir, Mote said.The study appeared in NPJ Climate and Atmospheric Science and was a follow-up study to one completed in 2005. This analysis found the loss of snowpack has accelerated, Mote said.?It?s a bigger decline than?we expected,? he said. ?In many lower-elevation sites, what used to fall as snow is now rain. Upper elevations have not been affected nearly as much, but most states don?t have that much area at 7,000-plus feet.?The amount of water stored in the region?s snowpack is roughly the same as all the water stored in the region?s reservoirs, he said.?The solution isn?t in infrastructure. New reservoirs could not be built fast enough to offset the loss of snow storage,? Mote said.The study found California had the most gains in snowpack since 1955, but recent droughts erased?those gains and caused the snowpack to fall in many locations.Eastern Oregon and northern Nevada saw the worst decreases in snowpack over the span of the study.Individual sites in California, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Arizona saw snowpack declines of more than 70 percent, the study found.Mote said it?s not snowing less, but that the snow is melting sooner in the season at higher elevations, leading to low levels in river and reservoir levels during the driest days of summer and early fall.The study focused on data from 1,766 snowpack monitoring sites across the western U.S., most of them tracked by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Water Resources.Researchers looked at snow measurements taken April 1, which is typically at the height of the snowpack, but also looked at measurements taken in January, February, March and May.?We found declining trends in all months, states and climates,? Mote said.Snowpack levels are below average in the western U.S. so far in 2018 as well, he said.Chief of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys Program, for the Department of Water Resources, checks the snowpack depth as Courtney Obergfell, left, and Michelle Mead, center, both of the National Weather Service, look on during the second snow survey of the season near Echo Summit on Feb. 1. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Tue Mar 6 14:45:04 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Tue, 6 Mar 2018 14:45:04 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Study: Snowpack has declined dramatically across US West over past 60 years Message-ID: <056501d3b59c$c55f5040$501df0c0$@sisqtel.net> https://apnews.com/346a99e6db54474f8d3f13929d072c09/Study%3A-Snowpack-has-de clined-dramatically-across-US-West . Study: Snowpack has declined dramatically across US West GILLIAN FLACCUS Mar. 02, 2018 PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Scientists have found dramatically declining snowpack across the American West over the past six decades that will likely cause water shortages in the region that cannot be managed by building new reservoirs, according to a study published Friday. The study led by scientists from Oregon State University and the University of California, Los Angeles found drops in snow measurements at more than 90 percent of regional snow monitoring sites that have consistently tracked snow levels since 1955, said Philip Mote, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute at Oregon State University. Study authors also used modeling to show the average snowpack in the region dropped between 15 and 30 percent in a little more than a century, he said, and that modeling paralleled the actual findings based on existing measurements. That means the region's average snowpack has lost the equivalent volume of water that it would take to fill Lake Mead, the West's largest man-made reservoir, Mote said. The study appeared in NPJ Climate and Atmospheric Science and was a follow-up study to one completed in 2005. This analysis found the loss of snowpack has accelerated, Mote said. "It's a bigger decline than we expected," he said. "In many lower-elevation sites, what used to fall as snow is now rain. Upper elevations have not been affected nearly as much, but most states don't have that much area at 7,000-plus feet." The amount of water stored in the region's snowpack is roughly the same as all the water stored in the region's reservoirs, he said. "The solution isn't in infrastructure. New reservoirs could not be built fast enough to offset the loss of snow storage," Mote said. The study found California had the most gains in snowpack since 1955, but recent droughts erased those gains and caused the snowpack to fall in many locations. Eastern Oregon and northern Nevada saw the worst decreases in snowpack over the span of the study. Individual sites in California, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Arizona saw snowpack declines of more than 70 percent, the study found. Mote said it's not snowing less, but that the snow is melting sooner in the season at higher elevations, leading to low levels in river and reservoir levels during the driest days of summer and early fall. The study focused on data from 1,766 snowpack monitoring sites across the western U.S., most of them tracked by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the California Department of Water Resources. Researchers looked at snow measurements taken April 1, which is typically at the height of the snowpack, but also looked at measurements taken in January, February, March and May. "We found declining trends in all months, states and climates," Mote said. Snowpack levels are below average in the western U.S. so far in 2018 as well, he said. _____ Follow Gillian Flaccus on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/gflaccus -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Mar 8 12:15:01 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2018 20:15:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Draft Agenda for TMC March 28-29 meeting References: <1837562767.12777814.1520540101865.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1837562767.12777814.1520540101865@mail.yahoo.com> The DRAFT agenda for the Trinity Management Council's March 28-29, 2018 meeting is attached and can be found at:?http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11588 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Draft March 2018 TMC Agenda_1.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 29363 bytes Desc: not available URL: From ebpeterson at usbr.gov Thu Mar 8 15:30:32 2018 From: ebpeterson at usbr.gov (Peterson, Eric) Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2018 15:30:32 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Draft Agenda for TMC March 28-29 meeting In-Reply-To: <1837562767.12777814.1520540101865@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1837562767.12777814.1520540101865.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1837562767.12777814.1520540101865@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: That agenda was a bit too preliminary and significant changes are expected. I have removed it from the website for now; we will post a better one soon. My apologies, -Eric --- Eric B. Peterson, Ph.D. Trinity River Restoration Program U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 530-623-1810 On Thu, Mar 8, 2018 at 12:15 PM, Tom Stokely wrote: > The DRAFT agenda for the Trinity Management Council's March 28-29, 2018 > meeting is attached and can be found at: http://www.trrp.net/ > calendar/event/?id=11588 > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Mar 13 16:49:25 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2018 23:49:25 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Shasta Dam Raise - Speak Up In-Reply-To: <28ecbd88a1a8b6ca927b578b8.5a471450ef.20180313225332.4b25c0f347.ff7cb266@mail252.sea81.mcsv.net> References: <28ecbd88a1a8b6ca927b578b8.5a471450ef.20180313225332.4b25c0f347.ff7cb266@mail252.sea81.mcsv.net> Message-ID: <1959876740.8161.1520984965364@mail.yahoo.com> On Tuesday, March 13, 2018 3:55 PM, California Trout wrote: Shasta Dam Raise - Speak Up#yiv5638928026 p{margin:10px 0;padding:0;}#yiv5638928026 table{border-collapse:collapse;}#yiv5638928026 h1, #yiv5638928026 h2, #yiv5638928026 h3, #yiv5638928026 h4, #yiv5638928026 h5, #yiv5638928026 h6{display:block;margin:0;padding:0;}#yiv5638928026 img, #yiv5638928026 a img{border:0;min-height:auto;outline:none;text-decoration:none;}#yiv5638928026 body, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026bodyTable, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026bodyCell{min-height:100%;margin:0;padding:0;width:100%;}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnPreviewText{display:none;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026outlook a{padding:0;}#yiv5638928026 img{}#yiv5638928026 table{}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ReadMsgBody{width:100%;}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ExternalClass{width:100%;}#yiv5638928026 p, #yiv5638928026 a, #yiv5638928026 li, #yiv5638928026 td, #yiv5638928026 blockquote{}#yiv5638928026 a .filtered99999 , #yiv5638928026 a .filtered99999 {color:inherit;cursor:default;text-decoration:none;}#yiv5638928026 p, #yiv5638928026 a, #yiv5638928026 li, #yiv5638928026 td, #yiv5638928026 body, #yiv5638928026 table, #yiv5638928026 blockquote{}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ExternalClass, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ExternalClass p, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ExternalClass td, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ExternalClass div, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ExternalClass span, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026ExternalClass font{line-height:100%;}#yiv5638928026 a .filtered99999 {color:inherit;text-decoration:none;font-size:inherit !important;font-family:inherit !important;font-weight:inherit;line-height:inherit !important;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026bodyCell{padding:10px;}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026templateContainer{max-width:600px !important;}#yiv5638928026 a.yiv5638928026mcnButton{display:block;}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImage, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnRetinaImage{vertical-align:bottom;}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent{}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent img{min-height:auto !important;}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnDividerBlock{table-layout:fixed;}#yiv5638928026 body, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026bodyTable{background-color:#FAFAFA;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026bodyCell{border-top:0;}#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026templateContainer{border:0;}#yiv5638928026 h1{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:26px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 h2{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:22px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 h3{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 h4{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader{background-color:#FAFAFA;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{color:#656565;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent a, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p a{color:#656565;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateHeader{background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:0;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateHeader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateHeader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateHeader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent a, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateHeader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p a{color:#2BAADF;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateBody{background-color:#ffffff;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:0;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateBody .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateBody .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateBody .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent a, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateBody .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p a{color:#2BAADF;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateColumns{background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:2px solid #EAEAEA;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:9px;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateColumns .yiv5638928026columnContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateColumns .yiv5638928026columnContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateColumns .yiv5638928026columnContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent a, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateColumns .yiv5638928026columnContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p a{color:#2BAADF;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateFooter{background-color:#FAFAFA;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateFooter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateFooter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{color:#656565;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:center;}#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateFooter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent a, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateFooter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p a{color:#656565;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}@media screen and (min-width:768px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026templateContainer{width:600px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 body, #yiv5638928026 table, #yiv5638928026 td, #yiv5638928026 p, #yiv5638928026 a, #yiv5638928026 li, #yiv5638928026 blockquote{}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 body{width:100% !important;min-width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026bodyCell{padding-top:10px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026columnWrapper{max-width:100% !important;width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnRetinaImage{max-width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImage{width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCartContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionTopContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnRecContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionBottomContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnTextContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnBoxedTextContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageGroupContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionRightTextContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionRightImageContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardRightTextContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardRightImageContentContainer{max-width:100% !important;width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnBoxedTextContentContainer{min-width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageGroupContent{padding:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionLeftContentOuter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionRightContentOuter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent{padding-top:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardTopImageContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionBottomContent:last-child .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionBottomImageContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionBlockInner .yiv5638928026mcnCaptionTopContent:last-child .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent{padding-top:18px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardBottomImageContent{padding-bottom:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageGroupBlockInner{padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageGroupBlockOuter{padding-top:9px !important;padding-bottom:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnBoxedTextContentColumn{padding-right:18px !important;padding-left:18px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardLeftImageContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnImageCardRightImageContent{padding-right:18px !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-left:18px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcpreview-image-uploader{display:none;width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 h1{font-size:22px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 h2{font-size:20px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 h3{font-size:18px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 h4{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 .yiv5638928026mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader{display:block;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templatePreheader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateHeader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateHeader .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateBody .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateBody .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateColumns .yiv5638928026columnContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateColumns .yiv5638928026columnContainer .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateFooter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent, #yiv5638928026 #yiv5638928026templateFooter .yiv5638928026mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} Why we oppose raising Shasta Dam and what you can do to help | | | | CalTrout opposes raising Shasta Dam | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Say NO to Shasta Dam Raise | | | | The possibility of raising Shasta Dam is back on the table.? Background Back in 2013, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) conducted a feasibility study for raising Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet increasing water storage by about 13%. Shasta Dam and Reservoir is the cornerstone of the Central Valley Project which provides irrigation and drinking water for much of California?s Central Valley and parts of, and valleys just south of, the San Francisco Bay Area. At that time, California Trout submitted comments on the BOR's Draft Feasibility Report?outlining our concerns on behalf of native fish and their waters. Ultimately, the BOR did not recommend raising the dam for several reasons, not least of which was the need to have non-federal partners pay for half the estimated $1.3 billion cost.? What's going on now? Fast-forward five years and Westlands Water District has quietly been ushering through a proposal for authorizing construction which is now at an advanced Federal planning stage. Congress is considering adding a special interest rider to the FY19 Omnibus Appropriations Bill that would eliminate cost-sharing requirements to begin construction of a $1 billion water storage project in California?expanding Shasta Dam. This rider would eliminate the legal obligation that non-federal funding must cover half of the cost of this project puts federal taxpayers at risk.? California Trout remains opposed to raising Shasta Dam and needs your voice to be heard.? Here are our concerns: - The raising of Shasta Dam would further inundate up to three miles of blue ribbon wild trout fisheries on the Upper Sacramento and McCloud Rivers. The McCloud River has given enough. Two dams on the river have already inundated miles of its pristine habitat and the dams block access for anadromous fish and divert over 80% of its flow for hydropower.? - The McCloud River is protected under the state Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The CA Legislature has found and declared that the McCloud River ?possesses extraordinary resources in that it supports one of the finest wild trout fisheries in the state?. The free-flowing waters of the McCloud are legally protected?rolling back these protections sets a dangerous legal precedent. - The actual yield of more water from an enlarged reservoir are uncertain.? As proposed, the 18.5 foot raise would cost $1.3 billion and increase storage by 13%.? But that is only under years when the reservoir actually fills. The cost doesn?t support the potential storage and this rider would place all the cost on taxpayers.? - The Bureau of Reclamation claims the raise will benefit Central Valley salmon. We don?t buy it. The United States Fish and Wildlife has strongly questioned the Bureau's claim.?The USFWS also noted that improving the dam?s existing temperature control device, restoring downstream spawning gravel, increasing access to historic floodplain habitat, improving fish passage on tributaries, increasing minimum flows, and screening water diversions all increase salmon survival more than the dam raise. We agree! Here is what we do support: - California?s effort to increase water supply reliability should focus first on increased groundwater storage. - Support storage projects that make sense for fish, water and people. Multi-benefit storage projects should be the focus alongside smaller reservoir facilities that support public benefits.? - Water use efficiency and conservation should not be overlooked to meet California?s growing water needs.? During the drought Californians tightened their belts?reducing demand by 30% in critically dry years. California needs increased investment in urban and agricultural water use efficiency, stormwater capture and reuse, and water recycling.? Please let your Senators and Representatives in Washington know you oppose this plan by forwarding them this letter. There is no time to waste. | | | | Say NO to raising Shasta Dam - send this letter TODAY | | | | Photo: Creative Commons Amit Patel | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright ? 2018 California Trout, All rights reserved. You're receiving this California Trout email because you're a member, a former member, or expressed an interest in receiving emails from California Trout. Our mailing address is: California Trout360 Pine Street4th FloorSan Francisco, CA 94104 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Mar 15 08:53:59 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2018 15:53:59 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River fish-kill preventive dam releases challenged by farmers, water districts References: <54086571.792241.1521129239953.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <54086571.792241.1521129239953@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20180314/klamath-river-fish-kill-preventive-dam-releases-challenged-by-farmers-water-districts&template=printart Klamath River fish-kill preventive dam releases challenged by farmers, water districts Local tribes question arguments made by basin water districts By Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardWednesday, March 14, 2018Local tribes? say critically important dam water releases meant to protect threatened salmon on the Klamath River from deadly parasitic disease outbreaks are being contested by irrigators and water districts in the Klamath Basin as they face drought conditions.Basin ranchers, farmers and water districts argue in a federal court filing this month that the potential for fish disease outbreaks this year is low, but that the drought conditions the basin faces could cause significant economic impacts to their region.?The potential ruinous impacts for family farms and ranches in 2018 are real,? the six water districts, irrigators and organizations stated in a March 7 court filing to the U.S. District Court in San Francisco.Since the filing was made, a drought was declared by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown for Klamath County earlier this week.The Klamath River dam water releases were secured in early 2017 after the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe and organizations filed a federal lawsuit claiming the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation?s past dam operations caused up to 90 percent of juvenile Coho salmon to be infected by a potentially deadly intestinal parasite in 2014 and 2015. Klamath River Coho salmon are listed as threatened in the federal Endangered Species Act.Tribal fisheries scientists attributed the disease outbreaks to the low return of Klamath River in the 2017 season, which resulted in the commercial fishery being closed for the region and local tribes.??It?s equally painful for tribal interests,? Hoopa Valley Tribe Fisheries director Mike Orcutt said Wednesday.Yurok Tribe counsel Amy Cordalis said Wednesday that ?it is critically important to the survival of these runs of fish in the Klamath that this year?s run is protected.?Bureau of Reclamation public affairs officer Erin Curtis said the basin does not have enough water to provide for both irrigators and the dam releases without lowering water levels at Upper Klamath Lake. Water levels are required to be maintained at certain levels to protect endangered sucker fish populations.??We are working daily with our partners to respond to this late onset hydrology season and develop our water management scenario,? Curtis wrote. ?We are keenly aware that allocation decisions for the project are needed as soon as possible so that project irrigators can make business decisions. The lateness of the precip this year has made that more difficult and pushed our decisions back.?According to the Herald and News, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now considering?taking 10,000 acre-feet of water from a wildlife refuge?to provide to irrigators. Meanwhile, the Klamath Tribes of Oregon have filed a notice of intent to sue federal agencies for not maintaining water levels at Upper Klamath Lake,?according to the Herald and News.The U.S. District Court in San Francisco is set to consider the irrigators? arguments April 11. Flows needed? The crux of the basin irrigators? challenge to the dam releases is whether the ramped up flows are necessary this year.?The irrigators argue 2017 saw significant rainfall that resulted in a ?changed river.??They argue last year?s favorable conditions makes the need for the flow releases this year ?unnecessary.??U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fisheries program leader Nicholas Hetrick in Arcata said they have yet to see any clinical signs of disease in young outmigrating salmon on the river this year.?But that is typical for this time of year and especially so given the relatively cool water temperatures experienced in the Klamath River over the past several weeks,? Hetrick wrote in an email to the Times-Standard.Cordalis said hydrological conditions on the river this year equate to those seen in 2015 when 91 percent of sampled juvenile salmon on the river were found to be infected by the intestinal parasite Ceratanova shasta.The federal court order requires the Bureau of Reclamation to store enough water to make flushing flows on the Klamath River and reserve an additional 50,000 acre-feet of water between April 1 and June 15 ? or until 80 percent of the juvenile salmon migrate out of the river ? in case the parasitic outbreak should resurface.The flushing flows are meant to literally flush out worms that host the intestinal parasite, which had infected juvenile salmon in 2014 and 2015. The dilution flows would be released if 30 percent of the sampled juvenile Coho salmon are found to be infected.Cordalis said the court order and the flow plan were based off the best available science from several entities including tribal and federal scientists.?There is nothing in those memos and there is nothing in the current available science that presents that after one good year you don?t need flushing flows or dilution flows the following year,? she said.The irrigators also argue in the court filing that making the dam releases are ?counterproductive? and would likely increase the occurrence of infection by pushing the ?infectious zone? downstream where adult spawners returning to the river will encounter it.Karuk Tribe natural resources policy advocate Craig Tucker said this argument is ?really speculative.??You don?t need a PhD to know that fish do need water and the more the better,? Tucker said. ?Our fisheries are in a tailspin. The idea that we?re going to shortcome on what the courts have agreed the best available science demonstrates, it?s like they are out to get the fish. It?s irresponsible.?Orcutt said these flow releases are only a short-term solutions, and that issues such as dam removal, water supply management, water quality issues in the basin still must be addressed.?It?s the hope someday we try to get to a discussion about resolving some of those longstanding issues,? he said. ?Our way of life will be lost? The court-ordered dam release plan is ordered to remain in effect until the Bureau of Reclamation and National Marine Fisheries Service finish their formal discussions on whether or not to alter its Klamath River flow plans. That consultation is not expected to be completed until 2019.But given the conditions of this water year, the Klamath Water Users Association, Sunnyside Irrigation District, Pine Grove Irrigation District Klamath Irrigation District, Klamath Drainage District and a Tulelake farmer Ben DuVall argued in their court filing that waiting until June for water to be made available would be ?too late.??These same entities have also filed an appeal of the court-mandated flow plans in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, with the case currently in the mediation process.The basin parties claim dam releases would bankrupt family farms, wipe out real estate values, uproot children from their schools, and ?send economic and psychological shockwaves throughout every sector that has been dependent on agriculture in the Klamath Project for over a century.?Basin farmer Jason Flowers, 35, wrote in a statement to the court that water uncertainty and delays on receiving summer water have an immediate economic impact to his farm.?If this uncertainty continues, or even increases, I question how long our family farm can continue to operate,? he wrote.U.S. District Judge William Orrick wrote in his initial February 2017 ruling regarding the dam releases that the irrigators ?undeniably have genuine and important interests? and that the flow releases ?might cause hardship? for them.?However,? the ruling continues, ?as plaintiffs point out, courts are not permitted to favor economic interests over potential harm to endangered species.?The irrigators responded to this in its filing this month, stating that the dam releases would affect the culture of Klamath Basin family farms and ranches.?The future of this country depends upon younger farmers being able to step in and become successful in the face of many difficult challenges,? Flowers wrote. ?Without water certainty, the risks of farming are simply too great for the younger generations to be successful. Stability, succession, and our way of life will be lost.?Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504.??URL: Klamath River fish-kill preventive dam releases challenged by farmers, water districts | | | | | | | | | | | Klamath River fish-kill preventive dam releases challenged by farmers, wate... Local tribes? say critically important dam water releases meant to protect threatened salmon on the Klamath Rive... | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Mar 20 07:51:02 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2018 14:51:02 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Congress must reject Westlands settlement as unjust to Hoopa tribe References: <531836768.2677852.1521557462702.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <531836768.2677852.1521557462702@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/Congress-must-reject-Westlands-settlement-as-12765561.php?t=c874ac567d Congress must reject Westlands settlement as unjust to Hoopa tribe By Ryan JacksonMarch 19, 2018?Updated: March 19, 2018 5:32pm - ? - 0 - ? - ? - ? - ? - ? - Photo: Paul Kuroda, Special To The ChronicleClouds reflect on the water surface of the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, Thursday, June 1 2017 in Siskiyou County, CA.The Trinity River water that had sustained the Hupa people?s fishery and 10,000 year-old economy, culture and religion now supplies industrial agriculture with irrigation and hydropower. Westlands Water District uses the lion?s share of that water. Its demand for Trinity water is insatiable. MOST POPULAR - Exclusive: Tempe police chief says early probe shows no fault... - Tahoe ski town cracks down on vacation rentals: Too much tourism? - Exclusive: The Silicon Valley quest to preserve Stephen... - Mac Williamson among 15 Giants players sent to minors - Uber halts self-driving operations after car kills Arizona... - Supervisor Aaron Peskin rips SF fire chief as North Beach... - San Francisco?s auto break-in hot spots Federal law and judicial decrees strictly limit Trinity River diversions. They forbid shipping any Trinity water to Westlands that North Coast communities and Indian tribes need for fish, wildlife and economic development.For 40 years, the Hupa people have fought to enforce those limits and preserve our rights.Westlands has challenged us every step of the way. MORE OPEN FORUMS - Fund California fire departments to deploy engines before fires - Point Reyes lawsuit settlement harms dairies, climate change - Veterans? time in war consumes their peace Nonetheless, over Westlands? objections, our tribe convinced Congress to enact more protection for our water. Over Westlands? objections, our tribe convinced federal agencies to enforce existing laws. Over Westlands? objections, our tribe won in court. Yet Westlands remains relentless.Since 1964, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has caused environmental devastation and transferred enormous wealth from California?s North Coast by diverting Trinity River water from the Hoopa Valley Reservation in the Klamath Basin 400 miles south to the bureau?s San Luis Unit on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley.Westlands? land is virtually worthless without imported water. Before the bureau and Westlands signed its federal water service contract in 1963, both knew that the San Joaquin Valley?s west side lacked a surface water supply and that irrigation wells were depleting the groundwater. They knew that federally subsidized water delivery from the Trinity River was the only available source of supply.They also knew Westlands? soils were incapable of sustained irrigation without huge expenditures for drainage works and waste water collection, treatment and disposal. If those works were to be built, then reclamation law required irrigators to pay for them. Then, as now, however, crop production could not support those repayment obligations, even with heavy federal subsidies for water and commodity price supports. So the Bureau of Reclamation let Westlands irrigate ? and profit ? without drainage and with far more Trinity water than the law permitted. Environmental disaster resulted on the lands within the San Luis Unit. Cultural, economic and social disaster descended on the Hupa homeland.While continuing to reap enormous profits, Westlands sued the federal government for failing to provide the drainage it did not want to pay for. The Bureau of Reclamation and Westlands then crafted a settlement that would shift the full, and long-deferred, cost of environmentally damaging irrigation onto the federal taxpayer. Worse, ignoring our tribe?s urgent requests, the bureau negotiated a settlement that gives Westlands free rein to continue its war on the Trinity and does nothing to help us.This is the settlement that Westlands claims today is ?fair and equitable.?We don?t think so.?Fair and equitable? means certainty and finality for our rights. Reclamation?s settlement with Westlands must include binding, enforceable recognition of the water supply that Congress allocated to us from the Trinity River nearly 75 years ago.?Fair and equitable? means recompense for the devastation caused to the Hupa people by generations of federal water mismanagement.Finally, ?fair and equitable? for the federal taxpayer could also mean decommissioning San Luis Unit lands that under the law are not ?practicable of irrigation? and stopping federal water deliveries to them.The House of Representatives is considering a bill (HR1769) introduced by Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford (Kings County), to approve the Westlands drainage settlement. We urge Californians to oppose any form of a settlement that does not do justice to the Hoopa Valley Tribe.Ryan Jackson is chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, whose reservation land base in Humboldt County is the largest in California. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Mar 20 09:28:05 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2018 16:28:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Democrats block GOP bid to speed Shasta Dam enlargement: References: <1227827924.2731460.1521563285635.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1227827924.2731460.1521563285635@mail.yahoo.com> Maven's Notebook (this list serve won't post SacBee articles directly for some strange reason).TS Democrats block GOP bid to speed Shasta Dam enlargement:? ?Democrats in Congress have stalled an attempt to jump start an expansion of Shasta Dam, California?s largest reservoir and a major water source for the Central Valley.? Their objections blocked a Republican gambit to allow the $1.3 billion project to move forward without full up-front funding and despite objections from Gov. Jerry Brown?s administration.? A Democratic leadership aide in the House confirmed to the Sacramento Bee on Monday that House Democrats rejected a GOP proposal to speed preparations for the project, by eliminating a requirement on the amount of upfront funding needed for pre-construction. ... ?? Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:??Water Wars: Democrats block GOP bid to speed Shasta Dam enlargement | | | | | | | | | | | Water Wars: Democrats block GOP bid to speed Shasta Dam enlargement Congressional Republicans sought to make it easier to start project to raise the dam at California?s largest res... | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Mar 21 07:23:52 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2018 14:23:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Klamath Fish Health Workshop - Postponed In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <608275287.3160401.1521642232678@mail.yahoo.com> On Tuesday, March 20, 2018 5:56 PM, "Hetrick, Nick" wrote: Klamath Partners As many of you may be aware, on March 7, 2018, Reclamation and the Klamath Water Users Assoc.filed a Motion for Relief asking the Federal District Court to "relieve the Federal Defendants from the obligations set forth in the Court?s March 24, 2017permanent injunction (?Order?)."? ?Today the parties agreed to request the Court expedite the hearing on this matter, setting the hearing on the Motion for April 4, 2018. Unfortunately, this agreed upon April 4th Court date coincides with day 2 of our annual Fish Health Workshop.? As many of the Klamath's Tribal, Federal, and possibly State Agency biologists are likely to be at that hearing, the meeting organizers decided it would be best to postpone the meeting until sometime in May or June.? We will start the process tomorrow of contacting all of the presenters to find common dates open to all, and will then share a suite of possible alternate dates with our tribal and state/fed agency partners for their availability and input.? I am going to call the Best Western Miners Inn in Yreka tonight to cancel our conference room reservation (and room reservation) and to let them know we plan to reschedule the event.?? On behalf of the Klamath Fish Health organizing group, we apologize for the late cancellation notice.? Unfortunately, this situation is out of our control.? Please stay tuned in the next few weeks for updates on rescheduling this event.? ?? nicholas j hetrick? ? ? ? ? ? ? -- Nicholas J. HetrickProgram LeadFish & Aquatic Conservation ProgramArcata Fish and Wildlife OfficeArcata, CA 95521office (707) 822-7201 fax (707) 822-8411 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Mar 21 12:05:58 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2018 19:05:58 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Lawmakers_strike_deal_on_wildfire_spendin?= =?utf-8?q?g_=E2=80=94_sources?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1869253131.3313841.1521659158715@mail.yahoo.com> APPROPRIATIONS:?Lawmakers strike deal on wildfire spending ? sources Marc Heller, E&E News reporterPublished:?Wednesday, March 21, 2018A long-term plan to pay for the rising cost of wildfires came back from the brink of collapse and was set to be included in an omnibus spending bill today, congressional and forest industry sources said.The pending deal overcame the objections of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) to setting up an off-budget wildfire disaster fund, congressional sources said, clearing the way to end the Forest Service's practice of raiding non-fire-related accounts to pay for wildfire suppression.The agreement, described by Capitol Hill aides and lobbyists, would establish a fund of more than $2 billion a year, which would increase modestly over a 10-year period. The fund could be tapped when the cost of wildfires exceeds the 10-year average cost of wildfires, which would be set at the 2015 level ? an approach pushed by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).That arrangement wouldn't take effect until 2020, however, meaning current law would remain in effect through 2019. An aide described that as a concession made by Democrats.Industry sources who discussed the proposal emphasized that they hadn't seen all the details in writing; the bill was due for release early this afternoon (see related story).Ending so-called fire borrowing would be a major victory for forest policy stakeholders and for the Trump administration. This administration, like the Obama administration, has lobbied Congress hard for a more sustainable way to handle wildfire costs, which now account for more than half the Forest Service's budget."There are a lot of members of Congress and staffers and partners on all sides of the aisle who worked tirelessly to get an agreement," Gary Schiff, policy director for the National Association of State Foresters, told E&E News this morning.Republican lawmakers who had insisted that any deal include changes in forest management policy appeared to come away with a partial victory. Leaders agreed to ease environmental restrictions on forest thinning in limited situations, these sources said.That would include categorical exclusions from the National Environmental Policy Act for hazardous fuels reduction on areas up to 3,000 acres. Lawmakers also opened the way to more 20-year stewardship contracts, in which the Forest Service collaborates with states on forest management projects.Timber companies would also see an easier process for repairing and rebuilding access roads in some areas of national forests.The agreement also includes language to limit the effect of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' 2015 ruling in?Cottonwood Environmental Law Center v. Forest Service. That case forced the agency to consult more closely with the Fish and Wildlife Service on forest projects that might affect endangered species.Overturning?Cottonwood?has been a high priority for timber interests and also had backing from the Obama and Trump administrations.Negotiators also included provisions to expedite the clearing of trees and brush along utility rights of way, stakeholders said.The measure stands out, as well, for what it doesn't include. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) wasn't able to secure provisions protecting her state's old-growth timber harvesting, including expanding access to roadless areas. And Sen. Maria Cantwell's campaign for more active forest management in ponderosa pine forests at risk of wildfire also wasn't included.The Washington state Democrat had been working on including that proposal during negotiations with Murkowski and others, congressional aides said. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 177 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Mar 21 16:21:20 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2018 23:21:20 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL Agenda 3/28-29, Weaverville, CA References: <1954493206.3424435.1521674480400.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1954493206.3424435.1521674480400@mail.yahoo.com> TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL March 2018 Quarterly Meeting Location:? Trinity River Restoration Program 1313South Main Street, Weaverville, CA ? Agenda for March 28-29, 2018 (WebEx info on page 2) ? Wednesday March 28, 2018 ? Time ?????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? ??????????????????????? DiscussionLeader ? RegularBusiness: ? 9:00???????????????? Introductions:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ??Welcome andIntroductions ??Approval ofAgenda ??Approval ofDecember TMC Meeting Minutes ? 9:15???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? Bader, Chair ? 9:30???????????????? TAMWG StatusUpdate ???????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????? NickHetrick, FWS DFO ? 9:35???????????????? Report fromExecutive Director (includes JC Houseupdate)? Caryn Huntt DeCarlo ? Information/ Decision Items: ? 10:30 ????????????? Winter Flow Variability White Paper and SIR Update?????????? KyleDe Juilio and Caryn ? 10:45?????????????? Break ? 11:00?????????????? Reinitiation ofConsultation on the Coordinated Long-Term KatrinaHarrison confirmed Long-Term Operation ofCentral Valley Project and State WaterProject ? 11:30?????????????? Updateon 2018 Operation of the Klamath Project???? ??????????? Klamath Basin Area Office ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? not confirmed ? 11:45 ????????????? Lunch ? 1:00???????????????? WY18 Hydrograph and Gravel Augmentation ????????????????????? ToddBuxton, Dave Decision Item ????????????????????????????????????? Gaeuman,James Lee and Kyle 2:30???????????????? Break ? 2:45???????????????? FY18 Watershed Projects Rankings for TMCapproval???????? Eric Wiseman ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Decision Item ? 4:30? ?????????????? PublicForum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ? 4:45???????????????? Adjourn ? ? 6:00 ??????????????? TMC Dinner?? StagecoachPizzeria & Caf?, 529Main St. Weaverville ? Thursday March 29, 2018 ? Time ?????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DiscussionLeader ? RegularBusiness: ? 9:00???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ? Information/ Decision Items: ? 9:15???????????????? Science Metrics?????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? JennyNorris ? 9:45???????????????? FY18 TRRP Budget update ??????????????????????????????????????????????????? Caryn ? 10:00 ????????????? FY19 TRRP Draft Budget Proposal (includes discussionof FY19 Science Workplan/direction)??????????? ??????????? Jennyand Caryn ??????????????????????????????????????????????? Decision Item ? 11:00?????????????? Break ? 11:15?????????????? FY19 TRRP DraftBudget Proposal continued??????????? ??????????? Jennyand Caryn ? 12:00?????????????? Lunch ? 1:00???????????????? General shape/concept Hydrograph forSOD/storage ??????????? Todd Buxton managementreleases ? ? 1:15???????????????? UASGood Neighbor guideline for TMC approval????? ??????????? EricPeterson ??????????????????????? DecisionItem ? 1:35???????????????? Update on run size/stockprojections and harvest?????????????????? Ken Lindke/George Kautsky Monitoring ? 1:55???????????????? Request for June TMC Agenda Items???????????????????????????????????? Caryn ? 2:00 ??????????????? PublicForum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ? 2:30???????????????? Adjourn ? WebEx and Callin Information: | TMC ? Day 1 Wednesday, March 28th | | | ?Call in number:? 1-408-792-6300? | | Passcode: 805 092 908 | | https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m1f23ebafacd3163c64f01038d9b9e851 ? | | ____________________________________________ TMC ? Day 2 Thursday, March 29th | Call in number:? 1-408-792-6300? Passcode: 800 926 201 https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m37754ee45f8b1c6fd5b48147d4cfe45d | ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Thu Mar 22 11:56:59 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2018 11:56:59 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?LA_Times=3A_When_California_needs_to_flus?= =?utf-8?q?h_its_stormwater_out_to_sea_=E2=80=94_and_when_it_doesn?= =?utf-8?q?=27t?= Message-ID: When California needs to flush its stormwater out to sea ? and when it doesn't By The Times Editorial Board www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-stormwater-20180321-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter Mar 21, 2018 | 4:10 AM When California needs to flush its stormwater out to sea ? and when it doesn't Stormwater flows down the Los Angeles River under the Anaheim Street bridge in Long Beach on its way to the Pacific Ocean. (Los Angeles Times) As the March rains loosen more Southern California mud and fill more Northern California reservoirs, the state still flirts with drought and we still run short of water. Los Angeles is engineered to hustle filthy storm water to sea as quickly as possible, as if it were the evil fluid of the primordial abyss, yet we spend millions to import precious snowmelt from the Sierras. It's all just water. Meanwhile, the Trump administration proposes to raise Shasta Dam in the far north of the state to capture more rainwater to send south, but Democrats resist. Does any of it make any sense? It does, but it requires some time contemplating a map of California. In vastly oversimplified terms, California has two great mountain ranges that run north-south. Smaller Pacific storms drop their payloads on coastal cities when rain clouds run into the lower, western ranges. The bigger, colder storms make it east to the Sierras before releasing their water as snow. Los Angeles is engineered to hustle filthy storm water to sea as quickly as possible, as if it were the evil fluid of the primordial abyss. But nothing is that simple. In fact the western ranges are crooked, and in Santa Barbara County they bend from north-south to east-west and form a horizontal wall that, at places in the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains, reaches two miles high. The coast, rather than face west, runs diagonally. The third side of this geographic triangle is formed by the so-called peninsular ranges ? an odd name for mountains sitting deep within Southern California until you realize that geologically, they are the northern end of Baja California. ?NetJets Squeezed into this small triangle, which runs roughly from Santa Barbara to San Diego and features an attractive climate and flat, buildable spaces, is half of California's thirsty population of 39 million. Winter rains here are modest ? except when they aren't, when storms hit the sun-warmed south-facing horizontal mountain wall. The precipitation rarely gets cold enough to take the form of snow, so instead of piling up to melt during the spring and summer, as it does in the cold, west-facing Sierras, the water comes all at once, rushing suddenly from the mountains and through all those flat areas built out with homes. There it can turn into the sort of deadly mud that hit Montecito in January and again threatens areas on the mountainous margin of the Southern California triangle. It is the reason that in the 1930s engineers began the decades-long job of encasing the Los Angeles River in concrete, to move the fearsome water safely to sea. The other half of California's people, and two-thirds of its precipitation, are spread around the rest of the state. Central and Northern California have also seen their share of cataclysmic flooding over the years, but instead of trying to push the water out to sea as quickly as possible, they have tried to capture it in order to release it in the spring and summer, when it is needed for crops. In fact, agriculture grew so big and so important that it quickly gulped down much of the annual snowmelt and began over-tapping groundwater. Now, between diversions of Sierra snowmelt for crops and for residents in the Southern California triangle and the Bay Area, and with the added pressure of drought, the water that used to flow down the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and out to San Francisco Bay is too paltry to sustain migrating salmon and other species. Making Los Angeles completely water self-sufficient won't be easy or cheap. But it can be done That leaves us with this odd environmental juxtaposition: In Northern California, we hang on to too much storm water and instead need to send more of it to sea to prevent the ecosystem from collapsing. But in Southern California, where our concrete riverbeds sweep biological and other toxic hazards into the ocean to foul beaches and poison marine life, we must send less out to sea and instead hang on to more of it, capturing it and allowing it to percolate into our aquifers to be naturally cleansed and available for reuse in lieu of the Sierra water that we import in excess. Meanwhile, why not raise Shasta Dam? There are many reasons, including continued environmental degradation of the type we need to reverse, but let's focus on something else: Shasta is part of the federal Central Valley Project, and its water is used on farm fields that contract for that water. But that relatively small group of farmers would not pay for the project; U.S. taxpayers would. Just as Los Angeles taxpayers financed the projects that quench their thirst with mountain water ? the Owens Valley project, the State Water Project, the Colorado River project ? the people who pay should generally be the people who benefit. That's something to keep in mind when considering any dam or other water project. Los Angeles County voters are likely to see a storm water tax ballot measure in November to allow us to finally make use of those hazardous pulses of rain. In the end, we may need to re-engineer the Southern California triangle to finally keep that water for ourselves, stop flushing it out to the ocean, and allow more Sierra water, farther north, to proceed to the sea. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 18084 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 174 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 18633 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Mar 24 10:38:44 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2018 17:38:44 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Fw=3A_Reclamation_Responds_to_Klamath_Wat?= =?utf-8?q?er_Users=E2=80=99_Motion_in_District_Court=2C_Outlines_Proposed?= =?utf-8?q?_2018_Operat?= In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <973153965.4502045.1521913124461@mail.yahoo.com> On Saturday, March 24, 2018 8:42 AM, Lauren Meredith wrote: Reclamation Responds to Klamath Water Users? Motion in District Court, Outlines Proposed 2018 OperatMid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-204-2348, eccurtis at usbr.govFor Immediate Release: Mar. 24, 2018Reclamation Responds to Klamath Water Users? Motion in District Court, Outlines Proposed 2018 OperationsSAN FRANCISCO, Calif. ? A court filing on Friday outlined the Bureau of Reclamation?s proposed 2018 Klamath Project operations, including how Reclamation plans to provide water to irrigators in the Klamath Basin by mid-April and provide water for endangered species.The U.S. Department of Justice filed the response to the March 7 motion filed by the Klamath Water Users Association, other individual districts and water users in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California: Hoopa Valley Tribe v. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 3:16-cv-4294 and Yurok Tribe v. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, 3:16-cv-6863.The water users requested relief from a March 2017 court-ordered injunction that called for Klamath River water flows to mitigate disease concerns impacting endangered coho salmon in the Klamath River. The injunction called for a 72-hour surface flushing flow between Nov. 1 and April 30, and emergency dilution flows later this spring or summer if necessary. The injunction also states that in no event should the prescribed flows interfere with conditions necessary to protect ESA-listed suckers in Upper Klamath Lake.Since the start of the 2018 water year, cumulative inflows to Upper Klamath Lake have been some of the lowest observed on record. Reclamation has determined that there is not enough water in the system to produce a surface flushing flow with Klamath Project water and still meet lake threshold elevation requirements for suckers. Following significant coordination and collaboration with Project water users, the Klamath River Basin Tribes, National Marine Fisheries Service, other litigant parties, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and PacifiCorp, Reclamation developed a 2018 operations proposal that was submitted in Friday?s reply to the water users? March 7 motion.Reclamation?s proposal includes implementing a full surface flushing flow, augmented with non-Project water; forgoing an emergency dilution flow; and providing Klamath Project irrigators with a supply of 252,000 acre-feet ? 65 percent of a full project supply ? with deliveries commencing on April 19 with charging of main canal networks. Reclamation is proposing to forego the dilution flow because it would cause water levels in Upper Klamath Lake to fall below the minimum threshold elevations for suckers, new information indicates limited scientific support for dilution flows, and the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have indicated that implementation of a surface flushing flow should be prioritized over emergency dilution flows.?Reclamation believes this proposal provides the best solution for addressing disease concerns for coho salmon in the Klamath River while also ensuring water levels necessary to protect endangered suckers in the Upper Basin. This proposal allows Reclamation to protect important Tribal Trust Resources while allowing for water supply certainty and economic stability for our agricultural communities in the Klamath Basin? said Mid-Pacific Deputy Regional Director Alicia Forsythe.Reclamation?s proposal to implement the surface flushing flow in mid-April relies on 11,000 acre-feet of non-Project water provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from its Upper and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges as well as 10,500 acre-feet of water from PacifiCorp reservoirs to augment limited project supplies available from Upper Klamath Lake for the surface flushing flow. Reclamation has agreed to repay the voluntary water contribution from the USFWS and PacifiCorp by the fall/winter of 2018.?Reclamation greatly appreciates the hard work and willingness of the Fish and Wildlife Service and PacifiCorp to help identify and offer alternative water sources to meet the court-ordered surface flushing flow for 2018,? Forsythe said. ?We are hopeful that the court fully considers Reclamation?s proposal so that the 2018 water year addresses competing water demands and stakeholder interests within the Klamath Basin.?The hearing to review the water users? motion as well as all replies from parties in the case is currently scheduled for April 11, but could be moved to April 4 due to a stipulation agreed to by the parties.Reclamation remains diligent in monitoring hydrologic conditions and will continue to coordinate closely with all parties as the 2018 spring/summer hydrology develops.Court filing documents will be available on Reclamation?s Mid-Pacific Region web site by Tuesday, Mar. 27, 2018.# # #Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Mar 26 20:43:33 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2018 03:43:33 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Westlands=E2=80=99_water_rights_bill_is_p?= =?utf-8?q?oison_for_taxpayers?= References: <2064152686.101619.1522122213512.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2064152686.101619.1522122213512@mail.yahoo.com> VALLEY VOICESWestlands? water rights bill is poison for taxpayersBy Lloyd Carter And Dr. Donald Tayloe, M.D.March 23, 2018 11:27 AMSan Joaquin Valley Congressmen are pushing legislation that could be one of the largest transfers of water rights in California history.House Resolution 1769 by Rep. David Valadao, currently stalled in committee, purports to settle a legal dispute between Westlands Water District and the U.S. Dept. of the Interior over the development of a drainage system to funnel toxic waste water from Westside farms.As newspapers around the state have opined, the 2015 lawsuit settlement, negotiated in secret, looks more like a giveaway of water supplies without regard for the real-world consequences this bill would have on future water needs of California.Many Westlands farmers have already benefited from a half century of more than a billion dollars in taxpayer aid. Unfortunately, few of those riches have trickled down to the poverty-stricken communities in the area. Delta defenders say it could harm their farmland and Delta fisheries.Some people believe that a significant portion of Westlands should never have been irrigated in the first place. Portions of the Westlands have groundwater triple the saltiness of ocean water. During World War I Westside farmers discovered salt tolerant cotton grew well in the desert and more than a million acres were planted to cotton.But within 30 years, Westlands farmers nearly depleted their groundwater supply and in desperation, formed the Westside Landowners Association to get federal support. In 1960, Congress approved a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation project to deliver Northern California water to Westlands.At that time, 160 acres (320 for a husband and wife) was the limit for subsidized federal water, so the large landowners were told to sell off land in excess of those requirements. There was also a requirement that the farmers had to live on their land.In 1964, National Land for People (NLP) was founded in Fresno. Its mission was to bring to light the fact that residency requirements and acreage limitations were not being enforced in California. In 1974, NLP attorneys sued the Department of the Interior for not enforcing the Reclamation Act.NLP discovered, that two-thirds of the Westlands farmers did not live within 50 miles of their farms, and some of those farms controlled thousands of acres, not 320 acres each. The NLP won all the way to the Supreme Court in 1979.Then in 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected president, and his administration worked with Congress to pass the Reclamation Reform Act. When the Act passed in 1982, it eliminated the residency requirement and increased the acreage limitation to 960 acres. Corporate landholdings expanded.In the early 1980s, the unresolved drainage problem surfaced at the Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge, an evaporation pond facility for Westlands drainwater. By 1982, hunters and biologists around Kesterson began to notice sick and dying wildlife.By 1984, it was discovered the main culprit was selenium, a mineral widespread in western valley soils which can be toxic to wildlife and humans in doses as small as two parts per billion. Kesterson was closed in March 1985.Once Kesterson was closed, the question became could a master drain be constructed economically and not harm adjacent small irrigation districts?Westlands sued the federal government for failure to complete the drainage system for Westlands. The lawsuit dragged on for years. Then Westlands offered to take over the drainage problem in exchange for debt forgiveness for monies Westlands still owed for construction of the water project. Two years ago the U.S. settled the Westlands lawsuit. That brings us to H.R. 1769, which critics contend:??. Could give Westlands annual water deliveries up to 895,000 acre-feet. Critics say the settlement could trigger lawsuits by other irrigation districts with water rights senior to Westlands. Public trust advocates say the Valadao bill does not have language to block Westlands from selling some of its water supply on the open market at big profits.?? Forgive about $350 million that the district still owes taxpayers for Westlands? share of the cost of the Central Valley Project that delivers water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Westlands.?? Transfer ownership of millions of dollars worth of taxpayer-funded buildings and infrastructure.?? Provides no monitoring or performance standards on Westlands? management of the drainage problem.?? Provide for the retirement of only 100,000 acres of salty land instead of the 200,000 acres that experts felt to be a minimum requirement to ameliorate the drainage problem.In summary, there are no safeguards for the environment or taxpayers. This is a bad deal for California and America. Meanwhile, salt continues to accumulate under Westlands farms. Some of us remember what happened to Mesopotamia.Lloyd G. Carter?is president of the California Save Our Streams Council. Dr. Donald Tayloe is a retired Veterans' Affairs physician who has been interested in Valley water issues for decades. Both live in Fresno. Connect with them at?lloydgcarter.com. Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article206566199.html#storylink=cpy?Irrigated fields in the Westlands Water District border Interstate 5 and the parched Diablo Range beyond, west of Tranquility in California?s Central Valley.. A state-created utility on paper, Westlands in practice is a formidable political force bent on keeping water flowing to itself and to farms across the California?s agricultural heartland. DAMON WINTER NYT/2015 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Mar 27 06:27:58 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2018 13:27:58 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Feds eye scaling back antiparasite Klamath dam releases References: <183532955.237468.1522157278178.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <183532955.237468.1522157278178@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20180326/feds-eye-scaling-back-antiparasite-klamath-dam-releases Feds eye scaling back antiparasite Klamath dam releases By?Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardPOSTED:?03/26/18, 7:49 PM PDT?|?UPDATED: 6 HRS AGO# COMMENTSThis Aug. 21, 2009, photo shows Iron Gate Dam spanning the Klamath River near Hornbrook.The Associated Press fileIn an attempt to meet the needs of Klamath Basin irrigators and endangered fish species in the basin in a time of drought, a federal agency is proposing to reduce the amount of dam water releases to the Klamath River that are meant to protect threatened Coho salmon from deadly parasite outbreaks like those that occurred in 2014 and 2015.The Hoopa Valley Tribe says the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation?s prioritizes farmers over fish and goes against a federal court order that they, the Yurok Tribe and environmental groups secured last year to protect threatened salmon.?The court order requires the bureau to release a 72-hour flushing flow from Iron Gate Dam into the river to flush out worms that host the parasite. The order also requires the bureau to hold 50,000 acre-feet of water in reserve for an emergency diluting flow in case baby salmon still show signs of infection.?Up to 91 percent of baby Coho and Chinook salmon in the river were found to have been infected in 2014 and 2015 by an intestinal parasite, Ceratanova shasta. Local tribes say the disease outbreak contributed to the low return of salmon to the river in 2017, which resulted in a complete closure of the commercial fishery in the region.The fish-kill preventive flows were?challenged in federal court earlier this month?by Klamath Basin water districts and irrigators, which argued that 2017?s rainfall and snowpack levels were sufficient enough that the dilution flows will not be needed this year. The dilution flows were not used in 2017.The bureau is urging the U.S. District Court to consider its proposal at an upcoming April 11 court hearing in San Francisco that will discuss the irrigators? challenge.? WATER DISPUTE In a statement released over the weekend, the bureau?s Mid-Pacific Deputy Regional Director Alicia Forsythe said the plan allows the agency to ?protect important tribal trust resources while allowing for water supply certainty and economic stability for our agricultural communities in the Klamath Basin.?The Klamath Water Users Association is one of the challengers to the dam releases and represents about 1,200 farms and ranches in the basin. The association?s Executive Director Scott White said while he does not fully support the bureau?s proposal, he said it at least provides a date for farmers to begin receiving water during what he describes as a ?devastating? and ?do-or-die? water year.?We are hopeful that the judge sees this proposal favorably and allows our guys to be able to plan accordingly to start this season,? White said.AdvertisementHoopa Valley Tribe Fisheries Director Mike Orcutt said Monday the bureau?s proposal is a tactic to ?prioritize the startup of irrigation and leave some uncertainty to protecting most species.?In its late Friday court filing responding to the irrigator?s arguments, the bureau proposes to release the flushing flows in mid-April, but forgo the emergency dilution flows this year.?Irrigators in the basin also would be provided 252,000 acre-feet of water starting April 19 under the proposal, which the bureau said is about 65 percent of the maximum water supply of 390,000 acre-feet it can provide to irrigators in its Klamath Project area.The bureau provided several reasons why it would not be providing the dilution flows that tribes and fisheries researchers claim are critical to preventing another fish kill on the river.?The bureau argues that the 2017 federal court order on the dam releases does not supercede its obligation to ensure there is enough water in the Upper Klamath Lake to protect endangered sucker fish species.?Reclamation believes this proposal provides the best solution for addressing disease concerns for coho salmon in the Klamath River while also ensuring water levels necessary to protect endangered suckers in the Upper Basin,? Forsythe said.?The bureau and two other federal agencies are facing a potential Endangered Species Act lawsuit by the Klamath Tribes of Oregon, which filed a 60-day notice in federal court in February. The notice called on the agencies to take ?immediate, emergency measures? to bring water levels in Upper Klamath Lake to protect endangered sucker fish species.The bureau also claims that ?new information indicates limited scientific support? for the effectiveness of the emergency dilution flows to protect Coho salmon from infection ? an argument also put forward by the Klamath Basin irrigators, though the federal agencies stated they disagree with several of the irrigators? claims. FLUSHING, DILUTION FLOWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest regional director Paul Souza wrote in a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation this month that there are ?significant questions about the science behind the dilution flows even if more water was available in the basin.?Both the flushing flow and dilution flow plans were drafted by fisheries officials from the Yurok, Karuk and Hoopa Valley tribes, and were agreed on by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation last year as part of the federal court order.Orcutt said the flow plans were developed using the best available science including that from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?s Arcata office. The two flow plans were meant to work together, Orcutt said, with the flushing flows washing away the worms that host the parasites and the dilution flows being used as an emergency backup in case the parasite infection begins to spread.?It?s a tandem action,? Orcutt said. ?It?s not like you do one and you don?t do the other.?The federal court order requires the bureau hold 50,000 acre feet of water in reserve for the dilution flows until June 15 or until 80 percent of the juvenile salmon migrate out of the river.?Basin farmers have stated in court filings that uncertainties about summer irrigation can result in significant losses of revenue and impact business decisions.Orcutt said that the bureau?s proposal prioritizes irrigators and places the risk on salmon because it provides water to irrigators, but not emergency flows to salmon when they would need it most.??It?s not like [irrigators are] not going to get the water,? Orcutt said. ?It just requires them to start later.? APRIL HEARING The April 11 hearing will be before U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick, who ruled in favor of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe and environmental groups?s arguments in February 2017 that the bureau and National Marine Fisheries Service?s management of dams violated a 2013 biological opinion to protect threatened coho salmon.Orrick addressed the economic versus environmental considerations in his ruling, stating that ?courts are not permitted to favor economic interests over potential harm to endangered species.?While Orcutt said he has confidence with the case going back before Orrick again, Orcutt said ?the only downside is that the federal experts have changed their positions.??Orcutt said the tribe plans to file a response by Wednesday.White said the issue is not about economics, but is about the science suggesting that there ?really is no need for these dilution flows.?The bureau wrote in its court filing that it also evaluated the option of releasing a smaller dilution flow, but that the questions about these flows effectiveness still existed. Including a smaller dilution flow would also cause a complete irrigation shutoff in the Klamath Project until as late as June 15, according to the bureau.?To implement its plan, the bureau says it will use 11,000 acre-feet of water drawn from the upper and lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge and another 10,500 acre-feet of water from the Copco reservoir owned by the Oregon-based hydroelectric power company PacifiCorp.?The bureau says it would repay these voluntary water contributions by fall or winter, but does specify how in its filing.Three environmental groups ? Audubon Society of Portland, Oregon Wild and WaterWatch of Oregon ? condemned the use of wildlife refuge water on Monday, saying it ?sets the stage for yet another catastrophic bird kill? in order to provide public water for agribusiness.?The water and taxpayer funding for these refuges belongs to the public, not private agribusiness interests. We simply want our senators to do their job and reign in this renegade agency before it causes even more harm to Oregon?s natural heritage, economy, and taxpayers,? WaterWatch of Oregon Southern Oregon Program Manager Jim McCarthy said in a Monday statement.Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bgutermuth at usbr.gov Thu Mar 29 09:16:46 2018 From: bgutermuth at usbr.gov (Gutermuth, F.) Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2018 09:16:46 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] updated TMC 29 March 2018 Agenda Message-ID: There are a few changes in the TMC agenda. The latest version is posted below: TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL March 2018 Quarterly Meeting Location: Trinity River Restoration Program 1313 South Main Street, Weaverville, CA Agenda for March 28-29, 2018 Brandt Gutermuth Environmental Scientist Trinity River Restoration Program 530.623.1806 work 530.739.2802 cell http://www.trrp.net/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 231225 bytes Desc: image.png URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Mar 29 15:57:33 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2018 22:57:33 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation schedules public information meeting for 2018 Trinity River flows and gravel augmentatio In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <688545346.1063306.1522364253938@mail.yahoo.com> On Thursday, March 29, 2018 3:06 PM, Lauren Meredith wrote: Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.MP-18-050Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.govFor Immediate Release: March 29, 2018Reclamation schedules public information meeting for 2018 Trinity River flows and gravel augmentationWEAVERVILLE, Calif. ? The Trinity River Restoration Program will host a public information meeting to present the 2018 spring restoration flow releases from Lewiston Dam and gravel augmentation plans for the Trinity River. ?The public meeting will be held: Weaverville, Calif.: Thursday, April 12, 2018, 6 - 7:30 p.m., TRRP Office, 1313 S. Main Street (in the Holiday Market Shopping Center)In 2018, a "dry" or "critically dry" water year is expected. In a "dry" water year, 453,000 acre-feet of water is allocated for restoration flows or 369,000 acre-feet for a ?critically dry" water year. Program staff will be available to answer questions.Flows are proposed to begin increasing in mid-April and reach their highest peaks in early May. The river could remain elevated above summer base flow as late as July.For additional information, please contact Kevin Held at 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339) or kheld at usbr.gov or visit www.trrp.net.# # #Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Apr 2 17:09:33 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 00:09:33 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Fw=3A_THIS_JUST_IN_=E2=80=A6_Southern_Cal?= =?utf-8?q?ifornia_water_agency_backs_off_plan_to_finance_both_Delta_tunne?= =?utf-8?q?ls?= In-Reply-To: <88af2b23c65f1c863838dd9a5.ee51fcf060.20180402234815.42e9f89f2c.8fe9fab4@mail82.atl51.rsgsv.net> References: <88af2b23c65f1c863838dd9a5.ee51fcf060.20180402234815.42e9f89f2c.8fe9fab4@mail82.atl51.rsgsv.net> Message-ID: <332501042.828700.1522714173124@mail.yahoo.com> FYI. ?I've used up my SacBee articles for the month... TS? On Monday, April 2, 2018 4:49 PM, Maven wrote: THIS JUST IN ? Southern California water agency backs off plan to finance both Delta tunnels#yiv5135968283 p{margin:10px 0;padding:0;}#yiv5135968283 table{border-collapse:collapse;}#yiv5135968283 h1, #yiv5135968283 h2, #yiv5135968283 h3, #yiv5135968283 h4, #yiv5135968283 h5, #yiv5135968283 h6{display:block;margin:0;padding:0;}#yiv5135968283 img, #yiv5135968283 a img{border:0;height:auto;outline:none;text-decoration:none;}#yiv5135968283 body, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283bodyTable, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283bodyCell{min-height:100%;margin:0;padding:0;width:100%;}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnPreviewText{display:none;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283outlook a{padding:0;}#yiv5135968283 img{}#yiv5135968283 table{}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ReadMsgBody{width:100%;}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ExternalClass{width:100%;}#yiv5135968283 p, #yiv5135968283 a, #yiv5135968283 li, #yiv5135968283 td, #yiv5135968283 blockquote{}#yiv5135968283 a .filtered99999 , #yiv5135968283 a .filtered99999 {color:inherit;cursor:default;text-decoration:none;}#yiv5135968283 p, #yiv5135968283 a, #yiv5135968283 li, #yiv5135968283 td, #yiv5135968283 body, #yiv5135968283 table, #yiv5135968283 blockquote{}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ExternalClass, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ExternalClass p, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ExternalClass td, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ExternalClass div, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ExternalClass span, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283ExternalClass font{line-height:100%;}#yiv5135968283 a .filtered99999 {color:inherit;text-decoration:none;font-size:inherit !important;font-family:inherit !important;font-weight:inherit;line-height:inherit !important;}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283templateContainer{max-width:600px !important;}#yiv5135968283 a.yiv5135968283mcnButton{display:block;}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImage, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnRetinaImage{vertical-align:bottom;}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent{}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent img{height:auto !important;}#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnDividerBlock{table-layout:fixed;}#yiv5135968283 body, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283bodyTable{background-color:#FAFAFA;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283bodyCell{border-top:0;}#yiv5135968283 h1{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:26px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 h2{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:22px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 h3{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 h4{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:18px;font-style:normal;font-weight:bold;line-height:125%;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader{background-color:#195392;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{color:#ffffff;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent a, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p a{color:#ffffff;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateHeader{background-color:#ffffff;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:0;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateHeader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateHeader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateHeader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent a, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateHeader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p a{color:#2BAADF;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateBody{background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateBody .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateBody .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateBody .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent a, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateBody .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p a{color:#2BAADF;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateColumns{background-color:#FFFFFF;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:2px solid #EAEAEA;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:9px;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateColumns .yiv5135968283columnContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateColumns .yiv5135968283columnContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{color:#202020;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;line-height:150%;text-align:left;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateColumns .yiv5135968283columnContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent a, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateColumns .yiv5135968283columnContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p a{color:#2BAADF;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateFooter{background-color:#FAFAFA;background-image:none;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-position:center;background-size:cover;border-top:0;border-bottom:0;padding-top:9px;padding-bottom:9px;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateFooter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateFooter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{color:#656565;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12px;line-height:150%;text-align:center;}#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateFooter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent a, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateFooter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p a{color:#656565;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;}@media screen and (min-width:768px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283templateContainer{width:600px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 body, #yiv5135968283 table, #yiv5135968283 td, #yiv5135968283 p, #yiv5135968283 a, #yiv5135968283 li, #yiv5135968283 blockquote{}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 body{width:100% !important;min-width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283bodyCell{padding-top:10px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283columnWrapper{max-width:100% !important;width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnRetinaImage{max-width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImage{width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCartContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionTopContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnRecContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionBottomContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnTextContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnBoxedTextContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageGroupContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionRightTextContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionRightImageContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardLeftTextContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardRightTextContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardLeftImageContentContainer, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardRightImageContentContainer{max-width:100% !important;width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnBoxedTextContentContainer{min-width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageGroupContent{padding:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionLeftContentOuter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionRightContentOuter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent{padding-top:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardTopImageContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionBottomContent:last-child .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionBottomImageContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionBlockInner .yiv5135968283mcnCaptionTopContent:last-child .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent{padding-top:18px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardBottomImageContent{padding-bottom:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageGroupBlockInner{padding-top:0 !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageGroupBlockOuter{padding-top:9px !important;padding-bottom:9px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnBoxedTextContentColumn{padding-right:18px !important;padding-left:18px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardLeftImageContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnImageCardRightImageContent{padding-right:18px !important;padding-bottom:0 !important;padding-left:18px !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcpreview-image-uploader{display:none;width:100% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 h1{font-size:22px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 h2{font-size:20px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 h3{font-size:18px !important;line-height:125% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 h4{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 .yiv5135968283mcnBoxedTextContentContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader{display:block;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templatePreheader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateHeader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateHeader .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateBody .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateBody .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateColumns .yiv5135968283columnContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateColumns .yiv5135968283columnContainer .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{font-size:16px !important;line-height:150% !important;}}@media screen and (max-width:480px){#yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateFooter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent, #yiv5135968283 #yiv5135968283templateFooter .yiv5135968283mcnTextContent p{font-size:14px !important;line-height:150% !important;}} Breaking news from Maven's Notebook ... | | | | | View this email in your browser | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Just posted at Maven's Notebook THIS JUST IN ? Southern California water agency backs off plan to finance both Delta tunnels | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright ? 2018 Maven's Notebook, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at Maven's Notebook. Our mailing address is: Maven's NotebookP. O. Box 2342Canyon Country,, CA 91386 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. | | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Tue Apr 3 15:03:13 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2018 15:03:13 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Ocean conditions returning to normal, salmon returns will remain depressed a few years Message-ID: <007901d3cb97$90803d60$b180b820$@sisqtel.net> The Columbia Basin Bulletin: Weekly Fish and Wildlife News www.cbbulletin.com March 16, 2018 Issue No. 865 Ocean Conditions Returning To Normal (Cooler), Salmon Returns Will Remain Depressed A Few Years Posted on Friday, March 16, 2018 (PST) Ocean conditions off most of the U.S. West Coast are returning roughly to average, after an extreme marine heat wave from about 2014 to 2016 disrupted the California Current Ecosystem and shifted many species beyond their traditional range, according to a new report from NOAA Fisheries' two marine laboratories on the West Coast. Some warm waters remain off the Pacific Northwest, however. The Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Northwest Fisheries Science Center presented their annual "California Current Ecosystem Status Report" to the Pacific Fishery Management Council at the Council's meeting in Rohnert Park, Calif., on Friday, March 9. The California Current encompasses the entire West Coast marine ecosystem, and the report informs the Council about conditions and trends in the ecosystem that may affect marine species and fishing in the coming year. The report can be found at https://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/F1a_NMFS_Rpt1_2018_IEA_S oCC_FINAL_main_Mar2018BB.pdf "The report gives us an important glimpse at what the science is saying about the species and resources that we manage and rely on in terms of our West Coast economy," said Phil Anderson of Westport, Wash., the Council Chair. "The point is that we want to be as informed as we can be when we make decisions that affect those species, and this report helps us do that." Unusually warm ocean temperatures, referred to as "the Blob," encompassed much of the West Coast beginning about 2014, combining with an especially strong El Nino pattern in 2015. The warm conditions have now waned, although some after-effects remain. -- Feeding conditions have improved for California sea lions and seabirds that experienced mass die-offs caused by shifts in their prey during the Blob. -- Plankton species, the foundation of the marine food web, have shifted back slightly toward fat-rich, cool-water species that improve the growth and survival of salmon and other fish. -- Recent research surveys have found fewer juvenile salmon, and consequently adult salmon returns will likely remain depressed for a few years until successive generations benefit from improving ocean conditions. -- Reports of whale entanglements in fishing gear have remained very high for the fourth straight year, as whales followed prey to inshore areas and ran into fishing gear such as pots and traps. -- Severe low-oxygen conditions in the ocean water spanned the Oregon Coast from July to September 2017, causing die-offs of crabs and other species. Even as the effects of the Blob and El Nino dissipate, the central and southern parts of the West Coast face low snow pack and potential drought in 2018 that could put salmon at continued risk as they migrate back up rivers to spawn. "Overall we're seeing some positive signs, as the ocean returns to a cooler and generally more productive state," said Toby Garfield, a research scientist and Acting Director of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center. "We're fortunate that we have the data from previous years to help us understand what the trends are, and how that matters to West Coast fishermen and communities." NOAA Fisheries' scientists compile the California Current Ecosystem Status Report from ocean surveys and other monitoring efforts along the West Coast. The tracking revealed "a climate system still in transition in 2017," as surface ocean conditions return to near normal. Deeper water remained unusually warm, especially in the northern part of the California Current. Warm-water species, such as leaner plankton species often associated with subtropical waters, have lingered in these more-northern zones. One of the largest and most extensive low-oxygen zones ever recorded off the West Coast prevailed off the Oregon Coast last summer, probably driven by low-oxygen water upwelled from the deep ocean, the report said. While the cooling conditions off the West Coast began to support more cold-water plankton rich in the fatty acids that salmon need to grow, salmon may need more time to show the benefits, the report said. Juvenile salmon sampled off the Northwest Coast in 2017 were especially small and scarce, suggesting that poor feeding conditions off the Columbia River Estuary may remain. Juvenile salmon that enter the ocean this year amid the gradually improving conditions will not return from the ocean to spawn in the Columbia and other rivers for another two years or more, so fishermen should not expect adult salmon numbers to improve much until then. "These changes occur gradually, and the effects appear only with time," said Chris Harvey, a fisheries biologist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and coauthor of the report. "The advantage of doing this monitoring and watching these indicators is that we can get a sense of what is likely to happen in the ecosystem and how that is likely to affect communities and economies that are closely tied to these waters." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Fri Apr 6 13:56:36 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2018 13:56:36 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: NOAA Fisheries Model Estimates Cost of 2017 Salmon Fisheries Closure; Millions in Lost Income Message-ID: <022a01d3cde9$c15c92e0$4415b8a0$@sisqtel.net> The Columbia Basin Bulletin: Weekly Fish and Wildlife News www.cbbulletin.com April 6, 2018 Issue No. 867 NOAA Fisheries Model Estimates Cost Of 2017 Salmon Fisheries Closure; Millions In Lost Income Posted on Friday, April 06, 2018 (PST) Last year's closure of the commercial ocean salmon troll fishery off the West Coast is estimated to have cost $5.8 million to $8.9 million in lost income for fishermen, with the loss of 200 to 330 jobs, according to a new model that determines the cost of fisheries closures based on the choices fishermen make. Scientists hope the model, described for the first time this week in Marine Policy, will help policy makers anticipate the economic toll of fisheries closures. Such foresight may be especially useful as conditions in the California Current off the West Coast grow increasingly variable, leading to more potential closures, said lead author Kate Richerson, a marine ecologist with NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the University of Washington. "We're probably only going to see more of these closures in the future," she said, "so being able to predict their effects and fallout for coastal communities puts us ahead of the curve in terms of considering those impacts in planning and management decisions." The study can be found at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17306668?via%3Dih ub The new model estimates the future losses associated with fisheries closures based on the way fishermen reacted to previous closures. It anticipates, for instance, that many fishermen will simply quit fishing rather than shift their efforts to another fishery. In this way, the model accounts for the difficulty fishermen face in entering other fisheries with limited permits, Richerson said. The research is the first attempt to predict the effect of fisheries closures before they happen, said Dan Holland, an economist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and coauthor of the study. The model, developed prior to the 2017 closure, also can help identify the most affected communities. For example, Coos Bay and Brookings, Oregon, and Eureka, California, were among the hardest hit by the 2017 salmon closures because they are geographically located in the center of the closure that stretched from Northern California to Oregon. The closure led to the estimated loss of about 50 percent of fisheries-related employment in Coos Bay and about 35 percent declines in fishing-related income and sales. Predicted percentage declines in overall fishing-related income are lower than declines in salmon income, since many fishermen were predicted to continue to participate in other fisheries. The study estimated that the closure led to a loss of $12.8 million to $19.6 million in sales. Richerson noted that the model estimates only the economic consequences of the closure to the commercial ocean salmon fishery and does not include the toll on recreational fisheries or in-river fisheries, which would make the total losses even higher. The closure recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council and adopted by NOAA Fisheries was designed to protect low returns of salmon to the Klamath River in Northern California. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 11 08:22:27 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2018 15:22:27 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity snowpack 23 percent of average References: <677961005.1729476.1523460147181.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <677961005.1729476.1523460147181@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_46dba442-3d2f-11e8-88b6-1f3ef99dfb51.html Trinity snowpack 23 percent of average - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal The snowpack in the high country of Trinity County is even skimpier than the state?s unimpressive measurements.Although there was a bit of a rally with March storms, snow surveyors reported finding inches where there should be feet at some locations.The April 1 snow survey showed the snowpack that feeds the Trinity River Basin to be at only 23 percent of average. Statewide, the California Department of Water Resources reported the snow to be at 58 percent of average.Surveyors use snowmobiles to get to the sites outside the designated wilderness area. From the U.S. Forest Service, Mike McFadin described ?not enough snow to make the snow machine work the way it was supposed to.?And, he snow was melting. ?We got sunburns,? McFadin said.At the Big Flat survey site in north Trinity County, surveyors measured 9 inches of snow with 2 inches of water content whereas average for this time of year is several feet in depth with a foot of water content.At the higher elevations the measurements were more in the range of 12 to 18 inches, McFadin said, but ?it should have been 6 or 8 feet deep to be an average year.?At locations in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, Josh Smith of the Watershed Research and Trinity Center had a similar report.?My perception is that it isn?t even close to historical averages and it?s melting fast,? Smith said.Comparisons posted on the DWR website confirm that.At the Deadfall Lakes in north Trinity County at 7,200 feet, on March 31 surveyors measured 28.5 inches of snow with 11 inches of water content. This is 33 percent of the historic average.At Red Rock Mountain at 6,700 feet in the Trinity Alps Wilderness on March 31, there were 33 inches of snow with water content of 13 inches, 31 percent of the historic average.At Bear Basin at 6,500 feet in the Trinity Alps Wilderness on March 30, there were 21.5 inches of snow with 8.5 inches of water content, 23 percent of the historic average.At Shimmy Lake at 6,400 feet in the Trinity Alps Wilderness on March 30, surveyors found 33 inches of snow with 15 inches of water content, 30 percent of the historic average.At Wolford Cabin at 6,150 feet on March 27, there were 23 inches of snow with 8 inches of water content, 22 percent of the historic average.At Highland Lakes at 6,030 feet on March 28, there were 14.5 inches of snow with 2.5 inches of water content, 7 percent of the historic average.At Mumbo Basin at 5,650 feet on March 29, surveyors measured 19 inches of snow with water content of 6.5 inches, 30 percent of the historic average.At Whalan at 5,400 feet on March 29, they found 8 inches of snow with 3 inches of water content, 14 percent of the historic average.At Big Flat at 5,100 feet on March 26, the measurement was 9 inches of snow with 2 inches of water content, 17 percent of the historic average.According to the Department of Water Resources, this February was one of the driest in California history. Late winter storms helped but were not enough to put the state on track for an average year.The early-April snow survey is the most important for water supply forecasting because the snowpack is normally at its peak before it begins to melt with rising spring temperatures.However, the DWR noted that California?s exceptionally high precipitation last winter and spring resulted in above-average storage in 154 reservoirs tracked by the department. DWR estimates total storage in these reservoirs was at 107 percent of average for this time of year.?As of Monday, Trinity Lake was 78 percent full and was at 98 percent of average for this time of year. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 11 08:28:19 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2018 15:28:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Southern California water agency votes to fund controversial plan to build two delta tunnels References: <1223364985.1755483.1523460499804.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1223364985.1755483.1523460499804@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-delta-tunnel-mwd-20180410-story.html Southern California water agency votes to fund controversial plan to build two delta tunnels By?BETTINA BOXALLAPR 10, 2018?|?8:15 PMThe Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted Tuesday to shoulder most of the cost of revamping the system that delivers water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta to the Southland, committing nearly $11 billion to building two massive tunnels.The approval, by a surprisingly strong margin, pushes ahead a controversial infrastructure project that has dominated discussions of how to halt the delta's steep ecological decline ? a decline that has threatened water deliveries to Los Angeles and other parts of the state's most populous region.inRead?invented by TeadsADVERTISEMENTA top priority of Gov. Jerry Brown's administration, the tunnels project has been in the planning stages for more than a decade.The MWD vote does not assure that it will be built. The project has yet to obtain key permits and faces years of legal challenges by opponents who consider it a costly diversion from more-sustainable water development projects such as recycling and storm water capture. PAID POST What's This? New Rule in Mount Shasta, CA A message from?Comparisons.orgDrivers With No Tickets In 3 Years Are In For A Big SurpriseSEE MOREBut it helps clear the path for an overhaul that MWD's influential staff has insisted is vital to sustaining deliveries that make up roughly a third of the Southland's water supply.The vote capped months of back and forth over tunnel financing, which emerged as a make-or-break issue for one of the most ambitious water projects proposed in California in decades.The original funding plan fell apart last year when the big San Joaquin Valley agricultural districts, which were supposed to pick up nearly half of the proposed $17-billion bill to construct two 35-mile water tunnels under the delta, backed out.Ultimately two options emerged: Build a cheaper, one-tunnel version that would be financed by MWD and the mostly urban districts that get delta water deliveries from the State Water Project. Or have MWD pay for roughly two-thirds of the twin tunnel project, with other districts supplying the rest.The funding debate inevitably reflected the conflicts over California's water use and the environment.The project ? known as California WaterFix ? is fundamentally an attempt to maintain a robust level of deliveries to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness and Southern California cities. Those deliveries have been subject to growing limits triggered by the harmful effects of water exports on the delta environment.By modifying the way some supplies are routed through the delta, the tunnels are designed to lessen those impacts and thus avert further export restrictions. Proponents also say the tunnels will make a key part of the state's water system less vulnerable to earthquakes and rising sea levels.Opponents ? primarily delta interests and major environmental groups ? argue that the twin tunnels would inevitably be used to rob the delta of more fresh water. The answer to the delta's problems is to reduce exports and develop more local supplies, they say.Agriculture's unwillingness to help pay for a project that it arguably needs more than urban districts ? which have more diverse water sources ? highlighted the degree to which the state's fruit-and-vegetable garden depends on federal water projects that provide cheap supplies subsidized by taxpayers.The conflicts were evident in the fractious board debate leading up to Tuesday's vote.Delegations from Los Angeles and the San Diego County Water Authority, both of which are working to reduce reliance on imported supplies and develop more local sources, led the fight against MWD taking on most of the two-tunnel bill.An $11-billion tunnel bill was financially risky, they argued. Since an MWD analysis concluded that two tunnels wouldn't send any more water to the Southland than one tunnel, they also insisted that Southern California shouldn't have to foot the bill for the extra capacity."We don't sit here today to tax our members for the entire state of California," Los Angeles delegate Lorraine Paskett said. "I can't support a vote that will put our ratepayers at risk."MWD has projected that investing roughly $11 billion in the tunnels would raise residential rates by $60 a year. Opponents contend the increase could be far greater.The board's twin-tunnel proponents, led by the Municipal Water District of Orange County, argued that building the full project would give water managers more flexibility in running delta operations, provide greater capacity to divert water during high flows and ultimately do a better job of sustaining delta deliveries that the Southland can't do without.They also predicted that MWD could recoup its extra investment by selling tunnel supplies to growers once the project was finished."I believe ag will be there," said board Chairman Randy Record, who represents parts of Riverside County and voted for two-tunnel financing. "We don't think ultimately we'll have to pay for all of it."Although board members had predicted a close vote, the motion to fund both tunnels passed 61% to 39%. MWD weights member agency votes according to the assessed property values of their service areas. The two agencies with the largest votes, the city of Los Angeles and the San Diego authority, voted no, along with Santa Monica and San Fernando.The vote authorizes MWD to fund roughly two-thirds of the full tunnel project, or $10.8 billion. But it doesn't irrevocably bind the board, which could pull back if permitting issues force changes in the project."There are things that we don't know how they'll turn out," Record said. "But I really believe ? it's appropriate for Met to send a signal that we believe in the value of this project, that we're willing to move forward to do what we can to make that happen."UPDATES:8:15 p.m.:?This article was updated to include additional details from the vote and comments.This article was originally published at 3:45 p.m. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Wed Apr 11 09:01:55 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 11 Apr 2018 12:01:55 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Metropolitan Water District Votes to Support Twin Tunnels Project In-Reply-To: <1223364985.1755483.1523460499804@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1223364985.1755483.1523460499804.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1223364985.1755483.1523460499804@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <545f43ac-3426-4a36-839b-65893a63420f@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/10/1756028/-Metropolitan-Water-District-Votes-to-Support-Twin-Tunnels-Project http://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2018/04/10/metropolitan-water-district-votes-to-finance-delta-tunnels-project/ Metropolitan Water District Votes to Support Twin Tunnels Project By Dan Bacher In spite of appeals by many of its ratepayers to oppose the Delta Tunnels project, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California?s Board of Directors today voted 61% to 39% to support the full project to build two massive water tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The vote in favor of the twin tunnels took place after a topsy-turvy week where representatives of the giant water agency flip-flopped between support of a one tunnel proposal and a two tunnels option. The Board pledged to commit $10.8 billion (or possibly more without a spending cap) to cover 64.6 percent (or more) of the upfront construction costs of the $17 billion project, making Metropolitan the project?s primary investor. ?For decades, we have sought a solution to the problems of the Bay Delta, problems that put Southern California?s water supply at risk,? Metropolitan board Chairman Randy Record said after the vote. ?We finally have that solution, California WaterFix. We simply could not jeopardize the opportunity to move this long-sought and much-needed project forward.? Predictably, Governor Jerry Brown, who yesterday sent a letter to Metropolitan Water District board members yesterday urging them to support the project in full, praised the decision. ?This is a historic decision that is good for California ? our people, our farms and our natural environment,? claimed Brown. Likewise, Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nelmeth lauded the board?s approval of the Delta Tunnels proposal in a statement. ?Today?s decision by MWD?s Board is a clear demonstration that they see the public benefit and value in pursuing WaterFix,? Nemeth said. ?This smart investment will protect billions of dollars in ratepayer investment, provide generations of Californians with clean drinking water and address the Delta?s worsening health.? ?The state is eager to move forward with WaterFix to protect the Delta ecosystem and ensure a reliable water supply for the future. I am pleased that the directors of MWD, who have a long history of forward-thinking leadership in water management, are making progress to build on their local sustainability efforts by shoring up the reliability of this critical water supply,? said Nemeth. Representatives of fishing, conservation, consumer and environmental groups blasted the vote, emphasizing that it is already being challenged in court because of the enormous devastation it would pose to salmon and other West Coast Coast fisheries and the Delta ecosystem. "Today the Met's directors voted to saddle their ratepayers with up to $50 per month charge in order to subsidize water to almond growers in the western San Joaquin Valley,? said John McManus, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA). ?GGSA and allies are already in court challenging this project because federal fish experts have found the twin tunnels will be a disaster for salmon." "We may have lost the battle today, but Prop 218 and Prop 26 violations will lead to more litigation where we will win the war,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta after the vote. ?Today's decision to issue a blank check to MWD General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger for project construction marks day one of the next fifteen years of water wars in the courts where we are determined to prevail. Litigation is a form of collaboration, and we look forward to continuing this work with our partners to protect and preserve the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary, its wildlife, and its people. ? She also noted, ?Despite MWD?s approval to fund 64.6 percent or more of the twin tunnels total costs, it is still unclear as to who will be financing the remainder of the project after Central Valley Project contractors said they would not fund the project, and Santa Clara Valley Water District voted to only participate in a one tunnel project.? ?Without major State Water Project and Central Valley Project contractors on board, MWD will have to recruit private investors to create a private-public partnership?a clear attempt to undo protections of California water as a public trust resource. Without private investors, MWD's ability to spend more than $10.8 billion on project costs could further burden Southern Californians with even higher tax increases than currently presented,? she said. Before the vote, a multitude of speakers, including ratepayers, environmental justice advocates, conservationists, ministers, community leaders and union representatives, urged the board to reject both the single tunnel and twin tunnels options before the board. Local water ratepayer Sara Huezo perhaps said it best: ?You want this project? Set up a #gofundme and pay for it yourselves! Don't raise LA ratepayer taxes for #Deltatunnels .? Many board members also opposed the vote, including representatives of Los Angeles, the San Diego Water Authority and the Cities of Santa Monica and San Fernando. Los Angeles board member Mark Gold told the Board he opposed moving forward on a project "that the two largest cities in the state don't support," referring to L.A. and San Diego. Brenna Norton, the Senior Organizer for Food & Water Watch, said her group is ?outraged by Metropolitan Water District?s vote to deliver almost $11 billion and a blank check toward the wasteful Delta Tunnels project.? ?It is appalling to raise Los Angeles families? bills for a scheme that will needlessly make Southern California?s water more expensive, while benefiting corporate agribusiness,? she explained. ?We thank Mayor Garcetti?s appointees on the Metropolitan board for unanimously voting against it, along with representatives from the San Diego County Water Authority and the Cities of Santa Monica and San Fernando.? ?The tunnels project is still missing at least $7 billion of the remaining costs, not including interest payments, and remains unsecured. This fight is not over,? Norton emphasized. The fight to stop the tunnels is definitely not over, since the project faces other hurdles before construction of the project could ever start, including decades of litigation against the project. The State Water Resources Control Board is currently conducting evidentiary hearings on the petition by the California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to change the point of diversions for the Delta Tunnels project, in spite of a change in the project by the state and federal governments from the twin tunnels to a two phase project. The Delta Tunnels project would hasten the extinction of Central Valley steelhead, Sacramento River winter and spring Chinook salmon, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, as well as imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers, according to fishing groups, Tribes and conservation groups. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Met-votes-yes.png Type: image/png Size: 384371 bytes Desc: not available URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Wed Apr 11 11:21:09 2018 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2018 18:21:09 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] WC rotary screw trap update Message-ID: <13ced32214304c8a8a0d9122b9ccbfe6@mail.yuroktribe.nsn.us> Hi all, Our juvenile outmigrant rotary screw traps in Willow Creek have been installed for the season, starting in julian week 11. Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' in-season catch update for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please review for full details. Oshun Orourke Yurok Tribal Fisheries Trinity Division 530-629-3333 ext 1703 oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 21063 bytes Desc: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 11 16:58:38 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2018 23:58:38 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Advance Notification - 2018 Combined Klamath RFP In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <346390255.1940705.1523491119704@mail.yahoo.com> From: Anne Butterfield [mailto:Anne.Butterfield at NFWF.ORG]? Sent: Wednesday, April 11, 2018 2:28 PM To: Colleen Walters Subject: Advance Notification - 2018 Combined Klamath RFP ? Hello All, ? The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation would like to inform you of a grant opportunity for the Klamath Basin. The Request for Proposals will open on May 1, 2018 and we will hold a webinar on May 8, 2018 from 10:00am - 12:00pm PST. ? Please see the attached memo for more information and be sure to register for our webinar using the link provided. ? NFWF will send another email notification upon the release of the RFP. Feel free to share this notification with others and post on any group listing. ? Thank you, Anne ? Anne Butterfield Senior Manager, Impact-Directed Environmental Accounts (IDEA) National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 90 New Montgomery Street, Suite 1010 San Francisco, CA? 94105 Direct: (415) 243-3106| Fax: (415) 778-0998 Anne.Butterfield at nfwf.org|www.nfwf.org ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Combined Klamath Coho RFP Advance Notification .pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 120005 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3063 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Apr 13 09:12:18 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2018 16:12:18 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <450061291.349317.1523635938870@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, April 13, 2018 9:10 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time ? ? ? ? ? ? From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 04/16/2017? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?300 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 400 04/17/2017 ? ? ?0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?500 04/17/2017? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600 04/17/2017? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80004/17/2017? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050 04/17/2017? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 04/17/2017? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550 04/17/2017? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1800 04/17/2017? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?1750 04/17/2017? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?1700 04/17/2017? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?1650 04/18/2017? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600 04/18/2017? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155004/18/2017? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500 04/18/2017? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 04/18/2017? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140004/18/2017? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135004/18/2017? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 04/19/2017? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250 04/19/2017? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120004/19/2017? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 04/19/2017? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100?? 04/19/2017? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?105004/19/2017? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100004/19/2017? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95004/19/2017? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90004/19/2017? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85004/19/2017? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80004/19/2017? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75004/19/2017? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700 04/20/2017? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650 04/21/2017? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600 04/21/2017? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?55004/21/2017? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? 04/22/2017? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?45004/22/2017? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?400??04/22/2017? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?35004/22/2017? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?350? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?300??????? Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Apr 13 12:07:46 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2018 19:07:46 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath River salmon season set to reopen in May; other regions face restrictions References: <1798862457.463194.1523646466101.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1798862457.463194.1523646466101@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20180412/klamath-river-salmon-season-set-to-reopen-in-may-other-regions-face-restrictions&template=printart Klamath River salmon season set to reopen in May; other regions face restrictions Ocean fishery set to open in May, in-river sport fishing in June By Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardThursday, April 12, 2018After facing closures for up to two years because of low salmon returns, Klamath River salmon fishermen and tribes are gearing up for a chance to make up for some of their losses in 2018.?But the Klamath River season appears to be the only silver lining in California?s salmon season, according to fishery officials, with fishermen further south facing a potentially meager season asa result of low returns of Sacramento salmon.?Humboldt Fishermen?s Marketing Association President Harrison Ibach described this year?s season as odd in that the Klamath River salmon fishery has a longer summer season than fisheries down south when he said it?s normally the other way around.?As a whole, this season is very, very restrictive and going to be fairly devastating for a lot of salmon fishermen,? Ibach said. ?But that we get a little season here is nice and it will help a little bit.?The Klamath River?s sport and ocean salmon seasons were closed last year because of an unprecedented low prediction of returning Chinook salmon.Last year, the Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes were allocated just over 800 Chinook salmon, the lowest on record. The Yurok Tribe closed its commercial fishery for the second year in a row as a result and harvested only 216 fish for ceremonies and for tribal elders. The Hoopa Valley Tribe harvested 1,660 fish last year, which federal agencies and the Yurok Tribe have deemed as overharvesting?though the Hoopa Valley Tribe challenged that claim.This year, the tribes are set to be allocated more than 18,000 fall-run Chinook salmon.The 2018 salmon harvest rules for the West Coast were approved this week by the Pacific Fishery Management Council after several days of meetings. The rules for salmon and other fisheries are expected to be approved by the National Marine Fisheries Service by May 1.?Ibach said this is the first time in about five years he can remember being able to fish for Klamath salmon in May, which he said is a nice change of pace.The fishery council?s California troll salmon adviser Dave Bitts of Eureka said normally about 80 percent of the year?s salmon catch occurs in July, but the season will only be open for six days that month in the Fort Bragg and San Francisco areas because of the low predicted return of Sacramento River salmon.Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations Executive Director Noah Oppenheim ? who represents fishing fleets from San Diego to Alaska ? said this year?s salmon season rules make it ?clear as day that the drought is not over for salmon fishermen, who continue to pay for terrible water policy decisions with their livelihoods year after year.??With the Sacramento River salmon stock constraining us, it took a lot of hard work and collaboration just to patch together the meager season we?re facing for 2018,? he said. ?But there will be California salmon on the menu and in the cold case this summer. We?ve finished the season setting process, and our members are looking forward to finally getting back out on the water. It?ll be tough, but we will persevere.?Bitts said the predicted return of Sacramento River salmon is very conservative this year and for good reason.?They were badly overpredicted for three years in a row,? Bitts said.By reigning in the harvest of Sacramento salmon this year, Bitts said the idea is to allow for more fish to be able to spawn and restore the stock. At the same time, Bitts said fishing vessels in San Francisco reported seeing an abundance of smaller salmon last year, which he said could indicate the return of Sacramento River salmon will be higher than predicted.??If that turns out to be true, then we may not have a whole lot of time, but the time should be productive compared to last year,? Bitts said.Ibach said with ocean fishing in the Klamath Management Zone ? which runs from the California-Oregon border to Humboldt Bay?s south jetty ? being open earlier this year, it may attract more fishermen from southern areas of the state.While Ibach said he wishes the salmon season could be open for longer, he said that is not always the case.?We?re appreciative to get as much time as we can get to go to work,? he said.?Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Apr 13 15:15:45 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2018 22:15:45 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam REVISION In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1671266261.8435.1523657745994@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, April 13, 2018 3:09 PM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time ? ? ? ? ? ? From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 04/16/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?300 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 400 04/17/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?500 04/17/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600 04/17/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80004/17/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050? 04/17/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 04/17/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550? 04/17/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1800? 04/17/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?1750? 04/17/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?1700 04/17/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?1650 04/18/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600 04/18/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155004/18/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 04/18/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 04/18/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140004/18/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135004/18/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 04/19/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250 04/19/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120004/19/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 04/19/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100?? 04/19/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?105004/19/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100004/19/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95004/19/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90004/19/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85004/19/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80004/19/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75004/19/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700 04/20/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? 04/21/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600 04/21/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?55004/21/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? 04/22/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?45004/22/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?400??04/22/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?35004/22/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?350? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?300??????????? Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ebpeterson at usbr.gov Mon Apr 16 08:55:03 2018 From: ebpeterson at usbr.gov (Peterson, Eric) Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2018 08:55:03 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Special Meeting, Wednesday, 4/18 Message-ID: Please see the attached agenda for a special TMC meeting this Wednesday, to complete review and decisions on watershed projects. --- Eric B. Peterson, Ph.D. Trinity River Restoration Program U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 530-623-1810 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: April 2018 Special TMC Meeting Agenda.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 21251 bytes Desc: April 2018 Special TMC Meeting Agenda.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Apr 16 09:58:49 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2018 16:58:49 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] When it comes to the California delta, none of Gov. Jerry Brown's potential successors have tunnel vision References: <805465832.999490.1523897929462.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <805465832.999490.1523897929462@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-skelton-jerry-brown-delta-tunnels-california-governor-20180416-story.htmlWhen it comes to the California delta, none of Gov. Jerry Brown's potential successors have tunnel visionBy?GEORGE SKELTONAPR 16, 2018?|?12:05 AM?|?SACRAMENTO???Gov. Jerry Brown scored big last week in his tenacious effort to build monstrous twin water tunnels in the California delta. But his legacy project could still collapse. No potential successor supports it. Brown will be termed out in January. Nothing's going to be built before then, and the needed permits probably won't even be awarded. The next governor could pull the plug. And all the wannabes are talking like they just might. At the least they'd hit the pause button.One tunnel might be OK, says the Democratic front-runner, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, but two are too many."There is room for cooperation and compromise around a single tunnel," Newsom emailed me last week after the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California committed nearly $11 billion to largely finance Brown's $17-billion twin-tunnels project."The status quo is unacceptable," Newsom continued, referring to the delta's quirky, unreliable plumbing. "The issue of responsible [water] conveyance ? one that protects and advances the health of the delta ? has to be a priority of the next governor."But that can't be our only approach. I strongly believe California must work to reduce our dependence on the delta by focusing on regional solutions, investing in critical water infrastructure like recycling and ground water replacement, and conservation."That's also the position of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. He wants to rely less on the delta and by 2035 obtain half the city's supply from local storm-water runoff and wastewater recycling.A former L.A. mayor, gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, also isn't persuaded that the twin tunnels make sense.Villaraigosa thinks "before we divide this state around the proposal for new twin tunnels, let's understand all of our options," says campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino."Have we done enough to conserve? Are we using the latest technologies to refresh our underground aquifers? Are we moving forward with all appropriate speed in building new storage to capture water during rainy years? Are we capturing and cleaning urban runoff? Are cities recycling water as much and as well as they can? We need to adequately answer those questions first."Short answer: No.And the state also isn't moving fast enough toward the inevitability of widespread desalination.More from George Skelton ?Newsom and Villaraigosa are the most probable replacements for Brown, based on polls.Two Republican candidates ? businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach ? are solidly opposed to the tunnels. But the odds on either being elected governor are virtually zilch in this deep blue state. They are, however, battling Villaraigosa for second place in the June 5 primary and a runoff spot in November.Two trailing Democrats ? state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin ? also are leery of the tunnels."California's primary clean water supply is out of date and unreliable because we can't adequately capture and store water when it's available," Chiang emailed me, apparently referring in part to California's snail pace at dam building."Despite new financing by the Metropolitan Water District," Chiang continued, "we must first ensure that we are doing everything possible to protect our ecosystems, our water supply and our economy. ? That's why I believe it's important to continue this debate."Rushing into a decision without fully addressing all the concerns could be something we regret for the next 100 years. The state, working hand-in-hand with local communities and California voters, can come up with a creative solution."Coverage of California politics ?That sounds like Chiang thinks California voters should be given a say on any tunnels project ? something they're being denied under Brown's plan. Southern California water users also aren't being offered a vote on whether they want their monthly bills jacked up to pay for the tunnels.The original state water project went before voters in 1960 and was narrowly approved. It was created by Brown's father, Gov. Pat Brown.In Jerry Brown's first tenure as governor, he talked the Legislature into authorizing construction of a Peripheral Canal to funnel fresh Sacramento River water around the brackish delta and into southbound aqueducts. It was considered the best way to protect salmon, striped bass and tiny smelt from fish-chomping pumps. But voters repealed the legislation in 1982.Since then, the delta fishery has tanked, partly because of the pumps. Courts have tightened the water valve to protect the critters, provoking howls from San Joaquin Valley farmers and jitters among Southern California water interests.Brown's answer is the tunnels ? two 35-mile, 40-foot wide pipes down the center of the delta, disrupting orchards, water fowl areas and little towns. Fresh water would be siphoned from the Sacramento River before it enters the delta.Northern environmentalists detect a southern water grab. The coastal fishing industry fears there'll be even fewer salmon because of less fresh water flowing through the delta. Local farmers and residents also are fighting the loss of fresh water that would be diverted into the tunnels.Eighteen lawsuits have been filed. Many more will be."Jerry is stubborn about certain things," says Eastin, who adamantly opposes the tunnels. "He wanted the Peripheral Canal. The tunnels are the Peripheral Canal with a lid on it.""The state isn't doing water planning," she adds. "We're just doing expensive things like tunnels ? an old idea."Water is a critical problem for California. Always has been. But it doesn't get discussed much on the campaign trail. It's not sexy absent a severe drought.Fortunately, Brown's successor won't be limited by tunnel vision.george.skelton at latimes.comFollow?@LATimesSkelton?on Twitter -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Mon Apr 16 10:30:50 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2018 10:30:50 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Extreme Climate Variability may be Destabilizing West Coast Ecosystems Message-ID: <009001d3d5a8$aab3d2d0$001b7870$@sisqtel.net> Columbia Basin Bulletin Research: Extreme Climate Variability In West May Be Destabilizing West Coast Marine Ecosystems Posted on Friday, April 13, 2018 (PST) New research shows that extreme climate variability over the last century in western North America may be destabilizing both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Climate is increasingly controlling synchronous ecosystem behavior in which species populations rise and fall together, according to the National Science Foundation-funded study published in the journal Global Change Biology. Climate variability is of concern given that extreme events, such as prolonged drought or heatwaves, can disproportionately impact biology, reduce resilience and leave a lasting impact. An increase in the synchrony of the climate could expose marine and terrestrial organisms to higher risks of extinction, said study co-author Ivan Arismendi, an aquatic ecologist and assistant professor at Oregon State University. ?There has been a tremendous amount of research on climate change, but almost all of it has been focused on trends in average conditions, such as rising temperatures,? Arismendi said. ?However, climate is also predicted to become more variable and very little research has addressed this issue. Our study found that extreme variability is synchronizing processes within and among ecosystems at a level not seen in the last 250 years.? The study can be found at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.14128 The interdisciplinary research team, led by the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, documented that wintertime atmospheric conditions along the west coast of North America, known as North Pacific high, are important to marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems in California and the southwestern United States. A strong wintertime North Pacific High is associated with winds that are favorable for marine productivity, but also blocks the onshore storm track and leads to drought on land. The researchers documented that the North Pacific High has become more variable over the past century, and that these trends have been imprinted on physical and biological indicators from the continental slope to the Sierra Nevada and beyond. There are more dramatic and frequent swings in this winter climate pattern, and not only has variability increased, but so too has the synchrony among diverse ecosystems. ?We?ve found that land, rivers, and oceans are all strongly related to a winter climate pattern off the western coast of North America, and that climate pattern has become more variable over the past century,? said lead author Bryan Black, associate professor of marine science at UT-Austin. ?This extreme variability is increasingly imprinted on these freshwater, terrestrial, and marine systems, and this has caused them to become more synchronous with one another with a number of implications for fisheries, drought, snowpack, and tree growth.? Indeed, tree-ring chronologies provide much longer histories than observational records and corroborate that variability and synchrony have risen over the past hundred years, and to levels that are as high as any observed over the past three centuries, according to the researchers. More frequent and larger changes in the North Pacific High appear to originate from rising variability in the tropics and are linked to the record-breaking El Ni?o events in 1983, 1998, and 2016 and the 2014-2015 North Pacific Ocean heat wave known as ?The Blob.? Arismendi is an assistant professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in OSU?s College of Agricultural Sciences. Jason Dunham, an aquatic ecologist at the U.S. Geologic Survey Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center in Corvallis, is also one of the study?s co-authors. Bookmark and Share -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 596 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Apr 16 11:22:50 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2018 18:22:50 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation announces 2018 schedule for release into Trinity River as part of restoration program In-Reply-To: <0b6ca25029f3469a9281c830d5d5b690@usbr.gov> References: <0b6ca25029f3469a9281c830d5d5b690@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <629003783.1043953.1523902970914@mail.yahoo.com> On Monday, April 16, 2018 11:18 AM, Lisa Navarro wrote: Reclamation announces 2018 schedule for release into Trinity River as part of restoration program??Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.MP-18-061Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.govFor Immediate Release: April 16, 2018 Reclamation announces 2018 schedule for release into Trinity River as part of restoration program WEAVERVILLE, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation announced today that Lewiston Dam releases into the Trinity River will increase Tuesday, April 17, and will reach approximately 1,900 cubic feet per second (cfs) by Sunday, May 13, and remain at peak flow for one day. Four sub-peaks are scheduled at discharges of 1,390 cfs on Wednesday, April 18; 1,400 cfs on Sunday, April 29; 1,600 cfs on Saturday, May 5; and, 1,620 cfs on Friday, May 25.People residing near the river or recreating on the river can expect river levels to increase and should take appropriate safety precautions. Landowners are advised to clear personal items from the floodplain prior to the releases.The releases will start ramping down May 26 until the summer base flow of 450 cfs is reached June 30. The releases for this ?critically dry? 2018 water year will result in an annual total volume of 369,000 acre-feet.The December 2000 Trinity River Mainstem Fishery Restoration Record of Decision created a plan for the restoration of the Trinity River and its fish and wildlife populations. More information on the Trinity River Restoration Program can be found at www.trrp.net/.A daily schedule of flow releases is available at www.trrp.net/restore/flows/current/, and the public may subscribe to automated notifications (via phone or email) of Trinity River release changes. The flow release schedule is posted at the Trinity River Restoration Program office, located at 1313 South Main Street, Weaverville.For additional information, please contact Kevin Held at 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339) or kheld at usbr.gov or visit www.trrp.net.# # #Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Mon Apr 16 12:21:21 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 16 Apr 2018 15:21:21 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Assemblymember_Frazier_Says_Metropolitan_?= =?utf-8?b?V2F0ZXIgRGlzdHJpY3TigJlzIOKAmERpc2hvbmVzdHnigJkgVGhyZWF0ZW5z?= =?utf-8?q?_to_Destroy_Delta?= In-Reply-To: <805465832.999490.1523897929462@mail.yahoo.com> References: <805465832.999490.1523897929462.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <805465832.999490.1523897929462@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: http://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2018/04/15/assemblymember-frazier-says-metropolitan-water-districts-dishonesty-threatens-to-destroy-delta/ https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/15/1757179/-Assemblyman-Frazier-Says-Metropolitan-Water-District-s-Dishonesty-Threatens-to-Destroy-Delta Assemblymember Frazier Says Metropolitan Water District?s ?Dishonesty? Threatens to Destroy Delta By Dan Bacher Governor Jerry Brown described the vote by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California Board of Directors on April 10 to support the Delta Tunnels as ?a historic decision that is good for California ? our people, our farms and our natural environment.? Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) strongly disagrees with Brown?s assessment of the vote as ?a historic decision,? instead issuing a statement pointing out how MWD?s ?dishonesty? threatens to destroy the Delta: ?Californians deserve comprehensive 21st century water management solutions in light of climate change and more frequent and devastating droughts, not a decades old plan that creates no benefit and picks the pockets of hard-working people. The vote by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California shows that proponents of this project have been deceitful the whole time. There?s never been a ?statewide? approach as they?ve claimed. It?s never been about sustainability but a foolhardy plan to overdraw the Delta to sell a limited and precious natural resource to the highest bidder. This boondoggle uses antiquated methods for water delivery to degrade the water quality for all Californians and places greater burdens farmers in the Delta and Central Valley. Just like the Colorado River Compact, this project is built on false pretenses of water availability. Met has already proven they are bad actors by overcharging San Diego for water many times. Given this history, my concern is Met may try to overcharge Central Valley farmers too.? Assemblymember Frazier represents the 11thAssembly District, which includes the communities of Antioch, Bethel Island, Birds Landing, Brentwood, Byron, Collinsville, Discovery Bay, Fairfield, Isleton, Knightsen, Locke, Oakley, Pittsburg (partial), Rio Vista, Suisun City, Travis AFB, Vacaville and Walnut Grove. In spite of appeals by many of its ratepayers to oppose the Delta Tunnels project, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California?s Board of Directors voted 61% to 39% to support the full project to build two massive water tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The vote in favor of the twin tunnels took place after a topsy-turvy week where representatives of the giant water agency flip-flopped between support of a one tunnel proposal and a two tunnels option. The Board pledged to commit $10.8 billion (or possibly more without a spending cap) to cover 64.6 percent (or more) of the upfront construction costs of the $17 billion project, making Metropolitan the project?s primary investor. For more information, go to: www.dailykos.com/ ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Dodd___Frazier.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 104657 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 17 08:02:14 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2018 15:02:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Records_contradict_feds=E2=80=99_story_be?= =?utf-8?q?hind_disbanding_of_Trinity_River_watchdog_group?= References: <428128654.1502810.1523977334555.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <428128654.1502810.1523977334555@mail.yahoo.com> Records contradict feds? story behind disbanding of Trinity River watchdog group | | | | | | | | | | | Records contradict feds? story behind disbanding of Trinity River watchdog ... Federal documents and emails provided to the Times-Standard contradict and call into question the Trump administ... | | | | Records contradict feds? story behind disbanding of Trinity River watchdog group Watchdog chairman: Says disbanding group was retaliation for conflict of interest claims Contradictions: While the Interior Department said one thing, emails show different story By Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardMonday, April 16, 2018Federal documents and emails provided to the Times-Standard contradict and call into question the Trump administration?s reasoning for disbanding a citizen?s watchdog group tasked with overseeing a multi-million dollar, publicly funded Trinity River restoration project.?The U.S. Interior Department told the Times-Standard last year that the advisory group, known as the Trinity River Adaptive Management Working Group or TAMWG, was dissolved because it never turned in a short memo justifying why it should continue to be funded.?But records and emails from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials ? who acted as the liaison between the Interior Department and the advisory group ? show that they had submitted several justification memos last year, which were either rejected or left unresponded to by the Interior Department.Months before being dissolved, the advisory group had reasserted its concerns of conflict of interest and self-dealing by the government council it is tasked with advising: the Trinity River Management Council. The council manages the restoration project and is made up of several government agencies ? including two Interior Department agencies ? and tribal nations.?One of the advisory group?s final actions at its last meeting in March 2017 was to put a statement on the record calling the Trinity Management Council ?inherently corrupt.??The advisory group?s former chairman Tom Stokely claims their group was disbanded as retaliation for these claims.?The message is that if you criticize the Trinity River Restoration Program, you will be punished and defunded,? Stokely said Friday. ?In March 2017, the TAMWG sent a letter critical of conflicts of interest and self-dealing on the Trinity Management Council. The disbanding is the result.?Last year, California 2nd District Congressman Jared Huffman requested Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke provide detailed information as to why the group was disbanded. Huffman said he has yet to receive any response as of this week.Huffman (D-San Rafael) said the documents and emails received by the Times-Standard show that the Interior Department?s reasoning does not withstand scrutiny.?There is something here that does not smell right because the reasons that have been given are not valid,? he said. ?So with this administration and given Secretary Zinke?s record on these issues, I?m not very trustful that our needs will get fair consideration and that they will do the right thing.?It may be that having a group of stakeholders fully organized and operational is a threatening thing to an administration that would like to potentially do bad things to the Trinity River,? Huffman continued. Interior response The Times-Standard sent several questions to the Interior Department this week asking why it dissolved the advisory group when records and statements by its own staff show that the crucial justification memo was submitted on several occasions.The Department?s Press Secretary Heather Swift responded with a statement on Friday that did not answer any of the Times-Standard?s questions. The statement is nearly a word-for-word match to a statement provided to the Times-Standard by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.?The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service values the collaborative work with our partners on Trinity River restoration and we remain committed to ensuring their input is fully considered as we move forward,? the statement reads. ?The Department of Interior took a comprehensive review of the Trinity River Adaptive Management Working Group and has reaffirmed the decision to keep the group inactive. We strongly believe we can provide the same level of involvement with our stakeholders as we continue the important restoration work in the watershed.?The Interior Department had yet to provide answers to the questions by Monday evening.This statement contradicts what the Fish and Wildlife Service wrote in a justification memo it submitted to the Interior Department in October. The memo states that if the Trinity River advisory group was unable to meet or exist, the framework for providing stakeholder input on the restoration project ?would be terminated? and would ?greatly diminish the input from stakeholders.??The advisory group was provided access to the restoration program?s documents and operations from which they made their recommendations. With the group disbanded, these members can still provide comment, but only for a 3-minute comment period at the council?s meetings.?It is likely that many of the stakeholder groups that currently support the program would no longer support it and others may seek to provide input through congressional or other public means,? the memo reads.Stokely now counts himself as one of the stakeholders that no longer supports the project.?For me, personally, after 30 years of intense participation in the old and new Trinity River Restoration Programs, I can no longer defend the program,? he said. ?The Trinity River Restoration Program really does need public oversight. It?s tragic that something with so much potential has turned into such a mess.?? Finding justification The 15-member Trinity River Adaptive Management Working Group serves as a public advisory body for the federal Trinity River Restoration Program. The program was created in 2000 and seeks to restore the Trinity River?s fisheries that had been affected by dam construction as well as historic logging and mining.The 15-member advisory group was made up of people who work or live in the Trinity River area, including environmentalists, utility interests, landowners, raft guides and business owners.The restoration program is managed by the Trinity River Management Council, which is made up two Interior Department agencies ? the Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ? as well as the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, California Natural Resources Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Forest Service and Trinity County.The advisory group, along with about 200 federal advisory bodies under the Interior Department, was frozen in the first half of 2017 by the Interior Department in order to allow the department to review their purpose.The Interior Department told the Times-Standard last year the reason it ultimately disbanded the advisory group in November was because the group did not submit ?a short justification memo for continuation? of their $100,000/year operation.?The Fish and Wildlife Service stated the advisory body costs an average of $73,000 per year, which includes federal staff time, travel costs, meeting room rental and clerical supplies. Advisory group members do not receive a salary or wage.Emails from November show that the statement was the first time both Fish and Wildlife and advisory group members had heard the department?s reasoning to disband the group.?The Times-Standard had asked via email and through a Freedom of Information Act request that the Interior Department provide a copy of the letter they had sent to the advisory group. Swift responded that the letter was sent in early 2017 and declined to provide more information. The records the Interior Department provided to the Times-Standard did not include a letter sent directly to the advisory group asking for justification.However, the Interior Department as part of its review did request in a May 5, 2017 letter to its assistant secretaries that they submit information about the various advisory committees they oversaw. The requested information included ?a narrative justification for the committee? to be submitted by May 22 to help with the review. Documents and emails show that the Fish and Wildlife Service submitted this information, including a justification statement for the Trinity River group, before the deadline.Officials were expecting the freeze on the advisory committees to be lifted by September and were given new instructions to provide justification statements for upcoming group meetings.? Reaction, future actions Following the November announcement that the Trinity River group would be disbanded and the reason behind it being the justification memo, Fish and Wildlife Service federal officer Krista Bibb wrote in an email to her colleagues that she had submitted the justification in a Oct. 23 packet.?It did not get lost or taken out of the package by mistake because I just checked,? Fish and Wildlife Service federal officer Krista Bibb wrote in an email to her colleagues. ?... The justification statement is in that package and was in there when they returned it unapproved from the Assistant Secretary?s office.??As far as how to explain this to anyone in the press, or not explain it, I?d recommend you continue to let External Affairs handle it,? Bibb wrote in a Dec. 4 email.When the Times-Standard contacted Fish and Wildlife officials for comment in December, they deferred all comments to the Interior Department.The Trinity Management Council was planning to send a letter to the Interior Department requesting it reconsider reinstating the advisory group, but could not vote because the Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Reclamation councilmembers had to recuse themselves.Some Interior Department officials were confused by their own department?s reasoning for disbanding the advisory group. Interior Department Assistant Solicitor Scott Bergstrom wrote in a Dec. 4 email to Fish and Wildlife Service fisheries program manager Nicholas Hetrick of Arcata that he was ?a bit puzzled? by the decision given the fact that the advisory group is included in the 2000 record of decision and environmental documents that created the Trinity River restoration program.Bergstrom said he reached out to Bureau of Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Alan Mikkelsen ? whom he described as the Secretary?s ?Klamath point person? ? who told him that the reasoning for the advisory group?s disbanding was also news to him.?[Mikkelsen] is interested in helping, but noted that ? other than the initial [Times-Standard] articles ? there seemed to be no push/interest (other than from me) to do anything here,? Bergstrom wrote in an email on Jan. 9. ?He said [Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific region] seemed neutral and that they noted to him that [the Hoopa Valley Tribe] wasn?t complaining either (which would be my normal angle to push).?Reached by the Times-Standard last year, Hoopa Valley Tribe officials had expressed ?shock? at the group being disbanded and said it would create a missing link in the restoration program.While Bergstrom said that Mikkelsen was willing to ?go to bat? for the advisory group, the group still remains inactive and the terms for all 15 members expired in March.?Stokely said that other than someone potentially filing a lawsuit, there is really nothing that can be done.?There is no alternative,? Stokely said.Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 17 18:37:41 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2018 01:37:41 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] E & E News: Highways, salmon habitat collide in WA tribal treaty case -- References: <162463713.1818606.1524015461663.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <162463713.1818606.1524015461663@mail.yahoo.com> | E & E News: Highways, salmon habitat collide in WA tribal treaty case -- detailed article about culverts case | | | | | | | | Amanda Reilly, E&E News reporter Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 SEATTLE ? Salmon swim through Charlene Krise's earliest memories: streams so dense with fish she couldn't see the bottom, salmon roe for breakfast and salmon fish head stew for dinner. "My father said that, as an infant, instead of having a teething ring, we all had smoked salmon for our teeth," said Krise, who's vice chairwoman of the Squaxin Island Tribal Council near here. Like many in her tribe, whose members are called "people of the water," Krise spent most of her adult life fishing off northwest Washington. But in the 1990s, salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest declined dramatically. There were times, Krise said, when "not one of us could find the salmon." "It felt like the whole world was in the negative because there was no salmon," the soft-spoken Krise said. There are many reasons salmon populations have fallen off in northwest Washington: water pollution, overfishing, dam construction and climate change. But tribes around Puget Sound point to the state's construction of culverts ? tunnels that channel water under roadways ? that keep salmon from reaching habitat upstream. Tomorrow, the tribes will go to the Supreme Court to ask justices to uphold a 2013 court injunction ordering the state to fix hundreds of culverts that are blocking salmon from accessing upstream habitat. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the order, but Washington state is appealing, arguing the injunction is expensive and too broad in scope. "It's very worrisome thinking about the future and the growth of the area," Krise said. "If we don't have set policies to protect those streams for fish passage with the culverts, we are going to be in trouble for the future." Culverts are only the latest focal point in a decadeslong legal war between Northwest tribes and Washington over treaties signed in 1854 and 1855. Washington territory's first governor, Isaac Ingalls Stevens, negotiated the treaties between white settlers who had been lured by the West's magnificent forests and the area's native inhabitants. Tribes agreed to give up some 64 million acres and in return received "the right of taking fish, at all usual and accustomed grounds and stations ... in common with citizens of the Territory." But after the Stevens treaties, the Pacific Northwest's white settlers impeded tribal access to fishing locations in the Columbia River and Puget Sound. That led to court clashes, beginning with an 1884 case over a settler's efforts to deny Yakima tribal fishers access to their fishing grounds. The culverts case itself is several decades old. Its origin is a lawsuit that coincided with acts of civil disobedience that tribes undertook during the 1960s and '70s to uphold their treaty rights. Tribal members ? later joined by celebrities ? were arrested as they returned to their traditional fishing grounds in staged "fish-ins." Tribal environmental advocate Billy Frank Jr., who later received a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, was arrested more than 50 times. The "fish wars" culminated with the United States and Northwest tribes suing Washington in 1970. The federal government asked the court to find that the treaties guaranteed tribes a fair amount of fish, that the tribe's share included hatchery fish and that the state is required to maintain the habitat necessary to provide protection for salmon runs. "Our elders, they fought to get into the federal court," said Phil Hamilton, vice chairman of the Muckleshoot Fisheries Commission. "It was a time where different tribes were having their fish-ins and every tribe was trying to get into the federal courts, because if they could get into the federal courts, they knew they could get the help that they needed." The tribes secured a major victory in 1974, when the late Judge George Hugo Boldt of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled that they have the right to act as co-managers of salmon and harvest them in accordance with the treaties. The state of Washington, however, resisted Boldt's ruling. After five more years of legal wrangling, the Supreme Court in 1979 ruled that tribes have a right to a "fair share of available fish" or up to half of each salmon run. Boldt, who died in 1984, didn't get to the questions of whether the tribes have a right to hatchery fish and salmon habitat free of environmental degradation. Those questions were left for later courts. In an en banc ruling in 1985, of which Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy was a part, the 9th Circuit affirmed a lower-court decision that hatchery fish must be included when determining the share of fish to tribes. But it punted on the habitat question. "The tribes asked for declaratory relief ? a declaration that the treaties protected habitat ? and the 9th Circuit said, well, we don't really think it's a good idea for courts to opine on this issue unless we have a specific factual dispute," said Michael Blumm, a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School. "And it took the tribes awhile to come up with something that's unique to the state," he said. 'There's a stream under there' The state began building culverts in the early 1900s as it began participating in the federal highway program. Culverts come in many forms ? from concrete boxes to corrugated metal pipes ? all with the purpose of funneling a stream under a road. There are whole networks of culverts under the greater Seattle area, many invisible to drivers. "It's pretty common in these urbanized areas to just fine somebody put a stream into a pipe and somebody else thinks that's a pretty good idea so they tack one onto it," said Paul Wagner, biology branch manager at the Washington Department of Transportation. "We've got some where streams will flow for 1,000 feet or more through culverts, and probably a lot of people in their day-to-day business don't even think there's a stream under there. They'll go under buildings, under schools, under shopping centers." Many culverts, though, were built too small or have since become otherwise blocked. High-velocity flows have carved out the streambed beneath their openings, creating steep drops of water several feet high. In others, the water depth is very shallow along the bottom of the culvert. They all create obstacles for salmon that cross streams at different stages of life. The fish use the streams in different ways, but generally, adults need to travel upstream from the ocean to spawn in gravel-covered streambeds. The farther upstream they get, the more likely their offspring will survive because they're away from predators. Juvenile salmon then remain in streams early in life, seeking out protected pools of slow-moving water. If a culvert is blocked ? or the water depth through too low or the velocity of the flow too high ? somewhere along a stream, it impedes the movement of salmon at both adult and juvenile stages. "It's not only that they can't get home but that it forces much more competition. It really restricts the area that they can live in," said Larry Wasserman, environmental services director for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. For adults, culverts are considered blocked if the water depth is less than 10 inches or the velocity is greater than about 4 feet per second; juveniles typically cannot leap over barriers greater than around 10 inches or swim in velocities greater than 2 feet per second. Not all culverts, though, are total barriers to fish. "Some fish might get through sometimes. It might depend on hydrologic conditions, the stream flows and such. They might have to wait for a more opportunistic time to pass through the culvert," said Susan Kanzler, stream restoration program manager at the Washington DOT. But even for adult salmon that make it through barrier culverts to spawn, putting the effort into getting through can lower their fitness, making it more difficult for them to get back to the ocean. "They're just physically beat up. You'll see some of the times they'll be coming back and they're all scraped up," Wagner said. "They've been through the gauntlet." 'The perfect case' In the 1990s, as scientists learned more about the needs of salmon and commercially harvestable levels declined, Washington recognized that culverts posed a threat to salmon. In 1997, the Washington State Legislature established a Fish Passage Task Force, and state agencies issued a report identifying barrier culverts as "one of the most recurrent and correctable obstacles to healthy salmonid stocks in Washington." But in 2001, the federal government and 21 tribes again sued the state, this time claiming that the state's management of its culverts violated the 1850s-era treaty rights. Judge Ricardo Martinez of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington agreed in 2007, ruling that culverts have "substantially diminished" the salmon harvest. Six years later, he ordered the state to fix or repair hundreds of culverts that were blocking fish passage in its northwestern corner, including the Olympic Peninsula and the Seattle area. Martinez found the state was going too slowly in removing obstacles to salmon runs. It would take more than 100 years, he wrote, to replace significantly blocked barrier culverts. He ordered the state to fix all blocked culverts under state roads. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Washington State Parks were given until Oct. 31, 2016, while the Washington DOT, which owns significantly more culverts, has until 2030. The state could defer action on culverts with less than 200 lineal meters of upstream salmon habitat until the "end of the culvert's useful life, or sooner as part of a highway project." "We've had some really fantastic runs diminished or nearly lost to these culverts," said Charles Wilkinson, a Native American law expert at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "This was the perfect case from the tribal standpoint to raise this environmental matter. The tribes spent 20 years looking for the right case." A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction in 2016 and later rejected the state's petition to review the decision en banc, or in front of the whole court. Eight of the court's active judges, though, joined an unusually blunt opinion by Senior Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain slamming their colleagues for issuing a "runaway decision" that discovering "a heretofore unknown duty" in the 19th- century treaties. The stage is now set for the Supreme Court to weigh in on tribal treaty fishing rights once again. Eight justices will hear arguments tomorrow; Kennedy has decided to sit out because of his prior involvement in the case. Wilkinson, who is writing a book on the Boldt decision, said that the case could create a ripple effect for Native American law. "Will the court, if it doesn't rule for the tribes, make law that will cut into the Boldt decision, and their own decision in 1979, too?" he asked. "Will the court backtrack on that? This is an enormous case in Indian law." 'Untenable standard' Under Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D), Washington state argues that in holding that tribes must have enough fish to provide a "moderate living," the 9th Circuit recognized "a new right, broader than any previously recognized." The "untenable standard" would render illegal many past decisions, including federal dams that affect salmon runs, and make "virtually any significant future land use decision in the Pacific Northwest subject to court oversight," the state warned. Washington also told the Supreme Court that the injunction is "remarkably unfair" because the federal government specified how the state should build culverts and granted permits for their construction. And the state says it will have to spend more than $2 billion by 2030 to fix hundreds of culverts with no guarantee that they will lead to improved salmon runs. That's because the injunction applies only to the state, not private landowners or cities and counties that own culverts in the case area. A barrier culvert for an unnamed tributary to Lake Sammamish, a freshwater lake east of Seattle that's surrounded by houses tucked into lush, evergreen trees, demonstrates the state's predicament. Invisible to vehicles, the upstream end of the culvert can be reached by climbing down a steep, slippery trail from a two-lane road. It's a 3 ?-foot diameter pipe that crosses under eight lanes of a major east-west highway and city-owned roads. The pipe is 502 feet long. When the culvert caused a sinkhole in the highway last year, the state and tribes agreed on a temporary fix, the installation of a hard plastic liner that provides protection from erosion. But the liner makes it more difficult for salmon to pass because it made the hole smaller and increased the velocity of water flows in the seasonal stream. The state is designing a long-term correction to open up the 900 feet of salmon habitat above the blocked culvert, a project that DOT estimates will cost $11 million. But there are other barriers upstream. The city of Issaquah owns a series of small dams that it built to keep the culvert from getting plugged with sediment. Those will have to be taken out. Beyond that, though, is a barrier culvert on private property that allows a driveway to pass over the seasonal stream. Issaquah has said it would consider removing its dams. But except where it can reach agreements with owners who have culverts directly abutting state roads, the state can't really do anything about blocked culverts farther upstream on private property. "A culvert like that, maybe people would say, 'Let's just put a bigger pipe in there and make it passable as part of the project.' That would be a pretty small part," Wagner said. "But the bottom line is, it's not our responsibility to fix it. And we can also say, 'Hey, we're doing our part, somebody else has to do their part.'" In Issaquah, Washington DOT last fall wrapped up a $7 million, three- year project to fix two culverts that pass under an intersection. Fixing the culverts required widening them and returning the stream to its natural, meandering state. The state laid tree trunks, their root wads still attached, on either side of the stream, creating shallow pools for juvenile fish. On a recent April day, a newly hatched salmon was swimming in one such pool. Trees planted along the banks, including willows and cottonwoods, will grow a few feet by the end of the year, providing shade. Other projects sometimes require leveling out the gradient of the channel, especially in cases where fast-moving water has scoured out the bottom of the streambed. New culverts are built to withstand 10-year floods, according to Martin Fox, a biologist for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. "The thing about culverts is, it's something we can do," Fox said. "We can't change climate very readily, we can't fix a lot of the industrialization of our watersheds, but culverts is something where we can go in and pull those things out, correct them, put in a fish passable structure, and immediately you have access to these habitats and your production will be increased." In 2015, WSDOT worked with the city of Lake Forest Park to widen this culvert and return the stream to a more natural condition. Tree trunks create protected areas for juvenile salmon. Amanda Reilly/E&E News Together, the state wildlife, natural resources and state park agencies had fewer than 100 culverts to repair. But the state DOT owns 978 culverts that applied to the injunction, with 806 deemed to have significant habitat, according to the most recent inventory information. Since the injunction, DOT has so far corrected 55 culverts within the case area, Wagner said. On average, the state says it cost $2.3 million in 2016 and $3.4 million in 2017 to fix a blocked culvert. The cost is going up because the projects that are left are bigger and more complex, according to Wagner. At least one project, in an estuarine area on the Olympic Peninsula where Chico Creek feeds into Puget Sound, is expected to cost more than $40 million because it will require rebuilding a whole highway interchange. "Since we've been working on this for a while, we've kind of gotten a lot of the low-hanging fruit," Wagner said. "With the standards that we have from the injunction, we're basically in almost every case tearing out an existing culvert and putting in a new one. And in a lot of cases, that's a major construction project." In 2017 to 2019, the state DOT plans to spend $97.5 million on stand- alone fish passage projects. The department expects it will need at least twice that amount from the Legislature in its biennial budget. Along with building new culverts, the state is also monitoring repaired ones. Each year, the Department of Fish and Wildlife inventories about 10 percent of the culverts in the case area, according to Tom Jameson, fish passage and screening division manager in the department's habitat program. "Say you've put in a great stream simulation culvert, and then there's a 50-year rainstorm in this one watershed and they get a bunch of erosion and that culvert gets blown out. Well, now you've got to correct it," he said. The federal government and tribes, though, have accused the state of overstating the cost and complexity of the injunction. Lawyers for the tribes say that the state is basing its cost projection on repairing every blocked culvert on its roads in the case area, rather than culverts that represent 90 percent of blocked habitat. The tribes also say Washington state is making too big a deal of the 9th Circuit's statements about a "moderate living" and that they've never pushed the issue in the culverts case. "You read a lot about it, but it's all fluff from the attorney general," said Mason Morisset, an attorney for the Tulalip Tribes. The federal government argues it "would make little sense" to interpret the treaties as "protecting the tribes' access to their traditional fisheries, yet permitting obstructions that substantially degraded those same fisheries." The Department of Justice attorneys have also pushed back on the state's claims that the federal government shares the blame. The state, DOJ says, was never required to use a particular model of culvert or was prevented from making adjustments to take account of local conditions. Both sides have allies going into tomorrow's arguments. The National Congress of American Indians, other tribal groups, a coalition of current and former Washington officials, former Republican Washington Gov. Daniel Evans (R) ? who was governor during the time of the Boldt decision ? and fishermen's associations have all filed amicus briefs in support of the tribes and the U.S. government. A group of law professors is also backing the tribes, arguing that, aside from the treaties, there's a common-law tradition against blocking fish passage and obstructing waterways. Washington's allies in the Supreme Court include a coalition of states, business and industry groups, conservation legal foundations and an irrigation district. Led by Idaho, a group of 11 states said in an amicus brief on behalf of Washington that they're worried about how broadly tribal rights will be read within their borders if the 9th Circuit decision is upheld. They warned that EPA's recent decision to impose federal water quality standards in Maine and Washington where it deemed subsistence fishing or sustenance rights exist is a "harbinger" of things to come. The Washington State Association of Counties and the Association of Washington Cities say they're also worried that the tribes may go after their infrastructure next if they win the court case. 'Rather fight and lose than settle' But Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, slammed the state and its allies for "citing the worst-case scenario." "Fear is a great motivator," he said. "I can tell you from Swinomish's perspective, that we've never sat around the table and said, 'What's next?' Our focus has been 100 percent on winning a culvert case only. We've never said, 'OK, we've got these damn dams on the Skagit River that we're going to take down after we win this case." To Cladoosby, who was born and raised on the Swinomish reservation along the Skagit River and whose father's great-grandfather Kelkehltsoot signed the 1855 treaty on behalf of the Swinomish, the state's decision to appeal the Martinez injunction all the way to the Supreme Court is the latest in a long state history of anti-Native American policy and sentiment. "If they started doing the work that we wish they would have done when we filed this lawsuit instead of fighting it, we would be light years ahead of where we are today," he said. Cladoosby said that the tribes "tried very hard" over the last decade to negotiate with the state on the culvert issue. He accused the state of having a "we'd rather fight and lose than settle and win" mentality when it comes to tribal treaty rights. "It's not for a lack of the tribes putting proposals out on the table that we thought were very, very fair," he said. "They walked away from what we put on the table." He added: "Then the Bob Fergusons of the world can go tell their constituents, 'We fought the good fight against the Indian tribes, we gave it our best shot, but the courts ruled against us.' They always have that excuse, that the courts ruled against us." But the state also contends it tried its best to settle the litigation. The attorney general's office retained Special Assistant Attorney General Rob Costello, who has served as tribal liaison for prior administrations, to negotiate with the tribes. "We have worked hard to reach a resolution in this case outside of court," Ferguson said in a statement. "To that end, I have personally met with tribal leaders three times in an effort to reach agreement. While we made progress, we have not reached a mutually acceptable resolution." Still, the people at state agencies charged with carrying out the injunction and tribal members have continued meeting. Agencies involve the tribes in project-level decisions and in broader talks to hammer out the details of the seven-page court injunction, said Jameson of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. "There's two ways to resolve the gray area. One is like the decision directs ? we're encouraged to work together with the tribes to implement the injunction," Jameson said. "The way is, OK, we don't get along, so the tribes' only recourse would be to go back to Martinez and say, 'The state's not implementing this correctly, they won't talk to us, we can't get along, we need you to help us.' That's inefficient." 'A different type of value' If the state wins at the Supreme Court, the Washington DOT would likely go back to its former system of prioritizing culvert projects. It placed more emphasis on the quality of habitat, rather than focusing on culverts with 200 lineal miles or more of upstream habitat. "With the injunction, you can have miles and miles of degraded habitat, but you're still required to open it up," said Kanzler, DOT's stream restoration program manager. But tribes say they are worried that if the injunction goes away, the culverts will continue to be formidable obstacles for spawning and juvenile salmon. When the tribes first brought their case in the 1970s, they made up less than 5 percent of the annual salmon harvest. Now, thanks to the successive court decisions, their share is 50 percent. But they're catching fewer fish now than they did in the 1970s. "I used to be able to be able to live an entire year off what I did in fishing for anywhere from 36 to 48 days out of the year. I used to be able to live the entire year off of that," Hamilton of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe said. "Now, we're lucky if we're fishing 20 days total. I mean, some fisheries are down to hours." Like Krise, the Squaxin Island Tribal member, Hamilton grew up fishing in local streams to provide salmon for his family's smokehouse. He stopped fishing commercially in 1995. "I took my boat out back ? I had a 26-foot gill netter ? brought in a bulldozer, dug a big hole, pushed it in and crushed it up. It was no longer economically feasible," he said. When Hamilton stopped, he began to work on fishing policy full-time. "We're fishing people," Hamilton said. "Even though we have casinos, we have a majority of people that don't work, that will never work in [casinos], because fishing ? it's what they do. ... Everything we do revolves around the water and the salmon." For the tribes, Krise said, the case is about more than just restoring habitat. "Salmon to our tribal people ? it's not only the body, mind, soul, spirit. It's infant, child, adult, elder. It's spring, summer, fall, winter. It's who we are as a people," she said. She hopes that the tribes and state can one day work together to protect the area's natural resources. "The hope is that the Supreme Court will also recognize that there's a different type of value," Krise said. "Maybe Washington state is worried about the expenditure of having to do these culverts; however, there are some of us that worry about the other value that when something is lost it can never be regained again."? Amanda Reilly, E&E News reporter Published: Tuesday, April 17, 2018 SEATTLE ? Salmon swim through Charlene Krise's earliest memories: streams so dense with fish she couldn't see the bottom, salmon roe for breakfast and salmon fish head stew for dinner. "My father said that, as an infant, instead of having a teething ring, we all had smoked salmon for our teeth," said Krise, who's vice chairwoman of the Squaxin Island Tribal Council near here. Like many in her tribe, whose members are called "people of the water," Krise spent most of her adult life fishing off northwest Washington. But in the 1990s, salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest declined dramatically. There were times, Krise said, when "not one of us could find the salmon." "It felt like the whole world was in the negative because there was no salmon," the soft-spoken Krise said. There are many reasons salmon populations have fallen off in northwest Washington: water pollution, overfishing, dam construction and climate change. But tribes around Puget Sound point to the state's construction of culverts ? tunnels that channel water under roadways ? that keep salmon from reaching habitat upstream. Tomorrow, the tribes will go to the Supreme Court to ask justices to uphold a 2013 court injunction ordering the state to fix hundreds of culverts that are blocking salmon from accessing upstream habitat. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the order, but Washington state is appealing, arguing the injunction is expensive and too broad in scope. "It's very worrisome thinking about the future and the growth of the area," Krise said. "If we don't have set policies to protect those streams for fish passage with the culverts, we are going to be in trouble for the future." Culverts are only the latest focal point in a decadeslong legal war between Northwest tribes and Washington over treaties signed in 1854 and 1855. Washington territory's first governor, Isaac Ingalls Stevens, negotiated the treaties between white settlers who had been lured by the West's magnificent forests and the area's native inhabitants. Tribes agreed to give up some 64 million acres and in return received "the right of taking fish, at all usual and accustomed grounds and stations ... in common with citizens of the Territory." But after the Stevens treaties, the Pacific Northwest's white settlers impeded tribal access to fishing locations in the Columbia River and Puget Sound. That led to court clashes, beginning with an 1884 case over a settler's efforts to deny Yakima tribal fishers access to their fishing grounds. The culverts case itself is several decades old. Its origin is a lawsuit that coincided with acts of civil disobedience that tribes undertook during the 1960s and '70s to uphold their treaty rights. Tribal members ? later joined by celebrities ? were arrested as they returned to their traditional fishing grounds in staged "fish-ins." Tribal environmental advocate Billy Frank Jr., who later received a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom, was arrested more than 50 times. The "fish wars" culminated with the United States and Northwest tribes suing Washington in 1970. The federal government asked the court to find that the treaties guaranteed tribes a fair amount of fish, that the tribe's share included hatchery fish and that the state is required to maintain the habitat necessary to provide protection for salmon runs. "Our elders, they fought to get into the federal court," said Phil Hamilton, vice chairman of the Muckleshoot Fisheries Commission. "It was a time where different tribes were having their fish-ins and every tribe was trying to get into the federal courts, because if they could get into the federal courts, they knew they could get the help that they needed." The tribes secured a major victory in 1974, when the late Judge George Hugo Boldt of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington ruled that they have the right to act as co-managers of salmon and harvest them in accordance with the treaties. The state of Washington, however, resisted Boldt's ruling. After five more years of legal wrangling, the Supreme Court in 1979 ruled that tribes have a right to a "fair share of available fish" or up to half of each salmon run. Boldt, who died in 1984, didn't get to the questions of whether the tribes have a right to hatchery fish and salmon habitat free of environmental degradation. Those questions were left for later courts. In an en banc ruling in 1985, of which Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy was a part, the 9th Circuit affirmed a lower-court decision that hatchery fish must be included when determining the share of fish to tribes. But it punted on the habitat question. "The tribes asked for declaratory relief ? a declaration that the treaties protected habitat ? and the 9th Circuit said, well, we don't really think it's a good idea for courts to opine on this issue unless we have a specific factual dispute," said Michael Blumm, a professor at Lewis & Clark Law School. "And it took the tribes awhile to come up with something that's unique to the state," he said. 'There's a stream under there' The state began building culverts in the early 1900s as it began participating in the federal highway program. Culverts come in many forms ? from concrete boxes to corrugated metal pipes ? all with the purpose of funneling a stream under a road. There are whole networks of culverts under the greater Seattle area, many invisible to drivers. "It's pretty common in these urbanized areas to just fine somebody put a stream into a pipe and somebody else thinks that's a pretty good idea so they tack one onto it," said Paul Wagner, biology branch manager at the Washington Department of Transportation. "We've got some where streams will flow for 1,000 feet or more through culverts, and probably a lot of people in their day-to-day business don't even think there's a stream under there. They'll go under buildings, under schools, under shopping centers." Many culverts, though, were built too small or have since become otherwise blocked. High-velocity flows have carved out the streambed beneath their openings, creating steep drops of water several feet high. In others, the water depth is very shallow along the bottom of the culvert. They all create obstacles for salmon that cross streams at different stages of life. The fish use the streams in different ways, but generally, adults need to travel upstream from the ocean to spawn in gravel-covered streambeds. The farther upstream they get, the more likely their offspring will survive because they're away from predators. Juvenile salmon then remain in streams early in life, seeking out protected pools of slow-moving water. If a culvert is blocked ? or the water depth through too low or the velocity of the flow too high ? somewhere along a stream, it impedes the movement of salmon at both adult and juvenile stages. "It's not only that they can't get home but that it forces much more competition. It really restricts the area that they can live in," said Larry Wasserman, environmental services director for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community. For adults, culverts are considered blocked if the water depth is less than 10 inches or the velocity is greater than about 4 feet per second; juveniles typically cannot leap over barriers greater than around 10 inches or swim in velocities greater than 2 feet per second. Not all culverts, though, are total barriers to fish. "Some fish might get through sometimes. It might depend on hydrologic conditions, the stream flows and such. They might have to wait for a more opportunistic time to pass through the culvert," said Susan Kanzler, stream restoration program manager at the Washington DOT. But even for adult salmon that make it through barrier culverts to spawn, putting the effort into getting through can lower their fitness, making it more difficult for them to get back to the ocean. "They're just physically beat up. You'll see some of the times they'll be coming back and they're all scraped up," Wagner said. "They've been through the gauntlet." 'The perfect case' In the 1990s, as scientists learned more about the needs of salmon and commercially harvestable levels declined, Washington recognized that culverts posed a threat to salmon. In 1997, the Washington State Legislature established a Fish Passage Task Force, and state agencies issued a report identifying barrier culverts as "one of the most recurrent and correctable obstacles to healthy salmonid stocks in Washington." But in 2001, the federal government and 21 tribes again sued the state, this time claiming that the state's management of its culverts violated the 1850s-era treaty rights. Judge Ricardo Martinez of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington agreed in 2007, ruling that culverts have "substantially diminished" the salmon harvest. Six years later, he ordered the state to fix or repair hundreds of culverts that were blocking fish passage in its northwestern corner, including the Olympic Peninsula and the Seattle area. Martinez found the state was going too slowly in removing obstacles to salmon runs. It would take more than 100 years, he wrote, to replace significantly blocked barrier culverts. He ordered the state to fix all blocked culverts under state roads. The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and Washington State Parks were given until Oct. 31, 2016, while the Washington DOT, which owns significantly more culverts, has until 2030. The state could defer action on culverts with less than 200 lineal meters of upstream salmon habitat until the "end of the culvert's useful life, or sooner as part of a highway project." "We've had some really fantastic runs diminished or nearly lost to these culverts," said Charles Wilkinson, a Native American law expert at the University of Colorado, Boulder. "This was the perfect case from the tribal standpoint to raise this environmental matter. The tribes spent 20 years looking for the right case." A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction in 2016 and later rejected the state's petition to review the decision en banc, or in front of the whole court. Eight of the court's active judges, though, joined an unusually blunt opinion by Senior Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain slamming their colleagues for issuing a "runaway decision" that discovering "a heretofore unknown duty" in the 19th- century treaties. The stage is now set for the Supreme Court to weigh in on tribal treaty fishing rights once again. Eight justices will hear arguments tomorrow; Kennedy has decided to sit out because of his prior involvement in the case. Wilkinson, who is writing a book on the Boldt decision, said that the case could create a ripple effect for Native American law. "Will the court, if it doesn't rule for the tribes, make law that will cut into the Boldt decision, and their own decision in 1979, too?" he asked. "Will the court backtrack on that? This is an enormous case in Indian law." 'Untenable standard' Under Attorney General Bob Ferguson (D), Washington state argues that in holding that tribes must have enough fish to provide a "moderate living," the 9th Circuit recognized "a new right, broader than any previously recognized." The "untenable standard" would render illegal many past decisions, including federal dams that affect salmon runs, and make "virtually any significant future land use decision in the Pacific Northwest subject to court oversight," the state warned. Washington also told the Supreme Court that the injunction is "remarkably unfair" because the federal government specified how the state should build culverts and granted permits for their construction. And the state says it will have to spend more than $2 billion by 2030 to fix hundreds of culverts with no guarantee that they will lead to improved salmon runs. That's because the injunction applies only to the state, not private landowners or cities and counties that own culverts in the case area. A barrier culvert for an unnamed tributary to Lake Sammamish, a freshwater lake east of Seattle that's surrounded by houses tucked into lush, evergreen trees, demonstrates the state's predicament. Invisible to vehicles, the upstream end of the culvert can be reached by climbing down a steep, slippery trail from a two-lane road. It's a 3 ?-foot diameter pipe that crosses under eight lanes of a major east-west highway and city-owned roads. The pipe is 502 feet long. When the culvert caused a sinkhole in the highway last year, the state and tribes agreed on a temporary fix, the installation of a hard plastic liner that provides protection from erosion. But the liner makes it more difficult for salmon to pass because it made the hole smaller and increased the velocity of water flows in the seasonal stream. The state is designing a long-term correction to open up the 900 feet of salmon habitat above the blocked culvert, a project that DOT estimates will cost $11 million. But there are other barriers upstream. The city of Issaquah owns a series of small dams that it built to keep the culvert from getting plugged with sediment. Those will have to be taken out. Beyond that, though, is a barrier culvert on private property that allows a driveway to pass over the seasonal stream. Issaquah has said it would consider removing its dams. But except where it can reach agreements with owners who have culverts directly abutting state roads, the state can't really do anything about blocked culverts farther upstream on private property. "A culvert like that, maybe people would say, 'Let's just put a bigger pipe in there and make it passable as part of the project.' That would be a pretty small part," Wagner said. "But the bottom line is, it's not our responsibility to fix it. And we can also say, 'Hey, we're doing our part, somebody else has to do their part.'" In Issaquah, Washington DOT last fall wrapped up a $7 million, three- year project to fix two culverts that pass under an intersection. Fixing the culverts required widening them and returning the stream to its natural, meandering state. The state laid tree trunks, their root wads still attached, on either side of the stream, creating shallow pools for juvenile fish. On a recent April day, a newly hatched salmon was swimming in one such pool. Trees planted along the banks, including willows and cottonwoods, will grow a few feet by the end of the year, providing shade. Other projects sometimes require leveling out the gradient of the channel, especially in cases where fast-moving water has scoured out the bottom of the streambed. New culverts are built to withstand 10-year floods, according to Martin Fox, a biologist for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. "The thing about culverts is, it's something we can do," Fox said. "We can't change climate very readily, we can't fix a lot of the industrialization of our watersheds, but culverts is something where we can go in and pull those things out, correct them, put in a fish passable structure, and immediately you have access to these habitats and your production will be increased." In 2015, WSDOT worked with the city of Lake Forest Park to widen this culvert and return the stream to a more natural condition. Tree trunks create protected areas for juvenile salmon. Amanda Reilly/E&E News Together, the state wildlife, natural resources and state park agencies had fewer than 100 culverts to repair. But the state DOT owns 978 culverts that applied to the injunction, with 806 deemed to have significant habitat, according to the most recent inventory information. Since the injunction, DOT has so far corrected 55 culverts within the case area, Wagner said. On average, the state says it cost $2.3 million in 2016 and $3.4 million in 2017 to fix a blocked culvert. The cost is going up because the projects that are left are bigger and more complex, according to Wagner. At least one project, in an estuarine area on the Olympic Peninsula where Chico Creek feeds into Puget Sound, is expected to cost more than $40 million because it will require rebuilding a whole highway interchange. "Since we've been working on this for a while, we've kind of gotten a lot of the low-hanging fruit," Wagner said. "With the standards that we have from the injunction, we're basically in almost every case tearing out an existing culvert and putting in a new one. And in a lot of cases, that's a major construction project." In 2017 to 2019, the state DOT plans to spend $97.5 million on stand- alone fish passage projects. The department expects it will need at least twice that amount from the Legislature in its biennial budget. Along with building new culverts, the state is also monitoring repaired ones. Each year, the Department of Fish and Wildlife inventories about 10 percent of the culverts in the case area, according to Tom Jameson, fish passage and screening division manager in the department's habitat program. "Say you've put in a great stream simulation culvert, and then there's a 50-year rainstorm in this one watershed and they get a bunch of erosion and that culvert gets blown out. Well, now you've got to correct it," he said. The federal government and tribes, though, have accused the state of overstating the cost and complexity of the injunction. Lawyers for the tribes say that the state is basing its cost projection on repairing every blocked culvert on its roads in the case area, rather than culverts that represent 90 percent of blocked habitat. The tribes also say Washington state is making too big a deal of the 9th Circuit's statements about a "moderate living" and that they've never pushed the issue in the culverts case. "You read a lot about it, but it's all fluff from the attorney general," said Mason Morisset, an attorney for the Tulalip Tribes. The federal government argues it "would make little sense" to interpret the treaties as "protecting the tribes' access to their traditional fisheries, yet permitting obstructions that substantially degraded those same fisheries." The Department of Justice attorneys have also pushed back on the state's claims that the federal government shares the blame. The state, DOJ says, was never required to use a particular model of culvert or was prevented from making adjustments to take account of local conditions. Both sides have allies going into tomorrow's arguments. The National Congress of American Indians, other tribal groups, a coalition of current and former Washington officials, former Republican Washington Gov. Daniel Evans (R) ? who was governor during the time of the Boldt decision ? and fishermen's associations have all filed amicus briefs in support of the tribes and the U.S. government. A group of law professors is also backing the tribes, arguing that, aside from the treaties, there's a common-law tradition against blocking fish passage and obstructing waterways. Washington's allies in the Supreme Court include a coalition of states, business and industry groups, conservation legal foundations and an irrigation district. Led by Idaho, a group of 11 states said in an amicus brief on behalf of Washington that they're worried about how broadly tribal rights will be read within their borders if the 9th Circuit decision is upheld. They warned that EPA's recent decision to impose federal water quality standards in Maine and Washington where it deemed subsistence fishing or sustenance rights exist is a "harbinger" of things to come. The Washington State Association of Counties and the Association of Washington Cities say they're also worried that the tribes may go after their infrastructure next if they win the court case. 'Rather fight and lose than settle' But Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, slammed the state and its allies for "citing the worst-case scenario." "Fear is a great motivator," he said. "I can tell you from Swinomish's perspective, that we've never sat around the table and said, 'What's next?' Our focus has been 100 percent on winning a culvert case only. We've never said, 'OK, we've got these damn dams on the Skagit River that we're going to take down after we win this case." To Cladoosby, who was born and raised on the Swinomish reservation along the Skagit River and whose father's great-grandfather Kelkehltsoot signed the 1855 treaty on behalf of the Swinomish, the state's decision to appeal the Martinez injunction all the way to the Supreme Court is the latest in a long state history of anti-Native American policy and sentiment. "If they started doing the work that we wish they would have done when we filed this lawsuit instead of fighting it, we would be light years ahead of where we are today," he said. Cladoosby said that the tribes "tried very hard" over the last decade to negotiate with the state on the culvert issue. He accused the state of having a "we'd rather fight and lose than settle and win" mentality when it comes to tribal treaty rights. "It's not for a lack of the tribes putting proposals out on the table that we thought were very, very fair," he said. "They walked away from what we put on the table." He added: "Then the Bob Fergusons of the world can go tell their constituents, 'We fought the good fight against the Indian tribes, we gave it our best shot, but the courts ruled against us.' They always have that excuse, that the courts ruled against us." But the state also contends it tried its best to settle the litigation. The attorney general's office retained Special Assistant Attorney General Rob Costello, who has served as tribal liaison for prior administrations, to negotiate with the tribes. "We have worked hard to reach a resolution in this case outside of court," Ferguson said in a statement. "To that end, I have personally met with tribal leaders three times in an effort to reach agreement. While we made progress, we have not reached a mutually acceptable resolution." Still, the people at state agencies charged with carrying out the injunction and tribal members have continued meeting. Agencies involve the tribes in project-level decisions and in broader talks to hammer out the details of the seven-page court injunction, said Jameson of the Department of Fish and Wildlife. "There's two ways to resolve the gray area. One is like the decision directs ? we're encouraged to work together with the tribes to implement the injunction," Jameson said. "The way is, OK, we don't get along, so the tribes' only recourse would be to go back to Martinez and say, 'The state's not implementing this correctly, they won't talk to us, we can't get along, we need you to help us.' That's inefficient." 'A different type of value' If the state wins at the Supreme Court, the Washington DOT would likely go back to its former system of prioritizing culvert projects. It placed more emphasis on the quality of habitat, rather than focusing on culverts with 200 lineal miles or more of upstream habitat. "With the injunction, you can have miles and miles of degraded habitat, but you're still required to open it up," said Kanzler, DOT's stream restoration program manager. But tribes say they are worried that if the injunction goes away, the culverts will continue to be formidable obstacles for spawning and juvenile salmon. When the tribes first brought their case in the 1970s, they made up less than 5 percent of the annual salmon harvest. Now, thanks to the successive court decisions, their share is 50 percent. But they're catching fewer fish now than they did in the 1970s. "I used to be able to be able to live an entire year off what I did in fishing for anywhere from 36 to 48 days out of the year. I used to be able to live the entire year off of that," Hamilton of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe said. "Now, we're lucky if we're fishing 20 days total. I mean, some fisheries are down to hours." Like Krise, the Squaxin Island Tribal member, Hamilton grew up fishing in local streams to provide salmon for his family's smokehouse. He stopped fishing commercially in 1995. "I took my boat out back ? I had a 26-foot gill netter ? brought in a bulldozer, dug a big hole, pushed it in and crushed it up. It was no longer economically feasible," he said. When Hamilton stopped, he began to work on fishing policy full-time. "We're fishing people," Hamilton said. "Even though we have casinos, we have a majority of people that don't work, that will never work in [casinos], because fishing ? it's what they do. ... Everything we do revolves around the water and the salmon." For the tribes, Krise said, the case is about more than just restoring habitat. "Salmon to our tribal people ? it's not only the body, mind, soul, spirit. It's infant, child, adult, elder. It's spring, summer, fall, winter. It's who we are as a people," she said. She hopes that the tribes and state can one day work together to protect the area's natural resources. "The hope is that the Supreme Court will also recognize that there's a different type of value," Krise said. "Maybe Washington state is worried about the expenditure of having to do these culverts; however, there are some of us that worry about the other value that when something is lost it can never be regained again."? ##### | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Apr 17 18:39:10 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2018 01:39:10 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Forest Service asks for public help in stopping the spread of invasive Didymo algae to protect rivers and streams References: <56462352.1828725.1524015550895.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <56462352.1828725.1524015550895@mail.yahoo.com> ? | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region Shasta-Trinity National Forest? 3644 Avtech Parkway Redding, CA 96002 Voice (530) 226-2500 Web:www.fs.usda.gov/stnf ?????? | | | ? ? ?News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2018? Media Contacts:? Carol Underhill cunderhill at fs.fed.us (530) 226-2494 Josef Orosz jaorosz at fs.fed.us? (530) 226-2322 Twitter:?twitter.com/ShastaTrinityNF Facebook:?www.facebook.com/ShastaTrinityNF | | | | | | | | | | Forest Service asks for public help in stopping the spread of invasive Didymo algae to protect rivers and streams Redding, Calif.,? ??Fishermen and other Trinity River users are being asked to clean their clothing and gear to help stop the spread of Didymo a.k.a. ?Rock Snot?, which is a type of invasive algae produces thick mats that cover stream beds, making swimming, fishing and other water activities undesirable. ? ?People, including fishermen, are thought to be the main way that Didymo is being spread from one place to another,? explained botanist Lusetta Sims. ?Recreational equipment, including clothing, can become contaminated and encourage the spread of Didymo if not cleaned properly before being used in another body of water.? ? Didymo (Didymosphenia geminate) has a slimy appearance and attaches to submerged plants, rocks, and other hard substrates in rivers and streams by excreting a stalk that is resistant to degradation by bacteria and fungi. It has been documented in several locations along the Trinity River from Trinity Dam to Helena. Land managers are concerned that Didymo could become established in other Forest Service tributaries, potentially altering the natural ecosystem. ? ?Didymo has extraordinary capacity to negatively impact river and stream ecosystems,? said Sims. ?It is invasive and prevention is all we have to protect uncontaminated water bodies, creeks and tributaries.? ? If you think you have seen a Didymo bloom, Sims ask that you please write a brief description of what you saw and where. If possible, take GPS coordinates as well. Drop off your information at a Weaverville Ranger located at 360 Main Street Weaverville, CA 96093. ? Sims explained these steps river users can take to stop the spread of Didymo:?1.?????INSPECT clothing, shoes, waders, and all gear.?1.?????Remove all mud and debris that has been in the water.2.?????At home, CLEAN gear with hot water and ONE of the following:?1.?????Dish soap: 1 cup per gallon water2.?????Bleach: 1/2 cup per gallon water3.?????Table salt: 1 cup per 1.25 gallons water3.?????SCRUB non-absorbent items thoroughly with one of the solutions.4.?????SOAK clothes, waders, and absorbent items in HOT soapy or salty water for 30 minutes, then rinse.5.?????DRY completely for at least 48 hours or FREEZE gear until frozen solid and completely dry.Click?here?for a .pdf version of this press release. ??###? The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live. ? ? | | | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 380 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 18 08:44:51 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2018 15:44:51 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Spring_flows_begin_in_=E2=80=98critically?= =?utf-8?b?IGRyeeKAmSB5ZWFy?= References: <366787288.2096029.1524066291888.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <366787288.2096029.1524066291888@mail.yahoo.com> Spring flows begin in ?critically dry? year | | | | | | | | | | | Spring flows begin in ?critically dry? year By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal This has been designated a ?critically dry? year for the Trinity River, and a flow schedule has been approved re... | | | | Spring flows begin in ?critically dry? year - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal? ? - 1 hr ago This has been designated a ?critically dry? year for the Trinity River, and a flow schedule has been approved reflecting that.Last year the basin got the largest amount of water ever measured.?This year is quite a bit different,? said Eric Peterson, data steward for the Trinity River Restoration Program, as plans were shared with the public April 12.The critically dry determination is based on the April 1 forecast from the state Department of Water Resources for the water year running from October 2017 through September 2018. Based on factors including inflow to Trinity Lake so far and snowpack, that forecast estimates the full natural flow of the Trinity River at Lewiston for the year will be only 530,000 acre-feet of water. A normal water year is approximately 1.1 million acre-feet and last year was more than double the normal amount.Full natural flow is the amount of water that would pass through Lewiston if not for the dams.In a critically dry year, 369,000 acre-feet of water is to be released to the river under the 2000 Trinity River Record of Decision.There will still be a high spring flow with several peaks, and the release from Lewiston Dam has started ramping up. The highest peak is to be a release of 1,900 cubic feet per second on May 13.During the spring high flow, the restoration program usually adds gravel at points below Lewiston Dam to compensate for gravel not getting into the system due to the dams. Program staff say this adds complexity to the river to provide habitat for different life stages of the fish, with shallow areas, deep spots and eddies.However, in this critically dry year no gravel is to be added.Restoration program staff explained the flow hydrograph, which includes several peaks.Objectives include flow and temperatures for juvenile and adult salmonids, providing diverse fish habitats, getting macroinvertebrate ?bugs? that fish eat into the water and enabling a study of macroinvertebrate drift, moving fine sediments, delaying Foothill yellow-legged frog breeding until after the flow peak, distributing chinook fingerlings released from the Trinity Hatchery and discouraging riparian growth in the channel.The presentation also included information regarding the increases of outgoing juvenile chinook salmon since the restoration program started.From the audience, a man noted that the smolt were building until 2014, but have decreased in the last couple of years.Peterson said the 2012 adult return was very good, and since then the warm ocean current has caused poor conditions. However, he noted that the smolt numbers since 2014 are still well above the 1990s.Asked if the ocean change is cyclical or due to global warming, fisheries biologist Todd Buxton said a natural cycle and global warming are involved, and all of the Pacific Rim chinook salmon populations are having a hard time.One good sign, he added, is that a higher proportion of early-returning ?Jacks? than expected returned last year. That is good news in the short-term, he said, but long-term he didn?t speculate.Asked if the program is taking away what adult fish need to provide for juveniles, Peterson responded that program staff are trying to provide for both, but ?we don?t get big ones if we don?t have little ones to start with.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 18 08:49:47 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2018 15:49:47 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?No_potential_successor_shares_governor?= =?utf-8?q?=E2=80=99s_Delta_tunnel_vision?= References: <1382599239.2135805.1524066587479.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1382599239.2135805.1524066587479@mail.yahoo.com> http://mercurynews.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=0911ca4d9 CALIFORNIA RACENo potential successor shares governor?s Delta tunnel vision?By George SkeltonLos Angeles TimesGov. Jerry Brown scored big last week in his tenacious effort to build monstrous twin water tunnels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. But his legacy project could still collapse. No potential successor supports it.Brown will be termed out in January. Nothing?s going to be built before then, and the needed permits probably won?t even be awarded. The next governor could pull the plug. And all the wannabes are talking like they just might. At the least they?d hit the pause button.One tunnel might be OK, says the Democratic front-runner, Lt. Gov. GavinNewsom, but two are too many.?There is room for cooperation and compromise around a single tunnel,? Newsom emailed me last week after the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California committed nearly $11 billion to largely finance Brown?s $17-billion twin-tunnels project.?The status quo is unacceptable,? Newsom continued, referring to the Delta?s quirky, unreliable plumbing. ?The issue of responsible (water) conveyance ? one that protects and advances the health of the delta ? has to be a priority of the next governor.?But that can?t be our only approach. I strongly believe California must work to reduce our dependence on the Delta by focusing on regional solutions, investing in critical water infrastructure like recycling and ground water replacement, and conservation.?That?s also the position of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. He wants to rely less on the Delta and by 2035 obtain half the city?s supply from local stormwater runoff and wastewater recycling.A former Los Angeles mayor, gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa, also isn?t persuaded?that the twin tunnels?make sense.Villaraigosa believes ?Before we divide this state around the proposal for new twin tunnels, let?s understand all of our options,? says campaign spokesman Luis Vizcaino. ?Have we done enough to conserve? Are we using the latest technologies to refresh our underground aquifers? Are we moving forward with all appropriate speed in building new storage to capture water during rainy years? Are we capturing and cleaning urban runoff? Are cities recycling water as much and as well as they can? We need to adequately answer those questions?first.??Short answer: No. And the state also isn?t moving fast enough toward the inevitability?of widespread desalination.Newsom and Villaraigosa are the most probable replacements for Brown, based on polls.Two Republican candidates ? businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen of Huntington Beach ? are solidly opposed to the tunnels. But the odds on either being elected governor are virtually zilch in this deep blue state. They are, however, battling Villaraigosa for second place in the June 5 primary and a runoff spot in November.Two trailing Democrats ? state Treasurer John Chiang and former state schools chief Delaine Eastin ? also are leery of the tunnels.?California?s primary clean water supply is out of date and unreliable because we can?t adequately capture and store water when it?s available,? Chiang emailed me, apparently referring in part to California?s snail pace at dam building.Chiang sounded like he believes California voters should be given a say on any tunnels project ? something they?re being?denied under Brown?s plan. Southern California water users also aren?t being offered a vote on whether they want their monthly bills jacked up to pay for the tunnels.In Jerry Brown?s first tenure as governor, he talked the Legislature into authorizing construction of a Peripheral Canal to funnel fresh Sacramento River water around the brackish Delta and into southbound aqueducts. It was considered the best way to protect salmon, striped bass and tiny smelt from fish-chomping pumps. But voters repealed the legislation in 1982.Since then, the Delta fishery has tanked, partly because of the pumps. Courts have tightened the water valve to protect the critters, provoking howls from San Joaquin Valley farmers and jitters among Southern California water interests.Brown?s answer is the tunnels.Northern environmentalists detect a southern water grab. The coastal fishing industry fears there?ll be even fewer salmon because of less fresh water flowing through the Delta. Local farmers and residents also are fighting the loss of fresh water that would be diverted into the tunnels.Eighteen lawsuits have been filed. Many more will be.?Jerry is stubborn about certain things,? says Eastin, who adamantly opposes the tunnels. ?He wanted the Peripheral Canal. The tunnels are the Peripheral Canal with a lid on it.?Water is a critical problem for California. Always has been. But it doesn?t get discussed much on the campaign trail. It?s not sexy absent a severe drought.Fortunately, Brown?s successor won?t be limited by tunnel?vision.George Skelton writes for the Los Angeles Times. ? 2018, Chicago Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Apr 19 08:14:51 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2018 15:14:51 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <920028786.2653772.1524150891188@mail.yahoo.com> On Thursday, April 19, 2018 7:44 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time ? ? ? ? ? ? From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 04/23/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?300? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?350? 04/23/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?350? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?400 04/23/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? 04/23/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? 04/23/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?350 04/24/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?350? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?400 04/24/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?400? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?45004/24/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? 04/25/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?550? 04/25/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600?? 04/25/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?550 04/26/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?60004/26/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? 04/26/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700?? 04/26/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75004/26/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700 04/27/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750 04/27/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80004/27/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? 04/27/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?900?? 04/27/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95004/27/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90004/27/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85004/27/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800 04/28/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750 04/28/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?70004/28/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? 04/28/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050?? 04/28/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?130004/28/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?155004/28/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?180004/28/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?175004/28/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170004/28/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ????????04/29/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600 04/29/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155004/29/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 04/29/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 04/29/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140004/29/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135004/29/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 04/30/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250 04/30/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120004/30/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 04/30/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100?? 04/30/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?105004/30/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100004/30/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95004/30/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90004/30/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85004/30/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80004/30/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field --? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Fri Apr 20 16:40:50 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2018 16:40:50 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: How large wildfires bring increases in stream flows for years Message-ID: <027d01d3d901$04501c30$0cf05490$@sisqtel.net> Columbia Basin Bulletin Extensive Analysis Looks At How Large Wildfires Bring Increases In Stream Flows For Years Posted on Friday, April 20, 2018 (PST) Large wildfires cause increases in stream flow that can last for years or even decades, according to a new analysis of 30 years of data from across the continental United States. Enhanced river flows are a good news/bad news proposition. The good news is more water can be a boon, such as serving as a hedge during times of scarce water. The bad news is more water can also be a detriment, especially when it comes with an increase in contaminants, such as sediment or nutrients, caused by the greater runoff that follows vegetation losses to fire. Prescribed burns on the other hand were not found to significantly alter river flows. "That suggests smaller, prescribed burns can be a management tool for potentially decreasing the threat of bigger fires and creating more resilient forests without having a major effect on water yields," said co-corresponding author Kevin Bladon of Oregon State University. The findings are important because they bring new insights into how water resource managers should look at fire, especially with the frequency of severe blazes on the rise in the face of global climate change. Bladon, a hydrologist in OSU's College of Forestry, and collaborators looked at three decades of data regarding fires, climate and river flow from 168 river basins in the lower 48 states. In watersheds where more than 19 percent of the forest burned, annual river flow increased significantly. "The impacts of big fires on surface freshwater resources hadn't been previously studied at this scale, nor have they been factored into regional water management strategies," Bladon said. "But large fires are increasing and that heightens concern about their impacts on water in our forest streams and for downstream potable water." More than two-thirds of U.S. municipalities get their drinking water from a source that originates in a forest, he said. "Trace the water back from that tap in your kitchen and you begin to see why it's important to care about what can happen when there's a large fire in the forest where your water comes from," he said. "And because of the sheer number of sites we looked at, we can say with a fair degree of confidence that as area burned and wildfire severity increases, so too do the impacts on annual water yields." Bladon notes that for nearly a half-century through the late 1990s, wildfire trends were either holding steady or declining. "All of a sudden there's an inflection point and it goes up in terms of area burned," he said. "We had been spending as a nation $500 million a year fighting wildfires, and since 2000 that's grown to the order of $2 billion a year. Suppressing and putting out wildfires now chews up more than half of the U.S. Forest Service budget. We need to find a way off that treadmill." There are two factors behind the rise of wildfires, Bladon said: a generally warmer, drier climate, and the fuel left behind by earlier suppression efforts. "Now when forests burn, they can burn with much greater severity," he said. "One percent of the fires, the high-severity ones, eat up 90 to 95 percent of the money being spent on suppression - money that's being taken away from management activities that could serve to reduce the likelihood of severe fires and produce healthier forests." The effects of fires' relationship to water flow are most pronounced in the West, where climates tend toward warm temperate or humid continental. Despite regular droughts, the semi-arid lower Colorado region showed the greatest fire-induced river flow increases. "People see and smell the smoke from fires and when it's gone, they think it's over," Bladon said. "But actually the impacts on other values, such as water, are just beginning at that point." Findings were published in Nature Communications. Researchers from the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Energy collaborated on the study, and those two agencies also provided financial support for the research. http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03735-6 Bookmark and Share -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 596 bytes Desc: not available URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Wed Apr 25 08:43:22 2018 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2018 15:43:22 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek RST in-season update Message-ID: <8a3a05aa20b04f33990468f680e9369f@mail.yuroktribe.nsn.us> Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' in-season catch update for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a full update. Thanks, Oshun O'Rourke Fisheries Biologist Yurok Tribe 530-629-3333 ext 1703 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 21520 bytes Desc: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 25 10:24:38 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2018 17:24:38 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <909836329.812139.1524677078725@mail.yahoo.com> On Wednesday, April 25, 2018 10:22 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time ? ? ? ? ? ? From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 05/01/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800?? 05/01/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85005/01/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80005/01/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750 05/02/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80005/02/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? 05/02/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?900?? 05/02/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95005/02/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90005/02/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85005/02/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800 05/03/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ?100005/03/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 05/03/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350?? 05/03/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/03/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/03/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/03/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/03/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/03/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135005/03/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?130005/03/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 05/04/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?135005/04/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/04/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550?? 05/04/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/04/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/04/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/04/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/04/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/04/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/04/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/05/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 05/05/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600?? 05/05/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/05/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/05/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/05/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/05/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/05/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/05/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 05/06/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450 05/06/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400?05/06/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500?? 05/06/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/06/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/06/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/06/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/06/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/06/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/06/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 05/07/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450 05/07/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/07/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350??05/07/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/07/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/07/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/07/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/07/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/07/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/07/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/07/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Apr 25 19:45:15 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2018 02:45:15 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?TPUD_restarts_drought_charge=2C_ups_high-?= =?utf-8?b?dXNlIOKAmHJlc2lkZW50aWFs4oCZIGJpbGxz?= References: <947152466.1033026.1524710715472.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <947152466.1033026.1524710715472@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_155d5636-42ac-11e8-a83f-b38617265a4e.html TPUD restarts drought charge, ups high-use ?residential? bills - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ?- Apr 18, 2018 ? The Trinity Public Utilities District took action last week to restart its drought surcharge and to charge extremely high use residential customers its higher commercial rate.After a one-year reprieve, Trinity Public Utilities District customers will soon see the Drought Relief Surcharge back on their electric bills. The surcharge of 1.3 cents per kWh will show up on the bills received in May.This follows a water forecast from the state Department of Water Resources for the state of 70 percent of average.?January and February were terrible,? TPUD General Manager Paul Hauser said.The surcharge originally was designed to kick in when the state experienced two below average water years in a row and to suspend when the state had two above average water years in a row. However, with last year?s bumper rain and snowfall that followed years of drought, the board took it off early.Now, the drought surcharge is back. At its April 12 meeting, the board voted to amend the rate schedule so that the surcharge comes on or off each year depending on the DWR?s April forecast.?We?re always struggling with what?s the best way to deal with the volatility in the cost of power,? Hauser said.Waiting two years to put the charge on or take it off aligned with the TPUD?s costs because there is a lag time between high or low precipitation, resultant federal hydropower generation and the bills to TPUD reflecting that generation, Hauser noted.?The difficulty with that is it?s not in alignment with folks? perceptions,? he said.Board President Clarence Rose likened the change to being more like a gas station where the truck puts a load in the tank and the price changes.There was some discussion of changing the name of the surcharge, since power generation, which affects the district?s costs, is affected not just by rain and snowfall but also by river restoration decisions.However, the board kept the name as is for now, and voted unanimously to approve the amendments to the surcharge.Also at their April 12 meeting, TPUD directors voted to charge residential customers using more than 9,999 kWh per month the district?s higher commercial rate. Currently, the district has approximately 30 residential customers that exceed that amount.One residence actually uses more than 50,000 kWh in a month, Hauser noted, adding that this exceeds usage by Weaverville Elementary School.The average residential customer uses less than 1,000 kWh per month.?It?s just not realistic for residential users to use that much electricity,? Hauser said, adding he doesn?t know what the activity is, but it is ?clearly commercial.?These are ?huge amounts of usage on residential parcels that were never meant for that kind of usage,? he said.As a result of this high use, distribution transformers for some of these customers have melted or had to be replaced. The loads they use can?t be met with a 200-amp service, and services of over 400-amps aren?t provided to residential customers. Larger services are provided with commercial zoning if the customer pays for the upgrade, which can be very expensive depending distance from the substation.The change is expected to bring in approximately $100,000 annually. Director Rose noted that this sounds like a way to offset the costs.The board voted unanimously to charge the high-use residential customers exceeding 9,999 kWh the commercial rate. In Weaverville and Hayfork, for example, the residential rate is 5.545 cents per kWh and the commercial rate is a couple of cents higher at 7.258 cents. Other areas pay higher rates, but the difference between commercial and residential is still approximately 2 cents. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue May 1 13:27:10 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 1 May 2018 13:27:10 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Applicants Sought for Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects References: Message-ID: <3061E198-86FD-4684-98B7-14611983D130@att.net> Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: "Lisa Navarro" > Date: May 1, 2018 at 12:21:49 PM PDT > To: tstokely at att.net > Subject: Applicants Sought for Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects > > > > > > > > > > > > > > MP-18-069 > > For Immediate Release > > Media Contacts: > Erin Curtis, Bureau of Reclamation, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov > Bob Gravely, PacifiCorp, 503-813-7282, bob.gravely at pacificorp.com > Rob Blumenthal, NFWF, 202-595-2457, rob.blumenthal at nfwf.org > Jim Simondet, NOAA Fisheries, 707-825-5171, jim.simondet at noaa.gov > > For Immediate Release: May 1, 2018 > > Applicants Sought for Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects > Up to $1 million available for projects in 2018; Public RFP Webinar on May 8 > > YREKA, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in close coordination with NOAA Fisheries, are seeking applications for funding to implement coho habitat restoration projects within the Klamath River and its tributaries downstream of Iron Gate Dam. > > The joint Request for Proposals (RFP) will make available up to $1 million in grants during 2018 through Reclamation?s Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Program (up to $500,000, contingent upon appropriations) and PacifiCorp?s Klamath River Coho Enhancement Fund ($500,000). The pre-proposal deadline is Friday, June 1. The RFP is available on NFWF?s website at http://www.nfwf.org/klamathbasin/klamathcoho/Pages/2018combinedrfp.aspx. > > Reclamation, PacifiCorp, NOAA Fisheries, and NFWF will host an RFP Webinar for the public, which will include an overview of the programs, details regarding the types of projects that will be given priority, and an overview of the proposal process and requirements. The Webinar will be held: > > Tuesday, May 8, 2018 from 10 am to 12 noon PST > Register for the Webinar here: > https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8159851112933824514 > > The program aims to fund projects that meet the requirements outlined in the 2013 Biological Opinion on Reclamation?s Klamath Project Operations and to achieve conservation objectives contained in PacifiCorp?s Klamath Hydroelectric Project Interim Operations Habitat Conservation Plan for Coho Salmon. Both programs enhance the survival and recovery of coho salmon in the Klamath River, where coho are listed as threatened pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. > > Successful proposals will provide access to cold water habitat, create or enhance instream habitat, remove barriers or otherwise improve access, or provide water conservation. Regardless of the project type, successful proposals must demonstrate direct benefits for coho salmon. The geographic focus of these programs is within the mainstem Klamath River and tributaries below Iron Gate Dam. > > Since 2009, PacifiCorp and Reclamation have contributed a combined $6.3 million toward habitat restoration for coho salmon in the Klamath River. > > # # # > > About the Bureau of Reclamation > Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. > > About PacifiCorp > PacifiCorp provides electric service to 1.8 million customers in six western states. Operating as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington, and California and as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, our goal is to provide our customers with value for their energy dollar through safe, reliable electricity. Visit our website at www.pacificorp.com. > > About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation > The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation?s wildlife and habitats. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private contributions. NFWF works with government, nonprofit and corporate partners to find solutions for the most intractable conservation challenges. Over the last three decades, NFWF has funded more than 4,500 organizations and committed more than $4.8 billion to conservation projects. Learn more at www.nfwf.org. > > About NOAA Fisheries > NOAA?s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and our other social media channels. > > > > If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. > Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bgutermuth at usbr.gov Tue May 1 13:25:10 2018 From: bgutermuth at usbr.gov (Gutermuth, F.) Date: Tue, 1 May 2018 13:25:10 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: MP-18-069 Applicants Sought for Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: FYI Brandt Gutermuth Environmental Scientist Trinity River Restoration Program 530.623.1806 work 530.739.2802 cell http://www.trrp.net/ The attached and embedded news release, "Applicants Sought for Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects; *Up to $1 million available for projects in 2018; Public RFP Webinar on May 8*," was released today, Tuesday, May 1. Thank you, Lisa Lisa Navarro Public Affairs Specialist Bureau of Reclamation Sacramento, CA 95825 916-978-5111 lnavarro at usbr.gov MP-18-069 *Media Contacts:*Erin Curtis, Bureau of Reclamation, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov Bob Gravely, PacifiCorp, 503-813-7282, bob.gravely at pacificorp.com Rob Blumenthal, NFWF, 202-595-2457, rob.blumenthal at nfwf.org Jim Simondet, NOAA Fisheries, 707-825-5171, jim.simondet at noaa.gov For Immediate Release: May 1, 2018 *Applicants Sought for Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects* *Up to $1 million available for projects in 2018; Public RFP Webinar on May 8* YREKA, Calif.* ?* The Bureau of Reclamation, PacifiCorp and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), in close coordination with NOAA Fisheries, are seeking applications for funding to implement coho habitat restoration projects within the Klamath River and its tributaries downstream of Iron Gate Dam. The joint Request for Proposals (RFP) will make available up to $1 million in grants during 2018 through Reclamation?s Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Program (up to $500,000, contingent upon appropriations) and PacifiCorp?s Klamath River Coho Enhancement Fund ($500,000). The pre-proposal deadline is Friday, June 1. The RFP is available on NFWF?s website at http://www.nfwf.org/klamathbasin/klamathcoho/Pages/2018combi nedrfp.aspx. Reclamation, PacifiCorp, NOAA Fisheries, and NFWF will host an RFP Webinar for the public, which will include an overview of the programs, details regarding the types of projects that will be given priority, and an overview of the proposal process and requirements. The Webinar will be held: Tuesday, May 8, 2018 from 10 am to 12 noon PST Register for the Webinar here: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8159851112933824514 The program aims to fund projects that meet the requirements outlined in the 2013 Biological Opinion on Reclamation?s Klamath Project Operations and to achieve conservation objectives contained in PacifiCorp?s Klamath Hydroelectric Project Interim Operations Habitat Conservation Plan for Coho Salmon. Both programs enhance the survival and recovery of coho salmon in the Klamath River, where coho are listed as threatened pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. Successful proposals will provide access to cold water habitat, create or enhance instream habitat, remove barriers or otherwise improve access, or provide water conservation. Regardless of the project type, successful proposals must demonstrate direct benefits for coho salmon. The geographic focus of these programs is within the mainstem Klamath River and tributaries below Iron Gate Dam. Since 2009, PacifiCorp and Reclamation have contributed a combined $6.3 million toward habitat restoration for coho salmon in the Klamath River. # # # *About the Bureau of Reclamation* *Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at **http://www.usbr.gov* *. Follow us on Twitter **@USBR* * and **@ReclamationCVP* *.* *About PacifiCorp* *PacifiCorp provides electric service to 1.8 million customers in six western states. Operating as Pacific Power in Oregon, Washington, and California and as Rocky Mountain Power in Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, our goal is to provide our customers with value for their energy dollar through safe, reliable electricity. Visit our website at **www.pacificorp.com* *.* *About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation* *The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores our nation?s wildlife and habitats. Chartered by Congress in 1984, NFWF directs public conservation dollars to the most pressing environmental needs and matches those investments with private contributions. NFWF works with government, nonprofit and corporate partners to find solutions for the most intractable conservation challenges. Over the last three decades, NFWF has funded more than 4,500 organizations and committed more than $4.8 billion to conservation projects. Learn more at **www.nfwf.org* *.* *About NOAA Fisheries* *NOAA?s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on **Twitter* *, **Facebook* *, * *Instagram* * and our other **social media channels* *.* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 13977 bytes Desc: image.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 11743 bytes Desc: image.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 12975 bytes Desc: image.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image.png Type: image/png Size: 13681 bytes Desc: image.png URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: MP-18-069 Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects Applicants Sought.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 259696 bytes Desc: MP-18-069 Klamath River Coho Habitat Restoration Projects Applicants Sought.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 2 10:37:24 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 2 May 2018 17:37:24 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Federal Judge Sides With Fish in Klamath Water Dispute References: <126534331.3336930.1525282644260.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <126534331.3336930.1525282644260@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2018-05-01/federal-judge-sides-with-fish-in-klamath-water-dispute Federal Judge Sides With Fish in Klamath Water Dispute Klamath Basin irrigators have been handed a defeat in their effort to ensure enough water this spring. May 1, 2018, at 3:35 p.m.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) ? A federal judge has denied a request from Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers to ease their water situation this spring.A court injunction requires the Bureau of Reclamation to hold 50,000 acre-feet of stored water in Upper Klamath Lake through early June to flush away a deadly parasite that infects threatened coho salmon.Because it's been a dry year, the bureau believes the injunction makes it unlikely there will be enough water for farms.The Klamath Water Users Association asked U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick to modify the injunction, but the San Francisco-based judge denied the request late Monday.The ruling pleased groups that rely on salmon, such as the Yurok Tribe and Pacific Coast fishermen. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Fri May 4 12:28:43 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Fri, 4 May 2018 12:28:43 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] FW: Six Rivers Aquatic Restoration Project In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <0e0c4d89a15fe3388e7fd16efd7840fd@smtp.hushmail.com> From: Cook, Carolyn A -FS [mailto:cacook at fs.fed.us] Sent: Friday, May 4, 2018 12:08 PM To: Undisclosed recipients: Subject: Six Rivers Aquatic Restoration Project Dear Six Rivers National Forest Partner. Over the last three years, momentum for collaborative restoration projects has been building across the Six Rivers National Forest (SRNF), with many successful collaborative projects nearing completion of their planning efforts and shifting to implementation efforts. Most of our recent collaborative projects have focused on forest restoration efforts in proximity to surrounding communities with the goal of reducing the risk of wildfire and potential threats to local communities. Now that these collaborative forest restoration projects are well underway, the SRNF is now resuming a collaborative fisheries restoration project that was initiated several years ago. Since the initial public scoping for the Six Rivers Aquatic Restoration project, the Six River National Forest and its partners have been busy conducting fieldwork to refine proposed aquatic and fisheries restoration activities. In 2017, the Coastal Conservancy approved funding for the Mid Klamath Watershed Council to jointly administer a grant, in collaboration with the Six Rivers NF to assist with fisheries, botany and archaeology surveys in support of project planning. The forest anticipates a public release of the draft Six Rivers Aquatic Restoration Environmental Assessment in late spring. Many stakeholder groups, including the Karuk, Yurok, and Hoopa tribes, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service and local watershed restoration groups have expressed a keen interest in exploring partnerships and collaborative funding opportunities with the Forest Service to employ an "all lands" landscape and watershed approach to fisheries restoration. For an overview of the project, visit www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=42051 . If you need additional information, please contact Carolyn Cook, Natural Resources Staff Officer at cacook at fs.fed.us or (707) 441-3551 Carolyn Cook Natural Resources Staff Officer Forest Service Six Rivers National Forest p: 707-441-3551 c: 707-515-5067 cacook at fs.fed.us 1330 Bayshore Way Eureka, CA 95501 www.fs.fed.us Caring for the land and serving people This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.png Type: image/png Size: 7801 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 1701 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 1594 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.png Type: image/png Size: 1453 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1950_six_rivers_nf_aquatic_restoration_project_20180504.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 325823 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon May 7 11:25:12 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 7 May 2018 18:25:12 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation begins emergency dilution flows early Monday in Klamath River In-Reply-To: <1c08fd6923e549ffb2303e5f07665ac1@usbr.gov> References: <1c08fd6923e549ffb2303e5f07665ac1@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <285036242.786465.1525717512428@mail.yahoo.com> On Monday, May 7, 2018 11:05 AM, Laura J. Williams wrote: Reclamation begins emergency dilution flows early Monday in Klamath RiverMid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.MP-18-071Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.govFor Immediate Release: May 7, 2018Reclamation begins emergency dilution flows early Monday in Klamath River Water releases from Iron Gate Dam will continue through May 21; public urged to take safety precautionsKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. ? The Bureau of Reclamation increased flows below Iron Gate Dam early Monday morning, May 7, to address disease concerns in salmon in the Klamath River.Releases from Upper Klamath Lake via Link River Dam started early this morning, with flows anticipated to reach 3,000 cubic feet per second below Iron Gate Dam by mid-day. Subsequent flows below Iron Gate Dam could reach up to 4,000 cfs during the event. The higher flows will continue for 14 days, through May 21.The public is urged to take all necessary precautions on or near the river while flows are high.A March 2017 Court Order from the U.S. District Court Northern District of California requires Reclamation to release water as part of its operation of the Klamath Project to mitigate and address disease concerns impacting coho salmon in the Klamath River. For the 2018 water year, Reclamation is required to implement winter-spring surface flushing flows and emergency dilution flows. Reclamation implemented surface flushing flows in April 2018.? Disease thresholds for implementing additional emergency dilution flows were exceeded on May 3. The emergency dilution flows will utilize approximately 50,000 acre-feet of water from Upper Klamath Lake.The increased flow event is consistent with the 2017 Order and the 2013 Biological Opinion on operations of the Klamath Project to ensure protection of endangered Lost River and shortnose suckers in Upper Klamath Lake. It was implemented in coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Yurok, Karuk, Hoopa Valley, and Klamath Tribes, Klamath Project water users and PacifiCorp.Flows will ramp down after 14 days and return to levels required by the 2013 Biological Opinion.?The 2018 water year is one of the most challenging and complex water years Reclamation has had to manage,? said Jeff Nettleton, manager of the Klamath Basin Area Office. ?We will continue to closely coordinate with Project water users, Tribes, and our partner agencies to operate the Klamath Project consistent with the requirements of the Order and the 2013 Biological Opinion, while providing as much water as possible to the Klamath Project irrigators during this extremely dry water year.?For more information about the dilution flow, contact Reclamation Public Affairs Specialist Laura Williams at 541-880-2581 (TTY 800-877-8339) or ljwilliams at usbr.gov.# # #Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue May 8 08:51:44 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 8 May 2018 15:51:44 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] This one stretch of river could decide the future of Shasta Dam References: <721800730.1199075.1525794704952.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <721800730.1199075.1525794704952@mail.yahoo.com> This one stretch of river could decide the future of Shasta Dam | | | | | | | | | | | This one stretch of river could decide the future of Shasta Dam Congress and the Trump administration support raising Shasta Dam to create more water storage in Shasta Lake. Th... | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue May 8 09:06:25 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 8 May 2018 16:06:25 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Gov. Brown accused of behind-the-scenes manipulation in vote of water tunnel project References: <343449025.1209461.1525795585089.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <343449025.1209461.1525795585089@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.scpr.org/news/2018/05/07/82892/gov-brown-accused-of-violating-open-meeting-laws-i/ ENVIRONMENT & SCIENCE Gov. Brown accused of behind-the-scenes manipulation in vote of water tunnel project FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2016, file photo, water flows through an irrigation canal to crops near Lemoore, Calif.ADDRESS: RICH PEDRONCELLI/AP Sharon McNary?|?May 7, 2018Two nonprofit groups are accusing Gov. Jerry Brown of improperly working with?Metropolitan Water District board directors behind the scenes to put pressure on a key vote for a massive water tunnel project.The groups claim board members violated open meeting laws as they pressed for a yes on a massive project to move water from tunnels under the Sacramento Bay Delta. The accusations potentially call , call into question a recent vote moving the project forward.That vote by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California authorized spending up to $11 billion to build two tunnels.Brian Ferguson, a spokesman for the governor,? said late Monday that "it's clear these folks are grasping at straws."Ferguson said Brown, who has long pushed for this project, urged all board members to support it in a letter sent to them the day before the vote.The groups alleging violations, claim some of MWD's directors communicated privately among themselves about the Delta Tunnels vote before it was taken.?California law requires public boards to deliberate in public at official meetings. It bars them from convening small groups that can add up to a majority of the vote to decide in advance how to vote.And they also say Brown improperly acted as an intermediary when he made calls to some MWD directors on behalf of other directors.Gov. Brown has long counted on the project to be a key part of his legacy. His office said the governor considers the project to be a critical step in modernizing the state's water system.The two groups making the accusation are the nonprofit First Amendment Coalition and the environmental group Food and Water Watch. They wrote to MWD officials Monday.Brett Barbre, who is named by the groups, is a board from Orange County. He said Monday there geographical component to the opposition."San Diego?s last ditch effort to stop the twin tunnels," he wrote in an email.MWD officials said they would on comment on the threat litigation. READ BROWN'S LETTER: Brown TunnelDocumentCloudContributed to?DocumentCloud?by?Megan Garvey?of?Southern California Public Radio???View documentUPDATES8:30 p.m.:?This story updated with clarification the accusations against Gov. Brown. It initially said that Brown was accused of open meetings law violations. That's a claim being made specifically against board members. In addition, comments from the governor's office and Barbre were added.This article originally published at 5:50 p.m. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue May 8 09:13:09 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 8 May 2018 16:13:09 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Chico ER Editorial: Water bond conflict heats up, of course References: <1679593141.1188105.1525795989632.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1679593141.1188105.1525795989632@mail.yahoo.com> URL: http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20180505/editorial-water-bond-conflict-heats-up-of-course Chico ER Editorial: Water bond conflict heats up, of course Saturday, May 5, 2018As the Water Commission crept closer this week to actually spending the water storage money voters approved in 2014, things predictably got ugly.What the commission did this week is determined the public benefit of the 12 projects that were seeking the $2.7 billion in Proposition 1 that was earmarked for water storage.The problem is, it wasn?t just earmarked for water storage. It was earmarked only for water storage that provide five defined public benefits: ecosystem benefits, water quality, flood control, emergency response and recreation.That?s spelled out specifically in the language approved by voters. But very few of the politicians who voted to put the measure on the ballot, and very few of the voters who approved it.So there?s a foundation for conflict: Most people think they voted for something quite a bit different than what they actually voted for.And the proposition also was written to escalate that conflict by setting up a competition for a limited amount of money, which means you?re going to have winners and losers.We got the first look at who?s going to win and who?s going to lose this week, and the reaction was quick.Sites Reservoir west of Maxwell has to be considered a winner, as the Water Commission put its public benefit in excess of a billion dollars. It wasn?t as much as the project?s backers wanted, but it was double what anyone else got.We contacted the Sites folks on Friday, and they were going sit down Monday and talk about what to do next. A calm reaction.The big loser without question is Temperance Flat. The backers of the proposed dam on the San Joaquin River was seeking more than $1 billion, but a public benefit of only $171 million was identified by the Water Commission.And Friday, every politician in the San Joaquin Valley blew their tops. The commission was called a kangaroo court, its action a ?shameful betrayal? of voters, and hints of lawsuits were raised.No doubt the dam would provide more water for farms and towns in the San Joaquin, but that?s not what the law approved by voters says the money can be spent for.It might be had to make the case for those public benefits in this case, because Temperance Flat would be a dam in a river that?s already dammed. It actually would be built in the upper reaches of Millerton Lake.?Picture building a dam under the Oro-Quincy Highway bridge over Lake Oroville, and raising the water level in the South and Middle forks of the lake. That?s Temperance Flat.?Which of the defined public benefits would it provide that Lake Oroville doesn?t already provide? It would be a tough case to make.But expect more and more stringent and shrill commentary as the process plays out. There are a couple of additional steps before the money gets allocated in July. That?s a lot of time to make a lot of meaningless noise.??URL: http://www.chicoer.com/opinion/20180505/editorial-water-bond-conflict-heats-up-of-course? 2018 Chico Enterprise-Record (http://www.chicoer.com) -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Tue May 8 09:09:38 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 8 May 2018 12:09:38 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Groups Accuse Metropolitan Water District of Violating Brown Act, Jeopardizing Tunnels Vote In-Reply-To: <343449025.1209461.1525795585089@mail.yahoo.com> References: <343449025.1209461.1525795585089.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <343449025.1209461.1525795585089@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <8cdd434b-f01e-4e30-b654-f60e6a9d6034@mtasv.net> http://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2018/05/07/groups-accuse-metropolitan-water-district-of-violating-brown-act-jeopardizing-tunnels-vote/ https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/5/7/1762717/-Groups-Accuse-Metropolitan-Water-District-of-Violating-Brown-Act-Jeopardizing-Tunnels-Vote Groups Accuse Metropolitan Water District of Violating Brown Act, Jeopardizing Tunnels Vote By Dan Bacher On the eve of tomorrow?s vote on the Delta Tunnels by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, two groups today accused the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California?s Board of Directors of ?blatantly violating? the Brown Act, the state?s landmark open government law, by ?making decisions behind closed doors? before a public vote on the multi-billion dollar tunnels project. In a letter, Food & Water Watch and The First Amendment Coalition called on the Metropolitan Water District to ?formally withdraw? its commitment to finance the tunnels, or risk a lawsuit to nullify the vote. MWD is one of the key financial backers of the California WaterFix, a project that proposes the construction of two massive 35-mile long tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the largest and most significant estuary on the West Coast of the Americas. ?This letter serves as a demand to cure and correct and cease and desist the practices constituting such violations, and as a request for public records pursuant to the California Public Records Act, Government Code section 6250 et seq,? the letter states. The groups accuse Governor Brown of colluding with Metropolitan Water District staff and directors to round up votes to assume the majority funding stake to build the twin tunnels and subsidize San Joaquin Valley agribusiness interests. They say the April 10 vote violated the Brown Act because key decisions followed ?back-channel conversations between board members, with Governor Brown as an intermediary, circumventing public scrutiny of the decision-making process.? In its meeting, the District took action via a formal vote of approval to implement the California WaterFix; authorize the General Manager to execute certain agreements and agreement amendments related to financing, pre-construction and construction activities for California WaterFix; and authorize General Manager to negotiate draft terms and conditions for one or more multi-year transfers of State Water Project water supplies, according to the letter. ?However, this vote was nothing more than a rubber stamp, and was a result of multiple serial communications between members of the Metropolitan Water District Board of Directors, both directly and with intermediaries, including Governor Brown. These communications were intended to lead to and actually resulted in a collective concurrence among a majority of the board members to approve the actions ultimately rubber stamped at the April 10th Board Meeting,? the letter stated. Brenna Norton, senior organizer with Food & Water Watch, commented, ?This is a bad idea no matter what ? but transparency is ultimately what allows people to hold their government accountable. Metropolitan Water District staff and directors, working with Governor Brown, colluded to round up votes to use SoCal ratepayer and taxpayer money to subsidize Central Valley farmers.? Norton said these secret communications have been ?widely reported and even bragged about? by Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC) directors. For example, the letter cites MWDOC Director Larry Dick?s comment at their April 5th Municipal Water District of Orange County meeting that: ?April 10th is Tuesday, we should be voting on this. I happen to know from the best bookmaker at MWD, that says we have a guaranteed win on the two tunnels at 51.67%? Norton said public records show multiple meetings and phone calls, including some directly from Governor Jerry Brown, to ?round up votes? for a two-tunnel deal. For example, an article in the Voice of San Diego on April 19, stated: ?Brett Barbre, a Metropolitan board member from Orange County who whipped votes in favor of the project, said it had support from about 52 percent of the board going into the weekend. That was enough to pass, but barely. ?What we were lacking was cushion and the elusive 60 percent,? he said in an email. The governor made calls before Tuesday?s vote and helped get that number up to 61 percent.? The letter also cites MWDOC?s April 19th Water Policy Dinner with Karla Nemeth where Brett Barbre explained how Nemeth ?worked very closely with MWD and Governor Brown to make phone calls prior to the vote. ? ?One of the phone calls he recounts is about the Glendale representative on the MWD board, Zareh Sinanyan, who ?never shows up at the MWD board anyway for meetings... I had tried calling him, no response. Blois tried calling him, no response. Kightlinger, no response. The only person that was able to get a hold of him was the Governor. And I?m not going to tell you what he did to get a hold of him.? In the same meeting, Barbre also introduced Director Stephen J. Faessel from Anaheim as the ?MWD director that put them over 50% for the twin tunnels.? The Brown Act prohibits ?serial communications? to prevent government from circumventing the requirement for open and public deliberation, Norton noted. ?The Brown Act requires legislative bodies like the Metropolitan Water District to conduct their meetings, their deliberations and their decision-making in public,? said First Amendment Coalition Executive Director David Snyder. ?It is clear that MWD did not do that here, and on an issue of paramount importance to both the future of California, and to MWD?s use of taxpayer funds. As a result, the public has been unlawfully shut out of a process they are entitled under California law to take part in.? The groups? letter comes in the wake of questions whether the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD) made a deal with Governor Brown to back the tunnels project in exchange for state funding for a new $485 million dam, Pacheco Dam on Pacheco Creek, a tributary of the Pajaro River. The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board is expect to vote on its support for the tunnels project at its meeting at the District offices tomorrow in San Jose at 9:30 a.m. ?Governor Brown would like to guarantee funding for the $17 billion dollar tunnels before he leaves office, and having to correct Brown Act violations would jeopardize that commitment,? Norton concluded. MWD has 30 days to formally respond to the letter by the two organizations. I have not yet received a response to my call to the MWD press office for a comment on the letter. To read the full letter, go here: https://bit.ly/2wlt9z5 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Met-votes-yes.png Type: image/png Size: 87633 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 9 08:18:33 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 9 May 2018 15:18:33 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Reclamation's reduced Klamath River flows result in fish die-off References: <2059190386.1622198.1525879113280.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2059190386.1622198.1525879113280@mail.yahoo.com> Reclamation's reduced Klamath River flows result in fish die-off | | | | | | | | | | | Reclamation's reduced Klamath River flows result in fish die-off By By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter Reduced flows to the Klamath River have resulted in a die-off of between 500 to 1,000 fish, crustaceans, and inv... | | | | ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 9 11:05:26 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 9 May 2018 18:05:26 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?JASON_PELTIER_TO_LEAD_NEW_CHAPTER_IN_COAL?= =?utf-8?q?ITION=E2=80=99S_EFFORTS?= References: <727078736.1687777.1525889126925.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <727078736.1687777.1525889126925@mail.yahoo.com> | | | | About the CoalitionThe Coalition for a Sustainable Delta is a not-for-profit organization comprised of water users who depend on the Delta for conveyance of a large portion of their water supplies and individuals who utilize the Delta for aesthetic and recreational enjoyment. Coalition efforts are dedicated to creating a healthy Delta ecosystem by working towards a comprehensive solution to the many factors or ?stressors? affecting the estuary. | | | | | | | | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Contact: Maddie Dunlap May 7, 2017? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 916.219.4878 or 916.441.4383JASON PELTIER TO LEAD NEW CHAPTER IN COALITION?S EFFORTSSACRAMENTO, CALIF. ? Today the Coalition for a Sustainable Delta (CSD) announced the appointment of Jason Peltier as its new Executive Director, bringing enhanced leadership and tremendous experience as the Coalition expands its role in addressing and acting upon California water management, ecosystem improvement and the myriad of Bay-Delta issues.The Coalition has long been an effective voice in Delta issues and a leader in addressing key Delta stressors such as harmful ammonia discharges and predation by non-native species. The Coalition continues to confront a system of policies and regulations that have failed to improve our fisheries, while certainly harming the social and economic fabric of California?We are very excited to have someone with Jason?s experience leading our renewed and expanded efforts on California?s most challenging water issues,? said Bill Phillimore, Coalition for a Sustainable Delta President. ?His leadership, knowledge and relationships will be an asset to these critical efforts.?A resident of the Delta, Peltier brings a lifetime of work in water management and an intimate understanding of Delta issues that will allow the organization to evolve and expand efforts in the region. Most recently, Peltier served as the Executive Director of the San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority and the Deputy General Manager of Westlands Water District prior to that. He also served for six years as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of the Interior in Washington D.C. as part of the management team responsible for the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey. Peltier was raised on a diversified farm in Kern County, he received his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Chico State and is a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership program.Peltier?s background uniquely qualifies him to position CSD as a leader in an evolving era of increased collaboration. CSD will remain focused on the many Delta stressors that continue to plague the region, while working to increase cooperation between water users, NGOs and government stakeholders. In addition, the Coalition will work to promote and implement projects that will make a difference in Delta ecosystems that benefit fisheries and water users.?For generations, competing interests have been battling in the Delta while the status quo continues to deteriorate for all,? said Peltier. ?We have recently seen in our collaborative science efforts that government, NGOs and water agencies can work together constructively.? That collaboration can be expanded to expediting actions to solve fishery and water problems.? I?m looking forward to a new opportunity to help solve an old set of challenges.??Peltier will be based in Sacramento.The Coalition for a Sustainable Delta is a not-for-profit organization formed by water users who care about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Our members, like most Californians, rely on the Delta for their water supplies and for the many benefits the Delta provides our state. The Coalition is dedicated to creating a healthy Delta ecosystem by easing or resolving the many stressors affecting this unique and essential estuary. The health of the Delta and its ability to function as a reliable water conveyance hub are intertwined and can only be sustained through constructive efforts to fix what ails the estuary.###Jason Peltier can be reached at: Coalition for a Sustainable Delta 925 L Street, Suite 800 Sacramento, California 95814 Office:? 916 441-7685 Cell:? 559 994-2255 Email:? jpeltier at sustainabledelta.com | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu May 10 13:11:14 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 10 May 2018 20:11:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1861454738.2190472.1525983074720@mail.yahoo.com> On Thursday, May 10, 2018 12:58 PM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 05/15/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?1650? 05/15/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600 05/15/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550? 05/15/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600?? 05/15/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/15/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?185005/15/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1850? ? ? ? ? ? ?190005/15/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1900? ? ? ? ? ? ?180005/15/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/15/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600? 05/16/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500?05/16/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600?? 05/16/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/16/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?195005/16/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1950? ? ? ? ? ? ?190005/16/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1900? ? ? ? ? ? ?185005/16/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1850? ? ? ? ? ? ?180005/16/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/16/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/16/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?1650 05/17/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600? 05/17/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550 05/17/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 05/17/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 05/17/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/17/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?185005/17/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1850? ? ? ? ? ? ?180005/17/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/17/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/17/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/17/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/17/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550 05/18/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 05/18/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450 05/18/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400? 05/18/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350?? 05/18/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/18/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/18/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/18/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/18/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/18/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/18/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/18/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500 05/19/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/19/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400 05/19/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350? 05/19/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300?? 05/19/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/19/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/19/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?180005/19/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/19/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/19/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/19/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600 05/20/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550? 05/20/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500 05/20/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/20/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400?? 05/20/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135005/20/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/20/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?180005/20/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?185005/20/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1850? ? ? ? ? ? ?180005/20/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/20/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/20/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?1650 05/21/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600? 05/21/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550 05/21/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 05/21/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 05/21/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/21/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/21/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/21/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/21/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/21/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/21/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/21/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Thu May 10 14:29:46 2018 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Thu, 10 May 2018 21:29:46 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek RST in-season update Message-ID: <8a50bd3436474369b3c6272425bf5e0b@mail.yuroktribe.nsn.us> Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' in-season catch update for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a full update. Thanks, Oshun O'Rourke Fisheries Biologist Yurok Tribe 530-629-3333 ext 1703 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 21840 bytes Desc: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat May 12 12:51:06 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 12 May 2018 19:51:06 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Mikkelsen visits Basin stakeholders, releases framework for water agreement References: <251661961.537900.1526154666252.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <251661961.537900.1526154666252@mail.yahoo.com> Mikkelsen visits Basin stakeholders, releases framework for water agreement | | | | | | | | | | | Mikkelsen visits Basin stakeholders, releases framework for water agreement By Gerry Obrien The Department of the Interior last week distributed a one-page framework for a long-term agreement aimed at res... | | | | Mikkelsen visits Basin stakeholders, releases framework for water agreement - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter ? - May 10, 2018 The Department of the Interior last week distributed a one-page framework for a long-term agreement aimed at resolving water issues in the Klamath Basin.Alan Mikkelsen, senior adviser to Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on water and western resources, spent Monday and Tuesday meeting with Basin stakeholders about the one-page document, including water users and Klamath Tribes on Tuesday.Mikkelsen?s job is to facilitate talks with all stakeholders in the Basin to work toward a long-term solution.The series of stakeholder meetings will set the stage, Mikkelsen said, to receive comments about the framework formerly known as the ?skeleton? hopefully by mid-June. It was created by Mikkelsen and a group of congressional leaders who are looking to formulate an agreement for water allocation in the Basin for years to come.?At the end of the day, everybody wants some sort of certainty, what they can plan for,? Mikkelsen told the Herald and News Wednesday morning.For water users, some of the most important priorities is water certainty and affordable power for irrigators and irrigation representatives, said Scott White, executive director of Klamath Water Users Association.White and more than 20 irrigators met with Mikkelsen first thing Monday morning to talk about the skeletal framework, and the road to a long-term agreement.He was optimistic about the meeting laying groundwork for a solution to ongoing and conflicting needs for water in the Basin.Within the next month, White and other water users plans to come up with a strategy and talk through priorities within KWUA before mid-June, when Mikkelsen plans a return trip.?It?s shaping up to start moving,? White said.White also added that the scenario for water is an ?ugly situation? for all parties involved.?The downstream tribes, the Klamath Tribes ? everybody?s feeling the pinch on this year and trying to figure out how this is all going to work,? White said.Klamath Tribes Chairman Don Gentry declined to comment on the meeting with Mikkelsen or the framework.Going into the meeting with the Klamath Tribes, Mikkelsen said the Tribes need a robust fishery, in both Upper Klamath Lake and in the Klamath River.?When we get to a point that fish will prosper, then agriculture can also prosper,? Mikkelsen said. ?Right now, we are not at that point.?In addition to meetings in the Klamath Basin, Mikkelsen said he met separately with downstream tribes and with Upper Basin irrigators in the Medford area on Monday regarding the framework.?We?ve received input from the downstream tribes on the framework document, and I think they?re all interested in pursuing further discussions about the framework,? Mikkelsen said.While there seems to be no time limit for facilitated talks by Department of Interior, Mikkelsen hinted that legal actions between parties could hinder efforts moving forward.?If we go to litigation, all of a sudden Department of Interior is removed from this and this becomes a Department of Justice issue,? Mikkelsen said.The framework says that a long-term agreement isn?t intended to be a federally driven process, but that it is recognized that federal participation is essential because of the current level of federal influence over resource management, Tribal trust obligations and contractual obligations to water users in the Project.?Funding, while important, should be secondary to identifying sustainable resource management goals on which local communities can agree,? the outline reads.?This isn?t a solution for the government,? White said.?This is a solution for the parties that are affected, so it needs to be crafted in that manner for the parties.?White said that while the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, which dissolved, took roughly a decade to create and implement, he doesn?t envision it taking nearly that long to formulate a new agreement between parties.?I think the framework, the foundation has already been built,? White said. ?And I don?t think we need to reinvent the wheel on this.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon May 14 09:33:22 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 14 May 2018 16:33:22 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Can an uneasy truce hold off another water rebellion on California's northern border? References: <1709380363.1055680.1526315602285.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1709380363.1055680.1526315602285@mail.yahoo.com> Sacramento Bee http://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/article210634429.html Can an uneasy trucehold off another water rebellion on California's northern border? BYRYAN SABALOW AND DALE KASLER rsabalow at sacbee.com May 11, 2018 11:20 AM Updated May 11, 2018 07:36 PM The last time waterwas this scarce in the Klamath Basin, a rugged agricultural area straddling theCalifornia-Oregon border, farmers clashed with U.S. marshals and opened lockedcanal gates with blowtorches so they could irrigate. Nearly 10,000 agricultureactivists from around the U.S. later converged on the region to hold symbolic"bucket brigade" protests. Months of unrestended after then-Vice President Dick?Cheney personally intervened and worked behind the scenes to?have water deliveredto the growers ? a decision that tribal fishing communities downstream blamedfor killing 68,000 salmon in the fall of 2002. Now the stage is setfor another round of conflict on the Klamath River, the result of a dry winterand a court ruling by a federal judge in San Francisco. In late April, JudgeWilliam Orrick, siding with Indian tribes and commercial fishermen, ruled thata significant share of water that farmers needed for their spring planting isgoing downstream to aid troubled fish populations. Top of Form Bottom of Form A few days later, thefarmer-run Klamath Irrigation District, in a letter from their attorney, toldthe federal government that it planned to open the gates on a government-ownedcanal in southern Oregon. That would allow Klamath water to flow onto onion,potato and wheat fields in time for planting season. The district operatesthe gates under a contract with the federal government. It considers the water"the private property of Klamath irrigators,"?according to the letter,?which was first reported by the?Herald and News?of KlamathFalls, Ore. So far the farmershaven't followed through on their threat. Federal officials have been workingfuriously in the past week to keep the peace on the Klamath and avoid a repeatof 2001. "The parties Ihave been working with in the basin, I believe, are not wanting to see thosekinds of conflicts," said Alan Mikkelsen, a senior U.S. InteriorDepartment official who has been assigned by the Trump administration tonegotiate water sharing agreements in the region. "I think that ultimatelyreason is to prevail." But anxiety persistsalong the Klamath, from its headwaters in the high deserts of southern Oregonto where it flows into the Pacific in Northern California. "It's prettyugly," said Scott White of the Klamath Water Users Association, anumbrella group that represents the Klamath Irrigation District and other waterdistricts in the region, which includes Siskiyou and Modoc counties inCalifornia. "I have not felt tension in this community like I feel now. Itis worrisome. I can't tell you what's going to come of it." The KlamathIrrigation District's lawyer, Nathan Rietmann, couldn't be reached for comment.The district's manager John Wolf declined comment. Whether the peaceholds has implications across California and the West. Much of California isreliant on the Klamath River in some way. Millions of acres of Central Valleyfarms and major cities are supplied in part by the Klamath, through diversionsfrom its largest tributary, the Trinity River. Farmers unilaterallydeciding to take water could put the Trump administration, not known for beingsympathetic to Indian tribes and environmentalists, on the spot. The U.S.Bureau of Reclamation oversees water deliveries but said it would defer to the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service if farmers violate the judge's order. However, aspokeswoman for Fish and Wildlife said her agency's officers wouldn't stopfarmers if they try to open the canal's head gates. Environmentalists arewatching the conflict closely, fearful it could embolden others to breakfederal environmental law. Jeff Ruch, executive director of the?Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, said he's worriedthe Trump administration is playing "hot potato" instead of making aplan to protect the fish. "It sounds likethey're scrambling to get out of the way," he said. Locals in the KlamathBasin also worry that any turmoil could be used by outside activist groupslooking to bring national attention to causes that have faded since the?Standing Rock pipeline protests?and theacquittals of?Cliven Bundy?and his allies in their high-profilestandoffs with the federal government. "The verylegitimate concerns that our community has could end up getting hijacked byoutside interests who see this as a platform to address their issues, which mayhave nothing to do with our community," said Dan Keppen, executivedirector of the Klamath Falls, Ore.-based Family Farm Alliance. Fish disease The Bureau ofReclamation operates a network of dams, pumps and canals known collectively asthe Klamath Project. The region covers about 200,000 acres of land on bothsides of the border, serving several hundred farmers. In 2017, Judge Orrickin San Francisco ordered Reclamation to use more of the Klamath's waters toflush out a lethal parasite called C. shasta, which has devastated fishpopulations. Orrick's ruling was amajor victory for the Hoopa Valley, Karuk and Yurok, California's three largestNative American tribes, whose economies rely heavily on salmon fishing in theKlamath's and Trinity's lower reaches. Although it isn't harmful to humans, C.shasta killed much of the threatened juvenile coho salmon population during therecent five-year drought. The drought anda?separate disease?also plagued another salmonspecies vital to the tribes, the Chinook. For the first time in history, so fewadult Chinook returned to spawn last year that the tribes had to?forgo their fall fishing season. The fish are soimportant to the river tribes' cultural identities and their impoverishedcommunities, tribal health officials?were worried about suicide outbreaks. Following the 2017order, the Bureau of Reclamation devised a plan to stave off disease outbreaks.Each spring, it would hold back water in Upper Klamath Lake. If a large enoughshare of the fish population were infected, the agency would release heavyflows from a reservoir to flush out the parasites. A pulse was sent out earlierthis week. More water for fishmeans less water for agriculture, and it means the water will get deliveredlater than usual to farmers. By the time the growing season winds down,Reclamation expects to deliver 200,000 acre-feet of water to Klamath farmers,said agency spokeswoman Laura Williams. (An acre-foot is 326,000 gallons.) That's more thantwice the amount they received in 2001, when farmers staged their protests. Butit's only about 50 percent of what farmers would get in a wet year. It's evenless than the amount received during recent drought years, when farmers couldcount on shipments of 250,000 acre-feet or more. Farmers are expectedto augment the deliveries by pumping groundwater. That will get them "tothe realm of 75 percent of a normal water supply," Mikkelsen said."It's a timing issue more than anything else." Farmers, however, saytiming is everything. Given the brutally short growing season in the KlamathBasin's high desert, they say even a modest delay in water deliveries would bea disaster for the region's $400 million-a-year farm economy. Last month, theypleaded with Orrick to modify his 2017 ruling and provide relief toagriculture. "Anguish overlate or nonexistent water deliveries and resulting job insecurities ispermeating our communities, including farm laborers and other residents,"Luke Robison, a potato farmer in southern Oregon, wrote in a court filing. Orrick wouldn'tbudge. Within days, theKlamath Irrigation District, one of the largest water agencies in the basin,decided to push back. The district's lawyer sent Reclamation a letter May 3threatening to open the gate so farmers could begin planting. Klamath's threattouched off a week's worth of furious negotiations aimed at staving off anall-out conflict. So far, the peace has held, in part because the region'spower company, PacifiCorp, has agreed to lend some of its water forhydroelectric generation to the farmers so they can plant at least some oftheir crops. In addition, U.S.Rep. Greg Walden, a Republican who represents the area,?says $10.3 million in federal disaster relief funds?is on its wayto the basin's farmers.? Sagebrush Rebellion The Klamath sits in apart of the West where?anti-government sentiment,?often called theSagebrush Rebellion, runs high. The basin is just 200miles west of Burns, Ore. That's where armed right-wing activists, led by thesons of anti-government rancher Cliven Bundy, seized control of a federalwildlife refuge for 41 days in 2016 to protest government land policies. After the"Bucket Brigade" protests of 2001, some fear the Klamath could seedemonstrations on a similar scale if farmers don't get their way. At the opposite endof the political spectrum are the Standing Rock demonstrations. There,thousands of Native Americans and their allies spent months in 2016 clashingwith law enforcement in protests over construction of the Dakota AccessPipeline under the Missouri River in North Dakota. Ryan Jackson,the?chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, said that if thefarmers upstream take action his tribe would first lodge a formal legalcomplaint. If that doesn't stopthem, Jackson said "all options are on the table," including rallyingnational Native American activists to protest those "who would undermineour rights, our culture and our traditions." "Standing Rock,that's an issue that the Indians talk about often," Jackson said."The more these types of things happen, the more that you're going to getpeople energized around trying to preserve what it is that we have left. TheKlamath and the Trinity rivers are part of that." Mikkelsen, deputyInterior commissioner and Trump's point man on the Klamath, said he isoptimistic it won't come to that. Mikkelsen has beenworking to resurrect the water-sharing and river-restoration agreementsenvisioned in settlements reached in 2005 among farmers, tribes and environmentalists. The settlements diedin 2015, however, after congressional Republicans refused to authorize themillions of dollars to fund the landmark accords. The Republicans' stickingpoint was the settlement also included a plan to decommission four ofPacifiCorp's hydroelectric dams blocking fish migrating up the Klamath River. In the years since,California, Oregon and the power company have begun working with tribes andfederal officials to tear down the dams without congressional approval. With the dam-removalcomponent separate, Mikkelsen has what he said is a framework to forge alasting peace on the Klamath. "I think at theend of the day, we're looking for long-term solutions," he said. Ryan Sabalow:?916-321-1264,?@ryansabalow -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 18 08:03:53 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 18 May 2018 15:03:53 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Lower Canyon Test Pit Project Scoping Letter - Trinity River In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <2107984871.2809755.1526655833850@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, May 18, 2018 7:17 AM, "Held, Kevin" wrote: Dear Interested Party:? Please find the attached scoping letter for the proposed Lower Canyon Test Pit project, a collaboration between the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, Shasta-Trinity National Forest.? In anticipation of three upcoming river restoration projects upstream of the Junction City, California area, test pits are proposed to be dug?within?the?proposed?Chapman Ranch, Evan's Bar, and Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation areas. Test pits are dug on the Trinity River floodplain in order?to determine the underlying geology and groundwater flow. More information on the proposed test pit project, locations, and instructions for submitting comments can be found in the attachment?(Lower Canyon Test Pit Scoping Letter.pdf).? You are encouraged to submit project-specific written comments related to the proposal during the scoping period. Comments received by?June 1, 2018?will be fully considered and are most useful in helping agencies evaluate the proposal.? If you have questions about this proposal or need additional information,?please?contact Chris Losi,?Shasta -Trinity National Forest Environmental Coordinator, at 530-226-2425 or at?christopherjlosi at fs.fed.us.? If you have general questions regarding the work of the TRRP,?please?contact me at 530-623-1809 or at kheld at usbr.gov. Sincerely, Kevin Held??Project Coordination Specialist|?Trinity River Restoration Program?|?U.S. Bureau of Reclamation?|?1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA|?530.623.1809|?kheld at usbr.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Lower Canyon Test Pit Scoping Letter signed 05-16-18.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 406710 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 18 11:44:20 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 18 May 2018 18:44:20 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1767450331.2908728.1526669061016@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, May 18, 2018 9:59 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Show original message Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 05/22/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/22/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/22/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550? 05/22/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/22/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/22/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/22/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/22/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/22/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/22/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450 05/23/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400? 05/23/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350?05/23/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400 05/23/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/23/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/23/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/23/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/23/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/23/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450 05/24/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400? 05/24/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350 05/24/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300? 05/24/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 05/24/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/24/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/24/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/24/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/24/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/24/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/24/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400 05/25/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350? 05/25/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 05/25/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250??05/25/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/25/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/25/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?180005/25/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/25/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/25/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/25/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600 05/26/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1550? 05/26/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500 05/26/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/26/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400?? 05/26/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/26/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?175005/26/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1750? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/26/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/26/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/26/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/26/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500 05/27/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/27/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/27/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 05/27/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/27/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/27/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/27/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/27/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/27/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/27/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450 05/28/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400? 05/28/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350?05/28/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500?? 05/28/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/28/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/28/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?170005/28/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1700? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/28/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/28/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/28/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/28/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450 05/29/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400? 05/29/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350?05/29/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 05/29/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/29/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/29/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/29/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/29/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/29/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/29/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/29/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400 05/30/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350? 05/30/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 05/30/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350? 05/30/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450?? 05/30/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/30/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/30/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?165005/30/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/30/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/30/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/30/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/30/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?1400 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat May 19 08:33:24 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 19 May 2018 15:33:24 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Karuk Tribe questions restoration of Ruffey Rancheria References: <1962307410.3135047.1526744004148.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1962307410.3135047.1526744004148@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20180518/karuk-tribe-questions-restoration-of-ruffey-rancheria&template=printart Karuk Tribe questions restoration of Ruffey Rancheria Bill seeks to restore Ruffey Rancheria after 60 years By Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardFriday, May 18, 2018A Northern California congressman says his bill to restore the Ruffey Rancheria in Siskiyou County 60 years after the federal government dissolved it will right a historic wrong, but the neighboring Karuk Tribe claims there are political motives behind the legislation.Rep. Doug LaMalfa?s bill ??H.R. 3535?? would reestablish the rancheria and set up a process for membership enrollment and establishing water, fishing and land rights in Siskiyou County where the rancheria was first established in 1906.?Karuk Tribe Executive Director Joshua Saxon said the individuals in Shasta County seeking to become members of the rancheria have questionable ties to the original Ruffey Rancheria members. Saxon said some of these individuals have also voiced support for delaying a plan to remove four Klamath River dams starting in 2020 ? a plan which LaMalfa and Siskiyou County have openly opposed.?This is a ploy by LaMalfa and Siskiyou County to reinvent the tribe that is a check on all the other tribes in the basin on the issues of water, fish and dam removal,? Saxon said.Tahj Gomes is a Chico-based defense attorney and identifies himself as the tribal chairman of the Ruffey Rancheria, previously known as the Etna Band of Indians. Gomes said he cannot speak for LaMalfa?s intentions, but only his own.?For our families, federal restoration isn?t about providing a ?check? on other Indian Tribes in the Klamath River Basin, and it is unfortunate that Mr. Saxon believes that our Tribe?s basic sovereign right to be a Tribe should be denied on those grounds,? Gomes emailed the Times-Standard on Friday. ?To us, restoration is about being recognized as a Tribe that survived the Termination era as an intact Indian community.?LaMalfa?s communications director Parker Williams said the congressman has known and worked with Ruffey Rancheria descendents since serving in the state Assembly. Parker said LaMalfa has had numerous meetings with the Karuk Tribe regarding this bill and has made many amendments to satisfy their concerns.??This issue with the bill has never once been raised with Rep. LaMalfa or his office,? Williams said about Saxon?s comments. ?The text of the bill provides that: ?Nothing in this Act shall expand, reduce, or affect in any manner any hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, or water rights of the Tribe and its members.? Under this bill, the tribe would be afforded the same rights afforded to all federally recognized Indian tribes.?Saxon and tribal organizations representing about 70 tribes throughout the state have also raised concerns about LaMalfa?s response to tribes? concerns.?We are concerned to learn that several tribal commenters in California and Oregon have raised questions about the group affiliated with H.R. 3535 that have gone unanswered,? Southern California Tribal Chairman?s Associated Robert Smith wrote.The bill recently passed through the House Natural Resources Committee in a 19-18 vote.?North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) voted against the bill, and said that the issue is not whether Congress should restore a wrongfully terminated tribe.?Of course we should work toward that,? Huffman said at the May 4 hearing. ?But this is about whether the process is respecting the rights of the dozens of California tribes who are raising serious concerns.?At the committee hearing, LaMalfa said the concerns raised by Huffman were ?11th hour concerns,? though Huffman said he and other colleagues raised the issue nearly a month before.?So who?s being open here and who?s being disingenuous?? LaMalfa said in response to Huffman?s concerns. ?It?s a little appalling and I always look for a positive, constructive conversation on this.?The bill is set to be heard by the House Rules Committee and is expected to be voted on this summer. Land, water and fish The bill as amended would also allow the Secretary of the Interior to provide land in trust for the rancheria located in Siskiyou County, but does not provide a limit on how much land; the previous version of the bill limited it to 441 acres.?The Karuk Tribe said this bypasses normal administrative processes that other tribes have to face. Saxon said the bill would also infringe on existing water and fishing rights held by other Klamath Tribes despite the legislation saying otherwise. The only protections offered in the bill for the rights of other tribes are for those in Oregon and the neighboring Quartz Valley Indian Reservation, Saxon said.?Just because the legislation says it?s so doesn?t make it so,? Saxon said. ?If you establish water rights on the Klamath River, tell me how that?s not going to affect the Klamath Basin tribes??Gomes describes this concern as a ?red herring? and a ?scare tactic.??The Ruffey Rancheria is not claiming to be a tribe that derives its rights from a treaty, nor does the legislation establish any new or infringe on any existing rights,? he said.?The possibility of Federal restoration for our Tribe is a momentous occasion. It isn?t a question of politics; it is a question of social justice,? Gomes continued. ?For us, this legislation is an opportunity for us to be a federally recognized Tribe once again.?As to Klamath River dam removal, Saxon said that he would expect the rancheria, if established, to request that the removal process currently before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to start over.The Times-Standard asked Gomes if he and the Etna Band of Indians opposes dam removal.?The Ruffey Rancheria has not made any statement or sent any letter opposing dam removal or requesting a such a delay,? Gomes said in response.Gomes did pen a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board in February 2017 regarding the dam removal project?s water quality permit. Gomes did not state opposition to the project in the letter, which he signed as the chairman of the Etna Band of Indians, but requested that a new environmental report be developed to give ?due consideration? to Shasta Indian descendents.Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon May 21 15:40:07 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 21 May 2018 22:40:07 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] A Washington bomb set to go off in California's delta tunnels water war References: <647567321.3823238.1526942407370.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <647567321.3823238.1526942407370@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-leslie-ken-calverts-end-delta-end-run-20180521-story.htmlA Washington bomb set to go off in California's delta tunnels water war By?JACQUES LESLIEMAY 21, 2018?|?4:05 AM? ? A congressman set off a legislative bomb in California's water wars last week.Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Corona) inserted a rider into an Interior Department appropriations bill that would exempt from all judicial review the intensely contested Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta twin tunnels project. Passage of the rider ? it's scheduled for a House committee vote Tuesday ? would mean that the water diversion scheme wouldn't have to follow federal or state law.The project, known formally as California WaterFix, would bury two 35-mile-long, 40-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the delta. Its backers say its capital costs would amount to $17 billion, but credible estimates including financing start at nearly triple that amount, and its impact on Delta farmers and fish including endangered salmon would almost certainly be severe.If passed by the House (likely) and Senate (possible) and signed by President Trump (probable), the rider would open a gaping hole in California and federal law. It would render invalid about 20 active lawsuits that have already been filed against various aspects of the project, and that comprise some of the last major barriers to tunnel construction. Plaintiffs include at least 10 local governments, about 30 water districts including the Kern County Water Agency, numerous environmental groups, three fishing organizations and the Native American Winnemem Wintu people.More important, even though the project is California's, the product of decades of studies, plans, battles and ongoing arguments about the state's water needs, the rider constitutes a federal end run around those deliberations and California's rigorous environmental laws. It's all too easy to imagine Trump administration officials at, say, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, changing biological opinions to justify increased pumping of water to San Joaquin Valley and Southern California and overthrowing protections for Delta farmers and salmon. If something like that happens, the victims would have no recourse under state or federal statutes.Passage of the rider would also set a precedent, opening the way for similar end runs on other projects, eliminating the neutral judicial review that is crucial to the rule of law.In a statement, Calvert explained his willingness to undermine his own state's law: The project's "stakeholders have had a plethora of opportunities to express their thoughts and concerns. Now we must move forward." According to Restore the Delta, a project opponent, Calvert has received campaign contributions from construction and engineering corporations and developers that might benefit from the project.Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the project's biggest booster, tried to distance himself slightly from the rider by tweeting last week that it was "not sponsored or sought" by the MWD, but he cagily didn't say he disapproved of it. In fact, according to a source in the anti-tunnel environmental movement, Kightlinger has in the past spoken privately of deploying just this stratagem.Unfortunately for WaterFix's backers, Calvert's bomb sends shrapnel in all directions, including theirs. The rider suggests that even the tunnels' supporters believe the project wouldn't survive judicial review, that it would be found in violation of environmental laws.The rider's reach is so broad that it will probably meet constitutional challenges. It's sweep could also work against Calvert's "move forward" goal. For example, last year the state Department of Water Resources filed a suit to validate $11 billion in bonds to fund the project. But if judicial review is canceled, the department's complaint is too, potentially hamstringing financing for the project.The rider will surely face obstacles in the Senate, where California's senior senator, Dianne Feinstein, the ranking minority member of the Appropriations Committee subcommittee on energy and water, has already expressed opposition. She may be able to block the rider singlehandedly. In case her resolve wavers, voters are hereby encouraged to notify her office that they find the rider appalling.Finally, California's next governor, who will be elected in November, may not be as enthusiastic about WaterFix as Jerry Brown is. The permit process for the tunnels is likely to extend beyond Brown's tenure, so the project will require backing from the new governor to ensure that construction proceeds. Should the rider survive, wiping out the possibility of judicial review now and in the future, the new governor may be more inclined to drop the project altogether. Contrary to its backers' wishes, the rider could turn out to be self-sabotage.Jacques Leslie is a contributing writer to Opinion.Follow the Opinion section on Twitter?L.A. Times Opinion (@latimesopinion) on Twitter | | | | | | | | | | | L.A. Times Opinion (@latimesopinion) on Twitter | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Mon May 21 15:45:25 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 21 May 2018 18:45:25 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Article Submission: Rep. Calvert introduces rider banning lawsuits against Delta Tunnels In-Reply-To: <647567321.3823238.1526942407370@mail.yahoo.com> References: <647567321.3823238.1526942407370.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <647567321.3823238.1526942407370@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <220a29f7-3e70-4006-a659-9e34167eb1bf@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/5/17/1764906/-Rep-Calvert-introduces-rider-to-federal-spending-bill-prohibiting-legal-challenges-to-Delta-Tunnels Rep. Calvert introduces rider banning lawsuits against Delta Tunnels By Dan Bacher Representative Ken Calvert of Riverside County (R-Corona), who has received numerous campaign contributions from engineering and construction firms, bottled water companies, and developers, has introduced an alarming rider to federal draft spending bill that would ban state or federal lawsuits against Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project. The rider, found on 141 of the 142-page bill for fiscal year 2019 for the Department of Interior and other agencies, states,?SEC. 437. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Final Environmental Impact Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan/California Water Fix (81 Fed. Reg. 96485 (Dec. 30, 2016)) and any resulting agency decision, record of decision, or similar determination shall hereafter not be subject to judicial review under any Federal or State law.? Rep. Calvert, who also serves as the Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, claimed that in the bill, the Interior Subcommittee ?has made every effort to balance a host of competing needs and provided the Interior Department, EPA and other agencies under our jurisdiction with the resources necessary to carry out their mission,? but made no mention of the rider. ?Our bill funds a number of American priorities like our National Park Service, the Smithsonian, Native American programs, efforts to prevent and combat wildfires, and the development an earthquake early warning system for the West Coast. Once again we provide important funding for EPA programs that clean our environment, but do not increase the size of the federal bureaucracy. I appreciate the input of all of our Subcommittee members,? said Calvert. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee met on the evening of Tuesday, May 15 to start discussion on the bill ? and approved a motion to bring the bill before the full committee. The full Committee will review the bill at a later, unannounced date. Delta Tunnels opponents disagree with the Calvert?s contention that the spending bill has ?has made every effort to balance a host of competing needs.? According to an analysis from Restore the Delta, ?The draft bill contains numerous environmentally disastrous riders, such as Section 437 which would exempt CA WaterFix from judicial review, including preempting state law to preclude litigation under state laws. In other words, it would prevent anyone with standing from suing the Delta Tunnels project.? The group said this ?would affect numerous cases already filed in state and federal courts.? These include state law claims under the California Environmental Quality Act (20 cases filed) or the California Endangered Species Act (3 cases filed), as well as litigation under the federal Endangered Species Act (2 cases filed) or NEPA (no cases yet filed because the Bureau has not yet issued a Record of Decision). Congressional opponents of the Delta Tunnels, including Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) blasted Calvert?s introduction of the rider. ?It seems the twin tunnels? proponents in Congress are afraid that the project would violate state and federal law and they are seeking to insulate themselves from any lawsuits to prevent delays in the project,? said Garamendi. ?The reality is, they should be worried because the $17 billion project would be a disaster for the Delta ecosystem and economy.? ?Prohibiting federal or state judicial review of environmental documents on the twin tunnels sets a dangerous precedent that will have lasting and negative impacts on water laws across the nation,? continued Garamendi. ?The federal government has a history of deferring to state water law and this provision is truly a radical assault on environmental laws by the Congress.? John McManus, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) that represents sport and commercial salmon fishermen and related businesses, said salmon and other West Coast fish species ?will be wiped out if the current version of the tunnels is built, which is why GGSA and allies are already in court calling for a fair legal review.? ?Those in favor of the tunnels and moving more northern California water to southern California know we?re likely to win in court since the environmental damage is easy to prove. That?s why they?re using their money and political connections to simply get the laws changed rather than comply with the law and modify the tunnels to make them less damaging,? he said. Patrick Porgans of Porgans and Associates said, ?Calvert?s rider doesn?t surprise me. It?s just another way to circumvent public input and to continue business as usual.? Porgans was the one who made a California Public Records Act request that resulted in the release of emails documenting illegal ex-parte communications between the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and State Water Board staff in the current California WaterFix hearing process. More information: www.dailykos.com/... Then on Wednesday, Restore the Delta revealed that Congressman Ken Calvert has received a number of campaign contributions from an array of construction and engineering corporations, including the Parsons Corporation, the bottled water industry, Southern California developer interests, and general members of the Southern California Water Committee. For example, Calvert this year has received $15,000 in donations from the Parsons Corporation, an engineering, construction, technical, and professional services firm, and $12,500 from the Jacobs Engineering Group, a global provider of technical, professional, and scientific services, including engineering, architecture, construction, operations and maintenance. The Congressman also received $10,800 from Robertson?s Ready Mix, a Corona, California producer of ready-mixed concrete and construction aggregates, and $10,800 from All American Asphalt, an asphaltand aggregate material production and construction company also based in Corona. ?Starting with his history as the lead sponsor of CALFED and ending with his most recent campaign contributions, it?s clear that Congressman Calvert primarily serves the interests of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and construction companies hoping to win the WaterFix bid,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. "If this rider becomes part of the Congressional budget authorization, CA WaterFix would no longer be subject to judicial review under any Federal or State law. Governor Brown, the Department of Water Resources, Metropolitan Water District, and Santa Clara Valley Water District have all told Californians for eight years that the Delta tunnels is an environmental project that will improve Delta fisheries and protect the ecosystem,? she explained. ?If that?s true, why has the Brown Administration remained silent while Congressman Calvert attempts to gut state and federal environmental regulations? The answer is simple?the tunnels have never been, nor will they ever be a green project, and this most recent effort would enable project participants to break ground on this flawed pet project before the end of Brown?s term,? she concluded. In a tweet, Jeffrey Kightlinger of the Metropolitan Water District was very evasive about MWD?s position on Calvert?s rider, noting that a statement from the Southern California Water Committee is an "accurate statement of @mwdh2o position as well on @CAWaterFix and this legislative proposal.? The SWC tweet proclaimed: "@CAWaterFix has been studied & developed over more than a decade of rigorous environmental review, & we stand behind the analysis on this project. We did not make this request & remain committed to a transparent process to implement this much-needed public infrastructure project.? Governor Jerry Brown has not to date made any comment on the rider, but Congressman Garamendi and Delta advocates have urged him to oppose it. ?While Governor Brown and I don?t see eye to eye on the twin tunnels, I hope he will recognize the danger that this proposal presents and work with Congress to prevent it from becoming law,? said Garamendi. ?I think it would destroy Governor Brown?s credibility if California doesn?t stop the rider,? said Michael Jackson, lawyer for the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), ?because Brown says he is building the tunnels to save the environment. If he allows the Congressional Republicans to take away environmental protections, it?s clear he is either afraid or them or in their pockets. If they get away with ending environmental protections for the Bay-Delta in California, then they could do it on every state environmental issue in the future.? The Delta Tunnels project is opposed by a broad coalition of Southern California and Santa Clara Valley Water District stakeholders, family farmers, Tribes, recreational anglers, commercial fishermen, Delta residents, environmental justice advocates, conservationists, water districts, many elected officials and many Northern California and Delta region cities and counties. If the tunnels are built, project opponents say San Francisco Bay-Delta and West Coast fisheries will be decimated while not one drop of new water will be created. The project will not only hasten the extinction of Sacramento River winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and long fin smelt, green sturgeon and other fisheries, but will imperil the salmon and steelhead populations of the Trinity and Klamath rivers. Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu exposed the folly of Brown?s ?legacy project,? the Delta Tunnels, at her speech at the ?March for Science? on Earth Day 2017 before a crowd of 15,000 people at the State Capitol in Sacramento. She pointed out how the tunnels, rather than achieving the co-equal goals of water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration, would instead devastate salmon and other fish populations while doing nothing to supply clean drinking water for people in impoverished rural communities in the San Joaquin Valley. ?The California Water Fix is the biggest water problem, the most devastating project, that Californians have ever faced,? said Chief Sisk. ?Just ask the people in the farmworker communities of Seville and Alpaugh, where they can?t drink clean water from the tap.? ?The twin tunnels won?t fix this problem. All this project does is channel Delta water to water brokers at prices the people in the towns can?t afford,? she stated. Governor Brown?s plan to build the Delta Tunnels has accelerated at an alarming rate in the wake of the Metropolitan Water District?s vote on April 10 and the Santa Clara Valley Water District?s vote on May 8 to fully support the California Water Fix. As first reported in a story here on Friday, May 11 (www.dailykos.com/... ), a memo released by California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth outlined ?organizational adjustments? prompted by the latest developments in Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project, including a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) tasked with designing and constructing the controversial project. Then today, directors from water districts participating in the California Water Fix, including Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), and Alameda County Zone 7 Water Agency, will hold the first meeting of the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors? first meeting. The event will take place at 2 p.m. at the Sacramento Public Library, Tsakopoulos Library Galleria 828 I St. Sacramento, CA? . Public trust advocates will be there in force to show their opposition to the Delta Tunnels project. You can view the board agenda here . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Ken_Calvert.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 20705 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed May 23 08:27:35 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 23 May 2018 15:27:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal: Twin tunnels fight roils on References: <1581287180.4560481.1527089255557.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1581287180.4560481.1527089255557@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_948f20b4-5e2d-11e8-b892-df093db0ca1f.html Twin tunnels fight roils on - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ?- 1 hr ago ?The status of the twin tunnels project to pipe water from Northern California under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to farms and cities to the south has been a moving target this past year.Major funding sources have been lost and then replaced. There?s been consideration of downsizing to one tunnel, but now it?s back to two.It?s ?the zombie that will not die,? said Tom Stokely, salmon and water policy analyst for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations and the Institute for Fisheries Resources.The tunnels project ? officially known as the California WaterFix ? is Gov. Jerry Brown?s solution he touts to bring a more reliable water supply to farmers and cause less environmental harm. Pumping water through the Delta estuary has harmed fish species that can get sucked into the pumps or pulled in the wrong direction. This causes restrictions on the pumping.However, many fisheries organizations oppose the plan.Stokely, a former natural resources planner for Trinity County, would rather the proposed project never gets built. But if it does come to pass, the PCFFA wants protections in place.Stokely was part of a panel that testified in Sacramento before State Water Resources Control Board hearing officers last month regarding permit amendments required to change the point of diversion on the Sacramento River for the tunnels project. It?s one of many permits needed for the project to happen.Trinity River water is diverted by the Central Valley Project to the Sacramento River, and to get the permit change the agencies have to prove no unreasonable effects to fish, wildlife and other legal water users, Stokely said.The federal Bureau of Reclamation and state Department of Water Resources applied for the diversion permit change.Stokely said the panel he was on sought to show that there would be impacts to the Trinity River from the project, and if it goes forward mitigation measures need to be taken.The government?s position is there is no impact to the Trinity River or to storage at the reservoir, Trinity Lake, he said. ?We don?t believe it.?Trinity Lake water storage has been helped by restrictions on pumping water through the Delta, said Stokely, who doubts claims by project proponents that water sent south will not increase.?They claim it?s not going to put any more water down south but I think the truth is something else,? he said. ?Why would they spend money on it otherwise??In his testimony, Stokely said Reclamation?s Trinity River water permits should be amended to conform with instream fishery flows contained in the Trinity River Record of Decision as minimum instream flows. Currently, those permits include a much lower amount than provided for in the Record of Decision.He also said the permits should provide for the release of Humboldt County?s 50,000 acre-feet contract water in addition to fishery flows and tribal ceremonial flows.He called for inclusion of terms and conditions to require Reclamation to comply with the Trinity River temperature objectives contained in the Water Quality Control Plan for the North Coast Region.Stokely said there must be a requirement for a minimum cold water storage in the Trinity reservoir adequate for fisheries in a multi-year drought. Based on studies to date, Stokely said, minimum pool of 1.25 million acre-feet to 1.75 million acre-feet carryover storage Sept. 30 should be goal, with storage never falling below 900,000 acre-feet.The $17 billion twin tunnels plan has had a rollercoaster of a trajectory this past year. The project is to be paid for by water agencies that receive the water; however, in September the board of Westlands Water District voted not to help foot the bill for the project.A phased-in approach was discussed to build one tunnel first and construct a second only if enough money became available.Since then the Santa Clara Valley Water District and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California agreed to pay large chunks of the project cost.There have also been many lawsuits filed seeking to stop the tunnels. However, there?s a rider on the Interior appropriations bill in the House to prohibit state or federal lawsuits against the final environmental impact report for the project and any resulting decision.The government isn?t likely to get through the litigation and get the water permit revisions before Gov. Brown leaves office, Stokely said.Much will depend on whether the next governor supports the plan, he added.State DWR Director Karla Nemeth has said final permitting for WaterFix is on the horizon, and ?implementation is imminent.? - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Wed May 23 09:32:27 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 23 May 2018 12:32:27 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Article submission: Rep. Calvert introduces rider banning lawsuits against Delta Tunnels In-Reply-To: <1581287180.4560481.1527089255557@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1581287180.4560481.1527089255557.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1581287180.4560481.1527089255557@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/5/17/1764906/-Rep-Calvert-introduces-rider-to-federal-spending-bill-prohibiting-legal-challenges-to-Delta-Tunnels Rep. Calvert introduces rider banning lawsuits against Delta Tunnels By Dan Bacher Representative Ken Calvert of Riverside County (R-Corona), who has received numerous campaign contributions from engineering and construction firms, bottled water companies, and developers, has introduced an alarming rider to federal draft spending bill that would ban state or federal lawsuits against Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project. The rider, found on 141 of the 142-page bill for fiscal year 2019 for the Department of Interior and other agencies, states,?SEC. 437. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Final Environmental Impact Report/Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan/California Water Fix (81 Fed. Reg. 96485 (Dec. 30, 2016)) and any resulting agency decision, record of decision, or similar determination shall hereafter not be subject to judicial review under any Federal or State law.? Rep. Calvert, who also serves as the Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, claimed that in the bill, the Interior Subcommittee ?has made every effort to balance a host of competing needs and provided the Interior Department, EPA and other agencies under our jurisdiction with the resources necessary to carry out their mission,? but made no mention of the rider. ?Our bill funds a number of American priorities like our National Park Service, the Smithsonian, Native American programs, efforts to prevent and combat wildfires, and the development an earthquake early warning system for the West Coast. Once again we provide important funding for EPA programs that clean our environment, but do not increase the size of the federal bureaucracy. I appreciate the input of all of our Subcommittee members,? said Calvert. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee met on the evening of Tuesday, May 15 to start discussion on the bill ? and approved a motion to bring the bill before the full committee. The full Committee will review the bill at a later, unannounced date. Delta Tunnels opponents disagree with the Calvert?s contention that the spending bill has ?has made every effort to balance a host of competing needs.? According to an analysis from Restore the Delta, ?The draft bill contains numerous environmentally disastrous riders, such as Section 437 which would exempt CA WaterFix from judicial review, including preempting state law to preclude litigation under state laws. In other words, it would prevent anyone with standing from suing the Delta Tunnels project.? The group said this ?would affect numerous cases already filed in state and federal courts.? These include state law claims under the California Environmental Quality Act (20 cases filed) or the California Endangered Species Act (3 cases filed), as well as litigation under the federal Endangered Species Act (2 cases filed) or NEPA (no cases yet filed because the Bureau has not yet issued a Record of Decision). Congressional opponents of the Delta Tunnels, including Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) blasted Calvert?s introduction of the rider. ?It seems the twin tunnels? proponents in Congress are afraid that the project would violate state and federal law and they are seeking to insulate themselves from any lawsuits to prevent delays in the project,? said Garamendi. ?The reality is, they should be worried because the $17 billion project would be a disaster for the Delta ecosystem and economy.? ?Prohibiting federal or state judicial review of environmental documents on the twin tunnels sets a dangerous precedent that will have lasting and negative impacts on water laws across the nation,? continued Garamendi. ?The federal government has a history of deferring to state water law and this provision is truly a radical assault on environmental laws by the Congress.? John McManus, Executive Director of the Golden Gate Salmon Association (GGSA) that represents sport and commercial salmon fishermen and related businesses, said salmon and other West Coast fish species ?will be wiped out if the current version of the tunnels is built, which is why GGSA and allies are already in court calling for a fair legal review.? ?Those in favor of the tunnels and moving more northern California water to southern California know we?re likely to win in court since the environmental damage is easy to prove. That?s why they?re using their money and political connections to simply get the laws changed rather than comply with the law and modify the tunnels to make them less damaging,? he said. Patrick Porgans of Porgans and Associates said, ?Calvert?s rider doesn?t surprise me. It?s just another way to circumvent public input and to continue business as usual.? Porgans was the one who made a California Public Records Act request that resulted in the release of emails documenting illegal ex-parte communications between the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and State Water Board staff in the current California WaterFix hearing process. More information: www.dailykos.com/... Then on Wednesday, Restore the Delta revealed that Congressman Ken Calvert has received a number of campaign contributions from an array of construction and engineering corporations, including the Parsons Corporation, the bottled water industry, Southern California developer interests, and general members of the Southern California Water Committee. For example, Calvert this year has received $15,000 in donations from the Parsons Corporation, an engineering, construction, technical, and professional services firm, and $12,500 from the Jacobs Engineering Group, a global provider of technical, professional, and scientific services, including engineering, architecture, construction, operations and maintenance. The Congressman also received $10,800 from Robertson?s Ready Mix, a Corona, California producer of ready-mixed concrete and construction aggregates, and $10,800 from All American Asphalt, an asphaltand aggregate material production and construction company also based in Corona. ?Starting with his history as the lead sponsor of CALFED and ending with his most recent campaign contributions, it?s clear that Congressman Calvert primarily serves the interests of Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and construction companies hoping to win the WaterFix bid,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. "If this rider becomes part of the Congressional budget authorization, CA WaterFix would no longer be subject to judicial review under any Federal or State law. Governor Brown, the Department of Water Resources, Metropolitan Water District, and Santa Clara Valley Water District have all told Californians for eight years that the Delta tunnels is an environmental project that will improve Delta fisheries and protect the ecosystem,? she explained. ?If that?s true, why has the Brown Administration remained silent while Congressman Calvert attempts to gut state and federal environmental regulations? The answer is simple?the tunnels have never been, nor will they ever be a green project, and this most recent effort would enable project participants to break ground on this flawed pet project before the end of Brown?s term,? she concluded. In a tweet, Jeffrey Kightlinger of the Metropolitan Water District was very evasive about MWD?s position on Calvert?s rider, noting that a statement from the Southern California Water Committee is an "accurate statement of @mwdh2o position as well on @CAWaterFix and this legislative proposal.? The SWC tweet proclaimed: "@CAWaterFix has been studied & developed over more than a decade of rigorous environmental review, & we stand behind the analysis on this project. We did not make this request & remain committed to a transparent process to implement this much-needed public infrastructure project.? Governor Jerry Brown has not to date made any comment on the rider, but Congressman Garamendi and Delta advocates have urged him to oppose it. ?While Governor Brown and I don?t see eye to eye on the twin tunnels, I hope he will recognize the danger that this proposal presents and work with Congress to prevent it from becoming law,? said Garamendi. ?I think it would destroy Governor Brown?s credibility if California doesn?t stop the rider,? said Michael Jackson, lawyer for the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) and the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), ?because Brown says he is building the tunnels to save the environment. If he allows the Congressional Republicans to take away environmental protections, it?s clear he is either afraid or them or in their pockets. If they get away with ending environmental protections for the Bay-Delta in California, then they could do it on every state environmental issue in the future.? The Delta Tunnels project is opposed by a broad coalition of Southern California and Santa Clara Valley Water District stakeholders, family farmers, Tribes, recreational anglers, commercial fishermen, Delta residents, environmental justice advocates, conservationists, water districts, many elected officials and many Northern California and Delta region cities and counties. If the tunnels are built, project opponents say San Francisco Bay-Delta and West Coast fisheries will be decimated while not one drop of new water will be created. The project will not only hasten the extinction of Sacramento River winter-run and spring-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and long fin smelt, green sturgeon and other fisheries, but will imperil the salmon and steelhead populations of the Trinity and Klamath rivers. Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader of the Winnemem Wintu exposed the folly of Brown?s ?legacy project,? the Delta Tunnels, at her speech at the ?March for Science? on Earth Day 2017 before a crowd of 15,000 people at the State Capitol in Sacramento. She pointed out how the tunnels, rather than achieving the co-equal goals of water supply reliability and ecosystem restoration, would instead devastate salmon and other fish populations while doing nothing to supply clean drinking water for people in impoverished rural communities in the San Joaquin Valley. ?The California Water Fix is the biggest water problem, the most devastating project, that Californians have ever faced,? said Chief Sisk. ?Just ask the people in the farmworker communities of Seville and Alpaugh, where they can?t drink clean water from the tap.? ?The twin tunnels won?t fix this problem. All this project does is channel Delta water to water brokers at prices the people in the towns can?t afford,? she stated. Governor Brown?s plan to build the Delta Tunnels has accelerated at an alarming rate in the wake of the Metropolitan Water District?s vote on April 10 and the Santa Clara Valley Water District?s vote on May 8 to fully support the California Water Fix. As first reported in a story here on Friday, May 11 (www.dailykos.com/... ), a memo released by California Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth outlined ?organizational adjustments? prompted by the latest developments in Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project, including a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) tasked with designing and constructing the controversial project. Then on May 17, directors from water districts participating in the California Water Fix, including Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), and Alameda County Zone 7 Water Agency, held the first meeting of the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Joint Powers Authority Board of Directors? at the Sacramento Public Library, Tsakopoulos Library Galleria, in Sacramento. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Ken_Calvert.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 20705 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri May 25 11:11:59 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 25 May 2018 18:11:59 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1639982593.5448802.1527271919543@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, May 25, 2018 10:26 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 05/31/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350? 05/31/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?130005/31/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250 05/31/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 05/31/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?150005/31/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?160005/31/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155005/31/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500 05/31/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?145005/31/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140005/31/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350 06/01/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300? 06/01/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?125006/01/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?1200? 06/01/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 06/01/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?130006/01/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?145006/01/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?150006/01/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 06/01/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140006/01/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135006/01/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 06/02/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 06/02/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/02/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 06/02/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100? 06/02/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?125006/02/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?145006/02/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140006/02/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135006/02/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300? 06/02/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?125006/02/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/02/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150 06/03/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100? 06/03/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050?06/03/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 06/03/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?135006/03/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?140006/03/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135006/03/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?130006/03/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 06/03/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/03/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?115006/03/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100 06/04/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1110? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1050? 06/04/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100006/04/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?110006/04/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?130006/04/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?135006/04/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?130006/04/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 06/04/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/04/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?115006/04/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100 06/05/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050? 06/05/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100006/05/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?950?06/05/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ?115006/05/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?125006/05/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?130006/05/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?125006/05/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?1200? 06/05/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?115006/05/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?110006/05/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun May 27 09:20:53 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 27 May 2018 16:20:53 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] EDITORIAL Stop outrageous effort to ban Delta tunnels lawsuits References: <997188796.5876712.1527438053056.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <997188796.5876712.1527438053056@mail.yahoo.com> http://mercurynews.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=01695e592 EDITORIALStop outrageous effort to ban Delta tunnels lawsuits?Shameful.It?s the only way to describe the latest effort by a Southern California lawmaker to grab as much water as possible from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta without regard to the health of the largest estuary west of the Mississippi.Riverside County Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, on May 8 slipped a rider into the 2019 House Interior and Environmental Appropriations bill prohibiting any judicial review of Gov. Jerry Brown?s $16 billion Delta twin-tunnels plan.It?s beyond outrageous.More than 25 lawsuits already have been filed challenging environmental review of the so-called ?WaterFix,? its funding mechanism and the permitting for the project.Among the parties in the?lawsuits are Contra Costa County, East Bay Municipal Water District, the Sierra Club, The Bay Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council.Those lawsuits and any future legal challenges would go out the window if the bill passes with Calvert?s rider intact, even if it?s clear that state and federal laws were broken. But here?s the nightmare scenario: Calvert?s strategic maneuver gives the state?s Department of Water Resources the authority to send an unlimited supply of water from the Delta to Southern California without the threat of a legal challenge.Think about it.Southern California?s Metropolitan Water District in April committed $10.8 billion to build the two 35-mile, fourstory- tall tunnels under the Delta.They would be capable of sending enough water to Southern California to fill 8,000 Olympic-size swimming pools every day. The largest water district in the nation has no intention of making that kind of commitment without an expectation?that it will draw every drop of water possible from the Delta without concern for its health.Calvert?s rider also serves to demonstrate the magnitude of Santa Clara Valley Water District?s colossal error earlier this month in committing $650 million for the project.This isn?t the first time a Republican congressman has tried to head off legal challenges for a pet project. It?s merely the latest ploy to skirt legitimate opposition. More than two dozen bills currently being considered by Congress carry bans on judicial reviews.Nor is this the first time that Calvert, whose woeful record on environmental issues is well-established, has worked to put Southern California?s quest for water over the health of the Delta. Calvert is the author of HR 3916, the Federally Integrated Species Health Act, which is also designed to increase water flow from the Delta to Southern California.Rep. John Garamendi, DWalnut Grove, called Calvert?s latest maneuver ?a radical assault on environmental laws by Congress,? and is working to rally support to fight it.But the best hope for blocking the bill is likely in the Senate, where Sen. Dianne Feinstein has already indicated her intention to oppose it.Meanwhile, Brown has remained silent on the bill. The governor is the twin tunnels? biggest advocate, but it would be hypocritical of him to support Calvert?s legislation while also using the courts to fight President Trump?s repeated attacks on California?s environmental laws.Lawsuits can create frustrating delays for lawmakers trying to push projects forward. But they also serve to provide crucial public protections. Calvert?s effort to subvert the judicial process must?not stand. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kierassociates at att.net Sun May 27 12:37:38 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Sun, 27 May 2018 12:37:38 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] EDITORIAL Stop outrageous effort to ban Delta tunnels lawsuits In-Reply-To: <997188796.5876712.1527438053056@mail.yahoo.com> References: <997188796.5876712.1527438053056.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <997188796.5876712.1527438053056@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <001501d3f5f2$2bffc6f0$83ff54d0$@att.net> I loved ?the largest estuary west of the Mississippi? (below) - the ones east of it are pretty puny That?s ?the largest, most valuable estuary of the west coast of either North or South America? in Bill Davoren-speak Bill From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom Stokely Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2018 9:21 AM To: Env-trinity Subject: [env-trinity] EDITORIAL Stop outrageous effort to ban Delta tunnels lawsuits http://mercurynews.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=01695e592 EDITORIAL Stop outrageous effort to ban Delta tunnels lawsuits Shameful. It?s the only way to describe the latest effort by a Southern California lawmaker to grab as much water as possible from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta without regard to the health of the largest estuary west of the Mississippi. Riverside County Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, on May 8 slipped a rider into the 2019 House Interior and Environmental Appropriations bill prohibiting any judicial review of Gov. Jerry Brown?s $16 billion Delta twin-tunnels plan. It?s beyond outrageous. More than 25 lawsuits already have been filed challenging environmental review of the so-called ?WaterFix,? its funding mechanism and the permitting for the project. Among the parties in the lawsuits are Contra Costa County, East Bay Municipal Water District, the Sierra Club, The Bay Institute and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Those lawsuits and any future legal challenges would go out the window if the bill passes with Calvert?s rider intact, even if it?s clear that state and federal laws were broken. But here?s the nightmare scenario: Calvert?s strategic maneuver gives the state?s Department of Water Resources the authority to send an unlimited supply of water from the Delta to Southern California without the threat of a legal challenge. Think about it. Southern California?s Metropolitan Water District in April committed $10.8 billion to build the two 35-mile, fourstory- tall tunnels under the Delta. They would be capable of sending enough water to Southern California to fill 8,000 Olympic-size swimming pools every day. The largest water district in the nation has no intention of making that kind of commitment without an expectation that it will draw every drop of water possible from the Delta without concern for its health. Calvert?s rider also serves to demonstrate the magnitude of Santa Clara Valley Water District?s colossal error earlier this month in committing $650 million for the project. This isn?t the first time a Republican congressman has tried to head off legal challenges for a pet project. It?s merely the latest ploy to skirt legitimate opposition. More than two dozen bills currently being considered by Congress carry bans on judicial reviews. Nor is this the first time that Calvert, whose woeful record on environmental issues is well-established, has worked to put Southern California?s quest for water over the health of the Delta. Calvert is the author of HR 3916, the Federally Integrated Species Health Act, which is also designed to increase water flow from the Delta to Southern California. Rep. John Garamendi, DWalnut Grove, called Calvert?s latest maneuver ?a radical assault on environmental laws by Congress,? and is working to rally support to fight it. But the best hope for blocking the bill is likely in the Senate, where Sen. Dianne Feinstein has already indicated her intention to oppose it. Meanwhile, Brown has remained silent on the bill. The governor is the twin tunnels? biggest advocate, but it would be hypocritical of him to support Calvert?s legislation while also using the courts to fight President Trump?s repeated attacks on California?s environmental laws. Lawsuits can create frustrating delays for lawmakers trying to push projects forward. But they also serve to provide crucial public protections. Calvert?s effort to subvert the judicial process must not stand. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jun 1 11:18:35 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2018 18:18:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <912514242.37042.1527877115491@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, June 1, 2018 11:17 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 06/06/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?1000? 06/06/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95006/06/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? 06/06/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 06/06/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?140006/06/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?165006/06/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1650? ? ? ? ? ? ?1600? 06/06/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?155006/06/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1550? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500? 06/06/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?145006/06/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140006/06/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350 06/07/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300? 06/07/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?125006/07/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?1200? 06/07/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 06/07/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?140006/07/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?160006/07/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?1500?06/07/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1500? ? ? ? ? ? ?1450? 06/07/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1450? ? ? ? ? ? ?140006/07/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?135006/07/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?1300 06/08/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 06/08/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/08/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 06/08/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100? 06/08/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?125006/08/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?130006/08/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1350? 06/08/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1350? ? ? ? ? ? ?130006/08/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1300? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 06/08/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/08/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?115006/08/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1100 06/09/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050? 06/09/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100006/09/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?950??06/09/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ?100006/09/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?115006/09/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?1250? 06/09/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1250? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/09/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 06/09/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?110006/09/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?105006/09/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?1000 06/10/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? 06/10/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90006/10/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? 06/10/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ?1000? 06/10/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?115006/10/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?120006/10/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?1150? 06/10/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1150? ? ? ? ? ? ?110006/10/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1100? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050? 06/10/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100006/10/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95006/10/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?900 06/11/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? 06/11/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80006/11/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? 06/11/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? 06/11/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95006/11/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ?100006/11/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?1050? 06/11/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1050? ? ? ? ? ? ?100006/11/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? 06/11/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90006/11/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85006/11/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800 06/12/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? 06/12/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?70006/12/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? 06/12/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? 06/12/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90006/12/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95006/12/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ?1000? 06/12/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ?1000? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95006/12/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? 06/12/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85006/12/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80006/12/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jun 7 10:46:29 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2018 17:46:29 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL Agenda for June 13-14, 2018, Eureka References: <1019869356.1460550.1528393589407.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1019869356.1460550.1528393589407@mail.yahoo.com> ? TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL June 2018 Quarterly Meeting Location:? Humboldt BayAquatic Center, Room 211/212 921 Waterfront Drive,Eureka, CA ? Agenda for June 13-14, 2018 (WebEx info on page 2) ? Wednesday June13, 2018 ? Time ????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? ??????????????????????? Discussion Leader RegularBusiness: ? 9:00???????????????? Introductionsand Meeting Business:?????????????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ??Welcome andIntroductions ??Approval ofAgenda ??Approval of Marchand April TMC Meeting Minutes ?? CVP Operations Update ? 9:30???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? Don, Chair ? 9:45???????????????? Report fromExecutive Director???????? ??????????????????????????????????? Caryn HunttDeCarlo ? Information/ Decision Items: ? 10:15?????????????? Progress on Winter Flow Variability? ??????????????????????? ??????????? Caryn/Robert Franklin/ ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? Hank Seeman ? 10:30?????????????? Cannabis Cultivation RegulatoryProcess in Trinity ? ??????????? Keith Groves County ? 10:45????????????? Break ? 11:00?????????????? Riding the Adaptive ManagementLoop:??????? ??????????? ??????????? JoshBoyce/ ??????????????????????? Habitat Assessment Informs Restoration??????????????????? ??????????? DamonGoodman ? 12:00?????????????? Lunch????????????? ? 1:00???????????????? Overview Program Status Channel Rehabilitation ??? ??????????? Mike Dixon Projects ? 2:00???????????????? TRRP Accomplishments Summary from 2016 and ??? ??????????? Caryn Draft 2017Annual Reports ? 2:30 ??????????????? FY19 Watershed FOA and RankingProcess?? ??????????? ??????????? Eric Wiseman? ? 3:00???????????????? Break ? 3:15???????????????? FY18 and FY19Budget Updates and Recommendations??????? Caryn ??????????????????????? forSurplus funds and/or Funding Cuts?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Decision Item ? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Wednesday June13, 2018 continued ? Time?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DiscussionLeader ? 4:45???????????????? Public Forum,Comments from the public??????? ??????????????????????? Don, Chair ? 5:00 ??????????????? Adjourn?????????????????????? ? 6:30? ???????? TMCDinner Wed. June 13 Jack?s Seafood, 4 C St, Eureka, CA(707) 273-5273 ? Thursday June 14, 2018 ? Time ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DiscussionLeader ? RegularBusiness: ? 9:00???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ? Information/ Decision Items: ? 9:15???????????????? Presentation on Run Size, Stock Projections and Harvest ????? GeorgeKautsky Monitoringfor Fall Chinook Salmon ? 10:00?????????????? Introduction to Cohort Reconstruction for Trinity River?????? Ken Lindke ??????????????????????? Naturally-producedFall Chinook Salmon????? ? 10:30?????????????? 2018 Flow ReleaseDrift Monitoring ? ??????????????????????????????????? Kyle DeJuilio +??????????? ? 10: 45? ??????????? TMC Identification of September TMC Meeting Topics???????? Caryn ? 11:00 ????????????? Break ? 11:15?????????????? Discussion ofTRRP Science??????????????? ??????????????????????????????????? TMC ? 12:15 ? ??????????? Public Forum:? Commentsfrom the public?????????????????????????????? Don, Chair ? 12:30?????????????? Adjourn ? WebEx and Call in Information: ? TMC - Day 1?- June 13 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300 Passcode: 805 049 993 Web Link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=mb6c26dd43e68dcd1d02f3af6fca98e54 ? TMC - Day 2 - June 14 ? Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300 Passcode:?803 646 502 Web Link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=mdb01a483313b503c6fd1aa9cdab90844 ? ? TMC 2018 Quarterly Meetings ? ? March 28 ? 29, 2018 ? ????? Weaverville,TRRP Office, 1313 South Main Street ? June 13 ? 14, 2018 ? ??????? Eureka, Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center, 921Waterfront Drive ? September 5? 6, 2018 ????? Weitchpec,Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office, CA-96 ? December 5 ? 6, 2018 ? ??? Redding,Forest Service, Shasta-TrinityHeadquarters, ? 3644 Avtech Parkway ? ? Remaining 2018 Monthly Teleconference Calls:? 10:00-noon ? ? July 26 ? August 23 ? October 25 ? November 15 ? TMC Refinements Workshop:? ? August 29, 2018, 9:00 to 5:00 ? Weaverville, TRRP Office, 1313 South Main Street ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Thu Jun 7 11:46:38 2018 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2018 18:46:38 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek RST in-season catch update Message-ID: <4511b95cb76d4f878753a954e4cd6103@mail.yuroktribe.nsn.us> Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' in-season catch update for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a full update. Oshun Orourke Yurok Tribe Fisheries 530-629-3333 oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 22330 bytes Desc: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jun 8 08:58:10 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2018 15:58:10 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1245966573.1879784.1528473490489@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, June 8, 2018 8:34 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 06/13/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? 06/13/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650?06/13/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? 06/13/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?90006/13/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?95006/13/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?950? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? 06/13/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85006/13/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? 06/13/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75006/13/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700 06/14/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75006/14/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800?06/14/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85006/14/2018? ? ? 1200? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? 06/14/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?900? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85006/14/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? 06/14/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75006/14/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?70006/14/2018? ? ? 2200? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? 06/15/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?70006/15/2018? ? ? 0400? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?800?06/15/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?85006/15/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?850? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80006/15/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? 06/15/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?70006/15/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? 06/16/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? 06/16/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75006/16/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?80006/16/2018? ? ? 1400? ? ? ? ? ? ?800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75006/16/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? 06/16/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?65006/16/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600 06/17/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?65006/17/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700?06/17/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?75006/17/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700?06/17/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650 06/18/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600??06/18/2018? ? ? 0600? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? 06/18/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?70006/18/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?700? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?65006/18/2018? ? ? 2000? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600 06/19/2018? ? ? 0001? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?550? 06/19/2018? ? ? 0200? ? ? ? ? ? ?550? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?60006/19/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?600? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?650?06/19/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?600 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ ---? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jun 12 09:21:02 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2018 16:21:02 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] How the Yurok Tribe is reclaiming the Klamath River References: <1600621527.3796731.1528820462079.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1600621527.3796731.1528820462079@mail.yahoo.com> Good story. ?A longer story with lots of photos, so here is the link:?How the Yurok Tribe is reclaiming the Klamath RiverBy Anna V. Smith, High Country News, 6/11/18The Klamath water crisis and ensuing fish kill marked a pivotal moment for the Yurok Tribe. It shaped a generation of people, many of whom feel a fierce responsibility for a river that not only carries fish and water, but centuries of stories and struggle as well. How the Yurok Tribe is reclaiming the Klamath River? | | | | | | | | | | | How the Yurok Tribe is reclaiming the Klamath River For the first time, the largest tribe in California has one of its own to lead its legal battles. | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jun 12 13:29:23 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2018 20:29:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Victory for Salmon in WA culverts Indian Tribal rights case References: <609201555.3983895.1528835363633.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <609201555.3983895.1528835363633@mail.yahoo.com> There are several article url's shown below. ?This is apparently a landmark legal ruling regarding state responsibility for fish passage.TS "The Supreme Court,?in a 4-to-4 deadlock, let stand a lower court?s order that the state make billions of dollars worth of repairs to roads that had damaged the state?s salmon habitats and contributed to population loss." ?This Ruling Gives Us Hope?: Supreme Court Sides With Tribe in Salmon Case | | | | | | | | | | | ?This Ruling Gives Us Hope?: Supreme Court Sides With Tribe in Salmon Case It?s an important victory for Native American communities, but other threats are chipping away at the salmon hab... | | | | ================================================================== https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/supreme-court-tie-favors-indian-tribes-in-washington-state/ At issue is whether Washington state must fix or replace hundreds of culverts, large pipes that allow streams to pass beneath roads but can block migrating salmon if they become clogged or if they're too steep to navigate. ?By ? ?The Associated Press ; ? WASHINGTON ? The Supreme Court is leaving in place a court order that forces Washington state to restore salmon habitat by removing barriers that block fish migration. Related stories A chronology of Washington's culvert case ;? U.S. Supreme Court steps into state's long-running culvert case ;? Supreme Court showdown: Washington's attorney general vs. tribes over salmon habitat ;? 2017: Washington state loses big legal battle over salmon culverts ;? The justices divided 4-4?Monday?in the long-running dispute that pits the state against Indian tribes and the federal government. The tie serves to affirm a lower court ruling in favor of the tribes. Justice Anthony Kennedy stepped aside from the case because he participated in an earlier stage of it when he served on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. ?? At issue is whether Washington state must fix or replace hundreds of culverts. Those are large pipes that allow streams to pass beneath roads but can block migrating salmon if they become clogged or if they?re too steep to navigate. The Associated Press -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Wed Jun 13 11:53:43 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 11:53:43 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Global Threats to Trout Message-ID: http://flatheadbeacon.com/2018/06/12/local-fish-researcher-urges-global-acti on Local Fish Researcher Urges 'Global Action' Published in 'Science Magazine,' first worldwide assessment sheds light on plight of trout By Tristan Scott // Jun 12, 2018 Native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout stranded in a pool in Ole Creek in September 2012 due to the low water levels. Courtesy Jonny Armstrong | USGS Related Stories: * On the Rise * Yellowstone Park Says it 's Winning Against Non-Native Fish To anglers across the globe, trout streams are characterized by free-flowing water that's clear, complex, connected and, most importantly, cold. Meanwhile, the trout that inhabit the waters, in addition to providing sustenance and recreation to millions of people, play critical roles in the health of ecosystems worldwide. So what's the piscatorial problem? In the years ahead, the chilly streams that sustain Northwest Montana's prized native fish - as well as trout habitat worldwide - are predicted to grow increasingly tepid as a result of rising global temperatures, threatening the sensitive aquatic species with "global extinction" unless more conservation studies take place at a local and planetary scale. That's according to a recent study published in the esteemed research journal "Science Magazine," whose lead author, Clint Muhlfeld, works an aquatic geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey's Glacier Park field office based in Glacier National Park. The publication offers a lofty platform of scientific prestige that Muhlfeld hopes will draw broader attention to the plight of native fish and a multitude of trout species distributed throughout the world's watery arteries, all of which share something in common - they are especially sensitive to rising temperatures. Published in the May 25 issue of "Science," the article, titled "Trout in Hot Water: A Call for Global Action," marks the first worldwide assessment of trout species' status. It found that a disproportionately high rate of trout species (compared to other vertebrates) are now threatened under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the world's most comprehensive inventory of the status of biological species. Of the 124 recognized species of trout, only 67 percent have been assessed by the IUCN, Muhlfeld said. The kicker? "Alarmingly, 73 percent of these species are currently threatened with global extinction, and four are now extinct," he wrote in the "Science" article. "Trout are like canaries in a coal mine," Muhlfeld said in a recent interview, speaking by phone from Oslo, Norway, where he is working on a Fulbright Scholarship. "They are excellent indicators of disturbance, especially under climate change because of their sensitivity to temperature and freshwater stream flows." Native to all continents in the Northern Hemisphere, trout belong to seven genera (plural of genus), which are distributed across 52 countries. These cold-water specialists provide recreation and food to millions of people and play important roles in ecosystem functioning and health. In an addition to serving as an economic boon - a recent federal analysis of outdoor recreation found that boating and fishing activities contributed $38.2 billion to the nation's gross domestic product in 2016 - they are also excellent markers of an ecosystem's health, Muhlfeld said. "They are extremely sensitive to human disturbances because they require cold, clean, complex, and connected habitats for survival and persistence - all attributes that humans have substantially altered and degraded," according to the study. "Despite their importance as societal icons and as indicators of biodiversity, many of the world's trout species and lineages are endangered and some require immediate conservation efforts to reverse their precarious decline." Muhlfeld, along with a team of researchers, emphasized the need for swift courses of action to save "one of our most culturally, economically and ecologically important freshwater fishes." "Reversing these declines will require progressive conservation efforts to protect native trout diversity and ameliorate ongoing and future threats at local and global scales," the study states. Locally, Muhlfeld pointed to successful efforts by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which set out more than a decade ago to preserve and restore the westslope cutthroat trout fishery in the South Fork Flathead River. Recognizing the pressure of hybridization with nonnative species like rainbow trout, the architects behind the South Fork Flathead Cutthroat Conservation Project began systematically removing nonnative fish and replacing them with genetically pure westslope cutthroat in 2007. "Even though this is a global study, it stresses the need for conservation studies to take place at a local scale," Muhlfeld said. "We know that hybridization is irreversible, and eliminating those sources that do long-term damage is a proactive strategy. Dealing with nonnative species like the South Fork recovery program that FWP implemented is a great example of that." Another example takes place in Glacier National Park, historically one of the last best strongholds for native cutthroat and bull trout. The biggest problem for these native species is that Glacier's lakes and streams are brimming with nonnative fish, particularly invasive lake trout, which radiated out of Flathead Lake and colonized the park's lakes, out-competing the native residents. In 2009, biologists with Glacier Park and a USGS team led by Muhlfeld launched an experimental project on Quartz Lake, located in the park's remote northwest corner, where lake trout invasion was still in its early stages of invasion. The aim was to reduce or eliminate lake trout by gillnetting, a project that required a boat to be helicoptered in and all of the supplies to be hauled in by biologists and mules. Muhlfeld and his team first located so-called "Judas fish," captured and radio-tagged them, then tracked the fish to spawning areas in order to capture and remove the densest concentrations of spawning lake trout. The project has shown evidence of success in reducing lake trout, and is hailed as one of the first successful projects of its kind, standing out as a leading example that lake trout suppression, once thought to be futile, is possible. "Only by addressing threats at their root causes can we accomplish these conservation goals," Muhlfeld said. Muhlfeld's co-authors on the study were: Daniel Dauwalter, Ryan P. Kovach, Jeffrey L Kershner, Jack E. Willians, and John Epifanio. To learn more about the study, visit science.sciencemag.org . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Wed Jun 20 10:22:25 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 10:22:25 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook Message-ID: <01a401d408bb$42227cd0$c6677670$@sisqtel.net> Columbia Basin Bulletin Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook; Should Help Target/Avoid Certain Stocks Posted on Friday, June 15, 2018 (PST) A recent study of the general locations of salmon in the Pacific Ocean could help managers steer heavy fishing away from threatened and endangered stocks. The study estimates the distribution in the ocean of a far-ranging number of fall run chinook stocks, including populations from California's Central Valley to populations in southern British Columbia. "We show how fall chinook from different river systems have systematically different ocean distributions and that these ocean distributions can vary substantively by season," said Andrew Olaf Shelton, a research ecologist in the Conservation Biology Division of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "We use these new estimates of ocean distribution to make projections of how many fall chinook salmon from different origin systems are in different spatial areas." He added that the information from the study should be useful to managers thinking about how to target, or avoid, particular stocks. Shelton called these "spatial management options." Historically, commercial and recreational fisheries took a high fraction of salmon returns, in some cases over 50 percent of the returning fish, Shelton said. However, fisheries harvest has declined over the past 30 years coast-wide, including the closure of some fisheries entirely - the Strait of Georgia commercial troll fishery - or the temporary closure of some areas like the California and southern Oregon troll closure more recently. As a general guideline, fish were generally distributed in the ocean near to their origin, the study says. For example, fish that originate between California and southern Oregon almost always remain in waters south of British Columbia, while fish originating in the far north, seldom journeyed south. Nearly all chinook found in the Salish sea originated there and few strays from other areas are found. Fish from the Columbia River basin showed the broadest spatial distribution "with significant proportions present in areas from California to Alaska." In addition, there are seasonal distributions occurring with fish from nearly all regions, according to the study. Fish from a given region in the ocean tend to be in more northerly areas in summer than in winter or spring, and because of spawning migrations, chinook tend to be located near their region of origin in the fall. "Using hierarchical models to estimate stock-specific and seasonal variation in ocean distribution, survivorship, and aggregate abundance of fall run Chinook salmon" was published online April 15, 2018, in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0204#.WyLJ_qdKjI U). Shelton's co-authors are Will Satterthwaite, research ecologist in the Fisheries Ecology Division at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz; Eric Ward and Blake Feist, statisticians, in the Conservation Biology Division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center; and Brian Burke, supervisory research fishery biologist, fish ecology division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. "We show that Chinook salmon ocean distribution depends strongly on region of origin and varies seasonally while survival showed regionally varying temporal patterns," the study says. "Simulations incorporating juvenile production data provide proportional stock composition in different ocean regions and the first coastwide projections of Chinook salmon aggregate abundance." Although not directly addressing abundance of juveniles in the ocean, Shelton said, the models developed by these researchers do, among other things, estimate survival of young chinook salmon from each release group and assesses how survival changed over the years of the study (releases between 1978 and 1990). "In general our results show a mild decline in survivorship for most (but not all) origin regions over that period, but there is a lot of variability both within and among regions," Shelton said. "We are interested in trying to understand both the trend across years and the variability within years in future work." The general importance of this study is that it provides predictions of ocean distribution of fall chinook that will help improve management over both the short and long term. Understanding which stocks are where and when they are there is important for allowing exploitation on healthy stocks and avoiding harvest on depleted stocks. "Our work is not the final say for chinook salmon ocean distribution, but it is an important step forward," Shelton said. "Our work provides methods for estimating ocean distribution of salmon species that are general and extendable." He said the researchers are now working to incorporate data from recent years to other species and run types (they are currently expanding their work to spring chinook), and to include information about how ocean distributions shift with climactic drivers such as ocean temperature. The model also allows individuals to play out management scenarios to understand the consequences for chinook abundance, Shelton said. One example summarized in the study is a prediction of the consequences of reducing by half the number of hatchery fish of Puget Sound stocks. In that case, available fish would decline substantively in Puget Sound, but other areas would also be notably affected, he said. Other uses for the model could include an investigation of the consequences of shifting the spatial and seasonal intensity of ocean fisheries for particular stocks. It can be applied to understand drivers of chinook salmon biology, such as climate effects on ocean distribution as well as the management effects of changing juvenile production. "Our work as a tool has broad application for understanding patterns of spatio-temporal variation among Chinook salmon and other tagged salmonid populations," the study says. "Additionally, it is a simulation platform for exploring the consequences of biological variation and management decisions on an important marine resource." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: From kierassociates at att.net Wed Jun 20 12:34:53 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 12:34:53 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook Message-ID: <005d01d408cd$c3a5ae00$4af10a00$@att.net> This Columbia Basin Bulletin article is stunningly uninformative. Nowhere does it - nor the summary of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences it cites - identify how fish from the various river-basin stocks have been identified Has the zombie West Coast Salmon Genetic Stock Identification Collaboration come to life? I assume so if Mr Satterthwaite was part of the project team But not a word - did you notice? - of how the fish were identified as to their rivers of origin - just talk of the model/ its results -- Nat Bingham, then the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations restoration coordinator, saw with crystal clarity the wisdom of the then-nascent genetic stock identification (GSI) science/ how the Human Genome Project had thrust the rapid DNA analysis tools into our hands, and he was pushing for a West Coast GSI collaboration with might and main at the time of his untimely death 20 years ago last month Advancing GSI science will substantially strengthen the management of mixed-stock Pacific salmon ocean fisheries So far as I can tell the Columbia Basin Bulletin article does nothing to spotlight GSI Did I miss something? Bill Kier From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Sari Sommarstrom Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 10:22 AM To: 'Env-trinity' Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook Columbia Basin Bulletin Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook; Should Help Target/Avoid Certain Stocks Posted on Friday, June 15, 2018 (PST) A recent study of the general locations of salmon in the Pacific Ocean could help managers steer heavy fishing away from threatened and endangered stocks. The study estimates the distribution in the ocean of a far-ranging number of fall run chinook stocks, including populations from California's Central Valley to populations in southern British Columbia. "We show how fall chinook from different river systems have systematically different ocean distributions and that these ocean distributions can vary substantively by season," said Andrew Olaf Shelton, a research ecologist in the Conservation Biology Division of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "We use these new estimates of ocean distribution to make projections of how many fall chinook salmon from different origin systems are in different spatial areas." He added that the information from the study should be useful to managers thinking about how to target, or avoid, particular stocks. Shelton called these "spatial management options." Historically, commercial and recreational fisheries took a high fraction of salmon returns, in some cases over 50 percent of the returning fish, Shelton said. However, fisheries harvest has declined over the past 30 years coast-wide, including the closure of some fisheries entirely - the Strait of Georgia commercial troll fishery - or the temporary closure of some areas like the California and southern Oregon troll closure more recently. As a general guideline, fish were generally distributed in the ocean near to their origin, the study says. For example, fish that originate between California and southern Oregon almost always remain in waters south of British Columbia, while fish originating in the far north, seldom journeyed south. Nearly all chinook found in the Salish sea originated there and few strays from other areas are found. Fish from the Columbia River basin showed the broadest spatial distribution "with significant proportions present in areas from California to Alaska." In addition, there are seasonal distributions occurring with fish from nearly all regions, according to the study. Fish from a given region in the ocean tend to be in more northerly areas in summer than in winter or spring, and because of spawning migrations, chinook tend to be located near their region of origin in the fall. "Using hierarchical models to estimate stock-specific and seasonal variation in ocean distribution, survivorship, and aggregate abundance of fall run Chinook salmon" was published online April 15, 2018, in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0204#.WyLJ_qdKjI U). Shelton's co-authors are Will Satterthwaite, research ecologist in the Fisheries Ecology Division at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz; Eric Ward and Blake Feist, statisticians, in the Conservation Biology Division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center; and Brian Burke, supervisory research fishery biologist, fish ecology division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. "We show that Chinook salmon ocean distribution depends strongly on region of origin and varies seasonally while survival showed regionally varying temporal patterns," the study says. "Simulations incorporating juvenile production data provide proportional stock composition in different ocean regions and the first coastwide projections of Chinook salmon aggregate abundance." Although not directly addressing abundance of juveniles in the ocean, Shelton said, the models developed by these researchers do, among other things, estimate survival of young chinook salmon from each release group and assesses how survival changed over the years of the study (releases between 1978 and 1990). "In general our results show a mild decline in survivorship for most (but not all) origin regions over that period, but there is a lot of variability both within and among regions," Shelton said. "We are interested in trying to understand both the trend across years and the variability within years in future work." The general importance of this study is that it provides predictions of ocean distribution of fall chinook that will help improve management over both the short and long term. Understanding which stocks are where and when they are there is important for allowing exploitation on healthy stocks and avoiding harvest on depleted stocks. "Our work is not the final say for chinook salmon ocean distribution, but it is an important step forward," Shelton said. "Our work provides methods for estimating ocean distribution of salmon species that are general and extendable." He said the researchers are now working to incorporate data from recent years to other species and run types (they are currently expanding their work to spring chinook), and to include information about how ocean distributions shift with climactic drivers such as ocean temperature. The model also allows individuals to play out management scenarios to understand the consequences for chinook abundance, Shelton said. One example summarized in the study is a prediction of the consequences of reducing by half the number of hatchery fish of Puget Sound stocks. In that case, available fish would decline substantively in Puget Sound, but other areas would also be notably affected, he said. Other uses for the model could include an investigation of the consequences of shifting the spatial and seasonal intensity of ocean fisheries for particular stocks. It can be applied to understand drivers of chinook salmon biology, such as climate effects on ocean distribution as well as the management effects of changing juvenile production. "Our work as a tool has broad application for understanding patterns of spatio-temporal variation among Chinook salmon and other tagged salmonid populations," the study says. "Additionally, it is a simulation platform for exploring the consequences of biological variation and management decisions on an important marine resource." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: From dwebb1 at wildblue.net Wed Jun 20 14:44:18 2018 From: dwebb1 at wildblue.net (David Webb) Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 14:44:18 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook In-Reply-To: <005d01d408cd$c3a5ae00$4af10a00$@att.net> References: <005d01d408cd$c3a5ae00$4af10a00$@att.net> Message-ID: <11473f1e-bf2d-27ef-6272-9ef1a953b7c2@wildblue.net> Sure looked that way to me too--Glad to have gotten it, but didn't see anything new in the summary. Some of us on the Shasta put together a proposal to the KRBFTF to GSI Klamath stocks at least 20 years ago with a cutting edge researcher who was prepared to loose money on the effort if that was what it took.? Got killed, I suspect by users who didn't want to go anywhere near weak stock management.? Better to collectively beat them into the ground for short term gains.? And 50% harvest rate--how about 66% as the Klamath target, with no? justification then or adequate review later. At least they are thinking about it, but? I have to suspect they are just rehashing hatchery cwt data. Dave On 6/20/2018 12:34 PM, Kier Associates wrote: > > This Columbia Basin Bulletin article is stunningly uninformative. > > Nowhere does it - nor the summary of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries > and Aquatic Sciences it cites - identify how fish from the various > river-basin stocks have been identified > > Has the zombie West Coast Salmon Genetic Stock Identification > Collaboration > > come to life? I assume so if Mr Satterthwaite > > was part of the project team > > But not a word - did you notice? - of how the fish were identified as > to their rivers of origin - just talk of the model/ its results > > -- > > Nat Bingham, then the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s > Associations restoration coordinator, saw with crystal clarity the > wisdom of the then-nascent ?genetic stock identification (GSI) > science/ how the Human Genome Project had thrust the rapid DNA > analysis tools into our hands, and he was pushing for a West Coast GSI > collaboration with might and main at the time of his untimely death 20 > years ago last month > > Advancing GSI science will substantially strengthen the management of > mixed-stock Pacific salmon ocean fisheries > > So far as I can tell the Columbia Basin Bulletin article does nothing > to spotlight GSI > > Did I miss something? > > Bill Kier > > *From:*env-trinity > [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] *On Behalf Of > *Sari Sommarstrom > *Sent:* Wednesday, June 20, 2018 10:22 AM > *To:* 'Env-trinity' > *Subject:* [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of > Fall Chinook > > Columbia Basin Bulletin > > *Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook; Should Help > Target/Avoid Certain Stocks * > > Posted on Friday, June 15, 2018 (PST) > > A recent study of the general locations of salmon in the Pacific Ocean > could help managers steer heavy fishing away from threatened and > endangered stocks. > > The study estimates the distribution in the ocean of a far-ranging > number of fall run chinook stocks, including populations from > California?s Central Valley to populations in southern British Columbia. > > ?We show how fall chinook from different river systems have > systematically different ocean distributions and that these ocean > distributions can vary substantively by season,? said Andrew Olaf > Shelton, a research ecologist in the Conservation Biology Division of > NOAA?s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. ?We use these > new estimates of ocean distribution to make projections of how many > fall chinook salmon from different origin systems are in different > spatial areas.? > > He added that the information from the study should be useful to > managers thinking about how to target, or avoid, particular stocks. > Shelton called these ?spatial management options.? > > Historically, commercial and recreational fisheries took a high > fraction of salmon returns, in some cases over 50 percent of the > returning fish, Shelton said. However, fisheries harvest has declined > over the past 30 years coast-wide, including the closure of some > fisheries entirely ? the Strait of Georgia commercial troll fishery ? > or the temporary closure of some areas like the California and > southern Oregon troll closure more recently. > > As a general guideline, fish were generally distributed in the ocean > near to their origin, the study says. For example, fish that originate > between California and southern Oregon almost always remain in waters > south of British Columbia, while fish originating in the far north, > seldom journeyed south. Nearly all chinook found in the Salish sea > originated there and few strays from other areas are found. > > Fish from the Columbia River basin showed the broadest spatial > distribution ?with significant proportions present in areas from > California to Alaska.? > > In addition, there are seasonal distributions occurring with fish from > nearly all regions, according to the study. Fish from a given region > in the ocean tend to be in more northerly areas in summer than in > winter or spring, and because of spawning migrations, chinook tend to > be located near their region of origin in the fall. > > ?Using hierarchical models to estimate stock-specific and seasonal > variation in ocean distribution, survivorship, and aggregate abundance > of fall run Chinook salmon? was published online April 15, 2018, in > the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences > (http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0204#.WyLJ_qdKjIU). > > Shelton?s co-authors are Will Satterthwaite, research ecologist in the > Fisheries Ecology Division at NOAA?s Southwest Fisheries Science > Center in Santa Cruz; Eric Ward and Blake Feist, statisticians, in the > Conservation Biology Division at the Northwest Fisheries Science > Center; and Brian Burke, supervisory research fishery biologist, fish > ecology division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. > > ?We show that Chinook salmon ocean distribution depends strongly on > region of origin and varies seasonally while survival showed > regionally varying temporal patterns,? the study says. ?Simulations > incorporating juvenile production data provide proportional stock > composition in different ocean regions and the first coastwide > projections of Chinook salmon aggregate abundance.? > > Although not directly addressing abundance of juveniles in the ocean, > Shelton said, the models developed by these researchers do, among > other things, estimate survival of young chinook salmon from each > release group and assesses how survival changed over the years of the > study (releases between 1978 and 1990). > > ?In general our results show a mild decline in survivorship for most > (but not all) origin regions over that period, but there is a lot of > variability both within and among regions,? Shelton said. ?We are > interested in trying to understand both the trend across years and the > variability within years in future work.? > > The general importance of this study is that it provides predictions > of ocean distribution of fall chinook that will help improve > management over both the short and long term. Understanding which > stocks are where and when they are there is important for allowing > exploitation on healthy stocks and avoiding harvest on depleted stocks. > > ?Our work is not the final say for chinook salmon ocean distribution, > but it is an important step forward,? Shelton said. ?Our work provides > methods for estimating ocean distribution of salmon species that are > general and extendable.? > > He said the researchers are now working to incorporate data from > recent years to other species and run types (they are currently > expanding their work to spring chinook), and to include information > about how ocean distributions shift with climactic drivers such as > ocean temperature. > > The model also allows individuals to play out management scenarios to > understand the consequences for chinook abundance, Shelton said. > > One example summarized in the study is a prediction of the > consequences of reducing by half the number of hatchery fish of Puget > Sound stocks. In that case, available fish would decline substantively > in Puget Sound, but other areas would also be notably affected, he said. > > Other uses for the model could include an investigation of the > consequences of shifting the spatial and seasonal intensity of ocean > fisheries for particular stocks. It can be applied to understand > drivers of chinook salmon biology, such as climate effects on ocean > distribution as well as the management effects of changing juvenile > production. > > ?Our work as a tool has broad application for understanding patterns > of spatio-temporal variation among Chinook salmon and other tagged > salmonid populations,? the study says. ?Additionally, it is a > simulation platform for exploring the consequences of biological > variation and management decisions on an important marine resource.? > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: From kierassociates at att.net Wed Jun 20 21:36:57 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2018 21:36:57 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook Message-ID: <000001d40919$7d386fb0$77a94f10$@att.net> well, I've been doing some e-connecting, web-crawling etc on the subject this aft and eve and it appears that the West Coast Salmon Genetic Stock Identification Collaboration - or some variation thereof - has, indeed, been making steady progress over the past decade on Pacific salmon GSI database development - information that presumably played a major role in the population of the model that produced the results reported in the Columbia Basin Bulletin article posted by Sari to the Env-Trinity list today Still, it would have been helpful had the authors explained a bit where they got the river-origin data with which they populated their model 'nuff said Bill Kier From: Kier Associates [mailto:kierassociates at att.net] Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 12:35 PM To: 'Sari Sommarstrom'; 'Env-trinity' Subject: RE: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook This Columbia Basin Bulletin article is stunningly uninformative. Nowhere does it - nor the summary of the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences it cites - identify how fish from the various river-basin stocks have been identified Has the zombie West Coast Salmon Genetic Stock Identification Collaboration come to life? I assume so if Mr Satterthwaite was part of the project team But not a word - did you notice? - of how the fish were identified as to their rivers of origin - just talk of the model/ its results -- Nat Bingham, then the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations restoration coordinator, saw with crystal clarity the wisdom of the then-nascent genetic stock identification (GSI) science/ how the Human Genome Project had thrust the rapid DNA analysis tools into our hands, and he was pushing for a West Coast GSI collaboration with might and main at the time of his untimely death 20 years ago last month Advancing GSI science will substantially strengthen the management of mixed-stock Pacific salmon ocean fisheries So far as I can tell the Columbia Basin Bulletin article does nothing to spotlight GSI Did I miss something? Bill Kier From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Sari Sommarstrom Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 10:22 AM To: 'Env-trinity' Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook Columbia Basin Bulletin Study Identifies Ocean Distribution Of Fall Chinook; Should Help Target/Avoid Certain Stocks Posted on Friday, June 15, 2018 (PST) A recent study of the general locations of salmon in the Pacific Ocean could help managers steer heavy fishing away from threatened and endangered stocks. The study estimates the distribution in the ocean of a far-ranging number of fall run chinook stocks, including populations from California's Central Valley to populations in southern British Columbia. "We show how fall chinook from different river systems have systematically different ocean distributions and that these ocean distributions can vary substantively by season," said Andrew Olaf Shelton, a research ecologist in the Conservation Biology Division of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "We use these new estimates of ocean distribution to make projections of how many fall chinook salmon from different origin systems are in different spatial areas." He added that the information from the study should be useful to managers thinking about how to target, or avoid, particular stocks. Shelton called these "spatial management options." Historically, commercial and recreational fisheries took a high fraction of salmon returns, in some cases over 50 percent of the returning fish, Shelton said. However, fisheries harvest has declined over the past 30 years coast-wide, including the closure of some fisheries entirely - the Strait of Georgia commercial troll fishery - or the temporary closure of some areas like the California and southern Oregon troll closure more recently. As a general guideline, fish were generally distributed in the ocean near to their origin, the study says. For example, fish that originate between California and southern Oregon almost always remain in waters south of British Columbia, while fish originating in the far north, seldom journeyed south. Nearly all chinook found in the Salish sea originated there and few strays from other areas are found. Fish from the Columbia River basin showed the broadest spatial distribution "with significant proportions present in areas from California to Alaska." In addition, there are seasonal distributions occurring with fish from nearly all regions, according to the study. Fish from a given region in the ocean tend to be in more northerly areas in summer than in winter or spring, and because of spawning migrations, chinook tend to be located near their region of origin in the fall. "Using hierarchical models to estimate stock-specific and seasonal variation in ocean distribution, survivorship, and aggregate abundance of fall run Chinook salmon" was published online April 15, 2018, in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/abs/10.1139/cjfas-2017-0204#.WyLJ_qdKjI U). Shelton's co-authors are Will Satterthwaite, research ecologist in the Fisheries Ecology Division at NOAA's Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz; Eric Ward and Blake Feist, statisticians, in the Conservation Biology Division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center; and Brian Burke, supervisory research fishery biologist, fish ecology division at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. "We show that Chinook salmon ocean distribution depends strongly on region of origin and varies seasonally while survival showed regionally varying temporal patterns," the study says. "Simulations incorporating juvenile production data provide proportional stock composition in different ocean regions and the first coastwide projections of Chinook salmon aggregate abundance." Although not directly addressing abundance of juveniles in the ocean, Shelton said, the models developed by these researchers do, among other things, estimate survival of young chinook salmon from each release group and assesses how survival changed over the years of the study (releases between 1978 and 1990). "In general our results show a mild decline in survivorship for most (but not all) origin regions over that period, but there is a lot of variability both within and among regions," Shelton said. "We are interested in trying to understand both the trend across years and the variability within years in future work." The general importance of this study is that it provides predictions of ocean distribution of fall chinook that will help improve management over both the short and long term. Understanding which stocks are where and when they are there is important for allowing exploitation on healthy stocks and avoiding harvest on depleted stocks. "Our work is not the final say for chinook salmon ocean distribution, but it is an important step forward," Shelton said. "Our work provides methods for estimating ocean distribution of salmon species that are general and extendable." He said the researchers are now working to incorporate data from recent years to other species and run types (they are currently expanding their work to spring chinook), and to include information about how ocean distributions shift with climactic drivers such as ocean temperature. The model also allows individuals to play out management scenarios to understand the consequences for chinook abundance, Shelton said. One example summarized in the study is a prediction of the consequences of reducing by half the number of hatchery fish of Puget Sound stocks. In that case, available fish would decline substantively in Puget Sound, but other areas would also be notably affected, he said. Other uses for the model could include an investigation of the consequences of shifting the spatial and seasonal intensity of ocean fisheries for particular stocks. It can be applied to understand drivers of chinook salmon biology, such as climate effects on ocean distribution as well as the management effects of changing juvenile production. "Our work as a tool has broad application for understanding patterns of spatio-temporal variation among Chinook salmon and other tagged salmonid populations," the study says. "Additionally, it is a simulation platform for exploring the consequences of biological variation and management decisions on an important marine resource." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jun 22 10:23:32 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 17:23:32 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <32893139.947190.1529688212536@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, June 22, 2018 9:44 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 06/27/2018? ? ? 0800? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?50006/27/2018? ? ? 1800? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?450 06/28/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?50006/28/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?450 06/29/2018? ? ? 1000? ? ? ? ? ? ?450? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?50006/29/2018? ? ? 1600? ? ? ? ? ? ?500? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?450 Comment: ?Trinity ROD releases Issued by: ?R Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jun 22 15:02:17 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2018 22:02:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation releases 2018 Klamath Project operations and drought plans In-Reply-To: <8fc8ab9eeaaa4b57ad6b68e900073573@usbr.gov> References: <8fc8ab9eeaaa4b57ad6b68e900073573@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <1497638106.1069619.1529704937596@mail.yahoo.com> On Friday, June 22, 2018 12:54 PM, Fernando Ponce wrote: Reclamation releases 2018 Klamath Project operations and drought plansMid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.MP-18-104Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release:?June 22, 2018Reclamation releases 2018 Klamath Project operations and drought plansKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. ? The Bureau of Reclamation has released two plans for 2018 operations of the Klamath Project. The Operations and Drought plans are based on current reservoir storage and anticipated hydrologic conditions based on the June 1 Natural Resources Conservation Service inflow forecast.The Operations Plan outlines water deliveries during the 2018 spring-summer irrigation season for more than 230,000 irrigated acres on the Klamath Project in southern Oregon and northern California. The Operations Plan also addresses flows required by the 2017 Court Order and the 2013 Biological Opinion on Klamath Project Operations, and is used by agricultural water users, Klamath Basin Tribes and National Wildlife Refuge managers as a planning and informational tool.Due to Project water supply shortages this year, Reclamation is also releasing the 2018 Drought Plan, which outlines contractual obligations for distribution of the available Project water supply.?This a very challenging water year, both hydrologically and due to the court requirements,? said Jeff Nettleton, Reclamation?s Klamath Basin Area Office Area Manager. ?The lack of snowpack this year, combined with legal obligations to mitigate disease risk in coho salmon in the Klamath River, has resulted in a stressful irrigation season for irrigators and the overall community. I appreciate the willingness of the entire community to work together to seek solutions to meet these challenges. Careful management of irrigation and continued water conservation efforts will help to minimize negative impacts of the reduced water supply as we proceed through the season.?Due to court requirements and very dry conditions, the Project is starting normal operations later than usual. As of June 1, total precipitation in the Upper Klamath Basin was 80 percent of average with no snowpack remaining. Cumulative inflows to Upper Klamath Lake for the 2018 water year are below the historic 20th percentile.? The Project allocation from Upper Klamath Lake for the 2018 spring-summer irrigation season is 233,911 acre-feet, 60 percent of a full supply of 390,000 acre-feet under the 2013 Biological Opinion. As of June 18, Reclamation has delivered approximately 38,000 acre-feet from Upper Klamath Lake, leaving 196,000 acre-feet for the remainder of the irrigation season.Water supplies from Gerber and Clear Lake Reservoirs for the 2018 irrigation season are anticipated to be near a full supply, approximately 34,000 acre-feet from Gerber and 37,000 acre-feet from Clear Lake Reservoir. As of June 18, a volume of 10,080 acre-feet has been released from Clear Lake and 8,799 acre-feet from Gerber Reservoir. Out of those volumes, approximately 2,700 acre-feet were provided to the westside of the Klamath Project.The Project?s 2018 Operations and Drought Plans are available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/programs/ops-planning.htmlFor more information, please contact Laura Williams at 541-880-2581 or ljwilliams at usbr.gov.# # #Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier and the second largest producer of hydroelectric power in the United States, with operations and facilities in the 17 western states. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jun 25 08:43:39 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:43:39 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 25 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 25 (June 24). This is the first time this season I've sent this out; it covers last week and the week before. Junction City weir was installed on June 11th, as soon as the river flows (dam release flows) were low enough to put in. We've got a new JC weir configuration this year (picture below) based on what we tried at Willow Creek last year. We call it a tunnel. It's an upriver extension from the weir line to the trap. It seems to entice more fish into the trap (trapping numbers have been good), then again, we won't really know what percentage of the run we've trapped/tagged until the end of the season. Please remember that the numbers you see on the trapping summary are just those fish we've trapped, not the entirety of the run. The weir is open for easy passage of fish every weekday afternoon and it is open from Friday afternoon through Sunday evening as well. [cid:image003.jpg at 01D40C60.99DA20B0] You can anticipate a Monday or Tuesday arrival of your trapping summary weekly throughout the season. Julian week this year runs Monday through Sunday. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 169368 bytes Desc: image003.jpg URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jun 25 08:50:12 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:50:12 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] 2nd try... Message-ID: DOH! out of practice, I guess. File attached. MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW25.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66183 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW25.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jun 26 11:27:15 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2018 18:27:15 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Sadly noting the passing of John Veevaert References: <1433247574.2853538.1530037635012.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1433247574.2853538.1530037635012@mail.yahoo.com> Mindat Mineralogy Messageboard | | | | | | | | | | | Mindat Mineralogy Messageboard I have just been informed that John Veevaert has been killed in a road accident. John was a mineral dealer, but ... | | | | ?Many of us knew John as a talented and witty geologist who was also a pioneer in online auctions. ?He will be missed. ? TS -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Tue Jun 26 14:34:34 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2018 14:34:34 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] comment period for STNF Message-ID: The Shasta-Trinity NF is taking public comment on its South Fork Trinity Instream Salmon Habitat Enhancement Project. Comments due July 13, 2018. Docs found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=54123 Denise Boggs, Director Conservation Congress 2132 Nord Ave. #3 Chico, CA 95926 406-707-7007 www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Be a nuisance when it counts. Do your part to inform and stimulate the public to join your action. Be depressed, discouraged, & disappointed at failure & the disheartening effects of ignorance, greed, corruption & bad politics - but never give up." Marjorie Stoneman Douglas -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 7222 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Jun 27 08:25:42 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2018 15:25:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath Farmers, Ranchers Get 2018 Operations Plan References: <632261735.3365421.1530113142612.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <632261735.3365421.1530113142612@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/california/articles/2018-06-26/klamath-farmers-ranchers-get-2018-operations-plan Klamath Farmers, Ranchers Get 2018 Operations Plan Klamath farmers, ranchers get 2018 operations plan. June 26, 2018, at 5:42 p.m.? ?- ?- ?- ?- ?- ?- ?FILE - This May 7, 2013 file photo shows Klamath Falls, Ore. on the far side of Upper Klamath Lake. It may be several months late, but farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Project finally know just how much water is available for the 2018 irrigation season, pending an injunction requested by the Klamath Tribes to protect endangered sucker fish in Upper Klamath Lake. (Steve Silton/The Herald And News via AP, File)??The Associated PressBy GEORGE PLAVEN, Capital PressSALEM, Ore. (AP) ? It may be several months late, but farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Project finally know just how much water is available for the 2018 irrigation season ? pending an injunction requested by the Klamath Tribes to protect endangered sucker fish in Upper Klamath Lake.The Bureau of Reclamation released its annual operations and drought plans for the Klamath Project on June 18, serving 230,000 irrigated acres in Southern?Oregon?and Northern?California.Regulators calculate the water supply based on factors such as stream flows, reservoir storage and existing legal obligations for fish. According to the 2018 plans, irrigators can use 233,911 acre-feet of water from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River, which is 40 percent less than the historical full demand.As of June 18, the bureau had already diverted 38,000 acre-feet for irrigation, leaving roughly 196,000 acre-feet still in the pipeline.Jeff Nettleton, area manager for the Bureau of Reclamation office in Klamath Falls, said this year has been challenging on all fronts, from the lack of usual snowfall to a court order requiring more water in the Klamath River to protect salmon from disease."I appreciate the willingness of the entire community to work together to seek solutions to meet these challenges," Nettleton said. "Careful management of irrigation and continued water conservation efforts will help to minimize negative impacts of the reduced water supply as we proceed through the season."The Klamath Basin, like much of Southern Oregon, had a drier-than-usual winter, with snowpack at 55 percent of normal by April 1, 46 percent of normal by May 1 and completely melted by June 1.The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service anticipates stream flows will be as low as 26 percent of normal in parts of the basin through September, and the bureau warns that most agricultural producers will not have enough water "to meet the requirements of good irrigation practices for the acres served by the Project."A federal judge in San Francisco also upheld a ruling earlier this year that requires more water from Upper Klamath Lake be kept in-river to flush away a deadly salmon-killing parasite known as C. shasta. The bureau released 38,425 acre-feet of water from April 6-15 and another 50,000 acre-feet from May 7-28 to comply with the order, which was secured by the Yurok and Hoopa Valley tribes in 2017.That leaves the Klamath Project short its usual water allocation, though irrigators can expect a near full supply of water from Clear Lake and Gerber reservoirs.Scott White, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, said it has been a "crazy, crazy year" but nothing in the latest operations plan caught him by surprise."It's going to be tough going, but we'll be able to get through," White said. "In a drought year, that's all you can really ask for."The big question now, White said, is whether the Klamath Tribes win an injunction to hold more water in Upper Klamath Lake to protect endangered Lost River and shortnose suckers.The tribes sued the Bureau of Reclamation, National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in May. A hearing scheduled for July 11 before Judge William Orrick in San Francisco has since been rescheduled for Friday, July 20. The KWUA has also filed a motion seeking to have the case dismissed, arguing it should be heard in a different venue.Tribal harvest of suckers decreased from more than 10,000 to 687 between 1968 and 1985, and today just two fish are harvested for ceremonial purposes. But if the injunction succeeds, White said it would essentially shut down the Klamath Project."All the dollars put into the land thus far would be wasted," he said.A spokeswoman for the Bureau of Reclamation said she cannot comment on pending litigation.___ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jun 29 09:51:17 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2018 16:51:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Ag Commissioner says potential disaster facing Klamath Basin References: <929433041.415876.1530291077544.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <929433041.415876.1530291077544@mail.yahoo.com> Ag Commissioner says potential disaster facing Klamath Basin | | | | | | | | | | | Ag Commissioner says potential disaster facing Klamath Basin By Danielle Jester djester at siskiyoudaily.com The Klamath Basin is currently facing what Siskiyou County Ag Commissioner Jim Smith called ?an unprecedented po... | | | | Ag Commissioner says potential disaster facing Klamath Basin The Klamath Basin is currently facing what Siskiyou County Ag Commissioner Jim Smith called ?an unprecedented potential disaster? for that area, as well as the farmers, ranchers and families there, and the infrastructure they support.The Klamath Basin is currently facing what Siskiyou County Ag Commissioner Jim Smith called ?an unprecedented potential disaster? for that area, as well as the farmers, ranchers and families there, and the infrastructure they support.The threat comes from the possible shut-down of the Klamath Reclamation Project ? a water management program developed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to provide irrigation water and farmland to farmers and ranchers in the Klamath Basin.Smith and Siskiyou County Natural Resources Policy Specialist Elizabeth Nielsen came before the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to discuss the project?s history and the potential shut-down it faces.The KRP consists of land in southern Oregon?s Klamath County and in Siskiyou and Modoc counties. The project encompasses approximately 220,000 acres of irrigated agricultural land used for growing a variety of different crops. The land also supports livestock and hay and grain production. The vast majority of the project is irrigated out of Upper Klamath Lake.?The Klamath Project is very important to our local economy and our history and our culture here in Siskiyou County,? Nielsen said.The Klamath Project is at severe risk of being shut down within the next month or so, she stated. She related that in the fall of 2016, a lawsuit was filed by the Hoopa Valley Tribe against the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The lawsuit asked for pulse flows in the Klamath River throughout different times of the year.The biggest hit, Nielsen said, was that the lawsuit also requested a reserve of 50,000 acre feet of water in Upper Klamath Lake for dilution flows to mitigate disease concerns relating to coho salmon. It requested that the water be held for dilution flows until June 15, or when 80 percent of coho salmon had migrated out of the upper Klamath River.That 50,000 acre feet of water being held, Nielsen explained, meant that no irrigation of the Klamath Project out of Upper Klamath Lake occurred for the month of April, and only 17,000 acre feet was delivered in May, which is far below average. For the month of June, Nielsen detailed, the Klamath Project has anticipated 50,000 acre feet of irrigation deliveries; the project typically receives an average of 63,000 acre feet in June.In May, the Klamath Tribes filed a lawsuit for an injunction related to Upper Klamath Lake water levels. With that lawsuit, Nielsen told the board, ?Essentially what they are saying is that sucker [fish] survival is at extreme risk and that there needs to be additional water in Upper Klamath Lake to help increase the probability of their survival. I will point out that lake levels have continued to increase since 2001; we are now in 2018 and there has been no improvement in sucker survival.?The hearing for that injunction is scheduled for Friday, July 13. If the judge grants the injunction, Nielsen said, it will require that the water level of Upper Klamath Lake be approximately one foot higher than it is currently. ?There is now way that precipitation and snowpack can meet those levels, so it would shut off the entire Klamath Reclamation Project for the rest of the year,? Nielsen stated.She added, ?This would mean no surface water delivery to over 180,000 acres of irrigated land.? There are some opportunities for groundwater pumping in Tulelake Irrigation District, Nielsen said, ?but nowhere near the amount that?s needed.?Additionally, if the injunction is granted, it is anticipated that irrigation out of Upper Klamath Lake might not be able to exist until a new biological opinion can be formed, which could take years. This would be the first time that a full-scale shut off of the KRP has occurred since 2001.If the shut-down occurs, Smith said, massive crop failures can be expected. What is more, crop insurance will not pay for the losses caused by a shut-down, because it would be a man-made drought, Smith explained. His presentation cited that Klamath County commissioners have estimated the drought could cost $557 million in agriculture revenue and around 4,500 jobs. Property values would also be adversely affected; Smith said agricultural land could be devalued by as much as 90 percent without water. He also anticipates that county revenues would decrease by hundreds of thousands of dollars.District 4 Supervisor Lisa Nixon remarked that the board ?is very disturbed? by the threat to the Klamath Project. ?We?re doing everything we can to help,? she said, but added that most of the actions the board is taking fall under attorney-client privilege. District 5 Supervisor Ray Haupt expressed his extreme dismay at the situation, stating, ?This is the biggest financial problem to hit the county in a generation.?? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jun 29 12:08:43 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2018 19:08:43 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Salmon_Are_Booming_in_Oregon=E2=80=99s_Ro?= =?utf-8?q?gue_River=2E_Dam_Removal_May_Be_Why?= References: <1663558580.510602.1530299323079.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1663558580.510602.1530299323079@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2018/06/26/salmon-are-booming-in-oregons-rogue-river-dam-removal-may-be-why Salmon Are Booming in Oregon?s Rogue River. Dam Removal May Be Why Eight obsolete dams have been removed or modified on the Rogue River over the past decade. Now its salmon help sustain commercial fishing, despite recent droughts that have devastated fish in other?rivers. | WRITTEN BYMatt Weiser | PUBLISHED ON???June 26, 2018 | READ TIMEApprox. 4 minutes | Wimer Dam on Evans Creek, a tributary of the Rogue River in Oregon, during demolition in 2015. It is one of eight dams to be removed or modified in the Rogue watershed since 2008.Photo Courtesy Scott Wright, River Design GroupAFTER CHASING SALMON?along the southern Oregon coast for 48 years, commercial fisher Duncan MacLean has developed a strong sense of who?s who at the end of his hook. This year, he says, most of the Chinook salmon he?s catching are likely from the Rogue River, where the state of Oregon and conservation groups have worked for years on one of the nation?s largest dam removal programs.?From everything we normally see, I would think that they are Rogue fish,? MacLean said. ?If you were to go back over history and look at the way the fishery resource acts, this is a good time for them to be showing up.?If he is right, MacLean is seeing the ultimate reward from all that restoration work: Wild salmon surging back in the Rogue.All the data are not in yet, and may not be for several years. But Daniel Van Dyke, East Rogue District fishery biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said early indications confirm MacLean?s assessment.The results may hold important lessons for other Western rivers. That?s particularly true on the Klamath River in California, a hydrologically similar watershed where three dams are targeted for removal.?I wouldn?t be surprised if commercial fishermen are catching a lot of Rogue Chinook right now,? Van Dyke said. ?There are individual signs that are really looking encouraging, and I suspect are tied to the dam removal project.?Dams started coming down on the Rogue in 2008, and the work continues to this day. In 10 years, eight dams have been?removed or modified?for fish passage on the Rogue and its tributaries at a cost of about $20 million, said Jim McCarthy, Southern Oregon program manager at?WaterWatch of Oregon, an environmental group that has played a large role in the process. The work has restored 157 miles of free-flowing river.Most of the dams were relatively small barriers built for water diversions and had fallen into disrepair. The most recent, Beeson-Robison Dam, came down in 2017 on Wagner Creek.Although the dam removals began 10 years ago, the full benefit to salmon populations has only been measurable over the last two years. That?s because salmon have such long life cycles ? usually three or four years spent in the ocean before returning to spawn in freshwater. This means the adult salmon being caught in the ocean now are the young of the first adults to spawn successfully in the free-flowing Rogue.A section of the Rogue River in Oregon designated Wild and Scenic under federal law, just upstream of Blossom Bar, a notoriously difficult stretch of whitewater. (Photo Courtesy of Jim McCarthy, Water Watch of Oregon)Van Dyke said it may take 20 years of data gathering before the dam removals can be declared a success for fish populations. But already some data paint a promising picture.For instance, the Rogue?s fall Chinook salmon population has roughly doubled in each of the last three years, according to the Pacific Fishery Management Council, the interstate agency that sets salmon fishing quotas. Even more telling is that this period was a roller-coaster ride in terms of environmental conditions, including one of the most severe droughts in history followed by one of the strongest El Ni?o weather patterns.This year, the population of Rogue Chinook in the ocean is estimated at 462,800 fish. That?s only about 20 percent less than the estimate for the Columbia River, a much larger but heavily dammed river.?The recent returns, in the context of the poor environmental conditions, are signs that restoration is having an impact and is producing more fish on the Rogue,? Van Dyke said. ?So that?s really encouraging.?At least two things make dam removal projects unique in Oregon.First, the state itself maintains a priority list of dam removal projects. This lends a stamp of legitimacy to dam removal efforts and helps focus money and effort, McCarthy said.Second, Oregon has?unique laws?ensuring that water is dedicated to environmental flows. One requires water rights associated with hydropower projects to revert permanently to instream flow if the water goes unused for hydropower generation for five years. This helped in the case of Gold Ray Dam, a defunct hydroelectric dam demolished on the Rogue in 2010.As a result, dam removal projects in the state often come with dedicated water for fish and other aquatic life. It?s a double bonus for habitat restoration.?The Rogue is more resilient because of the additional flows and barrier removal,? said McCarthy. ?We think it?s the combination. And we hope we can replicate that in other rivers. It?s a formula for resiliency amid climate change that will benefit everyone who depends on healthy rivers.?MacLean is one of those. He pilots his boat north every year, all the way from his home in Half Moon Bay, California, in hopes of meeting his quota for Chinook salmon, one of the most prized wild-caught fish on the Pacific Coast.?Oregon fishing has been part of my routine for a long, long time,? he said. ?I couldn?t be happier for the Rogue River, and for its inhabitants, to see what?s going on here. And I wish California and Washington would follow Oregon?s lead.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Jul 1 08:43:45 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2018 15:43:45 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Group files detailed plan to remove four Klamath River dams References: <221615080.1018911.1530459825538.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <221615080.1018911.1530459825538@mail.yahoo.com> Group files detailed plan to remove four Klamath River dams By The Times-StandardFriday, June 29, 2018The following is a press release issued by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation:?The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) announced today it has filed its ?Definite Plan for the Lower Klamath Project? with the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission (FERC) for the proposed removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River ? J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and Iron Gate. This filing represents an important next step in KRRC?s effort to restore the Klamath River.The Definite Plan was filed on June 28, 2018 as part of KRRC?s application to FERC for the transfer of the FERC license to operate the dams. FERC will review the Definite Plan to confirm KRRC has the technical, legal, and fiscal capacities to become the licensee. KRRC?s dam removal and river restoration project, currently the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, is expected to improve water quality, revive fisheries, create local jobs, and boost tourism and recreation.The Definite Plan is an approximately 2,300-page document that provides comprehensive analysis and detail on project design, deconstruction, reservoir restoration, and other post-deconstruction activities. KRRC also filed responses to FERC?s requests for additional information, including requests in FERC?s March 15, 2018 order, as a part of its regulatory review and approval process.Among the many topics covered in the Definite Plan are KRRC?s plans to: manage construction impacts, manage impacts to groundwater wells, perform flood-proofing, improve roads and bridges, provide recreation opportunities, replace the City of Yreka water line, protect aquatic resources, and provide for ongoing fish hatchery operations. The plan also provides updated information on project costs and risk management.KRRC is confident these foundational documents will help FERC determine KRRC has the capabilities to assume license of the dams and to complete the dam removal process, which includes deconstruction of the dams and restoration of formerly inundated lands.?We have completed a major milestone through the development and filing of this plan,? said KRRC Executive Director, Mark Bransom. ?KRRC has developed this plan with tremendous respect for the complexity of the project and with extraordinary care in its efforts to enhance benefits and minimize impacts to local communities. I am proud of this achievement and I look forward to the next steps in the regulatory review process.?In May, FERC authorized KRRC to convene a panel of nationally recognized experts to serve as an Independent Board of Consultants (BOC) for the project. This panel brings expertise in dam construction and removal, engineering, aquatic and terrestrial biology, construction cost estimating, and risk management. During the coming months, FERC and the BOC will review and provide guidance on the Definite Plan. KRRC welcomes this feedback and will continue its planning and preparations in anticipation of a future decision by FERC on the transfer and surrender applications. If KRRC receives all necessary approvals to begin work, it expects to begin site preparations in mid-2020, with dam removal and restoration activities commencing in 2021.?A complete copy of the Definite Plan is available at?klamathrenewal.org/definite-plan.??URL: http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20180629/group-files-detailed-plan-to-remove-four-klamath-river-dams -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jul 2 10:04:26 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2018 17:04:26 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 26 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 26 (July 1). Good numbers of fish last week, some would say the full moon enticed them upriver. The river continues to warm, the filamentous algae has increased. [cid:image004.jpg at 01D411EC.0D2639B0] [cid:image006.jpg at 01D411EC.0D2639B0] Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 15483 bytes Desc: image004.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image006.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 24275 bytes Desc: image006.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW26.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66174 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW26.xlsx URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Mon Jul 9 23:33:12 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 10 Jul 2018 02:33:12 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Coalition Protests Delta Tunnels Tax as MWD Revotes on $11 Billion to Finance WaterFix In-Reply-To: <224901d417e8$a8c9dc80$fa5d9580$@gmail.com> References: <5B43DDC6.9080305@aqualliance.net> <224901d417e8$a8c9dc80$fa5d9580$@gmail.com> Message-ID: <32a23acf-12df-4976-a9f8-c6f9ae8b0ce8@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/9/1779238/-Coalition-Protests-Delta-Tunnels-Tax-as-MWD-Revotes-on-11-Billion-to-Finance-WaterFix Dickdickmcjluliandr Food and Water Watch Photo Coalition Protests Delta Tunnels Tax as MWD Revotes on $11 Billion to Finance WaterFix By Dan Bacher Before the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California is forced to retake its vote on financing $11 billion of Governor Jerry Brown?s $17 billion Delta Tunnels project on Tuesday, July 10, ratepayers, taxpayer advocates, faith leaders, union representatives and environmentalists will hold a press conference to protest the environmentally destructive project. The press conference will take place at 11:00 a.m. prior to the MWD Board Workshop on the tunnels in the courtyard of the Metropolitan Water District Headquarters, 700 North Alameda Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. The workshop will begin at 12 noon. ?Advocates will expose legal violations in the original vote that require board members to retake the decision, and outline next steps by the coalition to oppose the tunnel tax,? said Brenna Norton of Food and Water Watch. ?The vote comes days after the State Water Board announced a reduction the amount of water that can be pumped south, making local and regional water supplies more cost-effective compared to the tunnels.? The project, also called the California WaterFix, features two massive 35 mile long tunnels under the Delta that will divert Sacramento River from the North Delta to the state and federal water project pumps in the South Delta to be exported to corporate agribusiness interests, Southern California water agencies and oil companies conducting fracking and other extreme oil extraction operations. Project opponents say the tunnels will raise water rates while not creating one drop of new water ? and hastening the extinction of winter run and spring run Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt, green sturgeon and other fish species, as well as imperiling the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers. Jerry Brown?s ?legacy project? threatens the very existence of the San Francisco Bay Delta and West Coast fisheries. Norton said the revote comes amidrevelations?that?MWD & MWDOC?officials?workeddirectly with Representative Ken Calvert?s office to eliminate judicial review of the tunnels project, while keeping certain staff, some MWD Board Members and state water contractors in the dark. Delta Tunnels opponents showing their opposition to the project at the press conference and hearing will include Los Angeles ratepayers, Food & Water Watch, Social-Economic-Justice Network (SEE), Consumer Watchdog, Los Angeles Minsters Forum, SEIU Local 721, Restore the Delta, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Sierra Club and Los Angeles neighborhood council presidents. Public trust and ratepayer advocates will hold signs at the hearing and press conference Online access to the hearing is available here: http://www.mwdh2o.com/WhoWeAre/Board/Board-Meeting/Pages/default.aspx ?Public records show that tunnel supporters on the MWD board, with help from Governor Brown, engaged in back room wheeling and dealing to pressure MWD board members to finance tunnels project,? said Norton. ?This violates the Brown Act, which requires public officials to make such decisions transparently, with input from the public. Following a legal letter from Food & Water Watch and the First Amendment Coalition, MWD agreed to retake the vote.? ?The two largest cities in the state, Los Angeles and San Diego, and the cities of Santa Monica San Fernando opposed the tunnels in April, citing legal, ratepayer, and environmental concerns,? stated Norton. The meeting will take place following the latest revelations of Restore the Delta?s California Public Records Act (CPRA) request documents from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD). ?These documents reveal that the Kern County Water Agency (KCWA) and MWD consulted Ken Calvert?s Legislative Aide, Ian Foley, on the language of the Valadao Rider?a supplemental provision to the House Appropriations spending bill that would exempt the Central Valley Project and State Water Project from judicial review,? according to Restore the Delta (RTD). ?The Valadao rider was added to the Appropriations bill after the Calvert rider was approved by the Interior subcommittee, according to Restore the Delta (RTD).? These latest findings supplement Restore the Delta?s findings from the same CPRA request released last week. On May 21, 2018, Ian Foley, emailed MWD Assistant General Manager Roger Patterson and KCWA Assistant General Manager Brent Walthall to ?quietly share? some language from the House Appropriations spending bill and asked both Assistant General Managers for their thoughts. The shared language reads: ?None of the funds made available by this Act or any other Act of Congress shall be used by the Department of the Interior to modify or otherwise adjust the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative described in the Fish and Wildlife Service?s December 15, 2008, biological opinion on the coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project or the Department of Commerce to modify or otherwise adjust the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative described in the National Marine Fisheries Service?s June 4, 2009, Biological Opinion and Conference Opinion on the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project in any manner that would further contain or limit the ability of the Central Valley Project or California State Water Project to provide, at the earliest possible date, the maximum quantity of water supplies to Central Valley Project agricultural, municipal, and industrial contractors, water service or repayment contractors, water rights settlement contracts, exchange contractors, refuge contractors, and State Water Project Contractors.? (MWD-RTD_000171.pdf ). Mr. Waltall (KCWA) responded that he thinks Kern County would support the language but anticipated that the Valadao rider would create more backlash from tunnels opponents (MWDPRA-RTD_000167.pdf ). ?The collective effort made by Representative Valadao, Congressman Calvert and his staff, Metropolitan, and Kern County Water Agency to strip due process rights from all residents, municipalities, and water districts who live in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds and in the Delta is Un-American and Anti-Californian,? summed up Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. It is worth noting that Jerry Brown, who fancies himself as a ?green governor? as he promotes the Delta Tunnels and oversees a massive expansion of offshore and onshore oil drilling in California, and Attorney General Xavier Becerra have remained silent about Calvert?s rider, although both Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris have both gone on record opposing the rider. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Food___Water_Watch.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 82252 bytes Desc: not available URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Mon Jul 9 23:41:20 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 10 Jul 2018 02:41:20 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] State Water Board releases plan to increase flows in San Joaquin River and tributaries Message-ID: <11d453af-d569-4171-adcc-4ea8676090b0@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/6/1778586/-State-Water-Board-releases-plan-to-increase-flows-in-San-Joaquin-River-and-tributaries The San Joaquin River below Friant Dam in Fresno County. Photo by Dan Bacher. State Water Board releases plan to increase flows in San Joaquin River and tributaries By Dan Bacher The State Water Resources Control Board on July 6 released its final draft plan to increase water flows through the Lower San Joaquin River and its tributaries ? the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers ? a move praised by fishermen and environmentalists, but criticized by agribusiness representatives. Citing nine years of research and extensive public outreach, the Board announced the increased water flows were designed to ?prevent an ecological crisis, including the total collapse of fisheries,? according to a statement from the Board. ?The San Francisco Bay-Delta is an ecosystem in crisis. The Board?s challenge is to balance multiple valuable uses of water?for fish and wildlife, agriculture, urban, recreation, and other uses,? said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. ?Californians want a healthy environment, healthy agriculture, and healthy communities, not one at the expense of the others. That requires the water wars to yield to collective efforts to help fish and wildlife through voluntary action, which the proposed plan seeks to reward.? Ironically, the same board that released the draft plan to increase water flows thorough the Lower San Joaquin River and its tributaries is also continuing with the evidentiary hearings for the change in point of diversion petitions by the California Department of Water Resources and the Bureau of Reclamation to build Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels. If these tunnels are built, tunnels opponents say they would greatly counteract the fishery and ecosystem benefits resulting from the draft plan released today because they would divert more Sacramento River from flowing into the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. The Board said the release of the third and final draft of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan update for the Lower San Joaquin River and Southern Delta, and an accompanying Substitute Environmental Document, ?comes after a nine-year process during which the Board studied and analyzed options, conducted extensive public outreach, including public hearings in the area, and reviewed more than 1,400 comment letters.? On the same day, the State Water Board also announced ?further progress? on its effort to update flow requirements for the Sacramento River, its tributaries, and the Delta and its tributaries, including the Calaveras, Cosumnes and Mokelumne rivers. This update is at an earlier stage procedurally than the Lower San Joaquin River/Southern Delta plan update; a draft proposed plan and staff report analyzing alternatives will be released later this year for public review and comment, according to the Board. ?The two Bay-Delta Plan updates are aimed at addressing an ecological crisis in the Delta and preventing further collapse of Bay-Delta fisheries,? the Board stated. ?A dramatic decline in the populations of native fish species that migrate through and inhabit the Delta has brought some species to the brink of extinction.? Approximately 70,000 fall-run Chinook salmon adults returned to the San Joaquin Basin in 1984. The number of returning adults dropped to approximately 40,000 in 2010 and again to 8,000 returning adults in 2014 , the Board noted. ?While multiple factors are to blame for the decline, the magnitude of diversions out of the Sacramento, San Joaquin, and other rivers feeding into the Bay-Delta is a major factor in the ecosystem decline,? the Board added. The draft final Lower San Joaquin River/Southern Delta update includes improved instream flows February through June, the critical months for protecting migrating fish on the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers, according to the Board. These flows are measured as a percentage of ?unimpaired flow,? the amount of water that would come down the river if there were no dams or other diversions. Here are some of the specifics of the draft plan: ? A 40 percent of unimpaired flow requirement, within a range of 30 to 50 percent, is proposed as an appropriate balance for this plan update because it can improve conditions for fish and wildlife considerably without more challenging impacts on other water users. The Board said currently, flows remaining in the rivers can run as low as 10 to 20 percent of unimpaired flow at critical times of the year and range from 21 to 40 percent on average for the three tributaries. ?The unimpaired flow requirement is not intended to be a rigid and fixed percent of flow. The proposal provides for and encourages collaboration to use the flows as a block of water or ?water budget? that can be allocated to ?shape? or shift flows in time to better achieve ecological functions such as increased habitat, more optimal temperatures, or migration cues,? the Board said. ? The draft plan recognizes that other ?non-flow? factors, such as habitat loss, predation and pollution, affect survival rates of fish and other species. The plan would allow reduced river flows if stakeholders step up to pursue non-flow measures to improve conditions for fish and wildlife. Negotiations for voluntary agreements are taking place between stakeholders and the California Natural Resources Agency and its departments. ? The draft final update also includes a revision of the salinity standard for the southern Delta. Maintaining an adequate amount of fresh water in the southern Delta is critical to protecting agriculture in the region. The year-round salinity standard in the draft final update increases slightly from the current seasonal standards, based on salinity tolerance studies of sensitive crops. John McManus, president of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, welcomed the board?s release of the plan. "No one can deny we've heavily damaged the natural function and benefits of the rivers by over-diversion. Salmon runs in the three major San Joaquin River tributaries have fallen from 70,000 in 1984 to 8,000 in 2014. This has hurt fishing families and coastal communities,? said McManus. ?Any proposal to increase water for fish is really a proposal to increase water for fishing families and communities downstream that rely on salmon,? he said. ?Most Californians don?t want to see our state rivers dammed and diverted to the point where everyone else downstream is left high and dry and driven out of business. Basic fairness requires the upstream dam operators to share with others downstream that rely on the state's natural resources historically provided by these rivers. The State Water Board has taken a historic first step to address this problem." Doug Obegi, lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), noted that the Board?s recommendation that winter-spring Delta outflow should be 55% of unimpaired flow, is ?significantly less than what the best available science shows is needed.? Unimpaired flow is what would flow naturally in the absence of dams and diversions. ?The Board also recommends incorporating existing federal restrictions on the operations of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, to ensure that fish and wildlife ? and the thousands of fishing jobs that depend on them ? are protected. These recommendations come just as the Trump Administration seeks to weaken those federal protections in the Delta,? he stated. Obegi also said this State Water Board framework ?also has important implications for the California WaterFix, including the re-vote next week by the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD).? ?MWD staff have sold the tunnels as a way to maintain or increase water diversions from the estuary, despite the fact that WaterFix would worsen Delta outflows compared to today and worsens conditions for native fish and wildlife . However, by proposing significant increases in Delta outflow and reduced diversions from the estuary, the State Water Board?s framework provides a clear signal that WaterFix will not maintain current levels of diversions, and MWD Board members should not be surprised when WaterFix yields significantly less water supply than MWD staff has claimed,? said Obegi. For more information, go to: www.nrdc.org/? The Farm Water Coalition responded to the board?s decision by claiming that it ?will leave thousands of acres of farmland with zero surface supply in certain water year types, stripping the Central Valley of over 6,500 jobs and $1.6 billion in economic output.? ?Despite dozens of meetings, testimony from experts representing public water agencies, cities, farms, school districts and more, as well as mounting scientific proof that their approach is wrong, the State Water Board has not budged an inch, said Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition. ?The State Water Board?s unimpaired flow strategy does nothing to address major stressors in the system, such as the loss of habitat for native species and overwhelming predators that have gained a problematic foothold on the Delta. What is needed, instead, are functional flows, which can meet multiple needs from farming to habitat protection, recreation, and urban water supply needs,? said Wade. The draft text of the Proposed Final Amendments for the flow plan was modified after consideration of public input. Those revisions can be found in Appendix K of the Draft Final Substitute Environmental Document here . The State Water Board is accepting written comments on those changes until 12 p.m. (noon) on Friday, July 27, 2018. The hearing notice and instructions for submitting comments on the revisions can be found here . A summary of the modifications and discussion of the changes can also be found in Volume 3, Master Response 2.1, Amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan here . Board consideration of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Update for the Lower San Joaquin River and Southern Delta will begin in August. As more analyses of the documents released come in, I will post them here. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 66180_10151250201825990_1642177631_n.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 109633 bytes Desc: not available URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Jul 10 10:35:38 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 10 Jul 2018 17:35:38 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 27 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 27 (July 8). There were only 4 trap nights last week because of the holiday. MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW27.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66228 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW27.xlsx URL: From oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us Wed Jul 11 13:35:24 2018 From: oorourke at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Oshun O'Rourke) Date: Wed, 11 Jul 2018 20:35:24 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek RST in-season update Message-ID: <2a7d68d8df494952bfcf40e399138c8f@mail.yuroktribe.nsn.us> Attached is the Yurok Tribal Fisheries' in-season catch update for the Lower Trinity River outmigrant screw traps located in Willow Creek, CA. Please see the attached spreadsheet for a full update. Thanks, Oshun O'Rourke Fisheries Biologist Yurok Tribe 530-629-3333 ext 1703 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 22731 bytes Desc: raw catch bi-weekly update 2018.xlsx URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Fri Jul 13 13:38:42 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2018 13:38:42 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: New NOAA Fisheries Draft Plan Aims for Ecosystem-based Management Principles on West Coast Message-ID: <018a01d41ae9$7d927780$78b76680$@sisqtel.net> http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/columbiabasi n1x1.jpg http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/columbiabasi n1x2.gif http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/Spacer.gif http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/Spacer.gif http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/Spacer.gif http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/Spacer.gif http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/columbiabasi n1x3.gif Latest CBB News | Archives | About Us | Free Newsletter http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/columbiabasi n3x2.gif http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/Spacer.gif FOLLOW THE CBB ON TWITTER S UBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE WEEKLY E-MAIL NEWSLETTER _____ Latest CBB News Print this Story Print this Story Email this Story Email this Story New NOAA Fisheries Draft Plan Aims For Ecosystem-Based Management Principles On West Coast Posted on Friday, July 13, 2018 (PST) NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Region, with its Southwest Fisheries Science Center in La Jolla, Calif., and Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, have released a new blueprint for how the agency will put ecosystem-based management principles into practice on the West Coast. The draft Western Roadmap Implementation Plan (WRIP), tiered off NOAA Fisheries' national Ecosystem Based Fisheries Management Policy and Roadmap, "offers a distinctly different way of thinking about fisheries in the California Current Ecosystem," says a NOAA Fisheries press release. "Instead of considering and managing species in isolation, fisheries managers will weigh the role of species in an ecosystem when making decisions." The shift from single species to a systems approach represents "a logical next step as NOAA Fisheries strives to balance long-term ecosystem protection with economic and human benefits while refining predictions and management advice." NOAA Fisheries scientists have used their growing understanding of ecosystem-scale relationships to develop a new system called EcoCast, which helps inform fishermen in the drift gillnet and other fisheries where they have the best chance of catching the species they're after with the least risk of entangling or otherwise harming protected species such as sea turtles and porpoises. To learn more about West Coast ecosystem-based fisheries management and review the draft plan, go to https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/ecosystems/ecosystem-based-fishery-m anagement-draft-implementation-plans.. You can share your comments on the draft WRIP via email at nmfs.westcoast-ebfm at noaa.gov. The WRIP is open to public comment until September 30, 2018. "This draft plan highlights the commitments we've made to our partners, our stakeholders, and the public, to develop science and management practices that better account for the interactions we humans have with the marine environment, and that marine species have with each other, with their environment, and with us," said Yvonne deReynier, coordinator of the plan for the West Coast Region. As an example, the plan mentions how unusually warm ocean conditions off the West Coast have had a cascade of effects throughout the California Current Ecosystem, from lean salmon returns to whales foraging closer to shore than they had in more typical conditions and then becoming entangled with fishing gear. These cascading effects reverberate through fisheries management, through cutbacks in salmon catches and more focus on measures to keep whales from getting entangled in lines of Dungeness crab traps. "Fortunately, the long-term ocean ecosystem monitoring along the West Coast enabled us to understand what was happening and make sense of how it fit into and, in some cases, buffeted the larger ecosystem," said Toby Garfield, Acting Deputy Director of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and coordinator of the new implementation plan for the center. The WRIP outlines six guiding principles, including implementing ecosystem-level planning, prioritizing vulnerabilities and risks to ecosystems and their components, incorporating ecosystem considerations into management advice, and finally, maintaining resilient ecosystems. "Ultimately, that's what it's all about," said Chris Harvey, a research scientist at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and coordinator of the implementation plan for the center. "We are part of these ecosystems, so we want to make sure they are resilient both for us and for everything else that depends on them." Bookmark and Share http://www.cbbulletin.com/ThemeImages/CBBulletin/Themes/Default/columbiabasi n8x1.gif The Columbia Basin Bulletin, Bend, Oregon. For information or comments call 541-312-8860. Bend Oregon Website Design by Bend Oregon Website Design by Smart SolutionsProduced by Intermountain Communications | Site Map -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 7348 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 2546 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image003.png Type: image/png Size: 167 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image004.png Type: image/png Size: 167 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image005.png Type: image/png Size: 168 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image006.png Type: image/png Size: 168 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image007.gif Type: image/gif Size: 161 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image008.gif Type: image/gif Size: 84 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image009.png Type: image/png Size: 168 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image010.gif Type: image/gif Size: 63 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image011.gif Type: image/gif Size: 64 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image012.gif Type: image/gif Size: 596 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image013.gif Type: image/gif Size: 149 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image014.gif Type: image/gif Size: 212 bytes Desc: not available URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Wed Jul 11 10:12:12 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 11 Jul 2018 13:12:12 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Metropolitan Water District Revotes to Finance $10.8 Billion of $17 Billion Delta Tunnels In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <21ac3e3a-010e-4cde-81c5-9eb3d53c16f8@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/7/10/1779525/-Metropolitan-Water-District-Revotes-to-Finance-10-8-Billion-of-17-Billion-Delta-Tunnels Metropolitan Water District Revotes to Finance $10.8 Billion of $17 Billion Delta Tunnels By Dan Bacher Following numerous violations of the Brown Act that guarantees the public?s right to attend and participate in meetings of local legislative bodies, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California Board of Directors was forced today to retake their April vote to finance $10.8 billion of the $17 billion Delta Tunnels project. The vote was 59.5 percent yes and 39.17 percent no. The yes vote was no surprise, since the Board was under intense pressure from Governor Jerry Brown and corporate agribusiness interests on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley to finance the majority of the California WaterFix project?s cost. The Board approved the funding despite the opposition of every individual water ratepayer who spoke during the public comment period today. Delta Tunnels opponents urging the Board to vote no included Los Angeles ratepayers, a representative of the Tonga Tribe, Food & Water Watch, Social-Economic-Justice Network (SEE), Consumer Watchdog, Los Angeles Ministers Forum, SEIU Local 721, Restore the Delta, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Sierra Club California and Los Angeles neighborhood council presidents. "We need green jobs here in Southern California and we need to fix California water infrastructure here," Charming Evelyn of Sierra Club California, one of many water ratepayers at the meeting, told the Board. "Orange County has 21 cities with contaminated water. Why is money going to the Delta Tunnels and not local water cleanup and creation of new green jobs?" After agricultural water districts refused to invest in the project last spring, MWD engaged in ?backroom wheeling and dealing" to pressure decision makers to force SoCal families to pay double their share for no additional water, according to Brenna Norton, Senior Organizer with Food and Water Watch. ?While the results of the vote did not change today, members of the public and representatives of the two biggest cities in the state?Los Angeles and San Diego? among others, were incensed by what they say is a lack of transparency and other violations of the California constitution. The Delta tunnels have not received full funding, and still require multiple permits," said Norton. The revote took place after two organizations, Food and Water Watch and the First Amendment Foundation, sent a notice exposing numerous violations of the Brown Act in connection with the April meeting. Metropolitan board Chairman Randy Record said the action was taken in ?an abundance of caution to ensure full public transparency.? ?California?s water delivery system is broken. After years of study, planning and environmental review, we finally have the solution. I am thrilled this project continues to move forward,? claimed Record. Director Lorraine Paskett, who represents the City of Los Angeles on the Board, thanked Food and Water Watch for their California Public Records Act (CPRA) request exposing the backroom wheeling and dealing prior to the April board meeting. Before voting no, she also noted that the recent plan by the State Water Resources Control Board to increase flows down the San Joaquin River and its tributaries to restore fish populations impacts the WaterFix project?s economic viability. Mark Gold, another board member from Los Angeles who also voted no, also criticized other board members for voting to finance the Delta Tunnels without first reviewing the impact of the water board?s new river flow criteria. "This vote is premature without such analysis," said Gold. Norton emphasized that today was ?the opening salvo of ongoing efforts to expose the unfairness and political cronyism behind the Delta Tunnels deal.? ?The tunnels would be at least a $20 billion gift to corporate agribusiness, which receives 70 percent of average water exports from the Delta,? she said. ?If the project is ever built, Southern California ratepayers and taxpayers would pay for a project that doesn't guarantee a single drop of new water. SoCal residents should not be an ATM for MWD leadership or wealthy agribusiness.? The controversial project consists of two massive 35 mile long tunnels that would divert water from the Sacramento River in the North Delta to the state and federal pumping facilities in the South Delta for export by corporate agribusiness interests, Southern California water brokers and oil companies conducting fracking and extreme oil extraction operations. The California WaterFix would devastate Sacramento salmon populations and West Coast fisheries, as well as imperiling the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: MWD Vote.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 56091 bytes Desc: not available URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jul 16 16:26:24 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2018 23:26:24 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 28 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 28 (July 15). MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW28.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66242 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW28.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jul 19 08:14:42 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2018 15:14:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Hoopa Valley Tribe warns of lawsuit over salmon fishing rules References: <428229448.7218817.1532013282263.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <428229448.7218817.1532013282263@mail.yahoo.com> Hoopa Valley Tribe warns of lawsuit over salmon fishing rules | | | | | | | | | | | Hoopa Valley Tribe warns of lawsuit over salmon fishing rules The Hoopa Valley Tribe notified federal agencies Wednesday of its intent to file a lawsuit claiming the agencies... | | | | ? Hoopa Valley Tribe warns of lawsuit over salmon fishing rules The Hoopa Valley Tribe claims federal agencies and a fishery management council violated the Endangered Species Act when it approved this year?s West Coast salmon season regulations. The tribe states it plans to file a lawsuit against the agencies in 60 days in an effort to protect against impacts to Klamath River coho salmon, which are listed as threatened under the act.?NOAA Fisheries ? ContributedBy?Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardPosted:?07/18/18, 9:56 PM PDT?|?Updated: 4 hrs ago0 CommentsThe Hoopa Valley Tribe notified federal agencies?Wednesday?of its intent to file a lawsuit claiming the agencies failed to follow their own protocols that are meant to protect Endangered Species Act-listed coho salmon when they approved this year?s salmon fishing regulations.??Whether it?s in the ocean or in the river, we?re going to hold the federal agencies accountable,? Hoopa Valley Fisheries Director Mike Orcutt said?Wednesday. ?If it?s affecting these species that are [on] the brink of being extirpated, then we?re concerned about it and I think you need to reconsult, you need to have dialogue directly with the tribe so we understand the overall effects that it?s going to have on the fish that we?re dependent upon.??The tribe claims the Pacific Fishery Management Council ? which makes recommendations to federal agencies on West Coast fishing rules and catch limits ? deviated from historical precedent this year in how it calculates the amount of salmon that are allowed to be harvested and also how that harvest affects species listed under the Endangered Species Act, specifically coho salmon from the Rogue and Klamath rivers.While coho salmon are a protected species under the act, the federal government allows a certain amount of them to be killed incidentally.The Hoopa Valley Tribe?s attorney Thomas Schlosser told the Times-Standard that a 1999 biological opinion by the National Marine Fisheries Service allows for only 13 percent of returning coho salmon from the Klamath and Rogue rivers to be killed, which includes deaths caused by fish harvesting.?Back in March, the Pacific Fishery Management Council released a preseason report that determined its proposed fishing regulations would cause up to 12.9 percent of coho salmon would be killed if it allowed up to 9 percent of returning Chinook salmon to be harvested.?The tribe claims in its notice that after seeing these numbers, the council?s salmon technical team made a ?sudden change? to its calculation methods. This produced more favorable numbers in an April report, with the number of Chinook salmon being harvested increasing to 11 percent and the number of coho salmon being killed dropping to only 5.5 percent.The tribe argues that had the council used its original calculation method and allowed for 11 percent of Chinook salmon to be harvested, the number of coho salmon that would killed would be ?in excess? of what?s allowed.But the alleged violation of the Endangered Species Act is not in the numbers themselves, but rather because the agencies didn?t follow protocol when it decided to alter its calculation methods.?Schlosser said the 1999 biological opinion requires the National Marine Fisheries Service and Pacific Fishery Management Council to consult with one another if new information is made available about the potential impacts to these listed coho salmon.Schlosser said the council?s salmon technical team might have been right to change the calculation method, but because it was new information, it required reconsultation under the protocol the National Marine Fisheries Services and the council operates under.The tribe is calling on the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the council to rescind the approval of these fishing limits and instead adopt catch limits using the same methods used in the past ? which would mean a lower harvest than is already allowed.?Salmon fishing in local ocean water began in May. The National Marine Fisheries Service and Department of Commerce declined to comment.Contacted by the Times-Standard?on Wednesday, Pacific Fishery Management Council Executive Director Chuck Tracy said it was the first he had heard about the tribe?s intent to file litigation.?Tracy said the council itself technically cannot be sued because it is managed under the National Marine Fisheries Service. Schlosser said this might be ?wishful thinking? on Tracy?s part.Tracy and other council staff did not provide further comment regarding the tribe?s claims.The Endangered Species Act requires a 60-day notice to be given to an agency accused of violating the Endangered Species Act before a lawsuit can be filed.Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Jul 19 09:03:42 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:03:42 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Tribes_oppose_irrigators=E2=80=99_=2450_m?= =?utf-8?q?illion_bond_request?= References: <215680296.7256203.1532016222860.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <215680296.7256203.1532016222860@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/tribes-oppose-irrigators-million-bond-request/article_6fe3537d-c2c2-58ba-bee9-3f63f46d83cb.html Tribes oppose irrigators? $50 million bond request - By STEPHEN FLOYD H&N Staff Reporter ? - Jul 18, 2018 ?A federal lawsuit that could determine access to water in the Klamath Basin this summer has taken a new turn as parties argue whether the Klamath Tribes should post a $50 million bond to protect irrigators.According to parties intervening in the suit, at least $50 million is needed to cover financial losses for agricultural producers who would lose access to water if the court rules in the Tribes? favor.The Tribes said such an amount far exceeds the funds they have budgeted for the lawsuit and, if they are required to post the bond, they would be forced to abandon their efforts.?The present litigation has already placed a strain on the Klamath Tribes? 2018 and 2019 budgets,? said Tribal Chairman Don Gentry and Tribal Treasurer Brandi Hatcher in a statement to the court July 10. ?The Klamath Tribes believe conserving the sacred C?waam (Lost River sucker) and Koptu (shortnose sucker) warrants the investment and is in the interest of our members as well as the public generally, but we are simply unable to make significant additional expenditures toward this effort beyond budgeted litigation.?The Tribes sued the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) May 23, claiming BOR needed to allow higher levels of water in Upper Klamath Lake to prevent an extinction-level die-off of endangered suckerfish. The tribes cited an expected drought this summer, following an exceptionally dry and warm winter.On May 29, the Tribes filed a motion for a preliminary injunction directing BOR to maintain lake levels at a minimum required to ensure fish survival. A hearing was scheduled for July 11 to consider the injunction, but has since been re-scheduled for this Friday in San Francisco before Judge William Orrick.Multiple parties have intervened in the suit to voice their opposition, including Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), Sunnyside Irrigation District (SID) and irrigators filing as individuals. In a June 27 objection to the injunction, KWUA and SID said the Tribes are required by federal law to put forward financial security to cover losses incurred as a result of the injunction.They said the annual crop value of irrigators within the Klamath Project was reported at $169 million in 2016. Based on these figures and expected impact of the injunction, KWUA and SID said a conservative estimate for a bond to cover irrigators losses would be $50 million.?Although not sufficient to make Project water users whole, an amount on this order would at least provide a degree of assistance for many Project farmers to resume operation in post-injunction years,? said the objection. ?Intervenors recognize that in this type of case a bond is rare. However, plaintiff chose to seek a remedy at a time that would inflict the worst possible damage on the agricultural community.?Irrigators have further argued the suckerfish are unlikely to suffer losses as great as those described by the Tribes and an injunction is unnecessary. The Tribes argue they will suffer irreversible losses if the injunction is not granted, saying the suckerfish are ?at imminent risk of a catastrophic die-off.?sfloyd at heraldandnews.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jul 20 19:02:54 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 21 Jul 2018 02:02:54 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] The Klamath conflict Water war along California-Oregon border pits growers against tribes, family against family References: <415748711.135539.1532138574320.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <415748711.135539.1532138574320@mail.yahoo.com> There are lots of photos and graphics at the url, but I removed them for brevity.TS https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/The-Klamath-conflict-Water-war-along-13089350.php?t=b52324a6b8 The Klamath conflict Water war along California-Oregon border pits growers against tribes, family against family By?Kurtis Alexander - - - - - - TULELAKE, Siskiyou County ? As one of the tensest fights for water in the West closes in, residents in this town along the rural California-Oregon border are moving out.The sidewalks are emptier. The downtown is a ghostly strip of vacant storefronts, struggling lunch spots and liquor stores. The highway nearby is flanked by abandoned silos and crumbling produce warehouses.The Klamath River has run low, and the economic fallout of a water shortage brought on by years of drought has gripped this farming community, even as the Trump administration intervenes to help find relief for the unrelenting climate challenge. The last time anxieties over water ran so high in Tulelake and the surrounding basin, protests broke out and U.S. marshals were called in to keep the peace. That was 17 years ago.Pulling his pickup truck to a stop outside of town on a recent morning, Gary Wright, 63, looked across his 4,800-acre ranch, set amid brown hills beneath a distant Mount Shasta. He wondered whether his thirsty alfalfa would live to see another cutting.Alfalfa farmer Gary Wright says: ?People here are getting desperate. I do fear the worst. If our water is cut, there will be protests, and it may be ugly.??| Justin Maxon / Special To The ChronicleFarther north, near the headwaters of the Klamath River, Devery Saluskin, 41, a member of the Klamath Tribes, is worried about fish populations. He fears the catch in local lakes and streams that has sustained his people for millennia will perish if the fish don?t get more clean water.The competing concerns in this border region 350 miles north of San Francisco have produced lawsuits, driven a wedge between farmers and American Indians, and even divided households.Wright and Saluskin stand at opposite ends of the conflict. The two men are also family, once close ? but that has changed.The upper Klamath Basin, which stretches from southern Oregon?s high deserts to the mountains of Northern California, gets much of its water from the federally operated Klamath Project.Dating to 1906, the enormous waterworks anchored by Upper Klamath Lake, where the Klamath River begins its 250-mile journey to sea, consists of seven dams and hundreds of miles of canals. It irrigates a region worth more than $300 million annually in potatoes, onions, sugar beets and other crops, including niches such as mint for tea and Tulelake horseradish.In addition to serving farmers, federal project managers are required to maintain sufficient water downstream in the Klamath River for threatened coho salmon as well as upstream in the vast yet shallow Upper Klamath Lake for endangered suckerfish.After years of drought and declining fish numbers, however, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has faced a flurry of litigation over how it?s balancing the project?s supplies.The latest lawsuit, brought by the Klamath Tribes in May, seeks more water for two endangered species of suckers, a bottom-dwelling fish that American Indians once caught by the thousands. Today, those fish ? the shortnose sucker and the Lost River sucker ? are so scarce that the tribe is permitted to net them only for ceremony.?We?ve been denied the fish for many years,? said Don Gentry, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, which consists of three American Indian groups that have long inhabited the area and now stand as one. ?But those fish are just as important to our people as the farms are to the farmers.?Although the suckers haven?t been caught in significant numbers for decades, tribal members say restoring their populations could bring back a staple of their traditional diet. It also would help them reclaim a part of their identity.Gentry, who grew up fishing for suckers with his dad, said he was taught that as long as the fish are healthy, his people will be healthy.Tribal members blame the very construction of the Klamath Project a century ago for crippling the natural fish habitat and the basin their ancestors settled. The tribe today administers a small amount of reservation land near Upper Klamath Lake, but most of the 5,300 members live within the region?s cities and towns.?We really believe we have to do everything we can to protect those fish from going extinct,? Gentry said. ?Once they?re gone, they?re gone.?On Friday, a federal judge in San Francisco heard the tribe?s case for more water. A decision on whether to grant the tribe?s request, which may be good for the suckers but is worrisome for farmers, could come any day.Farmers and tribes are at odds over water from Upper Klamath Lake.?| Justin Maxon / Special To The ChronicleWright, the alfalfa grower, has harvested two cuttings of his crop this year, some of which he feeds to his 300 head of cattle and some of which he sells. If the court curtails the project?s deliveries, potentially shutting off the irrigation water, however, he won?t get another cutting.?Without that income, I don?t make my tractor payment. I don?t make my land payment,? he said. ?You got millions of dollars worth of crops planted across the basin, and they?re going to dry up.?The region has historically received about 11 inches of rain annually. In some of the recent drought years, it?s been closer to half that. With limited water from wells, irrigation from the Klamath Project is a must during the relatively short growing season.But already the 1,200 farms in California and Oregon that get water from the project are receiving less than they have in the past. Assuming there isn?t a shutoff, they will see no more than 60 percent of their annual allotment this year, according to the Bureau of Reclamation.Many compare the situation to 2001, when water became similarly scarce. That year, a group of growers stormed an irrigation canal with crowbars and blowtorches and forced open a headgate to release supplies. Federal marshals responded, but so did thousands of sympathizers in what became known as the ?bucket brigade? protest.The George W. Bush administration got involved, and despite concerns about killing suckers and salmon, more water was eventually provided to irrigate.President Trump has expressed support for the agricultural industry, too, pledging broadly during past visits to California that more water would come. MORE BY KURTIS ALEXANDER - SF would face new limits under state water proposal - Progress on environment could slow on Supreme Court without - Overpumping of Central Valley groundwater has side effect: too - Appeals court rejects effort to tear down Yosemite?s Hetch - San Francisco Mayor Farrell wants city departments to start using - Trump appoints new EPA head in SF who led ?lock her up? Alan Mikkelsen, senior adviser to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, has been working with the feuding factions, trying to broker a deal to boost supplies for farmers while still protecting fish. He said the effort has been slow.?To be really blunt, we have too much land and too little water right now,? Mikkelsen said.The lack of progress has only left residents more frustrated.?People here are getting desperate,? Wright said. ?I do fear the worst. If our water is cut, there will be protests, and it may be ugly.?Saluskin, a member of the Klamath Tribe?s governing council who grew up in Tulelake, where he married Wright?s daughter, said he wants something worked out between the growers and the American Indians.?I went swimming in those (irrigation) ditches. I got my first jobs driving tractors. The farming community is my home,? Saluskin said, speaking as an individual and not as a tribal representative. ?Maybe we could all go to the top of the mountain and pray together for solutions.?He conceded, however, that years of talk haven?t worked: ?These are completely different worlds we?re dealing with,? he said.Wright?s daughter and Saluskin divorced years ago, but the family?s differences over water remain an issue for the couple?s two children.?I feel sorry for my grandchildren,? said Wright, who hasn?t spoken much to Saluskin, even though their circles still overlap, like at a Tulelake high school graduation. ?My grandchildren shouldn?t have to be made to choose between two heritages.?Third-generation farmer Scott Seus, left, restaurant worker Tayla Saluskin, and alfalfa farmer Gary Wright.?| Photos By Justin Maxon / Special To The ChronicleIn town, residents, business owners and civic leaders feel paralyzed by the water war.?Farming is still our largest base of economic support, but as the farmers have to cut back, they don?t hire,? said Tulelake Mayor Hank Ebinger. ?Families leave and take their kids out of the local schools, and school enrollment declines. We?ve become smaller and smaller.?The City Council has been looking for ways to attract new business, Ebinger said, but between the drought and a cheaper cost of living across the nearby border in Oregon, it?s been tough. At last count, the community?s population had slipped below 1,000.Scott Seus, a farmer who grew up in Tulelake and whose father and grandfather worked the land before he did, already has seen his hometown take too many hits.He lamented the closure of his elementary school south of Tulelake and the nearby Frosty House, where he has memories of burgers and soft serve. A group of residents pooled money together to resurrect the ice cream shop, but it was only a matter of time before it shut down again.Downtown, a hardware store and a credit union are among the most recent businesses to board up.While Seus has prepared his farm for the worst, leaving some of his fields where he would usually plant onions or peppermint empty to make sure he doesn?t lose his investment if the spigot shuts off, he knows others haven?t prepared.?This would be the biggest disaster for an American farm community that?s been seen,? he said.At Ross Market, one of the businesses still operating in town, the line of farmworkers that gathers outside each morning to buy energy drinks and chips before heading to the fields is much shorter than it was last year, said the owner?s daughter, Amber Neibert. She?s been working at the store ? without pay ? for years.?There?s just no opportunities here anymore,? Neibert said as she graded math tests for summer school, one of her side jobs that allows her to stay in town.Her brother recently moved to Georgia after meeting a woman there over the internet, she said, and her sister works in the Bay Area as a medical assistant. Her 19-year-old son relocated to Washington state.?I believe so much in this area,? she said. ?It really is a good place to live. I?m going to stick it out as long as I can.?A few years ago there was hope. The leaders of the basin?s various interest groups had come together to figure out a way to share the water.Farmers committed to restrictions in exchange for a guaranteed annual supply, while American Indian leaders, environmentalists and fishing groups agreed to less water for fish in return for wildlife protections, including removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River.While the landmark deal was approved by the U.S. Interior Department as well as the governors of California and Oregon, Congress failed to give the go-ahead. Many in the nation?s capitol, including Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale (Butte County), did not want to see the dams go away.Soon, the legal threats were flying again. And the hostilities resurfaced.At Bigoni?s Pizza Barn just across the Oregon border, where farmers gather for home-cooked food, Pepsi and pitchers of beer, the renewed frustration is palpable.?The Indians aren?t the only people who have a history here,? said one customer, noting families that have tended their land since World War II. ?Their actions are going to kill this community.?Kristin Bigoni, who runs the restaurant with her mother, said she tries to stay clear of the politics. But she acknowledged that her fate, too, hinges on what happens with water.?If the farmers don?t come in, I don?t have a business,? she said, explaining that revenue has already begun to drop and that just one person remains on payroll, compared with three last year.The lone employee is Tayla Saluskin, 19, Devery Saluskin?s daughter and Wright?s granddaughter. Despite the strong opinions she hears from both her family and diners, she is mum on the issue. She said it?s safer that way.?Whatever side I?d take, it seems like I?d be disrespectful,? she said. ?I feel like as a daughter, I should be there for my dad. But if I go with him, it?s almost like I?m disrespecting my grandfather or my mom.?Tayla Saluskin, a Tulelake resident, attends college in Klamath Falls in hope of pursuing a career off the farm ? in dental hygiene. Still, she said, she can?t get away from the water debate. During an interview for a scholarship recently, she was asked whom she supports.?I honestly haven?t figured out where I stand,? she said. ?I identify as Native American. I?m also very much a country girl. I grew up with brandings and rodeos.?I feel like it?s been a battle for me, too.?Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:?kalexander at sfchronicle.comTwitter:?http://twitter.com/kurtisalexander -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 23 09:48:50 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2018 16:48:50 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Judge_Won=E2=80=99t_Divert_Water_for_Enda?= =?utf-8?q?ngered_Sucker_Fish?= References: <1103666515.1142253.1532364530755.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1103666515.1142253.1532364530755@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-wont-divert-water-for-endangered-sucker-fish/ Judge Won?t Divert Water for Endangered Sucker Fish? July 20, 2018NICHOLAS IOVINOFacebookTwitterGoogle+EmailSAN FRANCISCO (CN) ? More than a year after ordering the U.S. government to redirect water to save endangered salmon on the California-Oregon border, a federal judge on Friday?refused?to take similar action to help two other endangered species of fish.?I don?t think plaintiffs have met their burden for this extraordinary remedy,? U.S. District Judge William Orrick said of the Klamath Tribes? motion for a preliminary injunction to raise water levels in Oregon?s Upper Klamath Lake to help save endangered Lost River and Shortnose suckers.Known to the tribes as?C?waam?and?Koptu, the two species of suckers in Oregon?s largest freshwater lake have ?played a central role in the tribes? cultural and spiritual practices? for millennia, according to the Klamath Tribes.The two species were listed as endangered in 1988, and since 2001, their populations have decreased by 55 to 78 percent. Today, the Upper Klamath Lake has an estimated?100,000 Lost River suckers and 20,000 Shortnose suckers, but most of those fish are older and incapable of reproducing.Since 1986, the tribes have limited fishing Lost River and Shortnose suckers to two fish per year for traditional ceremonies.Water levels in the Upper Klamath started changing nearly a century ago after the Link River Dam was built in 1921 to regulate water for the Klamath Project. Today, the project diverts an average 350,000 acre-feet of water each year to farms and ranches.According to the Klamath Tribes, the water levels frequently fall below the historical minimum of 4,140 feet, interfering with the suckers? spawning, rearing, feeding and access to water quality refuge areas.The Klamath Tribes?sued?the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Marine Fisheries Service in May, seeking an injunction to make the Bureau raise water levels in the Upper Klamath Lake.During a court hearing Friday, Orrick said while he is sympathetic to the plight of the sucker fish, he is not convinced that raising the water level is necessary or that taking such action would be an effective remedy.Orrick said the facts in this case differ starkly from a previously filed?lawsuit?over a parasite that causes deadly infections in juvenile Coho salmon. In that case, the judge ordered the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to regularly release water to flush out the deadly parasite,?C. Shasta, and to reserve 50,000 acre-feet of water for emergency dilution flows.Orrick also said on Friday that he will transfer the lawsuit over sucker fish to the District of Oregon because that?s where the Upper Klamath Lake is located.In January 2017, the Bureau of Reclamation started reviewing the project?s impact on endangered salmon in consultation with other federal agencies. The process, formally known as re-initiating consultation, will ultimately result in the publication of a new biological opinion with new requirements for how the Klamath Project must be operated to protect endangered species.The plaintiffs argued impacts on endangered sucker fish were not being considered as part of that process, but the National Marine Fisheries Service issued a report on June 27 stating that impacts of lake levels on sucker fish are being considered as part of that review.U.S. Justice Department lawyer Robert Williams said the process is expected to be completed in spring 2020, but that the federal agencies are working to ?expedite? the process.After Orrick delivered his tentative ruling Friday, plaintiffs? attorney Jeremiah Weiner pleaded with the judge to consider ordering the federal agencies to speed up their review of the project?s impact on sucker fish. Weiner said the federal agencies must at a minimum enact new measures by next spring to prevent the extinction of endangered fish.?It is my hope that there will be a hard focus on this issue because it?s clearly an important one,? Orrick said. ?It is my expectation no matter who has this case, that if this issue hasn?t been worked out well, there may be another motion come this spring.?After the hearing, several Klamath Basin farmers who traveled to San Francisco for the court proceeding spoke about the importance of irrigation water for their farms and how diverting water for endangered fish could ?devastate? their communities.Ben Duval, of Tulelake, California, said communities around the Klamath River Basin are ?completely dependent? on agriculture, and without irrigation water, they would be unable to grow crops.?We?re very concerned about sucker fish, but without the water our communities would be extinct too,? Duval said.This year, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation estimates that 132,000 acre-feet of water will go to irrigate farms and ranches, down from the average 390,000 acre-feet. The decrease is the result of a drier than usual winter and dilution flows the bureau was ordered to release to help save threatened Coho salmon, according to bureau spokeswoman Laura Williams.Tracey Liskey, a member of Oregon?s Board of Agriculture, which acts as an advisory panel for the state Department of Agriculture, also attended Friday?s hearing. Liskey spoke optimistically about a new federal program designed to catch newly hatched suckers, remove them from the Upper Klamath Lake, raise them in captivity, and reintroduce them two years later.Five thousand suckers were reintroduced to the lake this year, but U.S. Fish and Wildlife estimates that 60,000 suckers will have to be released there annually to stabilize the population.Klamath Tribal Chairman Don Gentry?told the Klamath Falls-based publication, Herald and News, that the practice of ?artificially? raising fish is not self-sustaining and fails to address the ?real problems? that threaten the survival of sucker fish in their natural habitat.Gentry and Klamath Tribes biologist Mark Buettner did not immediately return emails and phone calls seeking comment Friday afternoon. Related -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jul 23 10:13:59 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2018 17:13:59 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 29 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW29 (July 22). It appears the river is warm enough the fish aren't moving much from whatever cool pool they've found. As hot as it was last week I don't blame them... MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW29.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66263 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW29.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jul 24 10:15:07 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2018 17:15:07 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Ryan_Zinke=E2=80=99s_War_on_the_Interior?= References: <1883309003.1990164.1532452507431.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1883309003.1990164.1532452507431@mail.yahoo.com> Ryan Zinke?s War on the Interior | | | | | | | | | | | Ryan Zinke?s War on the Interior By Mark Binelli From gutting the Endangered Species Act to opening off-shore drilling ? inside the Trump administration?s crusad... | | | | Ryan Zinke?s War on the Interior >From gutting the Endangered Species Act to opening off-shore drilling ? inside the Trump administration?s crusade to hand America?s public lands to the fossil-fuel industryBy?MARK BINELLI? - - - - Facebook - Twitter - Reddit - Email - Show more sharing options Illustration by Paul Sahre for Rolling Stone In May 2017, Ryan Zinke, the 52nd United States secretary of the Interior, traveled to Utah on a four-day fact-finding mission. A Montana native and former Navy SEAL, Zinke carries himself with the sort of distinctly American brand of swagger that Donald Trump, who favors Cabinet picks ?out of central casting,? must have swooned over: a macho trifecta of cowboy, soldier and lifelong jock. He?s tall, and his voice, an adenoidal purr, has just a hint of John Wayne. He could wear a Stetson without looking ridiculous.Zinke had come to Utah to tour a pair of national monuments, Bears Ears and Grand Staircase ? Escalante, as part of a broader review ordered by the Trump administration. Prior to the visit, conservatives had derided the monuments as an example of federal overreach, mockingly referring to Bears Ears as a ?midnight monument? because the designation came at the end of Barack Obama?s term. In fact, achieving protected status for Bears Ears ? 1.3 million acres that had been inhabited by native peoples for ?hundreds of generations,? per Obama?s proclamation ? had been years in the making, representing the work of environmental groups and an extraordinary coalition of five sovereign Native nations that historically have not always worked together as allies.inRead?invented by TeadsThough Zinke?s office had portrayed his visit as an opportunity to hear from all sides of the debate, meetings with opponents of the monuments dominated his schedule. One of the only exceptions came in Salt Lake City, at the office of the Bureau of Land Management, where Zinke met with tribal leaders who had lobbied for the creation of Bears Ears. The tense meeting took place in a small room, with Zinke?s team and the tribal representatives facing one another behind tables only a few feet apart. Zinke began by insisting that some of his earlier remarks about the tribes and the monument had been misunderstood ? ?a truly lame explanation? that ?fell flat,? one of the attendees, Charles Wilkinson, a professor at the University of Colorado Law School who specializes in Indian and public-land law, later noted in a memo obtained by?The New York Times.Zinke soldiered on, Wilkinson noted, with a series of ?ill-informed? questions meant to chip away at the pro-monument side of the debate. But, as tribal leaders offered firm, reasoned responses, Zinke ?asked fewer questions and they were no longer biting or aggressive.? In a speech after the meeting, Zinke displayed an uncharacteristic humility, describing the tribes as fighting to preserve their culture, contrary to claims by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch that the Native Americans had been ?manipulated? by special interests. RELATED Fox Is Horrified at the Idea of Americans Leading Dignified Lives Area President Falls Asleep on Caps-Lock Key, Threatens Historic Suffering By the end of the year, however, Trump announced he would be?shrinking Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante?by 85 percent and 50 percent, respectively ? some 2 million acres in total.The Department of the Interior oversees 20 percent of the land mass of the U.S., with 70,000 employees and nine bureaus, including Indian Affairs, Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey ? a sweeping but widely misunderstood portfolio with outsize impact on domestic energy production, the environment, endangered species and an $887 billion outdoor-recreation industry. Zinke has proved willing to use the power of his office to advance long-standing Republican-policy goals with militaristic discipline and, to critics like Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune, an unprecedented ferocity. ?It?s the standard Republican playbook on steroids,? says Brune, ?because the secretary has been so aggressive on so many fronts, doing things no other Interior secretary has ever done, with a side of mean-spiritedness.?A 56-year-old fifth-generation Montanan, Zinke showed up for his first day at the office wearing blue jeans, sunglasses and a black cowboy hat, and riding a horse named Tonto. Since then, he?s drawn widespread condemnation from climate scientists, conservationists, Indian tribes, government ethicists and outdoor enthusiasts, to name a few. Of the latter group, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, has been one of the most outspoken. In December, the home page of his company?s website was replaced with a message to its customers: ?The President Stole Your Land.? In denouncing Zinke?s ?illegal move,? Patagonia described it as ?the largest elimination of protected land in American history.?The monument rollback was Zinke?s highest-profile action in office ? until January, when the DOI announced it would open nearly the entire U.S. coastline to offshore oil and natural-gas extraction. The department had already started to undo Obama-era regulations on fracking, coal mining and methane emissions from oil and gas wells, as well as safety rules surrounding underwater drilling put in place after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, the worst oil spill in American history. As Zinke explained at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, he sees maximal domestic fossil-fuel production as part of his mandate. ?I don?t want our kids to have to fight on foreign shores for energy we have here,? Zinke said, adding??that ?public lands belong to the people and not special interests, first and foremost.? By ?special interests,? of course, he meant environmental groups, not the fossil-fuel industry.What else? Zinke has neutered the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, one of the oldest wildlife-conservation laws on the books, and?recently proposed a revision to the Endangered Species Act?that would weigh the federal protection of plants and animals facing extinction against the economic interests of industry. He led a failed proposal to more than double the entrance fees at some of the most popular national parks in the country, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Yellowstone, to $70 per vehicle. He has backed massive staffing and budget cuts at the DOI (4,000 employees, $1.6 billion in funding); in a speech to the National Petroleum Council in September, he estimated that 30 percent of the bureaucracy he?d inherited was ?not loyal to the flag.? In January, 10 of the 12 members of the nonpartisan National Park System Advisory Board resigned en masse after Zinke declined to meet with them, something no previous Interior secretary had done.? ?In April, Zinke weakened the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which currently protects more than 1,000 species from hunters and industry, to allow activities that inadvertently kill protected species like the brown pelicans of Santa Monica Bay.Ultimately, Zinke plans to enact the largest restructuring of the DOI in its history, moving thousands of workers, and the headquarters of entire bureaus, from Washington to regional locations ? and in the process, disrupting the power and access of a bureaucracy in which a third of its career employees have been deemed to have failed a loyalty test. Zinke put it differently in his speech before the petroleum board. ?I really can?t change the culture without changing the structure,? he said. ?Push your generals where the fight is.?Prior to the appointment of Zinke, the most controversial U.S. secretary of the Interior in living memory was most likely James Watt, whose short but eventful tenure spanned the first two years of the Reagan administration. William Greider, writing in this magazine in 1983, described Watt as a ?twisted man? with a ?rip-and-ruin view of our natural resources, land, water, parks and wilderness.? A fundamentalist Christian, Watt told Congress, ?I do not know how many future generations we can count on before the Lord returns,? and described his job as ?to follow the Scriptures, which call upon us to occupy the land.? Watt would eventually resign after quipping about the diversity of an advisory board meant to review government coal-leasing policies: ?I have a black, I have a woman, two Jews and a cripple.?Nearly two years into the Trump presidency, Watt?s comment feels positively quaint, like an old Lenny Bruce record, or Elvis? hips on?The Ed Sullivan Show. But the problem ? or classic bit of legerdemain, depending on your point of view ? that occurs when the clownish James Watt figure sits inside the Oval Office is that the brain-freezing volume of daily outrage produced by Trump allows secretaries like Zinke to quietly go about their business.Zinke grew up in a resort town in northwest Montana called Whitefish, a onetime railroad hub once nicknamed Stumptown. His mother worked in real estate, his father was a plumber, and Zinke, the middle of three children, played football in high school and was elected class president. He went to the University of Oregon on a football scholarship, majoring in geology, and planned to train for a job as an underwater geologist after graduation. But at an Oregon football game, an alumnus who?d gone on to become a Navy admiral persuaded him to consider SEAL training instead. Zinke made it through the intensive six-month boot camp on his first go, in 1985, and in the early Nineties, he joined the elite SEAL Team 6.After a 23-year military career, serving in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo and Southeast Asia, Zinke returned to his hometown. He had a wife and three children, and he told the?Whitefish Pilot?that he was considering running for office ? though, the article continued, ?as a military man, Zinke said he feels he shouldn?t be left or right, Republican or Democrat. ?I should be a Montanan,??? he said.That feeling didn?t last very long. In 2009, he won a seat in the Montana Senate as a Republican; three years later, he started a stridently anti-Obama Super PAC, Special Operations for America, which attempted to Swift-boat the president by insisting he had taken too much credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden. Ironically, Zinke himself would later be criticized for sending out a fundraising e-mail in 2014 with the subject line ?Who killed Osama bin Laden?? and a section of the text reading, ?I spent 23 years as a Navy SEAL and served as a Team Leader on SEAL Team 6 ? the team responsible for the mission to get Osama bin Laden.? The only problem was, the bin Laden raid took place three years after Zinke?s retirement. ?If you read it carefully, it does not say that I killed bin Laden,? Zinke insisted in the?Bozeman Daily Chronicle. (Zinke declined an interview request for this story.)The first hints of Zinke?s future ride on the Trump train came in 2012, with his decision to serve as the running mate of truly bizarre Montana gubernatorial candidate Neil Livingstone, a national-security consultant and frequent contributor to?Soldier of Fortune. Livingstone played up his mercenary background on his campaign website, bragging he had ?dined at gangster clubs in Moscow,? been ?paid in stacks of hundred-dollar bills? and been a guest ?on a yacht full of hookers in Monte Carlo.??When Zinke ran as Livingstone?s running mate, everyone was like, ?What the hell???? a Montana political insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, tells me. ?It just seemed so out of line.? In one campaign photo, the two men posed back-to-back in suits, brandishing handguns 007-style. They would finish fifth out of seven candidates in the GOP primary, with a little less than nine percent of the vote.Two years later, though, Zinke bounced back, handily winning a race for Montana?s sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. After Trump?s election, Donald Trump Jr., an avid hunter who had taken a strong interest in the DOI, promoted the one-term congressman to his father. David J. Hayes, who served as deputy secretary of the Interior in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, says, ?I think a lot of us were hopeful that he would be moderate.? Zinke describes himself as a ?Teddy Roosevelt Republican? and had resigned his seat as a delegate at the 2016 GOP convention in protest of a call to transfer federal lands to the states, an unpopular position in Montana, where national parks and tourism are a major part of the state?s identity and economy. ?So many of us viewed that as a good thing, that he would not want to privatize,? says Hayes. ?But since coming to office, he?s been a major disappointment.?Utah?s Grand Staircase-Escalante is part of 2 million acres in federally protected wilderness that the Interior Department redesignated for oil and gas exploration.The issue of public lands has?been a sticking point for conservatives in Western states since the 1970s, when the Sagebrush Rebellion, a grassroots uprising of ranchers, farmers, and mining and timber interests, began a coordinated campaign against federal land ownership. The election of Reagan, an ideological ally, had a cooling effect, but hostilities recommenced under Obama, when Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy engaged in an armed standoff with law-enforcement officials in 2014 after refusing to pay fees owed to the federal government for allowing his cattle to graze on public land. Two years later, Bundy?s son Ammon led an armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon to protest the prosecution of a pair of local ranchers for arson on federal land. One of the militants was shot and killed by a federal agent during the 41-day occupation. It?s within this context that Trump?s pick for Interior secretary assumed an outsize importance for a select group within the Republican Party, while mostly gliding under the radar for everyone else.Joel Clement, an ecologist who joined the??DOI in 2011 as director of the Office of Policy Analysis, where he focused on resilience and adaptation related to climate change, has become the department?s highest-profile whistle-blower. Soon after Zinke took office, Clement came to believe that his new boss? mission was ?to hobble the agency.? When Trump nullified Obama?s executive order on resilience preparedness in the Arctic, Clement and other DOI insiders were baffled: In Alaska, there was wide, bipartisan support for the measures. ?Then I realized, ?Oh, he?s just reversing every Obama executive order,??? Clement says. ?And I realized my core work ? seeing if we could get people out of harm?s way in the Arctic ? was in danger.?Clement kept working until October 2017. Several months earlier, he had been abruptly reassigned to a job in the office responsible for collecting royalty checks from fossil-fuel interests. The message could not have been clearer: ?Anyone who?d been good at their job in the Obama years therefore was connected to Obama and had to be moved out,? Clement says. After his reassignment, he hired a lawyer and went public. He still hears from former colleagues on the inside. ?What?s chilling about it is how uncomfortable they feel even communicating outside of the agency,? he says. ?They are all looking over their shoulder. Nobody wants to have a target on their back.?Meanwhile, there?s been a consistent swampiness to Zinke?s political appointees: His deputy secretary, David Bernhardt, was previously an oil-and-gas-industry lobbyist; one of the department?s top lawyers, Daniel Jorjani, previously served as an adviser to Charles Koch; Todd Wynn, the DOI?s director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, worked for Koch Industries-backed think tanks and power-industry trade organization the Edison Electric Institute. Six months into Zinke?s tenure, the Western Values Project, a Whitefish-based watchdog group, counted among the DOI?s political nominees 14 former lobbyists, 14 Trump campaign workers, 34 extractive-industry veterans ?and no one from the outdoor-recreation industry.?Having marginalized the experts, Zinke has moved to reverse federal protections on fracking on public lands and lifted an Obama-era moratorium on coal leasing on public lands ? where 40 percent of the coal used in the U.S. is produced. But the offshore-drilling announcement might be the move that has alarmed environmentalists the most. In addition to the risk of another Deepwater Horizon, the impact to the climate presented by expanded offshore drilling is enormous. Richard Steiner, a marine biologist based in Anchorage, Alaska, says estimates have placed 90 billion barrels of oil and 400 trillion cubic feet of natural gas offshore. ?That would put tens of billions of tons of carbon into the global atmosphere,? he says, ?and we can?t afford that.?And yet, the drilling announcement was almost immediately thrown into legal jeopardy when Zinke, bafflingly and apparently unilaterally ? reports from Washington had Trump angry at his move ? offered an exemption to Florida after meeting with the Republican governor, Rick Scott. When the news broke, some of the complaints, Hayes says, came from the industry: ?They?re mad at Zinke because it was such an arbitrary and unreasoned decision. How could Interior not grant the wish of any other governor now??Steiner, though, suggests the seeming chaos is part of a master plan. A week before the drilling expansion was announced, he spoke with a senior member of the DOI ? ?a political appointee, not a holdover from the Obama administration? ? who told him the plan was ?to open everything up, which they did, but that they?re willing to pull back in a number of areas based on public pressure. So the sense I get is they?re taunting the American public. They announce that they?re throwing everything open, cause a commotion, create a public backlash ? and then look benevolent when they partially withdraw from their initial proposal.?Some believe the always ambitious Zinke already has an eye cocked to the presidency. The normally media-averse secretary has given several interviews that aired in Iowa this year (not a state known for its significant federal-land holdings), and a polling firm has been testing his name recognition in the state. ?Zinke is less bumbling and corrupt than someone like Scott Pruitt, so it can seem like he?s being clever,? Clement says. ?But he has a very thin understanding about what the agency does. He?s there for the photo ops and to carry out Trump?s agenda. There?s a Heritage Foundation wish list, and he?s ticking through it without any understanding of how it works.?Over a million acres of untouched wilderness in Bears Ears has been opened to private interests.A week before Christmas,?I visit Bears Ears with Vaughn Hadenfeldt, the president of Friends of Cedar Mesa, a local conservation group. Shortly after Trump announced the revocation of much of Bears Ears? monument status, Friends of Cedar Mesa joined seven other plaintiffs, including Patagonia, to sue the Trump administration in order to halt the move. Hadenfeldt, a lanky 67-year-old with gray hair that spills past his shoulders and a tufting, wizardly goatee, has been leading expeditions in the area for more than three decades. We meet near his home in Bluff, Utah (population 296), which abuts the pre-Zinke boundaries of Bears Ears, and head out for a tour in his pickup truck.When Zinke visited Bears Ears in 2017, he flew over the monument in a Black Hawk helicopter (?It?s been a while since I?ve been in a Black Hawk without people shooting at me,? he quipped to the press). While elected officials in Utah were unified in their hatred of the monument, Native Americans struggled to have their voices heard. ?It?s the first national monument that Native Americans ever pushed to create, and the first monument that we?re going to defend,? says Shaun Chapoose, chair of the Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee. ?If you thought Standing Rock was big, just wait.?Hadenfeldt says that Friends of Cedar Mesa, the only environmental group Zinke met with, got about 30 minutes. When Hadenfeldt told him conservative estimates placed 100,000 archaeological sites within the monument, Zinke asked how many had been professionally recorded. Hadenfeldt said that only eight percent of the land had been surveyed and that so far about 30,000 sites had been recorded. ?Then that?s what you have,? he recalls Zinke saying.?That?s how the meeting started,? Hadenfeldt says. ?I didn?t feel so good after that.?He steers his truck up the face of a mesa, via a precarious series of dirt switchbacks. The top of the mountain is oddly lush, an old-growth forest of squat, bushy junipers. ?So we?re in the 6,000-foot range now,? Hadenfeldt says. ?This is kind of my center of the universe.? Eventually we park at the edge of a sere landscape of sandstone canyons and rock pilings. We find grinding and hammer stones, corrugated pottery shards (cookware), decorated pottery shards (serving vessels), a tomblike kiln and corn cobs that Hadenfeldt guesses are eight centuries old. And beneath the jutting overhang of a low cliff, stone structures with doorways and wall paintings of animal and human figures date back at least 1,000 years.Looting and vandalism had been such a problem in the area that, in 2007, the Bureau of Land Management closed off a trail to motorized vehicles, a move that incensed some locals. One of the leading anti-monument voices, San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman, was arrested after leading a convoy of ATVs down the trail as a protest. (Lyman met multiple times with Zinke during the monument review process.) At the moment, Hadenfeldt says, only two park rangers patrol the entire monument, an area roughly 92 times the size of Manhattan. Supporters of the monument hoped the new status would translate to an increase in funding and thus more rangers, but that?s all in limbo now. Polling in the state shows support for public lands and Bears Ears. ?And if you look at America in general, there?s no doubt that more people support the national monuments than oppose them,? he says. ?These are public lands ? they aren?t Utah lands, they aren?t San Juan County lands. They belong to everyone in this country, and everyone should have a say.?Want more Rolling Stone??Sign up for our newsletter.SHOWCOMMENTS57 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ebpeterson at usbr.gov Thu Jul 26 10:15:49 2018 From: ebpeterson at usbr.gov (Peterson, Eric) Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2018 10:15:49 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: FIELD, RANDI Date: Thu, Jul 26, 2018 at 10:09 AM Subject: Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project: Lewiston Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) 07/26/2018 1000 450 550 07/26/2018 1200 550 750 Comment: Emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and fire activity. Issued by: R Field -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jul 27 07:47:48 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2018 14:47:48 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Re: Change Order - Lewiston Dam REVISED In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <66467562.4084387.1532702868475@mail.yahoo.com> On Thursday, July 26, 2018 9:57 PM, RANDI FIELD wrote: Please cancel the previous order: Releases will remain at approximately 750 cfs from Lewiston Dam. Comment: On-going emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and fire activity. Issued by: R Field On Jul 26, 2018, at 3:59 PM, FIELD, RANDI wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 07/26/2018? ? ? 16:00? ? ? ? ? ? ? 750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?65007/26/2018? ? ??20:00? ? ? ? ? ? ? 650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?550 07/27/2018? ? ? 00:01? ? ? ? ? ? ? 550? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?450 Comment: Terminate emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and fire activity. Issued by: R Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Jul 27 14:24:59 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2018 21:24:59 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Judge denies preliminary injunction in Klamath Tribes suit References: <439683266.4308564.1532726699162.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <439683266.4308564.1532726699162@mail.yahoo.com> Judge denies preliminary injunction in Klamath Tribes suit | | | | | | | | | | | Judge denies preliminary injunction in Klamath Tribes suit Klamath Project irrigators are breathing a sigh of relief after a federal judge in San Francisco denied a prelim... | | | | Judge denies preliminary injunction in Klamath Tribes suit District Judge William Orrick has denied a preliminary injunction sought by the Klamath Tribes to hold more water in Upper Klamath Lake for endangered shortnose and Lost River suckers.George PlavenCapital PressPublished on July 26, 2018 1:18PM Klamath Project irrigators are breathing a sigh of relief after a federal judge in San Francisco denied a preliminary injunction to hold more water in Upper Klamath Lake for endangered sucker fish.The injunction was requested by the Klamath Tribes as part of a lawsuit against the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service to protect declining populations of Lost River and shortnose suckers in the lake.Judge William Orrick also granted a motion to transfer the case to the U.S. District Court in Oregon. Though he presided over a separate lawsuit filed by the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes of northern California seeking to protect salmon in the lower Klamath River, Orrick noted that Upper Klamath Lake, the endangered suckers and the Klamath Tribes are all in Oregon.?Whether venue is proper in the Northern District of California is not obvious, but the District of Oregon is clearly more appropriate to hear this case,? Orrick wrote in the order, filed Wednesday.As for the preliminary injunction, Orrick described it as an ?extraordinary remedy? given the situation, while adding the scientific evidence is ?very much in dispute.??I cannot conclude that the Klamath Tribes are likely to prevail on the merits nor that the sucker fish are suffering irreparable injury as a result of the lake elevation levels,? Orrick wrote.Both the Lost River and shortnose suckers were listed as endangered in 1988. The fish are a culturally significant food for the tribes, though harvest diminished from more than 10,000 suckers in 1968 to just 687 in 1985.According to the tribes? lawsuit, the cause stems from increased agricultural activity since the inception of the Klamath Project, which provides surface water irrigation for 230,000 acres in southern Oregon and northern California.Today, the tribes harvest just two suckers every year for ceremonial purposes.Don Gentry, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, said they were disappointed in Orrick?s decision, but they will be ready to present their arguments before a new judge and do what is necessary to protect the fish.?We?re really concerned about the fish this year and into the future,? Gentry said. ?Hopefully we won?t have a significant die-off this season, but we?ll see.??The Klamath Water Users Association, which advocates for farmers and ranchers in the basin, have also intervened in the tribes? lawsuit, along with the Sunnyside Irrigation District and California farmer Ben DuVal.Scott White, KWUA executive director, said the injunction ? which would have kept more water in Upper Klamath Lake, and less water in the Klamath Project?s irrigation canals ? would have been catastrophic to the region?s agriculture.?Millions of dollars are already invested in the dirt, and all that could have been lost,? White said. ?I?m just so thrilled for my guys knowing they?re going to be able to finish this season out.?Irrigators were already off to a late start this season in the Klamath Project, after a ruling last year by Orrick in the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribal lawsuit that required more water to be sent down the Klamath River to flush away a deadly parasite infecting coho salmon.White said he knows fish are important to the tribes, just as irrigation is important to the agricultural community, but he believes the problem needs to be addressed locally, not in the courts.?We may not see eye-to-eye on how to solve these issues relative to the fish, but until we sit down to talk about that, we?re not going to get anywhere,? he said.?Gentry said the tribes are working toward revising a five-year-old federal plan for sustaining healthy sucker populations ? known as the biological opinion ? but the fish are in an increasingly dire position.?We want to protect all of the fish for as long as we can until we can make some significant progress,? Gentry said. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sat Jul 28 06:51:26 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 28 Jul 2018 09:51:26 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Article Submission: Coalition tells Denham and Zinke: Hands off state water rights & Delta flows! Message-ID: <5946ec44-e2e8-4d19-b5d6-090ae472bb00@mtasv.net> https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/07/26/18816607.php http://redgreenandblue.org/2018/07/26/congress-slips-water-policies-spending-bill-devastate-california/ Coalition tells Denham and Zinke: Hands off state water rights & Delta flows! by Dan Bacher Thursday Jul 26th, 2018 3:43 PM original image (5184x3456) As Congressman Jeff Denham was touring Don Pedro and New Melones reservoirs with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on July 20, conservation, Tribal and environmental justice advocates held a press conference outside Denham?s Office In Modesto on July 20 to voice their opposition to three poison pill riders to an Interior Spending Bill that threaten to destroy salmon and other West Coast fisheries and eviscerate California water and environmental laws. Speakers at the event included Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta; Morning Star Gali, Tribal Water Organizer with Save California Salmon; Sonia Diermayer; Co-Chair of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club, Ron Stork, Policy Analyst and CA Water expert with Friends of the River; and Kimberly Warmsley, a San Joaquin County environmental justice advocate. The coalition blasted Denham for introducing the latest rider to the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 6147)?a bill that has received criticism from Senator Dianne Feinstein, Senator Kamala Harris, and even California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird, due to riders written by Congressman Ken Calvert (R-Corona) and Congressman David Valadao (R-Hanford) that seek to bypass state and federal law by banning judicial review on the Delta tunnels project, the State Water Project, and the Central Valley Project. On the day before the press conference, the House of Representatives approved HR 6147 with the three riders attached. The package will now go to the U.S. Senate, where a big battle over the controversial riders is expected. Barrigan-Parrilla-Parrilla began the press conference by discussing how Denham?s rider would increase water diversions for farmers in the east end of his district at the expense of those on the west end of his district. ?Jeff Denham says he is against the Delta tunnels, but his rider that ended up in the Interior spending bill yesterday attempts to increase water diversions for the eastside of his district?thereby worsening water quality for Delta farmers and residents living at the west end of his district in Tracy and Manteca,? said Barrigan-Parrilla. ?Clearly, he does not genuinely care about the Delta?s people or ecosystem. He is favoring one part of his district over the other. He is favoring big ag mega donors, over middle-class residents, Delta family farmers and the environmental justice communities found in the urban Delta.? She accused Denham of ?now calling on the Trump Administration to help him in his cause to starve the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary of the freshwater flows it needs to be saved and restored for future generations.? ?His rider, along with Calvert?s and Valadao?s riders that made it into the House Interior Appropriations bill, are now all tied together in an attempt to circumvent water rights laws and protections for the SF Bay-Delta estuary. These three California Republican Congressional Representatives are attempting to clear the path for the Construction of Governor Jerry Brown?s tunnels (that?s a weird alliance huh, but it?s true ? we have the receipts),? she said. ?These three congressional reps are trying to circumvent state water rights that will lead to the privatization of water because Delta tunnel proponents are now looking at a public private partnership to pay for the project. Private investors will end up controlling water deliveries throughout the state if the tunnels are built,? noted Barrigan-Parrilla. Barrigan-Parrilla said the State Water Resources Control Board ?made a mistake in 2009 because upstream San Joaquin River and tributary water users were not brought to the table to share water. And that?s who Jeff Denham and Ryan Zinke are protecting. The sacrifice being made to put some water back into the system, even though it?s not enough -- is only on the backs of middle class farmers on the lower tributaries.? ?And because they are understably upset, Jeff Denham created legislation to harm water rusers in the Delta instead. He is punishing the Delta to please his big ag donors, instead of bringing all waterall water users to the table for a better solution. He is a divider, not a uniter,? she pointed out. ?Science tells us that fisheries and the Delta need 50-60% freshwater flows from the San Joaquin Rivers and its tributaries to stop extinction of our fisheries. South Delta farmers and water users need these freshwater flows so that water quality is maintained for crops, Delta environmental justice communities, and all beneficial uses of water under the law,? Barrigan-Parrilla continued. She criticized both the Brown administration?s ?poor leadership? on water issues ? and Republican Congressmen Denham?s for bringing Zinke to his district to promote his rider. ?We have had poor leadership from the Brown Administration on these water issues -- all exacerbated by Brown?s push for the Delta tunnels. The State Water Board is attempting to solve the problem of San Joaquin River flows like King Solomon splitting the baby between water users near Modesto and the Delta. But now, we have Congressman Denham, like his California Congressional colleagues Calvert and Valadao, making the entire situation worse. And to add insult to injury he is bringing the anti-clean water Trump Administration here into the District in an attempt to force the rider into law,? Barrigan-Parrilla-Parrilla stated. ?Ryan Zinke needs to go home ? and Jeff Denham should keep his hands off Delta flows. Try working on a positive solution instead of robbing everyday Americans for your rich donors,? she concluded. Morning Star Gali, Tribal Water Organizer with Save California Salmon and a member of the Pit River Tribe, described the catastrophic consequences that would result if Denham?s rider and the other two riders get through Congress with backing by the Trump administration. ?California?s iconic salmon are facing extinction due to bad water management and waste,? said Gali. ?Salmon have been part of California?s economy and culture long before its official statehood.? ?The Trump Administration?s meddling in California?s state rights threatens our economies, jobs, and livelihoods. It also threatens the rights of native people, whom are the real senior water rights holders, and are leading the effort to restore California?s rivers for all people,? Gali emphasized. Gali described Denham?s rider as ?a threat to California?s people and California?s Tribes and a favor to Big Ag made without the consent of California?s Tribal Peoples. The voters are not aware of the impending impact of the rider and the federal plan to raise Shasta Dam and increase water diversions on California Tribal Water Rights.? Ron Stork, Senior Policy Advocate for Friends of the River, said, ?Forty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court reaffirmed the long tradition in western water that the states were in control of their state waters, not the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. I don?t think Denham understands that concept and it?s time he does.? ?The only that can regulate state waters is the state of California. It?s not OK to get permission from the Bureau of Reclamation to go rogue. The Bureau is not the right agency, not the right one, to be involved on the Stanislaus or other California rivers,? stated Stork. Kimberly Warmsley, a San Joaquin County environmental justice advocate, said Denham?s rider would ?starve the Delta of its water needs.? ?Denham wants to destroy the Delta,? she said. ?He needs to care as much about the Delta and its people as much as other parts of his district. A social justice threat anywhere is a threat to people everywhere.? Sonia Diermayer, Co-Chair of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club. said California's water resources ?must be shared equitably among all its people and its natural environment. ?We will not stand by and watch as Representative Denham, along with other congressional Republicans and the Trump administration impose federal controls over California water rights and infrastructure that would benefit a few and harm many,? she concluded. To see a video of the press conference by Gene Beley of Stockton, go to: https://vimeo.com/281029209 Gene Beley Interview with Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla in Modesto: You Tube: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla explains why private investors for twin tunnels is a bad idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imt-R_Sg6Yw On Vimeo: Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Restore the Delta, tells why private financing is a bad idea: https://vimeo.com/281088368 Ironically, at the same time the Trump Administration and Congress are teaming up in an attempt to eviscerate state?s rights and destroy the Delta and Central Valley rivers, the Delta Conveyance Finance Authority?s (DCFA) has requested a $1.6 billion loan from the Trump Administration through an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program for the construction of Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project. On July 23, a statement from the Delta Counties Coalition described the controversial project as the ?State of California?s ill-conceived proposal to build twin tunnels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta known as ?WaterFix??. Opponents say the project to divert Sacramento River from the North Delta by building two massive 35 mile long tunnels would destroy the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ecosystem and West Coast fisheries. ?The Metropolitan Water District and other tunnel proponents that make up the DCFA, haven?t even started the project and they are already seeking a federal deal,? said Sacramento County Supervisor and DCC Chair Don Nottoli. Nottoli noted that the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), the lead federal agency responsible for the environmental review of California WaterFix, is on record signaling that it does not expect to participate in the funding or construction of the tunnels. Last October, Russell Newell, a spokesman for DOI, said: ?While the Department of the Interior shares the goals of the state of California to deliver water with more certainty, eliminating risks to the California water supply, and improving the environment, at this time, the Department under the current state proposal does not expect to participate in the construction or funding of the CA WaterFix.? ?WaterFix has always been a water grab and, to top it off, they want taxpayers to underwrite a mega low-interest loan that will irreparably harm the Delta? continued Nottoli. ?We hope EPA, like DOI, will oppose providing funding or financing for the project.? ?If the JPA gains access to $1.6 billion in financing, it will crowd out funding that could otherwise be used by other California agencies throughout the State. This essentially slams the door on critical projects that, unlike WaterFix, could actually increase the State?s water supply for many California communities,? Nottoli concluded. For more information, go to: http://www.dailykos.com/ ? <>?Morning Star Gali by Dan Bacher Thursday Jul 26th, 2018 3:43 PM original image (5184x3456) Morning Star Gali, Tribal Water Organizer with Save California Salmon and a member of the Pit River Tribe, described the catastrophic consequences that would result if Denham?s rider and the other two riders get through Congress with backing by the Trump administration. Photo by Dan Bacher. <>?Kimberly Warmsley by Dan Bacher Thursday Jul 26th, 2018 3:43 PM original image (5184x3456) Kimberly Warmsley, a San Joaquin County environmental justice advocate, said Denham?s rider would ?starve the Delta of its water needs.? Photo by Dan Bacher. <>?Sonia Diermayer by Dan Bacher Thursday Jul 26th, 2018 3:43 PM original image (5184x3456) Sonia Diermayer; Co-Chair of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club, speaks at the press conference in front of Denham's Office. Photo by Dan Bacher. <>?Conference Signs by Dan Bacher Thursday Jul 26th, 2018 3:43 PM original image (5184x3456) The press conference at Congressman Jeff Dunham's offices featured an array of signs protesting his rider and two other poison pill riders. Photo by Dan Bacher. <>?Delta Communities Over Almond Profits by Dan Bacher Thursday Jul 26th, 2018 3:43 PM original image (5184x3456) A sign at the press conference proclaims, "Delta Communities Over Almond Profits." Photo by Dan Bacher. <>?Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla by Dan Bacher Thursday Jul 26th, 2018 3:43 PM original image (5184x3456) Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, coordinated the press conference. Photo by Dan Bacher. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sm_denhan_press_conference_begins_1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 379458 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sm_morning_star_gali_1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 288498 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sm_img_4047.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 253773 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sm_sonia_diermayer_1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 287541 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sm_conference_signs_1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 366430 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sm_img_4024.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 301733 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: sm_barbara_bp.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 315186 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Jul 28 12:33:14 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 19:33:14 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Fwd: Carr Fire - Trinity River Flows In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1629432744.4649465.1532806394804@mail.yahoo.com> On Saturday, July 28, 2018 12:26 PM, "Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn" wrote: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn Date: Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 12:24 PM Subject: Carr Fire - Trinity River Flows To: Tom Stokely The Carr Fire nearRedding continues to present operational challenges for Reclamation?s CentralValley Project, including the Trinity Division.?Trinity River FlowsDue to the fire activity, Trinity Dam becameisolated from the power network and continues to serve a local area of powerfor safety purposes. Spring Creek and Carr power plants are currently down. Asa result, Lewiston water elevations were managed by emergency increasedreleases from Lewiston Dam and Carr Bypass.?Over Friday night, Lewiston Lake reservoirrose higher than the normal operating range and we had an unexpected increasein release from the Trinity River to about 1,100 cfs.? River releases arecoming down today,?but are still higher than what was notedyesterday.? Please take?extra precautions due to varying releases onthe Trinity River.? We are trying to reduce the?lake levels,?but expect this will be difficult due to the facility communicationissues and power generation situation. ??Low lying areas surroundingthe lake?and marinas at Lewiston Lake are expected to be affected by thehigher and variable lake levels. ?Reclamation managed to getLewiston Dam releases to the Trinity River down to about 800 cfs by?10 amSaturday morning, and will try to get it down to between 680 cfs and 750 cfs,releases will remain here until further notice.Trinity River TemperaturesTrinity River flows have been a mixture ofpower penstock and hollow-jet outlet use depending onconditions.??Increased releases from Lewiston Dam also help todecrease the heating and residence time at Lewiston.??We expect withthe outlet mixture and increased releases that Trinity River temperatures willbe at or cooler than previous days.??This is the most dynamic systemand temperature will be adjusted real-time when possible.****************************** ***Erin CurtisPublic AffairsOfficer, Mid-Pacific RegionBureau of Reclamation916-978-5101 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Jul 28 15:50:39 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 22:50:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Re: Change Order - Lewiston Dam UPDATED In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1758226805.4668989.1532818239428@mail.yahoo.com> On Saturday, July 28, 2018 3:39 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: Due to the fire activity, Trinity Dam became isolated from the power network and continues to serve a local area of power for safety purposes. Spring Creek and Carr power plants are currently down. As a result, Lewiston water elevations were managed by emergency increased releases from Lewiston Dam and Carr Bypass. ? Over Friday night, Lewiston Lake reservoir rose higher than the normal operating range which resulted in an increase in release from the Trinity River to about 1,100 cfs.? River releases are coming down today but are still higher than what was noted yesterday.? Please take extra precautions due to varying releases on the Trinity River. ? We are trying to reduce the lake levels but expect this will be difficult due to the facility communication issues and power generation situation. ? Low lying areas surrounding the lake and marinas at Lewiston Lake are expected to be affected by the higher and variable lake levels. ? ? Reclamation managed to get Lewiston Dam releases to the Trinity River down to about 750 cfs by 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon and will remain at this level until further notice. Issued by: Tom Patton On Jul 26, 2018, at 9:56 PM, RANDI FIELD wrote: Please cancel the previous order: Releases will remain at approximately 750 cfs from Lewiston Dam. Comment: On-going emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and fire activity. Issued by: R Field On Jul 26, 2018, at 3:59 PM, FIELD, RANDI wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 07/26/2018? ? ? 16:00? ? ? ? ? ? ? 750? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?65007/26/2018? ? ??20:00? ? ? ? ? ? ? 650? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?550 07/27/2018? ? ? 00:01? ? ? ? ? ? ? 550? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?450 Comment: Terminate emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and fire activity. Issued by: R Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov Sat Jul 28 17:07:29 2018 From: chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov (Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn) Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 17:07:29 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Immediate Increase in Trinity Flows Message-ID: Change order pending and will be sent out soon...Lewiston releases to the Trinity River will immediately be increasing by 500 cfs (from 750 cfs to 1,250 cfs). Caryn Caryn Huntt DeCarlo Executive Director Trinity River Restoration Program Bureau of Reclamation On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 3:50 PM, Tom Stokely > wrote: > On Saturday, July 28, 2018 3:39 PM, Thomas Patton > wrote: > > > Due to the fire activity, Trinity Dam became isolated from the power > network and continues to serve a local area of power for safety purposes. > Spring Creek and Carr power plants are currently down. As a result, > Lewiston water elevations were managed by emergency increased releases from > Lewiston Dam and Carr Bypass. Over Friday night, Lewiston Lake reservoir > rose higher than the normal operating range which resulted in an increase > in release from the Trinity River to about 1,100 cfs. River releases are > coming down today but are still higher than what was noted yesterday. > Please take extra precautions due to varying releases on the Trinity River. > We are trying to reduce the lake levels but expect this will be difficult > due to the facility communication issues and power generation situation. > Low lying areas surrounding the lake and marinas at Lewiston Lake are > expected to be affected by the higher and variable lake levels. > Reclamation managed to get Lewiston Dam releases to the Trinity River down > to about 750 cfs by 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon and will remain at this > level until further notice. > > Issued by: Tom Patton > > > On Jul 26, 2018, at 9:56 PM, RANDI FIELD wrote: > > Please cancel the previous order: > > Releases will remain at approximately 750 cfs from Lewiston Dam. > > Comment: On-going emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and fire > activity. > Issued by: R Field > > On Jul 26, 2018, at 3:59 PM, FIELD, RANDI wrote: > > Project: Lewiston Dam > > Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: > > Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) > > 07/26/2018 16:00 750 650 > 07/26/2018 20:00 650 550 > > 07/27/2018 00:01 550 450 > > Comment: Terminate emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and > fire activity. > Issued by: R Field > > -- > View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "trinity-releases" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov Sat Jul 28 17:13:12 2018 From: chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov (Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn) Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 17:13:12 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Immediate Increase in Trinity Flows In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Release increases are due to mandatory evacuation of Trinity power plant. On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 5:07 PM, Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn < chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov> wrote: > Change order pending and will be sent out soon...Lewiston releases to the > Trinity River will immediately be increasing by 500 cfs (from 750 cfs to > 1,250 cfs). > > Caryn > > Caryn Huntt DeCarlo > Executive Director > Trinity River Restoration Program > Bureau of Reclamation > > > On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 3:50 PM, Tom Stokely r > att.net > wrote: > >> On Saturday, July 28, 2018 3:39 PM, Thomas Patton >> wrote: >> >> >> Due to the fire activity, Trinity Dam became isolated from the power >> network and continues to serve a local area of power for safety purposes. >> Spring Creek and Carr power plants are currently down. As a result, >> Lewiston water elevations were managed by emergency increased releases from >> Lewiston Dam and Carr Bypass. Over Friday night, Lewiston Lake reservoir >> rose higher than the normal operating range which resulted in an increase >> in release from the Trinity River to about 1,100 cfs. River releases are >> coming down today but are still higher than what was noted yesterday. >> Please take extra precautions due to varying releases on the Trinity River. >> We are trying to reduce the lake levels but expect this will be difficult >> due to the facility communication issues and power generation situation. >> Low lying areas surrounding the lake and marinas at Lewiston Lake are >> expected to be affected by the higher and variable lake levels. >> Reclamation managed to get Lewiston Dam releases to the Trinity River down >> to about 750 cfs by 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon and will remain at this >> level until further notice. >> >> Issued by: Tom Patton >> >> >> On Jul 26, 2018, at 9:56 PM, RANDI FIELD wrote: >> >> Please cancel the previous order: >> >> Releases will remain at approximately 750 cfs from Lewiston Dam. >> >> Comment: On-going emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and >> fire activity. >> Issued by: R Field >> >> On Jul 26, 2018, at 3:59 PM, FIELD, RANDI wrote: >> >> Project: Lewiston Dam >> >> Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: >> >> Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) >> >> 07/26/2018 16:00 750 650 >> 07/26/2018 20:00 650 550 >> >> 07/27/2018 00:01 550 450 >> >> Comment: Terminate emergency release due to power shutdown at Carr and >> fire activity. >> Issued by: R Field >> >> -- >> View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "trinity-releases" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity >> >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov Sat Jul 28 17:24:56 2018 From: chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov (Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn) Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 17:24:56 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Change Order - Lewiston Dam UPDATED In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Sat, Jul 28, 2018 at 5:22 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: > Project: Lewiston Dam > > > Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: > > > > Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) > > 07/28/2018 1730 750 1250 > > > Comment: Emergency release due to power shutdown and fire activity. > Expect possible reservoir and river release fluctuations. > Issued by: Tom Patton > > > On Jul 28, 2018, at 3:39 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: > > > Due to the fire activity, Trinity Dam became isolated from the power > network and continues to serve a local area of power for safety purposes. > Spring Creek and Carr power plants are currently down. As a result, > Lewiston water elevations were managed by emergency increased releases from > Lewiston Dam and Carr Bypass. Over Friday night, Lewiston Lake reservoir > rose higher than the normal operating range which resulted in an increase > in release from the Trinity River to about 1,100 cfs. River releases are > coming down today but are still higher than what was noted yesterday. > Please take extra precautions due to varying releases on the Trinity River. > We are trying to reduce the lake levels but expect this will be difficult > due to the facility communication issues and power generation situation. > Low lying areas surrounding the lake and marinas at Lewiston Lake are > expected to be affected by the higher and variable lake levels. > Reclamation managed to get Lewiston Dam releases to the Trinity River down > to about 750 cfs by 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon and will remain at this > level until further notice. > > > Issued by: Tom Patton > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov Sat Jul 28 19:39:32 2018 From: chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov (Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn) Date: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 19:39:32 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: MP-18-119: MEDIA ADVISORY - Trinity River and Lewiston Lake water levels could fluctuate rapidly due to Carr Fire Message-ID: [image: Reclamation News Release Header] *Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.* MP-18-119 Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-204-2348, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: July 28, 2018 *MEDIA ADVISORY* *Trinity River and Lewiston Reservoir water levels could fluctuate due to Carr Fire emergency operations at Trinity Power Plant* REDDING, Calif. ? Reclamation is alerting the public that water levels in Lewiston Reservoir and in Trinity River could fluctuate this evening due to emergency water releases associated with the Carr Fire. Take precautions if you are on or near the reservoir or the river. Lewiston releases to the Trinity River are immediately increasing by 500 cubic feet per second ? from 750 cfs to 1,250 cfs total. The Trinity Power Plant is being impacted due to fire activity. It is still generating power, but the situation could change. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP . If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Jul 28 20:14:00 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2018 03:14:00 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] FB: mandatory evacuation for east of Trinity Dam Road and advisory for residents West of Trinity Dam Road! References: <665735139.4719295.1532834040484.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <665735139.4719295.1532834040484@mail.yahoo.com> Trinity County Health and Human Services 3 hrs???Message from the Office of Emergency Services (OES)The Trinity County Sheriff Department has issued a mandatory evacuation notice for Lewiston Residents to the East of Trinity Dam Boulevard from Trinity Dam to Bully Choop Mountain. This is a mandatory evacuation for east of Trinity Dam Road and advisory for residents West of Trinity Dam Road. Shelter is at Trinity High School. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Jul 29 07:34:29 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2018 14:34:29 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Big_water_moves_mark_Brown=E2=80=99s_fina?= =?utf-8?q?l_months?= References: <354629541.4831577.1532874869946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <354629541.4831577.1532874869946@mail.yahoo.com> https://calmatters.org/articles/commentary/big-water-moves-mark-browns-final-months/ Big water moves mark Brown?s final monthsBy?Dan Walters?| July 29, 2018 |?Commentary - - - Nearly six decades ago, shortly after becoming governor, Pat Brown persuaded the Legislature and voters to approve one of the nation?s largest public works projects, the?State Water Plan.New reservoirs in Northern California, including the nation?s highest dam at Oroville on the Feather River, would capture runoff from snowfall in the Sierra, and a massive aqueduct would carry water southward to San Joaquin Valley farms and fast-growing Southern California cities.As a gesture to what was then a nascent environmental movement, the Water Plan included a ?peripheral canal? to carry water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and thus, it was said, protect its fish and other wildlife.WeeklyWalters: your Friday newsletter for all of Dan's columns.However, the canal was never built, and the California Aqueduct, named for Pat Brown, continued to pump water from the Delta itself, which, as feared, degraded the estuary?s habitat.Two decades after the Water Plan was approved, Pat?s son, Jerry, became governor and muscled authorization for the canal through the Legislature, only to see an odd-bedfellows alliance of San Joaquin Valley farmers and environmental groups block it via a 1982 referendum.Three-plus decades later, a new version of the peripheral canal ? twin tunnels to carry water beneath the Delta ? emerged. Then Jerry Brown re-emerged for a second governorship and adopted the tunnels, later dubbed?WaterFix, as his own.Brown now only has a few months before relinquishing the office again, and he is trying, almost desperately, to move the project to the point of certainty and may succeed.The chief cheerleader for the tunnels, Southern California?s Metropolitan Water District, has declared its political and financial support and with its partners has applied for a federal loan to get it going.There are still legal, financial and environmental hurdles, but it?s at least a 50-50 bet that Jerry Brown will finally complete the most significant piece of his father?s legacy, and add a bit to his own.The peripheral canal/twin tunnels saga exemplifies the difficulty of making water policy in California. However, the project is not the only big water action in the final months of Brown?s second incarnation, driven by seemingly chronic drought.Brown?s Water Resources Control Board is on the verge of?reordering water allocations?on a grand scale, reducing what farmers can take from tributaries to the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers to provide more flows through the Delta.?It?s an important milestone,? board chairwoman Felicia Marcus said. ?We?ve laid out a framework ? for taking the next step in reconciling ourselves with the natural world in a way that has been on the plate for decades.?There would seem to be a conflict between a new allocation policy to give the Delta more water, and the twin tunnels, which would divert water from flowing into the Delta. In fact, some critics say the plan is a way of indirectly shifting water from farmers to Southern California.The plan also contains the seeds of a long-brewing conflict over water rights ? whether those with senior upstream rights dating back more than a hundred years can be compelled to give up water by state decree.Finally, the State Water Commission last week began allocating several billion dollars in state bond money to build new water storage reservoirs, including a chunk for the 1.8 million acre-foot?Sites Reservoir?on the west side of the Sacramento Valley.Sites is not too far from the Colusa County retirement home that Jerry Brown is building on land that his pioneer ancestors first acquired in the 19th century. It?s been said that his father?s childhood visits to the naturally semi-arid region were his inspiration for the State Water Plan. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov Sun Jul 29 08:32:47 2018 From: chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov (Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn) Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2018 08:32:47 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Thomas Patton Date: Sun, Jul 29, 2018 at 8:24 AM Subject: Change Order - Lewiston Dam Project: Lewiston Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) 07/29/2018 0800 1250 800 07/29/2018 0900 800 450 Comment: Emergency release due to power shutdown and fire activity. Expect possible reservoir and river release fluctuations. Issued by: Tom Patton On Jul 28, 2018, at 5:22 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: Project: Lewiston Dam Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) 07/28/2018 1730 750 1250 Comment: Emergency release due to power shutdown and fire activity. Expect possible reservoir and river release fluctuations. Issued by: Tom Patton On Jul 28, 2018, at 3:39 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: Due to the fire activity, Trinity Dam became isolated from the power network and continues to serve a local area of power for safety purposes. Spring Creek and Carr power plants are currently down. As a result, Lewiston water elevations were managed by emergency increased releases from Lewiston Dam and Carr Bypass. Over Friday night, Lewiston Lake reservoir rose higher than the normal operating range which resulted in an increase in release from the Trinity River to about 1,100 cfs. River releases are coming down today but are still higher than what was noted yesterday. Please take extra precautions due to varying releases on the Trinity River. We are trying to reduce the lake levels but expect this will be difficult due to the facility communication issues and power generation situation. Low lying areas surrounding the lake and marinas at Lewiston Lake are expected to be affected by the higher and variable lake levels. Reclamation managed to get Lewiston Dam releases to the Trinity River down to about 750 cfs by 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon and will remain at this level until further notice. Issued by: Tom Patton -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sun Jul 29 13:11:04 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2018 20:11:04 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal update from Facebook References: <1358375880.1220330.1532895064269.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1358375880.1220330.1532895064269@mail.yahoo.com> The Trinity Journal 1 hr???Lewiston Fire Chief Mel Deardorff told the Journal this morning that firefighters' objective of keeping the Carr fire from crossing County Line Road into Trinity last night appears to have been successful. More work is being done with bulldozers to strengthen the line. The fire approached Trinity County from several directions. One branch of the fire at the top of Hoadley Peak threatened Lewiston. Deardorff said he drove to the area last night and noticed shorter flame lengths and more humid conditions. The flames were about a mile down Buckhorn on the Shasta side at the time, he said. Another branch of the fire came down toward Oddfellows Camp and may have crossed into Trinity, he said. There was also a small fire Saturday at the base of Trinity Powerplant caused by an electrical arc. The fire was stopped very small, Deardorff said. Mandatory and advisory evacuations were issued for Lewiston, and most people heeded those, he said. This morning, Deardorff said winds are forecast today to blow back toward Whiskeytown, which might give firefighters trying to protect Trinity a break. But he added, "I think this fire has been like trying to deal with the devil. You don't know what's going to happen next." This morning firefighting agencies reported that the Carr fire that started six days ago near French Gulch in Shasta County had reached 89,194 acres and was 5 percent contained.? It has taken five lives and destroyed 517 structures in Shasta County. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov Sun Jul 29 13:48:15 2018 From: chunttdecarlo at usbr.gov (Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn) Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2018 13:48:15 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Change Order - Lewiston Dam - UPDATED In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: On Sun, Jul 29, 2018 at 1:30 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: > Please maintain release to Trinity River at 800 cfs. > > On Jul 29, 2018, at 8:24 AM, Thomas Patton wrote: > > Project: Lewiston Dam > > > Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: > > > > Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) > > 07/29/2018 0800 1250 800 > > 07/29/2018 0900 800 450 > > > Comment: Emergency release due to power shutdown and fire activity. > Expect possible reservoir and river release fluctuations. > Issued by: Tom Patton > > > On Jul 28, 2018, at 5:22 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: > > Project: Lewiston Dam > > > Please make the following release changes to the Trinity River: > > > > Date Time From (cfs) To (cfs) > > 07/28/2018 1730 750 1250 > > > Comment: Emergency release due to power shutdown and fire activity. > Expect possible reservoir and river release fluctuations. > Issued by: Tom Patton > > > On Jul 28, 2018, at 3:39 PM, Thomas Patton wrote: > > > Due to the fire activity, Trinity Dam became isolated from the power > network and continues to serve a local area of power for safety purposes. > Spring Creek and Carr power plants are currently down. As a result, > Lewiston water elevations were managed by emergency increased releases from > Lewiston Dam and Carr Bypass. Over Friday night, Lewiston Lake reservoir > rose higher than the normal operating range which resulted in an increase > in release from the Trinity River to about 1,100 cfs. River releases are > coming down today but are still higher than what was noted yesterday. > Please take extra precautions due to varying releases on the Trinity River. > We are trying to reduce the lake levels but expect this will be difficult > due to the facility communication issues and power generation situation. > Low lying areas surrounding the lake and marinas at Lewiston Lake are > expected to be affected by the higher and variable lake levels. > Reclamation managed to get Lewiston Dam releases to the Trinity River down > to about 750 cfs by 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon and will remain at this > level until further notice. > > > Issued by: Tom Patton > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Jul 30 10:26:03 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2018 17:26:03 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 30 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW30 (July 29). There were only 4 trapping days this week due to an unanticipated flow event resulting from the Carr Fire which partially disabled the Junction City weir. When the flow releases return to a level the crew can get the weir back in they will, if they are not on fire evacuation. We did have 2 zero fish days last week (in addition to not trapping on Friday) so overall not a big fish week. Rumor has it, however, there are still Trinity springers coming into the estuary, so it's not over yet. Be safe! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW30.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66290 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW30.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 30 14:03:07 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2018 21:03:07 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Fwd: *CORRECTION* to Tomorrow's Community Meeting Location In-Reply-To: References: <1131017280154.1128868940975.1701294315.0.201622JL.1002@scheduler.constantcontact.com> Message-ID: <1827637264.5695752.1532984587669@mail.yahoo.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Carr Fire Public Information Office Date: Mon, Jul 30, 2018 at 1:23 PM Subject: *CORRECTION* to Tomorrow's Community Meeting Location To: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Download Document | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ? ? ? | | | | | | | | | | | | CAL FIRE Communications | 1416 9th Street, Sacramento , CA 94244 | | | | | About our service provider | | Sent by carrfireredding at gmail.com in collaboration with | | | | | | Try it free today | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 30 16:14:39 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2018 23:14:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Carr fire briefing Monday at THS and Carr fire map indicates fire entered Trinity, did not reach Lewiston References: <1298803825.5764982.1532992479083.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1298803825.5764982.1532992479083@mail.yahoo.com> The latest from the Trinity Journal on the Carr Fire: http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_74aea840-943e-11e8-a576-17c9fa1b5bc8.html Carr fire briefing Monday at THS Monday briefing at THS from Cal Fire:The Carr fire is at 98,000 acres and 20 percent containment. Most of that increase is on the southeast side due to more favorable conditions.The fire has not reached Lewiston.There is no estimate as to when the evacuation of Lewiston will be lifted.Fire behavior is still erratic.The north and west sections (toward Trinity) have been the most active lately.Objective yesterday was to hold the fire at County Line Road. Last night flame lengths of 100 to 200 feet were experienced. The county line was crossed in three spots: Just south of Highway 299, north of Highway 299 and at the north part of the fire in the direction of the Papoose arm of Trinity Lake. The slop overs totaled about 100 acres.Goals are to try to mitigate those slop overs and hold the line in the other spots. Firefighters hope to bring in aircraft when it?s not too smoky to paint the ridges with retardant.Daytime relative humidity is still low, but late night humidity is expected to increase which would be helpful.There will be a community meeting at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Trinity Alps Performing Arts Center in Weaverville. http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_3204513c-9418-11e8-904a-1b865ef8821c.html Carr fire map indicates fire entered Trinity, did not reach Lewiston - Jul 30, 2018?Updated?6 hrs ago ? This morning's Carr fire map from the firefighting agencies shows the fire did cross County Line Road into Trinity County in places, but it did not get to Lewiston.All of Lewiston was put under mandatory evacuation last night, and that evacuation stands.Power has been off and on. It was off overnight because operators at Trinity Trinity PowerPlant were evacuated and were not there to make the necessary adjustments. They are back now. TPUD staff said normally the the plant can be operated remotely, but that isn't possible at this time due to the Carr fire. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Jul 30 16:29:46 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2018 23:29:46 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Good map of Carr Fire References: <759852652.5778524.1532993386965.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <759852652.5778524.1532993386965@mail.yahoo.com> See?http://redding.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=94b379a91e0f47cb91712da22f603d39 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jul 31 09:09:51 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2018 16:09:51 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Thomas_D=2E_Elias=3A_Colossal_arrogance_i?= =?utf-8?b?biB0aGUg4oCYd2F0ZXIgZml44oCZIHR1bm5lbHPigJk=?= References: <1852413176.6199205.1533053391677.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1852413176.6199205.1533053391677@mail.yahoo.com> https://napavalleyregister.com/opinion/columnists/thomas-d-elias-colossal-arrogance-in-the-water-fix-tunnels/article_964c7097-524e-50dd-a252-080a8345da25.html Thomas D. Elias: Colossal arrogance in the ?water fix? tunnels? The way environmental activists in California?s Delta region tell it, there is no part of government in this state more arrogant than the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California.The huge MWD, supplier of water to the majority of the state?s populace, is certainly acting the part as it pushes for a project Gov. Jerry Brown is trying to make an irreversible fait accompli before he leaves office (presumably for the last time) at the end of this year.That?s the so-called ?California WaterFix? or Twin Tunnels project to bring Northern California river water to San Joaquin Valley farms and urban Southern California via gigantic culverts running around and through the delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers east of San Francisco Bay. (Another desired Brown legacy is the troubled bullet train.)No one claims the tunnels project would produce much more water than now comes from the same rivers. But Brown and other supporters assert it would make supplies steadier and more reliable.His administration and other project backers only lately renamed this the WaterFix because that sounds more positive than tunnels. But environmentalists, led by the group Restore the Delta, see it not as a fix, but a problem that could deprive the Delta and its fish of much fresh water they now get.After substantial lobbying by Brown, the MWD?s governing board, without a public vote this summer, committed millions of its customers to pay a large share of the project?s costs. About the only recourse customers might have would be voting out many of the myriad city council members and county supervisors who make up that board. This is highly unlikely, so added water charges for millions of customers are pretty much assured.It?s much the same in the San Jose-based Santa Clara Valley Water District, whose much smaller board voted narrowly also to help pay the multi-billion-dollar freight. Agricultural water districts in the San Joaquin Valley that stand to benefit most were reluctant to make similar commitments.The moves by the urban water districts were the embodiment of arrogance by public officials because they were taken with little public input and without say-so from those who will actually pay. No sooner were those votes over than the water districts and the state formed a partnership for designing and building the tunnels, a move plainly aiming to cement the project in place long before a spade is turned.PauseCurrent Time0:00/Duration Time0:00Stream TypeLIVELoaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00Fullscreen00:00MuteMeanwhile, the only time anything like the WaterFix plan got a full public hearing came 36 years ago, after Brown and state legislators authorized building a so-called Peripheral Canal to bring water south around the Delta via a large ditch. A statewide referendum eliminated that plan by a resounding margin. It became political anathema for decades, but the idea plainly stuck in Brown?s mind. The WaterFix amounts to an updated, more expensive, version of the ditch Brown backed long ago.Then there is the move by a Southern California Republican congressman to cement the project via federal law.This comes from Rep. Ken Calvert of Corona, one of California?s more secure GOP congressmen, not even close to being a Democratic target this year.Calvert in May quietly slipped language into a proposed budget bill to ban legal challenges of the tunnels, a move that could instantly end more than two dozen current lawsuits by local governments, water districts, recreational and environmental groups and tribal governments. To Brown?s credit, after months of consideration his administration now opposes that bill, but it is very much alive in Congress.?A proposal like (this) raises the question: what are the supporters of the tunnels trying to hide?? wrote Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of Mokelumne Hill, the former lieutenant governor who represents part of the Delta area.Added Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, ?Bypassing due process and violating states? rights ?creates a constitutional nightmare. Tunnels proponents are attempting to rewrite the rules of the game so they can?t lose.?The water district votes and the Calvert move both represent almost unprecedented arrogance. That makes it high time for some major public and consumer protests over the manner in which Brown and his allies are rushing the tunnels into reality without permission of the people who will pay for them.Thomas D. Elias writes the syndicated California Focus column. He is author of the book, ?The Burzynski Breakthrough: The Most Promising Cancer Treatment and the Government?s Campaign to Squelch It.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Jul 31 09:15:31 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2018 16:15:31 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] A week after visit to New Melones, Department of Interior blasts state water plan References: <258461644.6217101.1533053731656.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <258461644.6217101.1533053731656@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.modbee.com/latest-news/article215698545.html A week after visit to New Melones, Department of Interior blasts state water plan | | | | | | | | | | | A week after visit to New Melones, Department of Interior blasts state wate... The Department of the Interior late Friday afternoon issued a blistering attack against the state?s proposed wat... | | | | BY BRIAN CLARKbclark at modbee.com - - - - - LINKEDIN - GOOGLE+ - PINTEREST - REDDIT - PRINT - ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY July 28, 2018 10:26 AMUpdated July 29, 2018 04:15 PMThe Department of the Interior?issued a blistering attack?against the state?s proposed water grab, saying it would ?cripple the Central Valley?s economy, farms and community.?The comments late Friday afternoon came a week after Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke?visited Don Pedro?and New Melones reservoirs at the request of Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock.Earlier this month, the California State Water Resources Control Board issued a final proposal that would require 40 percent of unimpeded flows from February to June on the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers, which are tributaries into the San Joaquin River that feeds the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The move, in what it says is an effort to save the Delta?s failing ecosystem, angered farmers, politicians and many others throughout the Valley. Opponents of the state?s plan pointed to what they say will be massive negative impacts on the Valley?s economy, agriculture and land values, among other things.The Interior?s comments Friday were part of an?eight-page letter to board chairwoman Felicia Marcus, and stated the proposal appears ?to directly interfere with the New Melones Project?s ability to store water. The Board amendments essentially elevate the Project?s fish and wildlife purposes over the Project?s irrigation and domestic purposes contrary to the prioritization scheme carefully established by Congress.?It also pointed to the effects on New Melones? water storage and the potential to diminish power generation, as well as issues surrounding the area?s recreational opportunities. Water from New Melones, which also provides water for the Central Valley Project, flows into the?Stanislaus River.Marcus,?in an article?she wrote for The Sacramento Bee defending the plan, said ?Yes, leaving more water to flow into the Delta from both the San Joaquin and Sacramento watersheds will be challenging for water users, which is why the proposal sends more water but still less than what is optimal for fish and wildlife. Water users can adapt ? by switching crops, becoming more efficient and storing more water in wet times. In contrast, species pushed to the brink of extinction have few options.?Meanwhile, Denham recently added an amendment to keep federal agencies from depleting New Melones as part of the Interior?s appropriations bill. His amendment passed through Congress.? ?Under Sacramento?s plan, the Valley will suffer skyrocketing water and electricity rates,? Denham said in a statement released Saturday. ?After a decade and millions of our money spent on a study that they required, the board ignored the science based proposal that would save our fish while preserving our water rights. We will not allow them to take our water and destroy our way of life.?On the day of Zinke?s visit to Don Pedro and New Melones, Dennis Mills, a member of the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors,?sent a letter?to President Trump imploring his administration to step in. He, too, pointed to the impacts the plan would have on New Melones.?Simply put,? he wrote, ?this proposal places a higher value on fish than people!?Friday?s letter to Marcus from the Interior Department came on the same day public comment on the issue closed. The department also asked that the water board postpone its scheduled?Aug. 21-22 meetings?in Sacramento, where it will consider adopting?the plan. On Aug. 20, a rally to ?Stop The State Water Grab? will be held at noon on the north steps of the Capitol building in Sacramento. For more information or to RSVP, contact Assemblyman Adam Gray?s office at 209-726-5465.Thanks for your strong interest in local journalism. We rely on readers like you more than ever before, and we currently offer free access to five stories a month. We hope you see value in supporting us further with?a digital subscription?to help ensure we can provide strong local journalism for many years to come.Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, left, and Rep. Jeff Denham, speak with the press at Don Pedro Reservoir, Calif., Friday, July 20, 2018. Read more here: A week after visit to New Melones, Department of Interior blasts state water plan | | | | | | | | | | | A week after visit to New Melones, Department of Interior blasts state wate... The Department of the Interior late Friday afternoon issued a blistering attack against the state?s proposed wat... | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Aug 1 07:51:30 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2018 14:51:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Multiple TPUD outages over long weekend References: <13627030.504713.1533135090406.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <13627030.504713.1533135090406@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_6b14a13c-9523-11e8-beca-673673d011a8.html Multiple TPUD outages over long weekend - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ?- 1 hr ago ?After several days of lengthy power outages Friday through Monday during the Carr fire siege, customers of the Trinity Public Utilities District should be seeing improved reliability, TPUD General Manager Paul Hauser said.?We?re now back on our normal supply,? Hauser said, although he added that ?fires are unpredictable.?The power issues started when a high-voltage transmission line from the Keswick and Carr powerhouses to Trinity went out of commission due to the Carr fire. The Western Area Power Administration which provides TPUD its power went to a backup plan it had never tried at Trinity before ? providing power to TPUD solely from the Trinity PowerPlant.Normally the Trinity PowerPlant is unmanned, operated remotely, but in this ?islanding? situation operators were brought in from Western and the federal Bureau of Reclamation.Hauser likened it to having a giant extension cord from all the TPUD substations to the Trinity PowerPlant.There were multiple reasons for each failure, he said.On-site operators were needed to manage voltage and frequency, Hauser said, but they were ordered to evacuate Sunday night and that precipitated the third failure. They were escorted back in Monday morning, but it took time to bring the system back up.The possibility of getting power from PG&E from the coast was pursued, but ?we couldn?t satisfy PG&E requirements for protection of their lines,? Hauser said.Without access to the high-voltage lines from outside the county, the generator at Trinity was ?blackstarted? three times with a large diesel generator. Something that hadn?t been done at Trinity before.With the improved fire situation around the Carr and Keswick lines, the normal feed has been restored. ?We have redundancy,? Hauser said. ?Reliability should be dramatically better.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tgstoked at gmail.com Wed Aug 1 08:10:51 2018 From: tgstoked at gmail.com (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2018 08:10:51 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Fw: CARR FIRE THREATENS TRINITY In-Reply-To: <530056383.514795.1533135912660@mail.yahoo.com> References: <439052527.469072.1533135259971.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <439052527.469072.1533135259971@mail.yahoo.com> <530056383.514795.1533135912660@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Lewiston evacuated as fire expands Lewiston evacuated as fire expands By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal The Carr fire that burned homes and took lives over the hill in Shasta County now threatens Trinity. CARR FIRE THREATENS TRINITY Lewiston evacuated as fire expands By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal 1 hr ago [image: Inline image] Fire burns brush and trees alongside Highway 299 several miles east of Buckhorn summit on Sunday. Wayne R. Agner | The Trinity Journal [image: Planning] SPI Area Manager Tom Walz, right, and a fire official discuss contingencies Sunday evening at Buckhorn summit.Sav The Carr fire that burned homes and took lives over the hill in Shasta County now threatens Trinity. All of Lewiston remains evacuated after the western edge of the fire expanded over the weekend. That edge remains very active, firefighters said. As of Tuesday, the fire was reported to be 2-3 miles east of Lewiston, depending on reference points used. Firefighters have been working to keep the blaze on the other side of County Line Road, but it slopped over in several areas Sunday night. Overall, the Carr fire was reported on Tuesday to be at 110,000 acres and 27 percent contained. Cal Fire Capt. Scott Kenney, information officer for the Carr fire, described 100- to 200-foot flame lengths when the County Line Road breaches occurred. ?They?re pulling out everything they can to make their stop at that line,? he said in a briefing to evacuated Lewiston residents. Planes with retardant are being flown when smoke allows, he said, and ?bulldozers work 24 hours a day ? Potentially making a freeway up there.? The main priority is the western section of the fire that threatens Trinity, he said, and as of Tuesday approximately 80 percent of the 3,600 personnel assigned the Carr fire were working that area. In addition to those working at the fireline, he said structures in Lewiston are being prepared with removal of brush and other flammable items. Lewiston Fire Chief Mel Deardorff was part of a strike team that fought the fire over the hill in French Gulch and the base of Buckhorn earlier on during the fire. Now it?s his own town that?s threatened. ?They?ve had such issues with this fire,? Deardorff said, and part of what triggered the Lewiston evacuation was concerns over exit routes. ?I think this fire has been like dealing with the devil,? Deardorff said. ?You just don?t know what?s going to happen next. It lays down, then it?s aggressive.? Residents in general seemed to heed the evacuation order. ?A lot of people were really scared, genuinely scared,? he said. A Trinity strike team composed of firefighters from Weaverville, Lewiston, Junction City, Douglas City and Salyer was in the thick of things when the Carr fire blew up in the Old Shasta area last Thursday around Iron Mountain Road and Rock Creek. At the Lewiston Fire Hall on Sunday, Weaverville Fire Chief Todd Corbett described a tough battle as houses in Shasta caught fire from embers. Once a house gets involved with flames you have to move on, he said. ?Go house to house and save one and watch one burn to the ground, save another and the next one burns.? The focus is now on the western edge of the fire moving toward and into Trinity County which has been most active. Much fire equipment has been at Buckhorn Summit where County Line Road can be accessed. A group of soot-smeared Trinity Hotshots from Platina sat by the road using the embankment as a backrest while taking a break on Sunday. ?It?s a rough fire,? one said. ?We?re doing our best to get a grip on it.? During a briefing at the evacuation center at THS Monday, firefighters were asked if Trinity County is getting less resources than communities in Shasta. And several asked about when they could go home. ?Yes, we?re getting fed,? one woman said. ?We?re not in our own beds. We?re older. We hurt.? ?There?s nothing we want to do more than get you back in your homes,? Kenney said. Trinity County Undersheriff Chris Compton said what he wants to see is the black line on the maps between the fire and residents that represents containment. Compton said he can?t ?in good conscience? put people at risk. In Trinity County, the Lewiston evacuation remains in effect. Evacuation orders were lifted Monday afternoon for residences along Highway 299 from Douglas City east to Poker Bar Road and Poker Bar Road northwest to Union Hill Road. Highway 299 is closed to through traffic just west of Poker Bar Road. Applause broke out when a man raised his hand and thanked the firefighters at one of the briefings. The firefighting agencies are treating this area the same, Compton said. ?I have personally seen that ? They don?t see the line,? he said, other than a potential fire line. ?They see a fire.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: datauri-file.png Type: image/png Size: 83 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Aug 1 11:08:15 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 1 Aug 2018 18:08:15 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Wednesday morning Carr fire update References: <633727022.628721.1533146895339.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <633727022.628721.1533146895339@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_dfbfdc04-95af-11e8-878e-0b58f44fe540.html Wednesday morning Carr fire update - Aug 1, 2018?Updated?16 min ago ? - Facebook - Twitter - Email - Print - Save The Carr fire is reported this morning to be 115,538 acres and 35 percent contained, up from 27 percent containment reported yesterday. However, most of that containment is on the southeast flank of the fire and not the portion that is threatening Lewiston.Cal Fire reports the western edge of the fire continued to challenge crews yesterday evening with steep terrain, erratic winds and previously unburned fuels contributing to spot fire potential. Crews will continue to construct control lines and contingency lines to mitigate further spread. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Aug 4 09:53:39 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2018 16:53:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Trinity County roadside fuelbreak collaborative project gets go-ahead In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <946325472.2383755.1533401620228@mail.yahoo.com> | | | United States Department of Agriculture | | U.S. Forest Service Six Rivers National Forest 1330 Bayshore Way Eureka, CA??95501 (707) 442-1721 www.fs.usda.gov/srnf | News Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:?August 1, 2018 Media Contacts:?Bridget Litten, (707) 441-3673 bridgetmlitten at fs.fed.usPeggi Lawrence, (707) 441-3595 plawrence at fs.fed.usFacebook?/?Twitter:?SixRiversNF | | | | Trinity County roadside fuelbreak collaborative project gets go-aheadMAD RIVER, Calif. ??On Friday July 27, acting Six Rivers National Forest Supervisor Elizabeth ?Liz? Berger signed the Decision Notice for the 1st 48 Roadside Fuelbreak Collaborative Project (1st 48 Project) on the Mad River Ranger District. The project is the latest in the partnership between the Six Rivers National Forest (SRNF) and the Trinity County Collaborative Group (TCCG).The project is designed to establish a network of linear, shaded fuelbreaks on approximately 821 acres to provide rural communities and residents safer travel zones during wildfire evacuations; allow greater, faster wildland firefighter response and suppression; and reduce the risk of roadside fire starts moving in to high-value forest resources. In addition to fuelbreaks, the project includes reducing stems per acre and creating more space between trees to decrease tree-to-tree spread of fire.?This is the second successful project we?ve worked on with Trinity County Collaborative, and we couldn?t be more pleased with how everyone came together to make this project a reality,? said Dan Dill, district ranger for the SRNF?s Mad River Ranger District. ?While we will be cutting trees on this project, the focus is certainly one of safety for our communities.?The TCCG is composed of 55 diverse stakeholders including landowners, business owners, local and regional conservation groups, timber industry representatives, fire safe councils, local non-governmental organizations, federal and county government agencies. The collaborative vision is to build on the success of earlier initiatives to bridge organizations and gain traction to address environmental, economic and social concerns.Larry Glass, executive director for both Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment and Northcoast Environmental Center, as well as a TCCG member, said, ?We hope after the successful implementation of this project, we can begin to see this prescription applied in many other appropriate sites.?The 1st 48 Project decision notice, finding of no significant impact (FONSI), and environmental assessment (EA) are available online at online at?www.fs.usda.gov/project/?proje ct=51215.For more information, contact Mad River District Ranger Dan Dill at (707) 574-6233. | | # # #USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. | | | | | | | | Bridget Litten? Public Affairs Officer | | Forest ServiceSix Rivers National Forest | | p: 707-441-3673? f: 707-441-3598? bridgetmlitten at fs.fed.us | | 1330 Bayshore Way Eureka, CA?95501 www.fs.fed.us? | | Caring for the land and serving people | | ? This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image005.png Type: image/png Size: 13595 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image006.png Type: image/png Size: 7801 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image009.png Type: image/png Size: 1594 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.png Type: image/png Size: 1524 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image010.png Type: image/png Size: 1453 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image008.png Type: image/png Size: 1701 bytes Desc: not available URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Sat Aug 4 12:00:11 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2018 13:00:11 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Trinity County roadside fuelbreak collaborative project gets go-ahead In-Reply-To: <946325472.2383755.1533401620228@mail.yahoo.com> References: <946325472.2383755.1533401620228@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <74a2abc35b0b793bc68722775dee14f6@smtp.hushmail.com> This project is such a sham. I filed an objection and if I had an attorney for this one I would have litigated it. The entire project area is in designated critical habitat for Northern spotted owls. There are 8 NSO activity centers and every one is below minimum habitat thresholds as established by the FWS meaning they aren?t capable for reproduction - and the FS is going to log each and every one of them an additional 19-38%. They used a bogus white paper developed for private lands that allows ?flexible? terms to enable the maximum amount of timber to be logged and avoid issuing ?take? under the ESA. They also developed it to be economically viable so over 2,000 trees 24? diameter and over - and up to 150 years in age - will be logged. The Six Rivers NF is currently violating the NWFP for maintaining 10% old growth in each 5th field watershed so those old trees could have developed into old growth in a few more decades. In my opinion these collaboratives simply don?t understand all the implications of the projects they sign off on. Larry Glass is my friend and I have a lot of respect for him but I just don?t understand how the people involved in this project think it?s a good project. And I do not want to see this prescription applied to other areas. The project might be good for industry but it sure as hell isn?t good for the forest or the wildlife that live there. Larry and I have talked about this and he knows how I feel. But I?d like the people on this list to consider the ?other side of the story?. Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > On Aug 4, 2018, at 10:53 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > > > > >> >> >> United States Department of Agriculture >> U.S. Forest Service >> Six Rivers National Forest >> 1330 Bayshore Way >> Eureka, CA 95501 >> (707) 442-1721 >> www.fs.usda.gov/srnf >> >> News Release >> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 1, 2018 >> >> Media Contacts: Bridget Litten, (707) 441-3673 >> bridgetmlitten at fs.fed.us >> Peggi Lawrence, (707) 441-3595 >> plawrence at fs.fed.us >> Facebook / Twitter: SixRiversNF >> Trinity County roadside fuelbreak collaborative project gets go-ahead >> MAD RIVER, Calif. ? On Friday July 27, acting Six Rivers National Forest Supervisor Elizabeth ?Liz? Berger signed the Decision Notice for the 1st 48 Roadside Fuelbreak Collaborative Project (1st 48 Project) on the Mad River Ranger District. The project is the latest in the partnership between the Six Rivers National Forest (SRNF) and the Trinity County Collaborative Group (TCCG). >> The project is designed to establish a network of linear, shaded fuelbreaks on approximately 821 acres to provide rural communities and residents safer travel zones during wildfire evacuations; allow greater, faster wildland firefighter response and suppression; and reduce the risk of roadside fire starts moving in to high-value forest resources. In addition to fuelbreaks, the project includes reducing stems per acre and creating more space between trees to decrease tree-to-tree spread of fire. >> ?This is the second successful project we?ve worked on with Trinity County Collaborative, and we couldn?t be more pleased with how everyone came together to make this project a reality,? said Dan Dill, district ranger for the SRNF?s Mad River Ranger District. ?While we will be cutting trees on this project, the focus is certainly one of safety for our communities.? >> The TCCG is composed of 55 diverse stakeholders including landowners, business owners, local and regional conservation groups, timber industry representatives, fire safe councils, local non-governmental organizations, federal and county government agencies. The collaborative vision is to build on the success of earlier initiatives to bridge organizations and gain traction to address environmental, economic and social concerns. >> Larry Glass, executive director for both Safe Alternatives for our Forest Environment and Northcoast Environmental Center, as well as a TCCG member, said, ?We hope after the successful implementation of this project, we can begin to see this prescription applied in many other appropriate sites.? >> The 1st 48 Project decision notice, finding of no significant impact (FONSI), and environmental assessment (EA) are available online at online at www.fs.usda.gov/project/?proje ct=51215. >> For more information, contact Mad River District Ranger Dan Dill at (707) 574-6233. >> # # # >> USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. >> >> Bridget Litten >> Public Affairs Officer >> Forest Service >> Six Rivers National Forest >> p: 707-441-3673 >> f: 707-441-3598 >> bridgetmlitten at fs.fed.us >> 1330 Bayshore Way >> Eureka, CA 95501 >> www.fs.fed.us >> >> Caring for the land and serving people >> > > > > > This electronic message contains information generated by the USDA solely for the intended recipients. Any unauthorized interception of this message or the use or disclosure of the information it contains may violate the law and subject the violator to civil or criminal penalties. If you believe you have received this message in error, please notify the sender and delete the email immediately. > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Sun Aug 5 18:26:12 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2018 19:26:12 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Message-ID: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kierassociates at att.net Sun Aug 5 20:25:23 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Sun, 5 Aug 2018 20:25:23 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Sun Aug 5 22:10:08 2018 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 05:10:08 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: <4DD8F306-FBD5-4928-9F8F-5C7F8832263C@dhscott.com> Where are people supposed to live? Thousands of homes burned in Santa Rosa and redding. These are cities with tax paying residents.the majority of the houses burned were not considered rural. Not following the logic. Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. On Aug 5, 2018, at 6:26 PM, Denise Boggs > wrote: The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From The_Fly_Shop_Inc at mail.vresp.com Fri Aug 3 13:24:16 2018 From: The_Fly_Shop_Inc at mail.vresp.com (The Fly Shop, Inc.) Date: Fri, 03 Aug 2018 20:24:16 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing for Relief - Help Carr Fire Victims Message-ID: Fishing for Relief Help Raise $50,000 for Carr Fire Victims By now, many of you have heard of the Carr Fire that tore through Shasta County and outlying communities this past week. The fire has destroyed 1,067 homes, and is threatening another 1,358 buildings. To date the fire has burned 131,896 acres and is 39% contained. Many of you have reached out to us here at The Fly Shop inquiring what you can do to help, and this includes some of the world-class fly fishing outfitters we work with. Fishing for Relief: The Fly Shop and two of its partners - Golden Dorado Cruiser in Argentina and Tarpon Caye Lodge in Belize - want to help the fire victims. Working with the Native Fish Society and Shasta Regional Community Foundation, we have set up a donation website for those who would like to contribute to the recovery efforts. Though we understand you are not donating in order to win a free fishing trip, each of your donations will in fact enter you in a raffle to win a free trip to the Golden Dorado Cruiser, or Tarpon Caye Lodge. Any amount of donation will help, and qualify to win a trip. A $20 donation buys 1 ticket and there is no limit to the amount you can donate. The more you donate, the better your odds of winning a trip. 100% of your donation (excluding online credit card processing fees) will go to Carr Fire recovery efforts. You have The Fly Shop?s word on that! Click Here to Donate: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./c494c87a5f/6a8acb1fc5/0304c4f9b9 Drawing Date: August 20, 2018 Golden Dorado Cruiser: Golden Dorado Cruiser is a new dorado fishing program in Argentina that utilizes a mobile mothership to keep anglers in prime, fresh water throughout their fishing week. This is an exciting new dorado fishing destination located on the Parana Delta, a 4,600-square mile natural marsh with thousands of lagoons, channels, back-bays and river banks, all perfect habitat for dorado. The lodging is spacious, air-conditioned, and the food off the charts! The guides are dorado-savvy and work hard! 7-nights lodging / 6-days guided fishing (1 guest): Value: $4,500 http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./c494c87a5f/6a8acb1fc5/3c3f6b6028 Inclusions: Airport reception, roundtrip ground transfers to mothership, lodging, meals, open bar, guided fishing and fishing license for anglers. Non Inclusions: Airfares, fishing equipment, flies, and tackle, phone calls, gratuities, and anything not mentioned under the inclusions. Tarpon Caye Lodge: This saltwater fly fishing camp is custom-tailored for the serious flats fishermen and, more specifically, hardcore permit fisherman. The location is perfect, as you are never more than a short boat ride to the permit flats. With good reason, it is known as the permit capital of the world! Tarpon Cay offers comfortable lodging, delicious Belizian cuisine, and the guides will put in a full day on the flats. It?s as solid a saltwater fishing camp as we have ever encountered and the emphasis is on the fishing - where it should be. (5-nights lodging / 4-days guided fishing (2 guests):Value $6,050 http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./c494c87a5f/6a8acb1fc5/62a983b63e Inclusions: Ground transfers from Placencia to transport boat and return, boat transfer to Tarpon Caye from Placencia and return, meals, beverages (sodas, juices, bottled water and local rum), accommodations, daily housekeeping, guided fishing, complimentary use of snorkel gear and kayaks, Wi-Fi internet, and lodge taxes. Non Inclusions: International airfare, local airfare to and from Placencia, beer, top shelf liquor, fishing tackle, fishing license ($30US per angler, per week), tips to guide and staff, and Belizean Departure Tax. Thank you all for your concern and the empathy you have shown our community during these difficult times - it truly shows that the fly fishing community is a strong and caring fraternity of like-minded people. Click Here to Donate: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./c494c87a5f/6a8acb1fc5/fc0ce83331 To get the latest news on the Carr Fire please take a look at the following websites: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./c494c87a5f/6a8acb1fc5/ef323f86f8 http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./c494c87a5f/6a8acb1fc5/893dc30788 Thank you... The Fly Shop 530.222.3555 / 800.669.3474 /travel at theflyshop.com ______________________________________________________________________ Click to view this email in a browser http://hosted.vresp.com/164276/c494c87a5f/462800151/6a8acb1fc5/ If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: http://cts.vresp.com/u?c494c87a5f/6a8acb1fc5/mlpftw/confirm ______________________________________________________________________ Click below to forward this email to a friend: http://oi.vresp.com/f2af/v4/send_to_friend.html?ch=c494c87a5f&lid=462800151&ldh=6a8acb1fc5 ______________________________________________________________________ This message was sent by The Fly Shop, Inc. using iBuilder The Fly Shop, Inc. 4140 Churn Creek Road Redding, California 96002 USA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Aug 6 08:33:35 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 15:33:35 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 31 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 31 (Aug 5). There were ZERO trapping days this week due to the Carr Fire. With sustained high flows, evacuation orders, and road and office closures, the Junction City weir was not functional during this past week. We are hoping to rebuild it and resume trapping soon. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW31.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66312 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW31.xlsx URL: From pegberry1 at gmail.com Mon Aug 6 08:29:40 2018 From: pegberry1 at gmail.com (Peggy Berry) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 08:29:40 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> Message-ID: An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pegberry1 at gmail.com Mon Aug 6 08:30:09 2018 From: pegberry1 at gmail.com (Peggy Berry) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 08:30:09 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> Message-ID: Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry > On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: > > Trinity environmental list-ers > > For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. > > We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. > > There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. > > As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? > > This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle > > For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. > > ?Best, > > Bill Kier > Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals > 15 Junipero Serra Avenue > San Rafael, CA 94901 > Office: 415.721.7548 > Mobile: 415.306.6123 > kierassociates at att.net > www.kierassociates.net > GSA Contractor GS10F0124U > > > > > From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us ] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs > Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM > To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever > > The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. > > ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? > The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever > The Mercury News > > As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Mon Aug 6 10:16:21 2018 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 17:16:21 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> Message-ID: Santa Rosa and Redding are cities?..fire started 20 miles away. Cities with 200,000 folks in the sphere of influence are not rural. Following the thought of selfishness the same logic should be applied to global warming and rising sea levels that will affect large brick and mortar cities. Perhaps people should be removed from any coastline or bay. Adapt to the changing environments. Paul J. Catanese, Partner [cid:image001.gif at 01D42D6D.BA9D4060] D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Peggy Berry Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 8:30 AM To: Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 3419 bytes Desc: image001.gif URL: From GHughes at foe.org Mon Aug 6 10:52:56 2018 From: GHughes at foe.org (Hughes, Gary) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 17:52:56 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> Message-ID: <77A81C2AB01EE748A51B40A059517A11014BAACAA5@maildag2c.NETWORKALLIANCE.NET> This is a great discussion. I also want to offer my respects and condolences to all of those who have experienced loss as well appreciation to those who have responding to the needs of their communities. Note that the SRA fee that Bill mentions was actually waived as part of the passage of the cap-and-trade deal last summer. It was a big political football and the waiving of the fee was part of the horse trading that got AB 398 passed. There are participants in this list that supported the passage of AB 398. http://www.fire.ca.gov/firepreventionfee/ The fossil fuel industry passes the expense of cap-and-trade on to consumers at the pump. Thus any funds generated by the sale of allowances to sectors like the petroleum refiners in the state that then goes to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and then is allocated to forest related matters is being paid for by the consumer. Which is hardly the deterrent to inappropriate rural development that might be needed to change behaviors by land owners. How our continued burning of fossil fuels impacts our forest ecosystems is a question that the state and many conservation advocates have been reluctant to address, especially as funding for forest management etc gets tied to the continued and perpetual burning of fossil fuels through anticipated future reliance on funding from the cap-and-trade program or the selling of scientifically dubious and socially unjust forest offset carbon credits. The fires do again expose in the crudest of terms how flawed the concept is of using the land sector to ?offset? or ?neutralize? the emissions from burning fossil fuels. Yet that remains a pillar of the market-based mechanism that California singularly relies on to manage the carbon emissions from the biggest polluters in the state. Correcting course in this state on questions of forest and climate will require examining many erroneous assumptions, including coming to grips with the role of fossil fuel energy systems in causing climate change. --- Gary Graham Hughes, M.Sc. Senior California Advocacy Campaigner Friends of the Earth - US Email: ghughes at foe.org Phone: +1-510-900-8807 --- From: env-trinity On Behalf Of Peggy Berry Sent: Monday, August 06, 2018 8:30 AM To: Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From nadine.bailey at sbcglobal.net Mon Aug 6 11:13:37 2018 From: nadine.bailey at sbcglobal.net (Nadine Bailey) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 18:13:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> Message-ID: <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> Well there are some of out there that live and work in these forest and have lived and worked in them for centuries and we do not see what Bill and Denise have shared as truth. The fact is fire has been suppressed in these forest for decades and now we are all paying the price. These forest must be thinned to save them and the wildlife and people that live near them. Don't throw the forest out with the fires. If anyone would like a tour I am more than willing to take you and show you where the fires have burnt and reburning at a hotter temp. Please get out of the office and go out on the land and see for yourself. Nadine? ? Nadine Bailey 530-276-7743 cell ?And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.? John Steinbeck From: Peggy Berry To: Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: ?Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ?? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want ?based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers ?For what it?s worth?State?gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years.? ?We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. ?There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency.? ?As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? ?This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle ?For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ??Best, ?Bill KierKier Associates,?Fisheries and Watershed Professionals15 Junipero Serra AvenueSan Rafael, CA 94901Office:? 415.721.7548Mobile: 415.306.6123??kierassociates at att.netwww.kierassociates.netGSA Contractor GS10F0124U ? ? ? ?From:?env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us]?On Behalf Of?Denise Boggs Sent:?Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To:?env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject:?[env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever ?The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ??The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.?The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury NewsAs California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University.?Read the full storyDenise BoggsWww.conservationcongress-ca.org ?"Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour."'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne_______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Mon Aug 6 11:28:14 2018 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 18:28:14 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> , <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <3722D3CE-DC39-441B-877A-5ACD9948F9F5@dhscott.com> Thank you Nadine. I live it everyday. Forest management and fire management needs to be examined. Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. On Aug 6, 2018, at 11:14 AM, Nadine Bailey > wrote: Well there are some of out there that live and work in these forest and have lived and worked in them for centuries and we do not see what Bill and Denise have shared as truth. The fact is fire has been suppressed in these forest for decades and now we are all paying the price. These forest must be thinned to save them and the wildlife and people that live near them. Don't throw the forest out with the fires. If anyone would like a tour I am more than willing to take you and show you where the fires have burnt and reburning at a hotter temp. Please get out of the office and go out on the land and see for yourself. Nadine [cid:] Nadine Bailey 530-276-7743 cell ?And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.? John Steinbeck ________________________________ From: Peggy Berry > To: Kier Associates > Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lrlake at aol.com Mon Aug 6 11:46:10 2018 From: lrlake at aol.com (lrlake at aol.com) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 14:46:10 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <165108f962c-c8b-2d7a@webjas-vaa217.srv.aolmail.net> Nadine is correct. Has anyone thought about what seems to be a piss-poor initial attack by the NPS? I can't see any reason a trailer-spark fire couldn't be caught in 5-10 acres. The fire behavior the first day or two was typical for late July. Predictable, if you will. WTF The NPS has certainly killed many people and torched thousands of acres of our Shasta County, over the last few years between the two parks. I am stunned by their incompetence. The irony is that they burned up their own park... The NPS Whiskeytown web site says nothing other than a link to State info. and that they are closed. Lawrence Lake, RPF Redding, CA -----Original Message----- From: Nadine Bailey To: Peggy Berry ; Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity ; Anton Jaegel ; Michael N. Kobseff ; Danielle Roberts Lindler Sent: Mon, Aug 6, 2018 11:14 am Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Well there are some of out there that live and work in these forest and have lived and worked in them for centuries and we do not see what Bill and Denise have shared as truth. The fact is fire has been suppressed in these forest for decades and now we are all paying the price. These forest must be thinned to save them and the wildlife and people that live near them. Don't throw the forest out with the fires. If anyone would like a tour I am more than willing to take you and show you where the fires have burnt and reburning at a hotter temp. Please get out of the office and go out on the land and see for yourself. Nadine Nadine Bailey 530-276-7743 cell ?And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.? John Steinbeck From: Peggy Berry To: Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kierassociates at att.net Mon Aug 6 12:06:54 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 12:06:54 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <006a01d42db8$a4640e00$ed2c2a00$@att.net> So good to hear from you, Nadine Over the past 560 days it?s become increasingly popular for one sector of our society to accuse others of speaking falsely Perhaps you can tell me just what it was that I said that was untruthful Bill From: Nadine Bailey [mailto:nadine.bailey at sbcglobal.net] Sent: Monday, August 06, 2018 11:14 AM To: Peggy Berry; Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us; Michael N. Kobseff; Anton Jaegel; Danielle Roberts Lindler Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Well there are some of out there that live and work in these forest and have lived and worked in them for centuries and we do not see what Bill and Denise have shared as truth. The fact is fire has been suppressed in these forest for decades and now we are all paying the price. These forest must be thinned to save them and the wildlife and people that live near them. Don't throw the forest out with the fires. If anyone would like a tour I am more than willing to take you and show you where the fires have burnt and reburning at a hotter temp. Please get out of the office and go out on the land and see for yourself. Nadine Error! Filename not specified. Nadine Bailey 530-276-7743 cell ?And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.? John Steinbeck _____ From: Peggy Berry To: Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From trinityjournal at dcacable.net Mon Aug 6 12:22:45 2018 From: trinityjournal at dcacable.net (Trinity Journal) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 12:22:45 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> Message-ID: <019d01d42dba$ec55f410$c501dc30$@dcacable.net> I don?t know, is it selfish to live in Southern California and strip the Owens Valley and the Colorado River of their rightful water? Is it selfish to live in the Bay Area crisscrossed by earthquake faults? As pointed out, Redding and Santa Rosa are cities adjacent to wildlands (as all cities are, unless they lie adjacent to the ocean). So while there is issues to be discussed about WUI, this is not a selfishness issue. Rural towns are needed for a variety of reasons ? water, timber, agriculture. How they interface with the adjacent wildlands is worthy of discussion, but you can?t play the blame game for them being there. -Wayne Agner P.S. You are welcome for all the water we ship south. From: env-trinity On Behalf Of Peggy Berry Sent: Monday, August 06, 2018 8:30 AM To: Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kdejuilio at yuroktribe.nsn.us Mon Aug 6 13:31:56 2018 From: kdejuilio at yuroktribe.nsn.us (Kyle De Juilio) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 20:31:56 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <019d01d42dba$ec55f410$c501dc30$@dcacable.net> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> <019d01d42dba$ec55f410$c501dc30$@dcacable.net> Message-ID: This conversation highlights how our way of life and infrastructure has been built up with a reliance on stability of the environment around us (e.g. suppressing fire, flooding). There is risk living in the valley bottom as well as the mountains, as we were reminded of during the winter of 2017 by the averted disaster at Oroville. Stability is an unrealistic expectation if you look at the history of the planet, we are slowly curbing some suppression efforts and embracing disturbance. We must recognize that we are all at risk of disturbance, and not cast blame. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P-N-HA9iS8 The task is to look at where we have over extended ourselves in times of stability and prepare for disturbance (e.g. fire, multi-year drought, mega flood). There is going to be future disturbance, and the trend is to be reactive instead of proactive. Can we switch from social safety net to social investment in resiliency? Thoughts are with those who have been affected, and those who continue to battle the blaze. Hoping for favorable conditions and a quick return to quasi stability. Kyle De Juilio From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Trinity Journal Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 12:23 PM To: 'Peggy Berry' ; 'Kier Associates' Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever I don?t know, is it selfish to live in Southern California and strip the Owens Valley and the Colorado River of their rightful water? Is it selfish to live in the Bay Area crisscrossed by earthquake faults? As pointed out, Redding and Santa Rosa are cities adjacent to wildlands (as all cities are, unless they lie adjacent to the ocean). So while there is issues to be discussed about WUI, this is not a selfishness issue. Rural towns are needed for a variety of reasons ? water, timber, agriculture. How they interface with the adjacent wildlands is worthy of discussion, but you can?t play the blame game for them being there. -Wayne Agner P.S. You are welcome for all the water we ship south. From: env-trinity > On Behalf Of Peggy Berry Sent: Monday, August 06, 2018 8:30 AM To: Kier Associates > Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From labryan at ci.redding.ca.us Mon Aug 6 12:12:11 2018 From: labryan at ci.redding.ca.us (Bryan, Leslie) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 19:12:11 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> <1014541317.3280601.1533579217978@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: The reality is that there are multiple reasons for the severity of the devastation that has occurred. Forests that have extreme fuel loading due to decades of fire suppression and limited mechanical harvesting to take the place of natural fire regimes; climate change resulting in drought leading to extremely low fuel moisture, high tree mortality and insect damage as well as unpredictable weather events; and increasing amounts of wildland urban interface. This mix is a dangerous combination which results in severe risk for life, property and natural resources. All pieces of the system should be considered while we go through the process of risk reduction. Leslie Bryan From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces+labryan=reupower.com at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Nadine Bailey Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 11:14 AM To: Peggy Berry; Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us; Anton Jaegel; Michael N. Kobseff; Danielle Roberts Lindler Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Well there are some of out there that live and work in these forest and have lived and worked in them for centuries and we do not see what Bill and Denise have shared as truth. The fact is fire has been suppressed in these forest for decades and now we are all paying the price. These forest must be thinned to save them and the wildlife and people that live near them. Don't throw the forest out with the fires. If anyone would like a tour I am more than willing to take you and show you where the fires have burnt and reburning at a hotter temp. Please get out of the office and go out on the land and see for yourself. Nadine Error! Filename not specified. Nadine Bailey 530-276-7743 cell ?And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.? John Steinbeck ________________________________ From: Peggy Berry To: Kier Associates Cc: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Sent: Monday, August 6, 2018 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? Peggy Berry On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: Trinity environmental list-ers For what it?s worth State gov?t leadership has been trying to discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well more than 50 years. We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon updraft and literally exploding. There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or federal land mgt agency. As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 election cycle For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us may see some relief from subsidizing it. ?Best, Bill Kier Kier Associates, Fisheries and Watershed Professionals 15 Junipero Serra Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 Office: 415.721.7548 Mobile: 415.306.6123 kierassociates at att.net www.kierassociates.net GSA Contractor GS10F0124U From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Denise Boggs Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM To: env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From rjc5225 at gmail.com Mon Aug 6 14:50:08 2018 From: rjc5225 at gmail.com (Robert Cunningham) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 14:50:08 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <019d01d42dba$ec55f410$c501dc30$@dcacable.net> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> <000f01d42d35$1d763630$5862a290$@att.net> <019d01d42dba$ec55f410$c501dc30$@dcacable.net> Message-ID: "And the beat goes on"...My heart goes out to everyone who lost a loved one and/or lost a home...The monetary and social costs of dealing with the problem as an emergency far exceeds the cost of coming together and solving the problem proactively. The solution lies in a compromise between timber policy, environmental policy, water policy, and social policy. First we need to enforce existing law and kick the squatters and non-compliant growers out of the forests and rural communities. This is not a local problem, it is a national priority. Next we need to develop a system of tariffs and market incentives that will allow timber companies to harvest at a profit, and in a manner that meets reasonable demand for timber and forest products, along with environmental goals and maintains water quality along with a healthy forest. Next we need to provide sound requirements for defensible space, sound construction requirements, and fuels management requirements appropriate to the structure/activity location. Criminal and civil penalties, along with tax incentives need to be put in place to insure compliance. Any structure that cannot be insured must be vacated until the risk is mitigated to allow insurability, or until the owner shows proof of ability to cover all eventualities. While it's easy to blame each other and avoid sound solutions, we as a nation can no longer endure the consequences. How easily could the Carr Fire have been prevented with adequate fuels management, shoulder construction and vehicle barriers adjacent to the highway right-of-way? Who was responsible for first response this close to an established recreation area? Did the motorists in the immediate vicinity have. Minimal fire-fighting tools and equipment, or any training or instruction to allow them to address the issue? Sometimes the difference between a few feet of burnt vegetation and a major conflagration is an old blanket and a few gallons of water, along with someone informed and appropriate action. We have suffered the catastrophic loss of multiple innocent lives and multiple crushing blows to our economy, not to mention the bleak future for a once beautiful part of our homes. We are a nation that won a world war and put men on the moon! Let's stop bickering and casting blame and get this problem to a manageable place again. Bob Cunningham On Aug 6, 2018 12:41 PM, "Trinity Journal" wrote: > I don?t know, is it selfish to live in Southern California and strip the > Owens Valley and the Colorado River of their rightful water? > > Is it selfish to live in the Bay Area crisscrossed by earthquake faults? > > As pointed out, Redding and Santa Rosa are cities adjacent to wildlands > (as all cities are, unless they lie adjacent to the ocean). So while there > is issues to be discussed about WUI, this is not a selfishness issue. Rural > towns are needed for a variety of reasons ? water, timber, agriculture. How > they interface with the adjacent wildlands is worthy of discussion, but you > can?t play the blame game for them being there. > > -Wayne Agner > > P.S. You are welcome for all the water we ship south. > > > > *From:* env-trinity *On > Behalf Of *Peggy Berry > *Sent:* Monday, August 06, 2018 8:30 AM > *To:* Kier Associates > *Cc:* env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > *Subject:* Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California > wildfires are worse than ever > > > > Thank you Bill Kier and Denise Boggs for shining the spotlight on the > truth: Humans who demand to build their homes wherever they want ? > inaccessible forest lands, ocean cliffs, etc. because they think they are > entitled to THEIR OWN wishes. > > > > I mourn the firefighters who are then expected to save them and their > homes - and sometimes unselfishly give their lives - so others are able to > get what they want based on selfish desires and demands. > > > > Something besides money and profit need to redefine ?entitlements!? > > > > Peggy Berry > > On Aug 5, 2018, at 8:25 PM, Kier Associates > wrote: > > > > Trinity environmental list-ers > > > > For what it?s worth *State* gov?t leadership has been trying to > discourage this building in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) for well > more than 50 years. > > > > We had some very dry winters in the early ?60s and some terrible wildfires > immediately thereafter. When I joined what is now the CA Natural Resources > Agency in early 1964 we were going around to various local gov?ts, groups, > etc., with a film that showed, for example, homes built at the top of > canyons in the Santa Monica Mtns, with huge jutting redwood decks from > which to view to the ocean, catching the 1,000 degree F.-plus canyon > updraft and literally exploding. > > > > There?s been a too-subdued policy discussion for decades about the ?State > Responsibility Lands?, those not served directly by a local fire agency or > federal land mgt agency. > > > > As the cost for serving these lands with State fire protection grew over > time the State finally instituted a modest annual fee (like $150) on > property-owners to help support fire prevention/ suppression on these > so-called ?State Responsibility Lands? > > > > This fee has become, not surprisingly, a whipping-boy for CA?s > mostly-rural conservative politicians ? it?s playing heavily into the > current legislative discussions about the 2017 wildfires and into the 2018 > election cycle > > > > For those of us living in urban areas who are paying what we hope is our > fair share for fire prevention and suppression services, we ? I, anyway ? > find ourselves 1- aghast at and saddened by the enormity of the Carr Fire; > and 2- wondering when the cost of unbridled residential incursion into the > WUI is going to become a sufficient issue in California that the rest of us > may see some relief from subsidizing it. > > > > ?Best, > > > > Bill Kier > > Kier Associates, *Fisheries and Watershed Professionals* > > 15 Junipero Serra Avenue > > San Rafael, CA 94901 > > Office: 415.721.7548 > > Mobile: 415.306.6123 > > kierassociates at att.net > > www.kierassociates.net > > GSA Contractor GS10F0124U > > > > > > > > > > *From:* env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > ] *On Behalf Of *Denise > Boggs > *Sent:* Sunday, August 05, 2018 6:26 PM > *To:* env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > *Subject:* [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California > wildfires are worse than ever > > > > The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they > shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the > state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people > keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires > and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. > > > > ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from > a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then > quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake > Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? > > *The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever* > The Mercury News > > As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities > where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of > higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. > Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story > > > Denise Boggs > > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who > learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect > her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the > final hour." > > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lincoln at kmud.org Mon Aug 6 17:48:20 2018 From: lincoln at kmud.org (Kelley Lincoln) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 17:48:20 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: I urge us not to start pointing fingers. Alot of people are really hurting right now. My grandparents lived in Lake County the last thirty years of their lives. Many places lost to fire there in the last few years were not out in the hinterlands other than being small towns. The maps I've seen of Redding suggest many suburban neighborhood people lost homes. Santa Rosa last year had suburban neighborhoods with streets and fire protection wiped out. Blue Lake CA almost went up that same night that the Santa Rosa fire started. It was an heroic effort that kept that little town from burning. Where is the line after which People may not use or develop the property they have? I know those decisions are left with the local government because of a sense of democracy and local control. That's what county general plans are all about. Legalization of marijuana is going to do a lot to reduce the outward population pressures so that's a relief. And these fires are also pushing People out of California and back toward urban centers. But in all of the blaming I've seen in the last day or two, from the White House down, I see little that talks about the things that make the most sense to me: fire fuel reduction and prescription burns to counteract a century of well-meaning, government subsidized, yet altogether misguided fire suppression. And prescription burns have the added benefit of being part of the cycle of life that many plants are evolved around. Kelley On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 6:26 PM Denise Boggs < denise at conservationcongress-ca.org> wrote: > The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they > shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the > state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people > keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires > and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. > > ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from > a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then > quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake > Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? > > *The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever* > The Mercury News > > As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities > where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of > higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. > Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who > learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect > her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the > final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From colleen.caos at gmail.com Mon Aug 6 18:09:49 2018 From: colleen.caos at gmail.com (Colleen OSullivan) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 18:09:49 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: Whiskeytown NRA was very pro-active in their veg management, including annual prescribed burns and other prescriptions. I'm heartbroken that it didn't seem to do what it was designed to do. These fires are catastrophic - there is no effective prescription for these fires, under current conditions. Colleen On Mon, Aug 6, 2018 at 5:48 PM, Kelley Lincoln wrote: > I urge us not to start pointing fingers. Alot of people are really hurting > right now. My grandparents lived in Lake County the last thirty years of > their lives. Many places lost to fire there in the last few years were not > out in the hinterlands other than being small towns. The maps I've seen of > Redding suggest many suburban neighborhood people lost homes. Santa Rosa > last year had suburban neighborhoods with streets and fire protection wiped > out. Blue Lake CA almost went up that same night that the Santa Rosa fire > started. It was an heroic effort that kept that little town from burning. > > Where is the line after which People may not use or develop the property > they have? I know those decisions are left with the local government > because of a sense of democracy and local control. > That's what county general plans are all about. > > Legalization of marijuana is going to do a lot to reduce the outward > population pressures so that's a relief. And these fires are also pushing > People out of California and back toward urban centers. > > But in all of the blaming I've seen in the last day or two, from the White > House down, I see little that talks about the things that make the most > sense to me: fire fuel reduction and prescription burns to counteract a > century of well-meaning, government subsidized, yet altogether misguided > fire suppression. > > And prescription burns have the added benefit of being part of the cycle > of life that many plants are evolved around. > > Kelley > > On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 6:26 PM Denise Boggs ca.org> wrote: > >> The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they >> shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the >> state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people >> keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires >> and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. >> >> ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark >> from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It >> then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake >> Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? >> >> *The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever* >> The Mercury News >> >> As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities >> where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of >> higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. >> Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story >> >> Denise Boggs >> Www.conservationcongress-ca.org >> >> "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who >> learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect >> her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the >> final hour." >> 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity >> > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Mon Aug 6 19:51:37 2018 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 02:51:37 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] California timber firms may be 'piece of the puzzle' to cut fire risk Message-ID: Nice article on engaging private sector in reducing fire risk. https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/03/california-timber-firms-maybe-piece-of-the-puzzle-to-cut-fire-risk.html?__source=sharebar%7Cemail&par=sharebar California timber industry may be a 'piece of the puzzle' to help reduce state's raging wildfires Jeff Daniels [Firefighters try to control a back burn as the Carr fire continues to spread towards the towns of Douglas City and Lewiston near Redding, California on July 31, 2018.?] Mark Ralston | AFP | Getty Images Firefighters try to control a back burn as the Carr fire continues to spread towards the towns of Douglas City and Lewiston near Redding, California on July 31, 2018. As California wildfires rage, politicians, timber companies and environmentalists are debating whether to thin overly dense forest lands that fuel the state's deadly infernos. About one-third of California is covered by forests, most of it owned by the U.S. government. Last year was the most destructive and deadly wildfire season in the state's history. And 2018 through July is one-third higher in acreage burned than a year ago, according to Cal Fire. Some believe the state's timber industry could be part of the solution by selectively thinning forests of trees. Timber harvesting has fallen sharply in California since the 1990s. Despite opposition from some environmental groups, there's talk of the need to remove more barriers to logging given that wildfires have become bigger, deadlier and faster moving. California's timber laws are considered the most stringent in the nation. "You've got a lot of fuel, you've got dead and dying trees, and a lot of hot weather ? and it's a recipe for disaster," said Assemblyman Jim Wood of Healdsburg in Sonoma County, a member of the Senate and Assembly conference committee on wildfire preparedness and response. He represents a district with forested areas where October's wine country firestorms ripped through neighborhoods and destroyed thousands of homes and claimed 31 lives. The U.S. Forest Service estimates that California has 129 million dead trees, most in the central and southern Sierras. Insects and drought are to blame for the high numbers. California requires investor-owned utilities to buy biomass power from dead trees in high-hazard forested zones. "I don't think we're ever going to completely prevent forest fires, but I think we can mitigate the damage that they cause," said Wood. "It's a strategy and it will take resources. As a state, we haven't committed as much to that, and that's part of the reason we find ourselves where we are." 'Wake-up call for California' According to the California Forestry Association, tree density in the Sierra Nevada is too high when compared with the region's historical rates, creating an elevated fire hazard. It estimates there was an average of 40 trees per acre in the Sierras roughly 150 years ago but puts that number today at hundreds of trees per acre. "Fire used to naturally go through the forest, and with 40 trees per acre, the fire will mostly stay on the ground, without creating a catastrophe," said Rich Gordon, president and CEO of the association, which represents the timber industry. "This has been a wake-up call for California. We have to do something different to prevent these catastrophic fires." As Gordon sees it, large tree growth plus a history of fire suppression and reduced timber activity have created an unnatural setting of continuous fuels. Moreover, he said it's led to too many trees competing for water during droughts. "The industry is certainly prepared to assist and encourage and support the thinning of our forests," said Gordon. "We can actually have more resilient, fire resistant forests if we thin them a little bit." Wood agrees that the selective removal of trees to reduce fuels and a more robust timber strategy in the state "can be a piece of the puzzle" to reduce the fire risk. Wildland-urban interface At the same time, the Democratic lawmaker is concerned about the fire risk for communities and subdivisions that are developed right up against wildlands or forests. The deadly Carr fire in Shasta County is the sixth-largest fire in California history and last month destroyed more than 1,000 homes ? some in or near fire-prone wildlands known for oak trees and flammable chaparral. An estimated 3.6 million California homes are built in what's called wildland-urban interface, and more than 1 million are considered as "high or very high fire risk." The federal government is the largest owner of forest lands in California, holding about 57 percent of the roughly 33 million acres. Families, individuals, companies or Native American tribes own about 40 percent of forested land in California, while local, state and land trusts own the remainder. Most of the timber companies operating in California today are family owned or part of family trusts. Those companies primarily get trees from their own lands by filing a harvest plan with the state for lumber production or through the sale of trees through federal forest programs, including some that allow them to salvage trees after forest fires. California has no commercial timber operations on state-owned lands. [Scarred hills remain after the Carr Fire west of Redding, California, U.S. July 28, 2018.?] Bob Strong | Reuters Scarred hills remain after the Carr Fire west of Redding, California, U.S. July 28, 2018. On Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown held a press conference to discuss wildfires and said there was a need for the state "to do planned burnings" as part of forest management and "to thin out the forest." In May, the governor issued an executive order aimed at protecting communities from wildfire, and it included doubling the land actively managed through vegetation thinning, controlled fires and reforestation. Push for regulatory relief Meantime, the state forestry association wants to change rules and regulations to make it easier for private industry to thin forested land. The group also suggests increased logging could benefit rural areas in Northern California where poverty and job losses have been problems. Gordon, the trade group's CEO, insists the industry isn't pushing for more clear-cutting of forested lands ? a practice the Sierra Club opposes. Rather, he said, the industry advocates "selectively removing smaller trees on a landscape so that the bigger trees (which are more resilient to fire and store more carbon) can survive and do better." Kathryn Phillips, director of the Sierra Club California, said the environmental group is not opposed to what she calls "selective logging and those sort of things. We're opposed to going in and unnecessarily disrupting the environment and doing forest management practices that will lead to worse fires, and some forest practices do." She said the practice of clear-cutting and planting trees all at the same time creates added risk for the forest because "you don't have diversity. That makes them more susceptible to fires. Older trees tend to burn less and slower. So you want to have a lot of diversity." Some conservative lawmakers believe environmental groups share blame for the state's current fire risk. "Extreme environmental groups have for years stated that we shouldn't thin our forests because of the benefits of carbon that is stored," said Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach. "However, the carbon that is currently being released with these out-of-control wildfires is dramatically greater than we would have if our forests were responsibly managed." Bringing back timber industry "The private sector is the answer," he said. "We need to bring back our timber industry to clean up our forests for the safety of the entire state. The industry can ensure that our forests are sustainably managed and healthy." Allen, a former gubernatorial candidate, contends that Democrats share some blame for the fire risk due to policies over the years that have "regulated the timber industry out of California and denied access of Northern Californians to their own natural resources." Most of the lumber used in California construction today is brought in from Oregon, Washington or other sources. The cost to harvest timber in California can be substantially higher than other Western states due to regulations. "It's almost cost prohibitive currently for you to go in and remove any timber (in California)," said Gordon. "If we were to go in and do some thinning, we could produce more California product that could then be used by builders in the state." Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kbevard at gmail.com Mon Aug 6 20:35:53 2018 From: kbevard at gmail.com (kristi bevard) Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2018 20:35:53 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: My two cents. Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm E) lightening strikes F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. Kristi A Bevard Former TAMWG member Trinity County Resident On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs wrote: > The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they > shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the > state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people > keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires > and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. > > ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from > a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then > quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake > Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? > > *The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever* > The Mercury News > > As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities > where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of > higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. > Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who > learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect > her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the > final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Mon Aug 6 21:00:47 2018 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 04:00:47 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com>, Message-ID: Thank you. Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. On Aug 6, 2018, at 8:36 PM, kristi bevard > wrote: My two cents. Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm E) lightening strikes F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. Kristi A Bevard Former TAMWG member Trinity County Resident On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs > wrote: The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 7 07:49:43 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 14:49:43 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Siskiyou-area_tribe=E2=80=99s_reinstateme?= =?utf-8?q?nt_questioned?= References: <1978011151.3850242.1533653383352.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1978011151.3850242.1533653383352@mail.yahoo.com> There is also another article at the Eureka Times Standard on this at Karuk Tribe-funded study: Ruffey Rancheria never existed? A northern California congressman says his bill to restore the Ruffey Rancheria tribal nation would right a historic wrong, but a recent study of federal archives concluded there is nothing to... Siskiyou-area tribe's reinstatement questioned - Capitol Weekly | | | | | | | | | | | Siskiyou-area tribe's reinstatement questioned - Capitol Weekly A move to restore federal tribal recognition to a long defunct Siskiyou County Indian rancheria has received a m... | | | | Siskiyou-area tribe?s reinstatement questioned BY?LISA RENNER?POSTED?08.06.2018 A move to restore federal tribal recognition to a long defunct Siskiyou County Indian rancheria has received a major blow.Research done by a college professor indicates no Indian ever lived on the 441-acre Ruffey Rancheria outside Etna. Stephen Dow Beckham, a history professor at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon and an expert in American Indian history, said there is no evidence that any group of people considered themselves part of a Ruffey Rancheria tribe or set up a tribal government or had a relationship with the federal government.?This is an attempt to resurrect a tribe where there was no tribe,? said Josh Saxon, executive director of the Karuk Tribe, which hired the professor to investigate the tribe?s legitimacy. Congress terminated the rancheria along with 40 others a part of the California Indian Rancheria Act of 1958 Tahj Gomes, a Chico attorney who is chairman of Ruffey Rancheria, did not respond to a request for comment. But he was quoted in the?Eureka Times-Standard?as saying Beckham?s report is factually wrong and that he overlooked a list of tribe members who were residents ?on or near the original reservation lands or on other lands purchased or leased for the Ruffey Rancheria members? and correspondence between the rancheria and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.?Congressman Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, who is sponsoring House Resolution 3535, to restore the tribe?s recognition, also contests the report. Parker Williams, his communications director, said Beckham?s claims are ?inaccurate and disingenuous.? He said the report ?has no impact on the Congressman?s ongoing efforts to right a historic wrong done to Ruffey Rancheria.?Congress terminated the rancheria along with 40 others a part of the California Indian Rancheria Act of 1958. LaMalfa testified before Congress that Ruffey Rancheria is one of the last few remaining terminated California Indian rancherias that have not yet been restored to federally recognized status. He testified that the rancheria tribal members ?have deep roots in Siskiyou County that can be dated back generations.?But Beckham said to date neither Gomes nor LaMalfa have provided him with any documents to backup their claims.?I?ve never seen anything like it,? he said, explaining that he has never seen so little public documentation associated with a tribe seeking federal recognition.?No Indian ever lived on the property,? he said. ?That leaves the question: ?What is there to restore?? The story of Ruffey Rancheria dates back to 1905 when Congress authorized an Indian agent to buy land for poor Indians. Beckham said it is troubling that Gomes is the only person who has been publicly revealed as a member of the tribe. Gomes has declined to release tribal council members or the names of any other tribe members. In addition, Gomes has previously presented himself publicly as the Chairman of the also unrecognized Etna Band of Shasta Indians. Many of his family members are Karuk Indians.Beckham questioned who Gomes? financial backers are and what their motivations are.He says the issue is significant because if Ruffey Rancheria receives federal tribal recognition it would allow them to establish a reservation anywhere in Siskiyou County and get water rights. The group would be on par with the Navajo Nation and the Sioux and could have the right to build a casino.The story of Ruffey Rancheria dates back to 1905 when Congress authorized an Indian agent to buy land for poor Indians. The agent bought Ruffey Rancheria in 1907 for two Karuk families, thinking that it was the home of ?Old Man Ruffey,? the rancheria?s namesake. But it turned out the land wasn?t suitable because of poor soil, lack of water and steep hills.At the time of the California Indian Rancheria Termination Act, the Bureau of Indian Affairs distributed the rancheria land to Old Man Ruffey?s three grandchildren. They in turn quickly sold it off to the International Paper Company.?It?s a brushy, forested hillside,? Beckham said. ?No one lives there today.? ?We believe there are some legitimate restoration bills in Congress right now. This isn?t one of them.? ? Josh Saxon Gomes was quoted in the Eureka newspaper as saying Beckham is a ?hired gun who is willing to draw whatever conclusion best suits his current employer.?Beckham said he has no personal stake in the question of federal recognition and merely looked at the evidence in the records in the National Archives in San Bruno relating to Ruffey Rancheria. ?There is no fault in my being paid for my time as a research historian to have carried out that task and write the report.?Saxon, the executive director of the Karuk Tribe, said his tribe would normally not get involved in another tribe?s quest for federal recognition. ?We believe there are some legitimate restoration bills in Congress right now. This isn?t one of them. This is so far from a restoration bill that we have to say something.?LaMalfa?s bill narrowly passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee in May on a 19-18 vote and now goes to the House Rules Committee. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Tue Aug 7 08:34:50 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 09:34:50 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-fires-20180806-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter ?But those policies fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government, as well as the state, since national forests and their environs are where much of the encroachment ? the so-called wildland-urban interface ? has taken place. Among other factors, federal spending on fire suppression in the national forests has effectively subsidized the expansion of the interface, by taking the costs of fire control off the shoulders of the residents.? With all due respect I don?t think this discussion is about ?blaming? people for where they live. I do think it?s about pointing out some facts many people aren?t aware of. You are right - living in the forest doesn?t cause fires - but it does cause inherent risks that are largely ignored by many people. People choose to live in in a WUI or in the forest (inholdings) - they don?t have to live there. That decision carries an inherent risk and should also carry a personal responsibility to implement fire-wise practices. I don?t see much of that happening. When I do my field work I often come across places with firewood stacked next to the house; trees next to the house with branches hanging over the roofs; no metal roofs; shrubs not cleared from within 100 feet of the home; etc. These places are going to burn if a wildfire hits and whose fault is it? The Forest Service? No. That?s not blaming - that?s pointing out the truth and why many houses that burn didn?t have to. As this article states, logging used as fire suppression is subsidizing the expansion of the WUI when we should be zoning areas out of consideration for home construction. Instead the opposite is happening. And fire suppression increases wildfires as we have all seen for over a decade now. FS policy on wildfire is insanity. Logging to suppress fires increases fire risk so let?s log more. Wash, rinse repeat. Why does this matter? Because many people believe the answer lies in National Forest?s logging more to prevent wildfire. The FS propaganda machine, supported by the timber industry, is in full action causing a false sense of security for the people who live in these areas; and for some, a reason not to implement fire wise practices. Logging obviously does not prevent wildfire - never has and never will - as your list well points out. I esp. appreciated you mentioning #2 (Santa Rosa sub-divisions) which Zinke, industry and the FS used as a whipping boy to increase public lands logging, when that fire had nothing to do with public lands. For 14 years I have been working on the Shasta-Trinity (for many years the largest timber producing forest in the state); Mendocino; Six Rivers; and Modoc NFs. I have personally seen the results of these projects to ?prevent catastrophic wildfire?, that actually increase the risk by opening up the canopy making the area hotter, drier, and windier, and then leaving slash piles 20 feet high to dry out and provide tinder. This increases fire risk - it doesn?t lower it. They take the largest, oldest, most fire resistant trees because that is what industry wants. They don?t want the plantations the FS has created that ARE a fire hazard. Look at photos of our National Forests pre WWII before the FS started ?managing them.? They were beautiful; more acreage burned in the 20s, 30s and 40s than now; and we had far more wildlife (and far less people living in these areas). Look at the areas of the Rim Fire that burned and weren?t salvaged log to see beautiful natural forest recovery. Western forests and wildlife evolved with wildfire. That always seems to get lost in these discussions. Wildfire in itself is not ?unhealthy?. Humans living in or near the forest can be ?unhealthy?, and it must be recognized that that with climate change, some fires will not be able to be stopped. They are climate driven and they are going to burn. The Carr fire is an example. I feel terrible for the people who have lost their lives and their homes, but logging more NFs would not have stopped this fire. That needs to be acknowledged. But just wait until the politicians are unleashed after this fire - salvage sales will be planned right and left which is the worst thing that could be done. So this isn?t about blaming people. It?s connecting the dots because these issues are all related. This discussion needs to happen and it should have occurred 20 years ago. Saying the discussion is about blaming people appears to me to be a way to shut the conversation down, when we need to turn it up. If not now, when? Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > On Aug 6, 2018, at 9:35 PM, kristi bevard wrote: > > My two cents. > > Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. > > Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. > 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. > 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. > 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; > A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads > B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer > C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass > D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm > E) lightening strikes > F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. > > The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. > > Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. > > Kristi A Bevard > Former TAMWG member > Trinity County Resident > >> On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs wrote: >> The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. >> >> ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? >> The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever >> The Mercury News >> >> As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story >> >> Denise Boggs >> Www.conservationcongress-ca.org >> >> "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." >> 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kbevard at gmail.com Tue Aug 7 09:39:02 2018 From: kbevard at gmail.com (kristi bevard) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 09:39:02 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: Hello Denise, Our California is a mis-managed state at every level, and unfortunately in every eco system and the eco systems suffer from offshore to deep in the forests. After living outside of America for 7 years--there are best management practices that consider all parts of the puzzle, from the smallest organism to human kind. Talking about issues is honorable and taking action which makes sense to forward and develop healthy forest management is prudent. Unfortunately, I see none of this happening at a level of true engagement, of true vision which leads to change. I am a realist. After working as a volunteer for Trinity County and the River in an oversight capacity, I learned about our adaptive management. Our Trinity River is redeveloped daily whereas side channel development costs us millions, the river flows are raised experimentally or for other reasons and the man made side channels are destroyed. Then, the government tells land owners it will cost landowners to fix the side channels, with no guarantees. Those same property owners relocated their seep wells in a drug deal proposed years earlier by agencies touting glorious side channels for fish habitat. The TRRP Trinity River Restoration Program multimillion dollar river program does not and will not back their own design or development on a river that supports life on many levels. Where a Science Advisory Board is hired to review the same multi-million dollar river restoration program and their report is kept secret because the report exposes faults in the government program. And the tribes vote on their own projects within the same council, a huge conflict of interest. So, no one really gains any ground and the suffering is in fish diminishment. The lyrics of the song by Don Henley, Goodbye to a River comes to mind. He talks about putting a river in a box. My point is this; Our forests are neglected and so is the river running through it. Enjoy the day. I am going to concentrate on maintaining transparency. Perhaps someone out there will be the change they want to see in this world. Kristi Bevard On Tue, Aug 7, 2018, 08:34 Denise Boggs wrote: > > http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-fires-20180806-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter > > ?But those policies fall within the jurisdiction of the federal > government, as well as the state, since national forests and their environs > are where much of the encroachment ? the so-called wildland-urban interface > ? has taken place. Among other factors, federal spending on fire > suppression in the national forests has effectively subsidized the > expansion of the interface > , > by taking the costs of fire control off the shoulders of the residents.? > > With all due respect I don?t think this discussion is about ?blaming? > people for where they live. I do think it?s about pointing out some facts > many people aren?t aware of. You are right - living in the forest doesn?t > cause fires - but it does cause inherent risks that are largely ignored by > many people. People choose to live in in a WUI or in the forest > (inholdings) - they don?t have to live there. That decision carries an > inherent risk and should also carry a personal responsibility to implement > fire-wise practices. I don?t see much of that happening. When I do my field > work I often come across places with firewood stacked next to the house; > trees next to the house with branches hanging over the roofs; no metal > roofs; shrubs not cleared from within 100 feet of the home; etc. These > places are going to burn if a wildfire hits and whose fault is it? The > Forest Service? No. That?s not blaming - that?s pointing out the truth and > why many houses that burn didn?t have to. As this article states, logging > used as fire suppression is subsidizing the expansion of the WUI when we > should be zoning areas out of consideration for home construction. Instead > the opposite is happening. And fire suppression increases wildfires as we > have all seen for over a decade now. FS policy on wildfire is insanity. > Logging to suppress fires increases fire risk so let?s log more. Wash, > rinse repeat. > > Why does this matter? Because many people believe the answer lies in > National Forest?s logging more to prevent wildfire. The FS propaganda > machine, supported by the timber industry, is in full action causing a > false sense of security for the people who live in these areas; and for > some, a reason not to implement fire wise practices. Logging obviously does > not prevent wildfire - never has and never will - as your list well points > out. I esp. appreciated you mentioning #2 (Santa Rosa sub-divisions) which > Zinke, industry and the FS used as a whipping boy to increase public lands > logging, when that fire had nothing to do with public lands. > > For 14 years I have been working on the Shasta-Trinity (for many years the > largest timber producing forest in the state); Mendocino; Six Rivers; and > Modoc NFs. I have personally seen the results of these projects to ?prevent > catastrophic wildfire?, that actually increase the risk by opening up the > canopy making the area hotter, drier, and windier, and then leaving slash > piles 20 feet high to dry out and provide tinder. This increases fire risk > - it doesn?t lower it. They take the largest, oldest, most fire resistant > trees because that is what industry wants. They don?t want the plantations > the FS has created that ARE a fire hazard. > > Look at photos of our National Forests pre WWII before the FS started > ?managing them.? They were beautiful; more acreage burned in the 20s, 30s > and 40s than now; and we had far more wildlife (and far less people living > in these areas). Look at the areas of the Rim Fire that burned and weren?t > salvaged log to see beautiful natural forest recovery. Western forests and > wildlife evolved with wildfire. That always seems to get lost in these > discussions. Wildfire in itself is not ?unhealthy?. Humans living in or > near the forest can be ?unhealthy?, and it must be recognized that that > with climate change, some fires will not be able to be stopped. They are > climate driven and they are going to burn. The Carr fire is an example. I > feel terrible for the people who have lost their lives and their homes, but > logging more NFs would not have stopped this fire. That needs to be > acknowledged. But just wait until the politicians are unleashed after this > fire - salvage sales will be planned right and left which is the worst > thing that could be done. > > So this isn?t about blaming people. It?s connecting the dots because these > issues are all related. This discussion needs to happen and it should have > occurred 20 years ago. Saying the discussion is about blaming people > appears to me to be a way to shut the conversation down, when we need to > turn it up. If not now, when? > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who > learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect > her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the > final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > > On Aug 6, 2018, at 9:35 PM, kristi bevard wrote: > > My two cents. > > Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use > planning in California. > > Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense > to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns > out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by > government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. > 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated > homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed > neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. > 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters > caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live > in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. > 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; > A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both > sides of all roads > B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer > C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass > D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm > E) lightening strikes > F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws > flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. > > The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized > judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here > doesn't cause fires. > > Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. > > Kristi A Bevard > Former TAMWG member > Trinity County Resident > > On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs < > denise at conservationcongress-ca.org> wrote: > >> The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they >> shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the >> state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people >> keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires >> and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. >> >> ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark >> from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It >> then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake >> Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? >> >> *The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever* >> The Mercury News >> >> As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities >> where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of >> higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. >> Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story >> >> Denise Boggs >> Www.conservationcongress-ca.org >> >> "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who >> learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect >> her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the >> final hour." >> 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From victoria7 at snowcrest.net Tue Aug 7 12:17:13 2018 From: victoria7 at snowcrest.net (Vicki Gold) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 12:17:13 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: <774FAD71-A956-43A5-8311-BC3356845B91@snowcrest.net> Hello All, Today?s Truth Out has this link: https://truthout.org/articles/will-public-health-suffer-from-epa-greenlighting-forest-biomass-energy/ Having learned about the biological hazards of co-gen plants, supposedly a green solution, such as the one in operation at Roseburg Forest Products in Weed, there are no easy fixes. Also, the recent and shocking elevation of UV A,B, C, levels (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAsvxI0QN8g ) and the continued disappearance of the Ozone Layer, all are playing a role in the disastrous tree conditions in CA and the West. In the 1980?s Assemblyman Mike Roos carried a statewide bill crafted by Shapell Industries and supported by nearly the entire Democratic Party, that would have allowed all land adjacent to open space, no matter how steep or forested the terrain to be subdivided into 1/4 acre parcels. The bill was a sailing through the Capitol despite opposition from all environmental groups from Sierra Club to Jane Fonda/Tom Hayden?s Campaign for an Economic Democracy to then Arch conservative Republican Ed Davis, Chief of Police in L.A. This is not online, but check the records! There is no end to the stupidity of those motivated by greed. However, I agree that many of the homes lost have been urban. Also, expert electrical engineer William Bathgate, EE ME who testified before the House Committee on Energy has identified the Santa Rosa and Carr fires as having started as forest fires, but morphed rapidly into electrical fires due to actions of the power company and the presence of smart meters that lack ground and surge protection. These should be banned. Vicki Gold Mt Shasta > On Aug 7, 2018, at 9:39 AM, kristi bevard wrote: > > Hello Denise, > > Our California is a mis-managed state at every level, and unfortunately in every eco system and the eco systems suffer from offshore to deep in the forests. > > After living outside of America for 7 years--there are best management practices that consider all parts of the puzzle, from the smallest organism to human kind. Talking about issues is honorable and taking action which makes sense to forward and develop healthy forest management is prudent. Unfortunately, I see none of this happening at a level of true engagement, of true vision which leads to change. > > I am a realist. After working as a volunteer for Trinity County and the River in an oversight capacity, I learned about our adaptive management. Our Trinity River is redeveloped daily whereas side channel development costs us millions, the river flows are raised experimentally or for other reasons and the man made side channels are destroyed. Then, the government tells land owners it will cost landowners to fix the side channels, with no guarantees. Those same property owners relocated their seep wells in a drug deal proposed years earlier by agencies touting glorious side channels for fish habitat. > > The TRRP Trinity River Restoration Program multimillion dollar river program does not and will not back their own design or development on a river that supports life on many levels. > > Where a Science Advisory Board is hired to review the same multi-million dollar river restoration program and their report is kept secret because the report exposes faults in the government program. > > And the tribes vote on their own projects within the same council, a huge conflict of interest. So, no one really gains any ground and the suffering is in fish diminishment. > > The lyrics of the song by Don Henley, Goodbye to a River comes to mind. He talks about putting a river in a box. > > My point is this; Our forests are neglected and so is the river running through it. > > Enjoy the day. I am going to concentrate on maintaining transparency. Perhaps someone out there will be the change they want to see in this world. > > Kristi Bevard > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 7, 2018, 08:34 Denise Boggs > wrote: > http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-fires-20180806-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter > > ?But those policies fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government, as well as the state, since national forests and their environs are where much of the encroachment ? the so-called wildland-urban interface ? has taken place. Among other factors, federal spending on fire suppression in the national forests has effectively subsidized the expansion of the interface , by taking the costs of fire control off the shoulders of the residents.? > > With all due respect I don?t think this discussion is about ?blaming? people for where they live. I do think it?s about pointing out some facts many people aren?t aware of. You are right - living in the forest doesn?t cause fires - but it does cause inherent risks that are largely ignored by many people. People choose to live in in a WUI or in the forest (inholdings) - they don?t have to live there. That decision carries an inherent risk and should also carry a personal responsibility to implement fire-wise practices. I don?t see much of that happening. When I do my field work I often come across places with firewood stacked next to the house; trees next to the house with branches hanging over the roofs; no metal roofs; shrubs not cleared from within 100 feet of the home; etc. These places are going to burn if a wildfire hits and whose fault is it? The Forest Service? No. That?s not blaming - that?s pointing out the truth and why many houses that burn didn?t have to. As this article states, logging used as fire suppression is subsidizing the expansion of the WUI when we should be zoning areas out of consideration for home construction. Instead the opposite is happening. And fire suppression increases wildfires as we have all seen for over a decade now. FS policy on wildfire is insanity. Logging to suppress fires increases fire risk so let?s log more. Wash, rinse repeat. > > Why does this matter? Because many people believe the answer lies in National Forest?s logging more to prevent wildfire. The FS propaganda machine, supported by the timber industry, is in full action causing a false sense of security for the people who live in these areas; and for some, a reason not to implement fire wise practices. Logging obviously does not prevent wildfire - never has and never will - as your list well points out. I esp. appreciated you mentioning #2 (Santa Rosa sub-divisions) which Zinke, industry and the FS used as a whipping boy to increase public lands logging, when that fire had nothing to do with public lands. > > For 14 years I have been working on the Shasta-Trinity (for many years the largest timber producing forest in the state); Mendocino; Six Rivers; and Modoc NFs. I have personally seen the results of these projects to ?prevent catastrophic wildfire?, that actually increase the risk by opening up the canopy making the area hotter, drier, and windier, and then leaving slash piles 20 feet high to dry out and provide tinder. This increases fire risk - it doesn?t lower it. They take the largest, oldest, most fire resistant trees because that is what industry wants. They don?t want the plantations the FS has created that ARE a fire hazard. > > Look at photos of our National Forests pre WWII before the FS started ?managing them.? They were beautiful; more acreage burned in the 20s, 30s and 40s than now; and we had far more wildlife (and far less people living in these areas). Look at the areas of the Rim Fire that burned and weren?t salvaged log to see beautiful natural forest recovery. Western forests and wildlife evolved with wildfire. That always seems to get lost in these discussions. Wildfire in itself is not ?unhealthy?. Humans living in or near the forest can be ?unhealthy?, and it must be recognized that that with climate change, some fires will not be able to be stopped. They are climate driven and they are going to burn. The Carr fire is an example. I feel terrible for the people who have lost their lives and their homes, but logging more NFs would not have stopped this fire. That needs to be acknowledged. But just wait until the politicians are unleashed after this fire - salvage sales will be planned right and left which is the worst thing that could be done. > > So this isn?t about blaming people. It?s connecting the dots because these issues are all related. This discussion needs to happen and it should have occurred 20 years ago. Saying the discussion is about blaming people appears to me to be a way to shut the conversation down, when we need to turn it up. If not now, when? > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > > On Aug 6, 2018, at 9:35 PM, kristi bevard > wrote: > >> My two cents. >> >> Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. >> >> Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. >> 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. >> 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. >> 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; >> A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads >> B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer >> C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass >> D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm >> E) lightening strikes >> F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. >> >> The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. >> >> Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. >> >> Kristi A Bevard >> Former TAMWG member >> Trinity County Resident >> >> On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs > wrote: >> The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. >> >> ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? >> The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever >> The Mercury News >> >> As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story >> Denise Boggs >> Www.conservationcongress-ca.org >> >> "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." >> 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From mattson at EcosystemsNorthwest.com Tue Aug 7 12:47:05 2018 From: mattson at EcosystemsNorthwest.com (Kim) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 12:47:05 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: <2653ab24-b0e7-5d79-78ee-adf708e5ed2a@EcosystemsNorthwest.com> I really enjoyed this thread and value the comments I have read. I think it is very important to have this discussion. I read or interpreted the posts as building houses in forest areas is problematic as they create a greater need to fight fires to save those houses and not necessarily that the houses themselves create fires... the location of these homes create a greater need to fight the fires and a greater economic loss when they burn. I also have this story to contribute that you may find interesting to read.? My son is a Cal-fire fire fighter.? He told me a story about fighting a fire as a member of his four-man engine crew at night on a ridgetop (I can't recall exactly where but it was about 2 years ago). They were protecting a nice house built on that ridge top.? The fire got too close and actually came up quickly so they were slow to retreat.? They jumped in the fire engine and he said the fire swept up and hit the passengers side window with a blast where he was sitting.? He said they have extra strong glass and the window held.? If it had broken, he said the temperatures likely would have immediately collapsed their tracheas and presumable the four man crew would have died.? They backed out leaving their hoses to burn.? They hit the owners car on the way out, but were safe. They were able to go back in and save the house.? The engine had scorched paint... and there was a meeting and discussion about it the next day....so I guess you call that a close call. ? Every so often I think about that story and wonder as I look up at really nice homes built into the forest on slopes... I would probably want to live there too if I could afford it...on the other hand, I have neighbors around me where we live on the edge of town... I have lived further out before but I now I like living around people better and closer in to the town area... I get to know my neighbors and I enjoy their company.? So, the way I look at it is there is actually a number of social benefits to not living in the forest zones besides the fire fighting problems it creates.? We are planning a small neighborhood party this month... If you elected me the king, I would pass a law that those that still wish to build in the fire zones further out could do so, but would pay an extra fee or tax that would discourage some building and would help to pay for the costs of fire fighting.? Economist often say that this sort of cost accounting is an effective way to change behaviors and still allows some level of choice.? ? But for now, if I lived further out in a fire zone, I would try to think through how I am going to behave once a fire appears. Kim Mattson Mount Shasta, CA On 8/6/2018 8:35 PM, kristi bevard wrote: > My two cents. > > Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use > planning in California. > > Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no > sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As > it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were > caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, > windy day. > 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated > homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision > designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. > 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including > disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those > of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. > 4.? There are many reasons why our lands are burning; > A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on > both sides of all roads > B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer > C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass > D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm > E) lightening strikes > F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws > flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. > > The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making > generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the > forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. > > Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. > > Kristi A Bevard > Former TAMWG member > Trinity County Resident > > On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs > > wrote: > > The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in > areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires > throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned > multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The > state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn > regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. > > ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single > spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National > Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new > residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it > destroyed 65 upscale homes.? > > *The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever* > The Mercury News > > As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of > cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s > eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by > geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the > full story > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the > men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they > struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the > magnitude of the fury in the final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From pcatanese at dhscott.com Tue Aug 7 13:48:10 2018 From: pcatanese at dhscott.com (Paul Catanese) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 20:48:10 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <2653ab24-b0e7-5d79-78ee-adf708e5ed2a@EcosystemsNorthwest.com> References: <4b5fffb4a01cd03dd45ad6a224083207@smtp.hushmail.com> , <2653ab24-b0e7-5d79-78ee-adf708e5ed2a@EcosystemsNorthwest.com> Message-ID: <98F8B090-6033-46FD-9BDD-7D06D002CE0F@dhscott.com> The fire started at whiskeytown Monday July 23? Burned redding, on Thursday that week. Redding is a city.fail to see the connection between a fire starting at whiskeytown a federal park and burning down redding 20 miles away. The investigation that will transpire will shed light on this. Has nothing to do with houses in the forest. Same with Santa Rosa , Oakland hills or Southern California. Living the northstate we have bigger issues with unbridled immigration into California over the past 30 years and no improvement to infrastructure to support this migration. The real issue is squeezing five pounds of people into a 2 pound bag and have all Californians subsidize it. Paul J. Catanese, Partner D.H. Scott & Company O: 530.243.4300 | F: 530.243.4306 900 Market St, Redding, CA 96001 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This communication (including any attachments) may contain privileged or confidential information intended for a specific individual and purpose, and is protected by law. If you are not the intended recipient, you should delete this communication and/or shred the materials and any attachments and are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, or distribution of this communication, or the taking of any action based on it, is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Disclaimer: Any accounting, business or tax advice contained in this communication, including attachments and enclosures, is not intended as a thorough, in-depth analysis of specific issues, nor a substitute for a formal opinion, nor is it sufficient to avoid tax-related penalties. If desired, D.H. Scott & Company would be pleased to perform the requisite research and provide you with a detailed written analysis. Such an engagement may be the subject of a separate engagement letter that would define the scope and limits of the desired consultation services. On Aug 7, 2018, at 1:03 PM, Kim > wrote: I really enjoyed this thread and value the comments I have read. I think it is very important to have this discussion. I read or interpreted the posts as building houses in forest areas is problematic as they create a greater need to fight fires to save those houses and not necessarily that the houses themselves create fires... the location of these homes create a greater need to fight the fires and a greater economic loss when they burn. I also have this story to contribute that you may find interesting to read. My son is a Cal-fire fire fighter. He told me a story about fighting a fire as a member of his four-man engine crew at night on a ridgetop (I can't recall exactly where but it was about 2 years ago). They were protecting a nice house built on that ridge top. The fire got too close and actually came up quickly so they were slow to retreat. They jumped in the fire engine and he said the fire swept up and hit the passengers side window with a blast where he was sitting. He said they have extra strong glass and the window held. If it had broken, he said the temperatures likely would have immediately collapsed their tracheas and presumable the four man crew would have died. They backed out leaving their hoses to burn. They hit the owners car on the way out, but were safe. They were able to go back in and save the house. The engine had scorched paint... and there was a meeting and discussion about it the next day....so I guess you call that a close call. Every so often I think about that story and wonder as I look up at really nice homes built into the forest on slopes... I would probably want to live there too if I could afford it...on the other hand, I have neighbors around me where we live on the edge of town... I have lived further out before but I now I like living around people better and closer in to the town area... I get to know my neighbors and I enjoy their company. So, the way I look at it is there is actually a number of social benefits to not living in the forest zones besides the fire fighting problems it creates. We are planning a small neighborhood party this month... If you elected me the king, I would pass a law that those that still wish to build in the fire zones further out could do so, but would pay an extra fee or tax that would discourage some building and would help to pay for the costs of fire fighting. Economist often say that this sort of cost accounting is an effective way to change behaviors and still allows some level of choice. But for now, if I lived further out in a fire zone, I would try to think through how I am going to behave once a fire appears. Kim Mattson Mount Shasta, CA On 8/6/2018 8:35 PM, kristi bevard wrote: My two cents. Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm E) lightening strikes F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. Kristi A Bevard Former TAMWG member Trinity County Resident On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs > wrote: The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity [https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-round-orange-animated-no-repeat-v1.gif] Virus-free. www.avast.com _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lrlake at aol.com Tue Aug 7 14:12:45 2018 From: lrlake at aol.com (lrlake at aol.com) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 17:12:45 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <165163c2832-c8e-7ccc@webjas-vac080.srv.aolmail.net> You have my vote, Kristi... It is time for common sense, not Government BS... Lawrence Lake, RPF Redding, CA -----Original Message----- From: kristi bevard To: Denise Boggs Cc: env-trinity Sent: Mon, Aug 6, 2018 8:36 pm Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever My two cents. Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm E) lightening strikes F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. Kristi A Bevard Former TAMWG member Trinity County Resident On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs wrote: The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lrlake at aol.com Tue Aug 7 14:21:03 2018 From: lrlake at aol.com (lrlake at aol.com) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 17:21:03 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <1651643bfc6-c8c-8508@webjas-vad202.srv.aolmail.net> Denise, You have not seen results because many of the plans, to which you refer, were either illconciived or poorly executed; or never done at all. Lawrence Lake, RPF Redding, CA -----Original Message----- From: Denise Boggs To: kristi bevard Cc: env-trinity Sent: Tue, Aug 7, 2018 9:13 am Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-fires-20180806-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter ?But those policies fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government, as well as the state, since national forests and their environs are where much of the encroachment ? the so-called wildland-urban interface ? has taken place. Among other factors, federal spending on fire suppression in the national forests has effectively subsidized the expansion of the interface, by taking the costs of fire control off the shoulders of the residents.? With all due respect I don?t think this discussion is about ?blaming? people for where they live. I do think it?s about pointing out some facts many people aren?t aware of. You are right - living in the forest doesn?t cause fires - but it does cause inherent risks that are largely ignored by many people. People choose to live in in a WUI or in the forest (inholdings) - they don?t have to live there. That decision carries an inherent risk and should also carry a personal responsibility to implement fire-wise practices. I don?t see much of that happening. When I do my field work I often come across places with firewood stacked next to the house; trees next to the house with branches hanging over the roofs; no metal roofs; shrubs not cleared from within 100 feet of the home; etc. These places are going to burn if a wildfire hits and whose fault is it? The Forest Service? No. That?s not blaming - that?s pointing out the truth and why many houses that burn didn?t have to. As this article states, logging used as fire suppression is subsidizing the expansion of the WUI when we should be zoning areas out of consideration for home construction. Instead the opposite is happening. And fire suppression increases wildfires as we have all seen for over a decade now. FS policy on wildfire is insanity. Logging to suppress fires increases fire risk so let?s log more. Wash, rinse repeat. Why does this matter? Because many people believe the answer lies in National Forest?s logging more to prevent wildfire. The FS propaganda machine, supported by the timber industry, is in full action causing a false sense of security for the people who live in these areas; and for some, a reason not to implement fire wise practices. Logging obviously does not prevent wildfire - never has and never will - as your list well points out. I esp. appreciated you mentioning #2 (Santa Rosa sub-divisions) which Zinke, industry and the FS used as a whipping boy to increase public lands logging, when that fire had nothing to do with public lands. For 14 years I have been working on the Shasta-Trinity (for many years the largest timber producing forest in the state); Mendocino; Six Rivers; and Modoc NFs. I have personally seen the results of these projects to ?prevent catastrophic wildfire?, that actually increase the risk by opening up the canopy making the area hotter, drier, and windier, and then leaving slash piles 20 feet high to dry out and provide tinder. This increases fire risk - it doesn?t lower it. They take the largest, oldest, most fire resistant trees because that is what industry wants. They don?t want the plantations the FS has created that ARE a fire hazard. Look at photos of our National Forests pre WWII before the FS started ?managing them.? They were beautiful; more acreage burned in the 20s, 30s and 40s than now; and we had far more wildlife (and far less people living in these areas). Look at the areas of the Rim Fire that burned and weren?t salvaged log to see beautiful natural forest recovery. Western forests and wildlife evolved with wildfire. That always seems to get lost in these discussions. Wildfire in itself is not ?unhealthy?. Humans living in or near the forest can be ?unhealthy?, and it must be recognized that that with climate change, some fires will not be able to be stopped. They are climate driven and they are going to burn. The Carr fire is an example. I feel terrible for the people who have lost their lives and their homes, but logging more NFs would not have stopped this fire. That needs to be acknowledged. But just wait until the politicians are unleashed after this fire - salvage sales will be planned right and left which is the worst thing that could be done. So this isn?t about blaming people. It?s connecting the dots because these issues are all related. This discussion needs to happen and it should have occurred 20 years ago. Saying the discussion is about blaming people appears to me to be a way to shut the conversation down, when we need to turn it up. If not now, when? Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne On Aug 6, 2018, at 9:35 PM, kristi bevard wrote: My two cents. Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm E) lightening strikes F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. Kristi A Bevard Former TAMWG member Trinity County Resident On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs wrote: The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From lrlake at aol.com Tue Aug 7 14:31:30 2018 From: lrlake at aol.com (lrlake at aol.com) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 17:31:30 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <774FAD71-A956-43A5-8311-BC3356845B91@snowcrest.net> Message-ID: <165164d4f92-c88-1df6@webjas-vaa087.srv.aolmail.net> Vicki. I am so sorry you totally miss the point. You don't get it! You must work for BOR, somehow. Lawrence Lake, RPF Redding, CA -----Original Message----- From: Vicki Gold To: kristi bevard Cc: env-trinity Sent: Tue, Aug 7, 2018 12:17 pm Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever Hello All, Today?s Truth Out has this link: https://truthout.org/articles/will-public-health-suffer-from-epa-greenlighting-forest-biomass-energy/ Having learned about the biological hazards of co-gen plants, supposedly a green solution, such as the one in operation at Roseburg Forest Products in Weed, there are no easy fixes. Also, the recent and shocking elevation of UV A,B, C, levels (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAsvxI0QN8g) and the continued disappearance of the Ozone Layer, all are playing a role in the disastrous tree conditions in CA and the West. In the 1980?s Assemblyman Mike Roos carried a statewide bill crafted by Shapell Industries and supported by nearly the entire Democratic Party, that would have allowed all land adjacent to open space, no matter how steep or forested the terrain to be subdivided into 1/4 acre parcels. The bill was a sailing through the Capitol despite opposition from all environmental groups from Sierra Club to Jane Fonda/Tom Hayden?s Campaign for an Economic Democracy to then Arch conservative Republican Ed Davis, Chief of Police in L.A. This is not online, but check the records! There is no end to the stupidity of those motivated by greed. However, I agree that many of the homes lost have been urban. Also, expert electrical engineer William Bathgate, EE ME who testified before the House Committee on Energy has identified the Santa Rosa and Carr fires as having started as forest fires, but morphed rapidly into electrical fires due to actions of the power company and the presence of smart meters that lack ground and surge protection. These should be banned. Vicki Gold Mt Shasta On Aug 7, 2018, at 9:39 AM, kristi bevard wrote: Hello Denise, Our California is a mis-managed state at every level, and unfortunately in every eco system and the eco systems suffer from offshore to deep in the forests. After living outside of America for 7 years--there are best management practices that consider all parts of the puzzle, from the smallest organism to human kind. Talking about issues is honorable and taking action which makes sense to forward and develop healthy forest management is prudent. Unfortunately, I see none of this happening at a level of true engagement, of true vision which leads to change. I am a realist. After working as a volunteer for Trinity County and the River in an oversight capacity, I learned about our adaptive management. Our Trinity River is redeveloped daily whereas side channel development costs us millions, the river flows are raised experimentally or for other reasons and the man made side channels are destroyed. Then, the government tells land owners it will cost landowners to fix the side channels, with no guarantees. Those same property owners relocated their seep wells in a drug deal proposed years earlier by agencies touting glorious side channels for fish habitat. The TRRP Trinity River Restoration Program multimillion dollar river program does not and will not back their own design or development on a river that supports life on many levels. Where a Science Advisory Board is hired to review the same multi-million dollar river restoration program and their report is kept secret because the report exposes faults in the government program. And the tribes vote on their own projects within the same council, a huge conflict of interest. So, no one really gains any ground and the suffering is in fish diminishment. The lyrics of the song by Don Henley, Goodbye to a River comes to mind. He talks about putting a river in a box. My point is this; Our forests are neglected and so is the river running through it. Enjoy the day. I am going to concentrate on maintaining transparency. Perhaps someone out there will be the change they want to see in this world. Kristi Bevard On Tue, Aug 7, 2018, 08:34 Denise Boggs wrote: http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-fires-20180806-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter ?But those policies fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government, as well as the state, since national forests and their environs are where much of the encroachment ? the so-called wildland-urban interface ? has taken place. Among other factors, federal spending on fire suppression in the national forests has effectively subsidized the expansion of the interface, by taking the costs of fire control off the shoulders of the residents.? With all due respect I don?t think this discussion is about ?blaming? people for where they live. I do think it?s about pointing out some facts many people aren?t aware of. You are right - living in the forest doesn?t cause fires - but it does cause inherent risks that are largely ignored by many people. People choose to live in in a WUI or in the forest (inholdings) - they don?t have to live there. That decision carries an inherent risk and should also carry a personal responsibility to implement fire-wise practices. I don?t see much of that happening. When I do my field work I often come across places with firewood stacked next to the house; trees next to the house with branches hanging over the roofs; no metal roofs; shrubs not cleared from within 100 feet of the home; etc. These places are going to burn if a wildfire hits and whose fault is it? The Forest Service? No. That?s not blaming - that?s pointing out the truth and why many houses that burn didn?t have to. As this article states, logging used as fire suppression is subsidizing the expansion of the WUI when we should be zoning areas out of consideration for home construction. Instead the opposite is happening. And fire suppression increases wildfires as we have all seen for over a decade now. FS policy on wildfire is insanity. Logging to suppress fires increases fire risk so let?s log more. Wash, rinse repeat. Why does this matter? Because many people believe the answer lies in National Forest?s logging more to prevent wildfire. The FS propaganda machine, supported by the timber industry, is in full action causing a false sense of security for the people who live in these areas; and for some, a reason not to implement fire wise practices. Logging obviously does not prevent wildfire - never has and never will - as your list well points out. I esp. appreciated you mentioning #2 (Santa Rosa sub-divisions) which Zinke, industry and the FS used as a whipping boy to increase public lands logging, when that fire had nothing to do with public lands. For 14 years I have been working on the Shasta-Trinity (for many years the largest timber producing forest in the state); Mendocino; Six Rivers; and Modoc NFs. I have personally seen the results of these projects to ?prevent catastrophic wildfire?, that actually increase the risk by opening up the canopy making the area hotter, drier, and windier, and then leaving slash piles 20 feet high to dry out and provide tinder. This increases fire risk - it doesn?t lower it. They take the largest, oldest, most fire resistant trees because that is what industry wants. They don?t want the plantations the FS has created that ARE a fire hazard. Look at photos of our National Forests pre WWII before the FS started ?managing them.? They were beautiful; more acreage burned in the 20s, 30s and 40s than now; and we had far more wildlife (and far less people living in these areas). Look at the areas of the Rim Fire that burned and weren?t salvaged log to see beautiful natural forest recovery. Western forests and wildlife evolved with wildfire. That always seems to get lost in these discussions. Wildfire in itself is not ?unhealthy?. Humans living in or near the forest can be ?unhealthy?, and it must be recognized that that with climate change, some fires will not be able to be stopped. They are climate driven and they are going to burn. The Carr fire is an example. I feel terrible for the people who have lost their lives and their homes, but logging more NFs would not have stopped this fire. That needs to be acknowledged. But just wait until the politicians are unleashed after this fire - salvage sales will be planned right and left which is the worst thing that could be done. So this isn?t about blaming people. It?s connecting the dots because these issues are all related. This discussion needs to happen and it should have occurred 20 years ago. Saying the discussion is about blaming people appears to me to be a way to shut the conversation down, when we need to turn it up. If not now, when? Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne On Aug 6, 2018, at 9:35 PM, kristi bevard wrote: My two cents. Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm E) lightening strikes F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. Kristi A Bevard Former TAMWG member Trinity County Resident On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs wrote: The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever The Mercury News As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Tue Aug 7 16:16:42 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 17:16:42 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Fire salvage and stewardship projects speed ecological restoration References: Message-ID: Read it and weep. Talk about lies and misrepresentations. The Cove Fire Salvage Project is the very worst example of NEPA violations I have ever seen in 33 years. The FS, along with Pit River RCD, cut the public entirely out of the process. There was sneaking around, lying, withholding information; failure to notify the public; violations of FS regs and federal Env. Laws; and general malfeasance at work. And this project is their ideal of future projects to follow. They are going to have a long line of litigation..... The FS considers ecological restoration equal to salvage logging. No biologist, forester, soil scientist or hydrologist worth their salt would agree. Salvage logging is the very worst activity that can be done to a forest after a fire for habitat, fisheries, soil quality, water quality and overall forest ?health?. Be prepared for similar actions on the STNF. Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne Begin forwarded message: > From: Modoc Information > Date: August 7, 2018 at 1:08:33 PM MDT > To: > Subject: Fire salvage and stewardship projects speed ecological restoration > Reply-To: Modoc Information > > > > Aug. 7, 2018 > Fire salvage and stewardship projects speed ecological restoration > During the 2017 fire season, approximately 93,000 acres burned on Modoc National Forest. Forest Service personnel started looking for ways to address the ecologic impacts and capture some of the timber value to help fund ecological restoration activities and support rural communities before the fires were out. > > ?Treatments focus on safety for road travel and forest recreation, as well as rehabilitation of soils and wildlife habitat,? said Modoc National Forest Vegetation Program Manager Bill Moore. ?Well-designed harvest of burned areas helps pay for some of this rehabilitation and supports local communities.? > > Designed and planned by Modoc National Forest personnel, the Parker 2 Fire Salvage Project is now producing saw logs from the 2017 Parker 2 Fire in the Southern Warner Mountains. It burned almost 8,000 acres at varying intensity. > > The Warner Mountain Ranger District used the categorical exclusion for fire salvage to plan a forest-health project to help some of the more impacted areas to recover and to address public safety issues created by dead-standing trees along forest roads. This project will provide 3.1 million board feet to help support rural communities and treat 218 acres to increase forest safety, health and resilience. > > Limitations arise during the National Environmental Policy Act planning process where the Forest Service and partners must move quickly before timber value is lost to damage from fungus and wood-boring insects. This loss of value can happen within one year of the fire. > > Efforts to plan for salvage sales in these short timelines can deter focus from planning for other projects meant to prevent or mitigate the impacts of catastrophic wildfires in the future. With this in mind, the forest recently worked with the Pit Resource Conservation District to complete planning for the Cove Fire Salvage and Forest Health Project that will treat 1,380 acres and provide 6.3 million board feet of timber. > > ?Fire Salvage may not be the easiest place to start a stewardship partnership, but the high level of community support for fire salvage projects offered a great opportunity to realize the benefits from this project?s objectives,? said Pit Resource Conservation District Watershed Coordinator and Project Manager Todd Sloat. > > ?Projects like this that leverage partner funding and capacity to accomplish projects the Forest Service alone does not have the funding or staff to accomplish can help create a sense of ownership,? Sloat explained about how partner involvement can go beyond just a single project. > > This is a team approach to ecological restoration. Engaging partners makes for stronger projects, helps create alignment and increases buy in for future projects. Stewardship agreements allow for more flexibility in how sales can be planned, sold and implemented. The receipts can be retained to fund future projects as well. > > ?If we really want to increase pace and scale of ecological restoration, we have to increase planning and implementation resources first,? Sloat added. ?Increased appropriated funds would be welcome, but in the meantime leveraging partner support can help increase the area that can be treated to enhance resiliency and resistance to wildfires, insects and diseases.? > > This project began with building trust between the Pit Resource Conservation District board of directors and the Forest Service, specifically Westside District Ranger Chris Christofferson, who helped them be more comfortable with the risk they were taking in going down the path of this stewardship process. > > ?The Forest Service added the Rice Timber Sale to the stewardship agreement as an innovative way to limit risk to partners and increase the level of commitment from the Forest Service in this new partnership,? said Christofferson. ?Other local organizations such as the Pit Rod and Gun Club also contributed funds.? > > ?This is a level of commitment we had not seen before,? said Sloat. ?The board was all in at that point and wanted to add to the partnership by bringing in other local entities.? Their strategy was to find additional organizations to contribute to the process with the belief that a broader, local partnership would build a stronger ?team? in the long run and attract more funding to conduct more forest health work in the future. > > The project team used local expertise. An estimated 80 percent of the work was done by locals. ?We learned a ton through this process,? Sloat concluded. ?Stewardship agreements are not widely used, and there is still a considerable amount of uncertainty about how they can be of benefit. In addition, salvage projects are different than everything else as they have to be the top priority. Partners rallied around the tight time schedule necessary to capture timber value before it was lost. We are confident we can improve on this tight time schedule in the future.? > > Stewardship agreements are a good example of partnerships in action on public lands, but receipts from timber sales are used in many other ways to support forest health. Learn more at https://www.fs.fed.us/restoration/Stewardship_Contracting/results/assessment/index.shtml. > > > > ### > > > Printable PDF Spotlight with photos > Photo 1 > Parker 2 salvage operations > Photo 2 > Cove Fire dead trees > Photo 3 > Cove Fire riparian impacts > > > USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. > > Want to change how you receive these emails? > You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Tue Aug 7 16:36:46 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 17:36:46 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <1651643bfc6-c8c-8508@webjas-vad202.srv.aolmail.net> References: <1651643bfc6-c8c-8508@webjas-vad202.srv.aolmail.net> Message-ID: <4ebc5177512d0a3d3102bb49d3534513@smtp.hushmail.com> I agree the projects were ill conceived and poorly executed. Unfortunately they were implemented and often with collaborative support. I encourage anyone to take a road trip through McCloud and look at the logging on that District. It is some of the worst logging I have ever seen. It looks like private lands (SPI) logging. You will be hard pressed to find much wildlife on that District. In 14 years I have seen 1 Bald eagle and a few deer - that?s it. This thread began with my criticism of the the 1st 48 project on the SRNF. The Trinity Collaborative signed off on this project. I have spoken with two members of the collaborative and they both said what the documents describe is not what they agreed to. The FS has been caught lying to the public more times than I can count. And a federal investigation showed the FS often does not implement collaborative projects as agreed to. When I review a project I read every document: all specialist reports; the CE/EA/EIS/DN/ and/or FONSI; LOC and/or BiOp - the entire record. It is amazing what you will find. And I would bet anyone on the collaborative that the projects they agree to are not implemented as they believe they will be implemented. And they won?t reduce fire risk..... Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > On Aug 7, 2018, at 3:21 PM, lrlake at aol.com wrote: > > Denise, > > You have not seen results because many of the plans, to which you refer, were either illconciived or poorly executed; or never done at all. > > > Lawrence Lake, RPF > Redding, CA > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Denise Boggs > To: kristi bevard > Cc: env-trinity > Sent: Tue, Aug 7, 2018 9:13 am > Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever > > http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-fires-20180806-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter > > ?But those policies fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government, as well as the state, since national forests and their environs are where much of the encroachment ? the so-called wildland-urban interface ? has taken place. Among other factors, federal spending on fire suppression in the national forests has effectively subsidized the expansion of the interface, by taking the costs of fire control off the shoulders of the residents.? > > With all due respect I don?t think this discussion is about ?blaming? people for where they live. I do think it?s about pointing out some facts many people aren?t aware of. You are right - living in the forest doesn?t cause fires - but it does cause inherent risks that are largely ignored by many people. People choose to live in in a WUI or in the forest (inholdings) - they don?t have to live there. That decision carries an inherent risk and should also carry a personal responsibility to implement fire-wise practices. I don?t see much of that happening. When I do my field work I often come across places with firewood stacked next to the house; trees next to the house with branches hanging over the roofs; no metal roofs; shrubs not cleared from within 100 feet of the home; etc. These places are going to burn if a wildfire hits and whose fault is it? The Forest Service? No. That?s not blaming - that?s pointing out the truth and why many houses that burn didn?t have to. As this article states, logging used as fire suppression is subsidizing the expansion of the WUI when we should be zoning areas out of consideration for home construction. Instead the opposite is happening. And fire suppression increases wildfires as we have all seen for over a decade now. FS policy on wildfire is insanity. Logging to suppress fires increases fire risk so let?s log more. Wash, rinse repeat. > > Why does this matter? Because many people believe the answer lies in National Forest?s logging more to prevent wildfire. The FS propaganda machine, supported by the timber industry, is in full action causing a false sense of security for the people who live in these areas; and for some, a reason not to implement fire wise practices. Logging obviously does not prevent wildfire - never has and never will - as your list well points out. I esp. appreciated you mentioning #2 (Santa Rosa sub-divisions) which Zinke, industry and the FS used as a whipping boy to increase public lands logging, when that fire had nothing to do with public lands. > > For 14 years I have been working on the Shasta-Trinity (for many years the largest timber producing forest in the state); Mendocino; Six Rivers; and Modoc NFs. I have personally seen the results of these projects to ?prevent catastrophic wildfire?, that actually increase the risk by opening up the canopy making the area hotter, drier, and windier, and then leaving slash piles 20 feet high to dry out and provide tinder. This increases fire risk - it doesn?t lower it. They take the largest, oldest, most fire resistant trees because that is what industry wants. They don?t want the plantations the FS has created that ARE a fire hazard. > > Look at photos of our National Forests pre WWII before the FS started ?managing them.? They were beautiful; more acreage burned in the 20s, 30s and 40s than now; and we had far more wildlife (and far less people living in these areas). Look at the areas of the Rim Fire that burned and weren?t salvaged log to see beautiful natural forest recovery. Western forests and wildlife evolved with wildfire. That always seems to get lost in these discussions. Wildfire in itself is not ?unhealthy?. Humans living in or near the forest can be ?unhealthy?, and it must be recognized that that with climate change, some fires will not be able to be stopped. They are climate driven and they are going to burn. The Carr fire is an example. I feel terrible for the people who have lost their lives and their homes, but logging more NFs would not have stopped this fire. That needs to be acknowledged. But just wait until the politicians are unleashed after this fire - salvage sales will be planned right and left which is the worst thing that could be done. > > So this isn?t about blaming people. It?s connecting the dots because these issues are all related. This discussion needs to happen and it should have occurred 20 years ago. Saying the discussion is about blaming people appears to me to be a way to shut the conversation down, when we need to turn it up. If not now, when? > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > > On Aug 6, 2018, at 9:35 PM, kristi bevard wrote: > > My two cents. > > Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. > > Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. > 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. > 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. > 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; > A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads > B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer > C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass > D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm > E) lightening strikes > F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. > > The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. > > Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. > > Kristi A Bevard > Former TAMWG member > Trinity County Resident > > On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs wrote: > The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. > > ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? > The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever > The Mercury News > As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From bhill at igc.org Tue Aug 7 17:23:10 2018 From: bhill at igc.org (Brian Hill) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 17:23:10 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever In-Reply-To: <4ebc5177512d0a3d3102bb49d3534513@smtp.hushmail.com> References: <1651643bfc6-c8c-8508@webjas-vad202.srv.aolmail.net> <4ebc5177512d0a3d3102bb49d3534513@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: <0D07C950-F214-447B-994A-BF7F39C78B79@igc.org> comments in text Brian Hill bhill at igc.org > On Aug 7, 2018, at 4:36 PM, Denise Boggs wrote: > > I agree the projects were ill conceived and poorly executed. Unfortunately they were implemented and often with collaborative support. I encourage anyone to take a road trip through McCloud and look at the logging on that District. It is some of the worst logging I have ever seen. It looks like private lands (SPI) logging. You will be hard pressed to find much wildlife on that District. In 14 years I have seen 1 Bald eagle and a few deer - that?s it. This thread began with my criticism of the the 1st 48 project on the SRNF. The Trinity Collaborative signed off on this project. I have spoken with two members of the collaborative and they both said what the documents describe is not what they agreed to. please document or bring up in next Collaborative meeting > The FS has been caught lying to the public more times than I can count. And a federal investigation showed the FS often does not implement collaborative projects as agreed to. please document so that action may be taken > When I review a project I read every document: all specialist reports; the CE/EA/EIS/DN/ and/or FONSI; LOC and/or BiOp - the entire record. It is amazing what you will find. And I would bet anyone on the collaborative that the projects they agree to are not implemented as they believe they will be implemented. And they won?t reduce fire risk?.. only with good documentation can accusations be turned into action - thanks. I know documenting is a lot of work, but it can help save our forests and prevent future fires. > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > > On Aug 7, 2018, at 3:21 PM, lrlake at aol.com wrote: > >> Denise, >> >> You have not seen results because many of the plans, to which you refer, were either illconciived or poorly executed; or never done at all. >> >> >> Lawrence Lake, RPF >> Redding, CA >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Denise Boggs > >> To: kristi bevard > >> Cc: env-trinity > >> Sent: Tue, Aug 7, 2018 9:13 am >> Subject: Re: [env-trinity] The Mercury News: The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever >> >> http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-trump-fires-20180806-story.html#nws=mcnewsletter >> >> ?But those policies fall within the jurisdiction of the federal government, as well as the state, since national forests and their environs are where much of the encroachment ? the so-called wildland-urban interface ? has taken place. Among other factors, federal spending on fire suppression in the national forests has effectively subsidized the expansion of the interface , by taking the costs of fire control off the shoulders of the residents.? >> >> With all due respect I don?t think this discussion is about ?blaming? people for where they live. I do think it?s about pointing out some facts many people aren?t aware of. You are right - living in the forest doesn?t cause fires - but it does cause inherent risks that are largely ignored by many people. People choose to live in in a WUI or in the forest (inholdings) - they don?t have to live there. That decision carries an inherent risk and should also carry a personal responsibility to implement fire-wise practices. I don?t see much of that happening. When I do my field work I often come across places with firewood stacked next to the house; trees next to the house with branches hanging over the roofs; no metal roofs; shrubs not cleared from within 100 feet of the home; etc. These places are going to burn if a wildfire hits and whose fault is it? The Forest Service? No. That?s not blaming - that?s pointing out the truth and why many houses that burn didn?t have to. As this article states, logging used as fire suppression is subsidizing the expansion of the WUI when we should be zoning areas out of consideration for home construction. Instead the opposite is happening. And fire suppression increases wildfires as we have all seen for over a decade now. FS policy on wildfire is insanity. Logging to suppress fires increases fire risk so let?s log more. Wash, rinse repeat. >> >> Why does this matter? Because many people believe the answer lies in National Forest?s logging more to prevent wildfire. The FS propaganda machine, supported by the timber industry, is in full action causing a false sense of security for the people who live in these areas; and for some, a reason not to implement fire wise practices. Logging obviously does not prevent wildfire - never has and never will - as your list well points out. I esp. appreciated you mentioning #2 (Santa Rosa sub-divisions) which Zinke, industry and the FS used as a whipping boy to increase public lands logging, when that fire had nothing to do with public lands. >> >> For 14 years I have been working on the Shasta-Trinity (for many years the largest timber producing forest in the state); Mendocino; Six Rivers; and Modoc NFs. I have personally seen the results of these projects to ?prevent catastrophic wildfire?, that actually increase the risk by opening up the canopy making the area hotter, drier, and windier, and then leaving slash piles 20 feet high to dry out and provide tinder. This increases fire risk - it doesn?t lower it. They take the largest, oldest, most fire resistant trees because that is what industry wants. They don?t want the plantations the FS has created that ARE a fire hazard. >> >> Look at photos of our National Forests pre WWII before the FS started ?managing them.? They were beautiful; more acreage burned in the 20s, 30s and 40s than now; and we had far more wildlife (and far less people living in these areas). Look at the areas of the Rim Fire that burned and weren?t salvaged log to see beautiful natural forest recovery. Western forests and wildlife evolved with wildfire. That always seems to get lost in these discussions. Wildfire in itself is not ?unhealthy?. Humans living in or near the forest can be ?unhealthy?, and it must be recognized that that with climate change, some fires will not be able to be stopped. They are climate driven and they are going to burn. The Carr fire is an example. I feel terrible for the people who have lost their lives and their homes, but logging more NFs would not have stopped this fire. That needs to be acknowledged. But just wait until the politicians are unleashed after this fire - salvage sales will be planned right and left which is the worst thing that could be done. >> >> So this isn?t about blaming people. It?s connecting the dots because these issues are all related. This discussion needs to happen and it should have occurred 20 years ago. Saying the discussion is about blaming people appears to me to be a way to shut the conversation down, when we need to turn it up. If not now, when? >> >> Denise Boggs >> Www.conservationcongress-ca.org >> >> "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." >> 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne >> >> On Aug 6, 2018, at 9:35 PM, kristi bevard > wrote: >> >> My two cents. >> >> Many opinions are being expressed about fires, responders and land use planning in California. >> >> Many contributing factors to fires in California exist. It makes no sense to chastise others for choosing to live near the forest. 1. As it turns out, some of the most devastating fires in Trinity were caused by government sponsored agencies burning meadows during a dry, windy day. >> 2. If some folks remember the Santa Rosa fire, all of the incinerated homes (with the exception of a few wineries) were in subdivision designed neighborhoods, not wildland fire hazard areas. >> 3. We, who pay insurance, pay for all catastrophes, including disasters caused by flooding, tornadoes and other maladies. For those of us who live in the forest, our insurance is extremely limited. >> 4. There are many reasons why our lands are burning; >> A) little or no weed control from asphalt shoulder to 12 ft inland on both sides of all roads >> B) people who improperly chain up when pulling a trailer >> C) people who toss lit cigarettes out of their windows, into dry grass >> D) transients who have unattended, out of season fires to keep warm >> E) lightening strikes >> F) people driving after their tire has shredded and their rim throws flames into dry grass which was never cut by the state, county or fed. >> >> The list above are some reasons we are on fire. Stop making generalized judgements about people who live in the country or the forest. Living here doesn't cause fires. >> >> Trust me when I say; we pay for the privilege in spades. >> >> Kristi A Bevard >> Former TAMWG member >> Trinity County Resident >> >> On Sun, Aug 5, 2018, 18:26 Denise Boggs > wrote: >> The National Forests aren?t the problem. It?s people living in areas they shouldn?t be. Interesting stats on CA and the wildfires throughout the state over time. Some of these areas have burned multiple times and people keep rebuilding in the same place. The state?s landscape is prone to fires and they are going burn regardless. Climate change only makes it worse. >> >> ?The Carr Fire burning in Shasta County was started by a single spark from a towed trailer on a road in Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. It then quickly raced into high-end new residential subdivisions such as Lake Redding Estates, where it destroyed 65 upscale homes.? >> The reason that California wildfires are worse than ever >> The Mercury News >> As California grows, people are moving into the rural edges of cities where we weren't before -- creating an "expanding bull?s eye? effect" of higher wildfire risk, according to a new study by geographer Stephen M. Strader of Villanova University. Read the full story >> Denise Boggs >> Www.conservationcongress-ca.org >> >> "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." >> 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity >> _______________________________________________ >> env-trinity mailing list >> env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us >> http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 7 18:48:52 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2018 01:48:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Please stop the discussion about fires References: <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213@mail.yahoo.com> All, As the?env-trinity list administrator, I am asking all of you who have commented on the fires to stop now so that we don't lose our subscribers. I appreciate the discussion and the different points of view, but this list serve was not really intended to be a discussion group for fire management and related issues. ?It is intended to be informational on Trinity River issues. Yes, fire is one of those issues, but I think we have collectively beaten this dead horse for now. Thank you for your consideration of all of our subscribers.?Tom Stokely?env-trinity list manager530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From colleen.caos at gmail.com Tue Aug 7 18:51:44 2018 From: colleen.caos at gmail.com (Colleen OSullivan) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 18:51:44 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Please stop the discussion about fires In-Reply-To: <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Thank you, Tom. On Tue, Aug 7, 2018, 6:49 PM Tom Stokely wrote: > All, > > As the env-trinity list administrator, I am asking all of you who have > commented on the fires to stop now so that we don't lose our subscribers. > > I appreciate the discussion and the different points of view, but this > list serve was not really intended to be a discussion group for fire > management and related issues. It is intended to be informational on > Trinity River issues. Yes, fire is one of those issues, but I think we have > collectively beaten this dead horse for now. > > Thank you for your consideration of all of our subscribers. > > Tom Stokely > env-trinity list manager > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From htducks13 at gmail.com Tue Aug 7 20:52:27 2018 From: htducks13 at gmail.com (Bruce Taylor) Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2018 20:52:27 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Please stop the discussion about fires In-Reply-To: <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1217162155.4228992.1533692932213@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <45C6CE85-D1B8-4404-A490-589FF53AAADD@gmail.com> Thank you Tom! Your good judgement here is a credit. As a former timber industry advocate in the late 80?s n board member of the defunct educational industry unit: CA Forest Products Commission, I decry the Boggs? Industry Bashing .....but realize this is how she is employed. With a great RPF son , ... n husband sawmill owner killed by Eco Foment, we realize that there will never be a ?good solution ? for all to this Wild Lands/forest fire debate. We pay our very high fire insurance and our annual tax to live on the beautiful Trinity River; but we also decry the Twin Tunnels project and Huffman?s ?Monument? project for lands east of us. We?ve driven Indian Creek USFS roads for years, from Happy Camp, CA to Hwy 199/OR for years and have read their signs enroute protesting this land grab . They have nothing left there but rusting heavy equipment. In western Trinity County lack of employment has turned sawmill workers and loggers into pot growers and worse. Spouse , drug and child abuse has been rampant since the early 2000?s. From the Concrete City of San Jose or close, Ms Boggs protests, from her perch next to a Spotted Owl and likely has , as Judi Bari, said: lived near an Old Growth Forest( with old growth redwood home and decks built by her former husband): therefore, she assumed she had a right to speak! We all have that right, so please: take a number n wait one?s turn to be Proactive in finding a ? better way? . Sent from my iPhone > On Aug 7, 2018, at 6:48 PM, Tom Stokely wrote: > > All, > > As the env-trinity list administrator, I am asking all of you who have commented on the fires to stop now so that we don't lose our subscribers. > > I appreciate the discussion and the different points of view, but this list serve was not really intended to be a discussion group for fire management and related issues. It is intended to be informational on Trinity River issues. Yes, fire is one of those issues, but I think we have collectively beaten this dead horse for now. > > Thank you for your consideration of all of our subscribers. > > Tom Stokely > env-trinity list manager > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 7 21:44:26 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2018 04:44:26 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Reminder, please don't respond more to the fire dialogue References: <822577552.10989.1533703466466.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <822577552.10989.1533703466466@mail.yahoo.com> All, A reminder not to respond to the fire dialogue any more and let's try to keep things respectful in any other postings. ?We lost one subscriber today. Persons who do not respect this will have their subsequent messages to the list subject to moderator approval, meaning I have to approve their messages before they go out to the list. ?? Thanks for your understanding. ?? Tom Stokely?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Aug 8 07:52:39 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2018 14:52:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Lewiston evacuation lifted References: <497411856.4488768.1533739959793.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <497411856.4488768.1533739959793@mail.yahoo.com> Lewiston evacuation lifted | | | | | | | | | | | Lewiston evacuation lifted By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal The mandatory evacuation for most of Lewiston due to the Carr fire was lifted Tuesday evening. | | | | Lewiston evacuation lifted Deadwood Road, some areas east of Trinity Dam Blvd. still under evacuation? - By AMY GITTELSOHN The Trinity Journal ?- 1 hr ago ?The mandatory evacuation for most of Lewiston due to the Carr fire was lifted Tuesday evening.Exceptions are Lewiston Turnpike east of Trinity Dam Boulevard and Deadwood Road east of Trinity Dam Boulevard. Highway 299 remained closed at Trinity Dam Boulevard with evacuated areas east of that such as Buckhorn Summit remaining under evacuation. For more information go online to the Carr incident underwww.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents.The Carr fire that wrought such devastation on communities in western Shasta County and burned into Trinity County is slowly being contained.The price has been high with seven deaths now, more than a thousand homes in Shasta County burned, and tens of thousands forced from their homes for an extended period of time.In Trinity County, Undersheriff Christopher Compton estimated at least 1,300 residents were under mandatory evacuation at the height of the threat here.The majority of Lewiston residents who have been under mandatory evacuation for 11 days got word they could go home Tuesday night during a community meeting at the Trinity Alps Performing Arts Center.Parts of Douglas City were also evacuated earlier, and those residents were allowed to return last week.As of Tuesday, the Carr fire was 167,113 acres and 47 percent contained. Some of those containment gains now include the line protecting Lewiston. However, at a briefing at Trinity High School Tuesday afternoon it was noted that the southwest side of the Carr fire and the far north are still active. On the southwest they are trying to finish a fireline extending from Highway 299 to Grass Valley to Igo. East of Trinity Lake, the north edge of the fire has been expanding. A bulldozer line has been put in to corral the fire in a very large box, but firefighters hope to shrink that box if conditions allow.During one of the many fire-related power outages that affected almost the entire county, last Friday, Deputy Cal Fire Chief Bret Gouvea shared his perceptions of the fire at a community meeting.Menacing smoke plumes towered over Lewiston at the time and were also impressive from Weaverville.Actually, things were starting to look better for Lewiston at that time, but he cautioned that at times, ?This fire has made a liar out of me.?Fires in Trinity County usually burn from west to east, he said, but this one entered Trinity from the east. Fires usually burn uphill, but this one got into the Papoose drainage and burned down.It?s the low fuel moisture and the five-year drought, he said.This fire behaved in ways ?not seen in the history of this area,? Gouvea said. ?There?s been a lot of crazy fire behavior that has been incurred on this fire.?Firefighters had originally planned to stop the fire?s westward spread into Trinity County at County Line Road ? but it crested the ridge the road runs along during a crown fire one windy night.Lewiston Fire Chief Mel Deardorff and his crew have been in close contact with Cal Fire, offering support to the many visiting strike teams and firefighting resources that converged on Lewiston.Deardorff said Tuesday he feels Lewiston is secure. ?They did a lot of hard work.?This time last week strike teams from communities around the United States were driving around Lewiston, getting to know the roads and the homes in case the fire came into town.A fire retardant base was set up at the disc golf course in Lewiston for two big sky crane helicopters to such up the pink ?mud.? And they made many trips to ?paint? the ridges where fire could be stopped. Numerous water drops were also made.During some of Trinity?s previous fire evacuations, smaller numbers of displaced residents have quickly found other options to staying in the evacuation shelter. Not so this time around with the wholesale evacuation of Lewiston. On one night last week, for example, the American Red Cross shelter set up at Trinity High School had 35 evacuees staying inside and 57 staying outside in tents, RVs and other shelters. That doesn?t include those staying at friends? residences, motels and out of county.At Tuesday?s meeting, a Red Cross representative said the evacuation shelter at THS would not immediately be closed. The agencies will see how many evacuees are using the shelter and then re-evaluate.There were also many four-legged evacuees. Last Friday Animal Control Officer Christine Edwards reported that people staying outside the shelter at THS had 47 dogs (plus 10 born there) and three cats. At the animal shelter she housed 21 dogs, 54 cats, 1 bird, 2 goats, 2 mini horses, two horses. At Lowden Park that day there were 26 horses, 2 mini horses, 2 llamas and 5 goats.Shelter workers also helped to care for animals that had to be left behind in the evacuation zone. - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Aug 8 08:20:46 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2018 15:20:46 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Editorial: Block outrageous effort to lock in Delta tunnels water grab References: <581625266.4502086.1533741646567.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <581625266.4502086.1533741646567@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/08/08/editorial-water-2/ Editorial: Block outrageous effort to lock in Delta tunnels water grab If an Aug. 14 hearing is held, the fix will be in for Gov. Brown?s massive, $17 billion twin-tunnels project Gov. Jerry Brown?s administration is now trying to jam through a political deal that would enable construction of his?$17 billion Delta twin-tunnels project, the biggest public works project in state history, without the approval of the state Legislature, the voters or ratepayers who would be footing the bill.Brown?s state Department of Water Resources suddenly plans to extend State Water Project contracts, with amendments, for another 50 years. Fifty years! That would allow water contractors backing the twin-tunnels project to lock in water contracts for the Delta tunnels project before Brown leaves office at the end of this year.Get editorials, opinion columns, letters to the editor and more in your inbox weekday mornings.?Sign up?for the Opinion newsletter.The only way to stop it is if the Assembly?s and state Senate?s Joint Legislative Budget Committee refuses to hold a procedural hearing on the contracts that is currently scheduled for Aug. 14. Mind you, the joint committee has no approval authority, but its refusal to hold the required hearing could delay the process until after the November gubernatorial election. That?s what the committee must do.The future of California water and a project of this magnitude demands maximum transparency and public input. The hearing must be postponed until the Legislature, the next governor and the public have the opportunity to fully vet the proposal and its impact.Otherwise, the fix will be in for Brown?s so-called California WaterFix. Even if Gavin Newsom, Gov. Jerry Brown?s likely successor, wanted to later kill the water grab that would?send more Northern California water to Central Valley farmers and Southern California cities.Without a public vote. Without complete information on the financing and cost allocation of the twin-tunnels project. Without sufficient analysis of how much water would be available to contractors.Once the hearing has been held, state water experts say, the Department of Water Resources can execute the contract amendments. Period. Under existing law, the Legislature would have no oversight under future State Water Project contract amendments.This is outrageous.Twin-tunnel proponents are ignoring the July recommendations of the State Water Resources Control Board for significant increases in the water flowing through the Delta in order to preserve its long-term health. The recommendations raised significant questions about the viability of the twin-tunnel project, which won?t pencil out unless it results in increased water flows from the Delta to Southern California. Related Articles - Editorial: Put housing, infrastructure bond measures before San Jose voters - Editorial: Putting a focus on women?s issues in the era of Trump - Editorial: House years defined Ron Dellums as a gentleman - Editorial: PG&E lacks credibility to make wildfire demands - Editorial: Bay Area greatly benefits from new state water funding The state should heed scientists? repeated warnings that reducing water flows through the Delta increases the salinity of the water and threatens the quality of water that Bay Area residents and businesses require. And any State Water Project amendments and extensions are premature until the Legislature has complete information about cost, financing and water availability.The health of the Delta is crucial for the Bay Area. State Sen. Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles (email: senator.mitchell at senate.ca.gov), is chair and Assemblyman Phil Ting, D-San Francisco (email: assemblymember.Ting at assembly.ca.gov), is vice-chair of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee. They will be on the forefront of the decision whether to hold the hearing and under pressure from the governor to move it forward.It?s essential that Californians let the committee know that this project should not move forward until the state has a clear understanding of its impact.Cancel the hearing now! -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 9 10:42:17 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2018 17:42:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Additional Lewiston evacuation orders lifted References: <1684318356.5159148.1533836537640.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1684318356.5159148.1533836537640@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_3f387f4e-9b71-11e8-b994-47c3be4fcd06.html Additional Lewiston evacuation orders lifted - Trinity Journal staff ?- Aug 8, 2018?Updated?16 hrs ago ?Evacuation orders have been lifted for the remainder of Lewiston as of 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8, and residents may return home in the following areas: All residences accessible from Highway 299 east of Trinity Dam Boulevard to the Sandhouse on both the north and south side of Highway 299, and east of Highway 3 to Trinity Dam Boulevard, north of Raspberry Lane to Tannery Gulch Road and all areas within this location.Road closures continue at Trinity Dam at Trinity Dam Boulevard and on Highway 299 east of the Sandhouse. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 9 16:37:56 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2018 23:37:56 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Caltrans reopens Highway 299 on a limited basis References: <147413875.5362676.1533857876473.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <147413875.5362676.1533857876473@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_d47a5176-9bfe-11e8-8781-87e863b0a7f7.html BREAKING Caltrans reopens Highway 299 on a limited basis Schedule is subject to change? - Aug 9, 2018?Updated?5 hrs ago ?While firefighters and other emergency personnel continue efforts to contain the Carr fire, Caltrans District 2 will provide a limited reopening of Highway 299 between Weaverville and Redding. The roadway has been closed at several locations since the fire broke out on Monday, July 23.Effective Thursday, Aug. 9, Highway 299 is open on a limited basis, as follows:*The public can drive through between Trinity Dam Boulevard and JF Kennedy Memorial Road (Whiskeytown Visitor Center) from noon to 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. The highway will remain closed during all other times.*One-Way Traffic Control Operations will be in place. Motorists are to follow a pilot car, slow down, and follow directions. Do not arrive more than 15 minutes early to traffic control. Early arrivals will be turned back.*Motorists are advised of possible significant delays.*This schedule is subject to change at any time.Caltrans, contractors and subcontractors will continue repairing Highway 299 while traffic travels through.These hours pertain to repopulated communities as well. Caltrans, its contractor Tullis Inc. and subcontractors have been working nonstop since Tuesday, July 31, at several stretches of the highway, removing thousands of burnt trees deemed hazardous to the traveling public, replacing several miles of damaged guardrail, road signs, and culverts, along with dozens of crews from utility companies who are repairing key infrastructure.?In the aftermath of the Carr fire, all agencies involved are doing their best to manage this critical situation,? says Dave Moore, Caltrans District 2 director. ?Caltrans has been focusing on reopening State Route 299 as soon as possible and at a point when we deem it safe for the traveling public.?Caltrans continues asking for the public?s patience and understanding. Caltrans is committed to informing the public as often as possible.Caltrans District 2 is informing the public through the ?Caltrans District 2? page on Facebook and ?@CaltransD2? on Twitter, via its website, the 530-225-3452 hotline and our one-on-one customer service via telephone to those who call 530-225-3426 during business hours. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From colleen.caos at gmail.com Thu Aug 9 16:40:53 2018 From: colleen.caos at gmail.com (Colleen OSullivan) Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2018 16:40:53 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Caltrans reopens Highway 299 on a limited basis In-Reply-To: <147413875.5362676.1533857876473@mail.yahoo.com> References: <147413875.5362676.1533857876473.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <147413875.5362676.1533857876473@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Thanks for that, Tom. Colleen On Thu, Aug 9, 2018 at 4:37 PM, Tom Stokely wrote: > http://www.trinityjournal.com/news/local/article_d47a5176- > 9bfe-11e8-8781-87e863b0a7f7.html > BREAKING > Caltrans reopens Highway 299 on a limited basisSchedule is subject to > change > > - Aug 9, 2018 Updated 5 hrs ago > > While firefighters and other emergency personnel continue efforts to > contain the Carr fire, Caltrans District 2 will provide a limited reopening > of Highway 299 between Weaverville and Redding. The roadway has been closed > at several locations since the fire broke out on Monday, July 23. > Effective Thursday, Aug. 9, Highway 299 is open on a limited basis, as > follows: > *The public can drive through between Trinity Dam Boulevard and JF Kennedy > Memorial Road (Whiskeytown Visitor Center) from noon to 1:30 p.m. and 6 > p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. The highway will remain closed during all other times. > *One-Way Traffic Control Operations will be in place. Motorists are to > follow a pilot car, slow down, and follow directions. Do not arrive more > than 15 minutes early to traffic control. Early arrivals will be turned > back. > *Motorists are advised of possible significant delays. > *This schedule is subject to change at any time. > Caltrans, contractors and subcontractors will continue repairing Highway > 299 while traffic travels through. > These hours pertain to repopulated communities as well. Caltrans, its > contractor Tullis Inc. and subcontractors have been working nonstop since > Tuesday, July 31, at several stretches of the highway, removing thousands > of burnt trees deemed hazardous to the traveling public, replacing several > miles of damaged guardrail, road signs, and culverts, along with dozens of > crews from utility companies who are repairing key infrastructure. > ?In the aftermath of the Carr fire, all agencies involved are doing their > best to manage this critical situation,? says Dave Moore, Caltrans District > 2 director. ?Caltrans has been focusing on reopening State Route 299 as > soon as possible and at a point when we deem it safe for the traveling > public.? > Caltrans continues asking for the public?s patience and understanding. > Caltrans is committed to informing the public as often as possible. > Caltrans District 2 is informing the public through the ?Caltrans District > 2? page on Facebook and ?@CaltransD2? on Twitter, via its website, the > 530-225-3452 hotline and our one-on-one customer service via telephone to > those who call 530-225-3426 during business hours. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Aug 10 09:57:43 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2018 16:57:43 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Klamath-Trinity River fish benefitting from Carr Fire, fisheries officials say References: <1376035183.5734184.1533920263685.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1376035183.5734184.1533920263685@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20180809/klamath-trinity-river-fish-benefitting-from-carr-fire-fisheries-officials-say?clearUserState=true Klamath-Trinity River fish benefitting from Carr Fire, fisheries officials say The Trinity River flows below the Lewiston Dam in this photo from 2003. According to local tribes, more water is flowing into the Trinity and Klamath rivers as a result of the Carr Fire and it?s benefit the fish populations.The Associated Press fileBy?Will Houston, Eureka Times-StandardPOSTED:?08/09/18, 11:05 PM PDT?|?UPDATED: 1 HR AGO0 COMMENTSOne of the unintended consequences of the devastation of Carr Fire in Shasta County is that is has been providing more water to Klamath and Trinity river fish in a time when river conditions have been looking tenuous.Hoopa Valley Tribe?s Fisheries Director Mike Orcutt said the dam-controlling U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has nearly doubled flows on the Trinity River since late July. The bureau stated it has been making the releases in order to address emergency operations at the Trinity Power Plant, which had been affected by the fire.Flows from Lewiston Dam on the Trinity Reservoir ramped up from what would be its normal 450 cubic feet per second to up to more than 1,200 at some points in time, but has remained steady at around 800 cubic feet per second since.?One observation form our fishery here is that probably was really helpful because there was a proliferation of moss and I think it anecdotally moved spring-run fish that would have been holding other places,? Orcutt said. ?That added water probably got those springers to move.?At the same time, the smoke has cooled the waters, Orcutt said, further cooling the waters as the fall-run salmon begin making their way into the Klamath River estuary this month.Orcutt said the bureau is set to begin ramping up dam water releases to the Trinity River and lower Klamath River later this month as part of a fall augmentation flow it is required to make as part of its management of the rivers.Karuk Tribe Natural Resources Policy Advocate Craig Tucker concurred that the recent emergency flows have been improving conditions on the river.But north of Weitchpec, it?s a different story, he said.?Tucker said the combination of low flows, dams trapping nutrients in the water and climate change are causing significant algae blooms.?It?s starting to exceed the state guidance for blue-green algae blooms,? Tucker said. ?... It?s the same old, same old.?The Klamath Basin Monitoring Program shows Copco Reservoir and Iron Gate Reservoir have blue-green algae blooms that exceed the state?s danger action level trigger. Warm waters also stress fish immune systems, making them more susceptible to diseases as has been shown in the past drought years.?While some groups are concerned about the?potential for a fish kill on other Klamath River tributaries like the Salmon River?due to low-flowing, warm waters, Tucker said they haven?t had anyone raise that spectre for the Klamath River yet.?But I think we?ll be on the lookout for those conditions,? Tucker said. ?Right now from the Trinity River down through the lower Klamath looks pretty good because it got this bump form the Trinity, but I don?t know how long that is supposed to last.?Orcutt said that fall-run salmon should be entering the Klamath River estuary this month where they will condition themselves from the transition from saltwater to freshwater environments. He said the Yurok Tribe Fisheries Department monitors the incoming fish, and should there be enough fish showing signs of disease, the bureau will make emergency dam releases to improve water quality.?Orcutt said the focus of the bureau should be ensuring fish have enough water this summer and not on the interests of water agencies that rely on Trinity Reservoir waters.?It should be focused on doing everything we can to protecting the incoming returning fish,? Orcutt said.Will Houston can be reached at 707-441-0504. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Aug 10 10:00:39 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2018 17:00:39 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Six Rivers appoints new forest supervisor, Ted McArthur References: <1230749199.5757803.1533920439438.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1230749199.5757803.1533920439438@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.times-standard.com/general-news/20180809/six-rivers-appoints-new-forest-supervisor-ted-mcarthur Six Rivers appoints new forest supervisor, Ted McArthur McArthur?POSTED:?08/09/18, 11:54 AM PDT?|?UPDATED: 14 HRS AGO0 COMMENTSThe Times-StandardPress release from Six Rivers National Forest:EUREKA, Calif. ? Ted McArthur was recently selected as the new forest supervisor for the Six Rivers National Forest. His first day in the office will be September 4, 2018.?I am very excited to move into my new role on the Six Rivers,? said McArthur. ?I look forward to continuing and expanding the great work the forest is doing, as well as strengthening the relationships with our partners.?McArthur is currently the Salmon-Scott River District Ranger on the Klamath National Forest, a position he has held since 2014. He started his career with the US Forest Service as a rangeland management specialist first on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, then on the Malheur National Forest in Oregon. After a few years as a vegetation ecologist in the Forest Service?s Washington, DC office, he moved to Hawaii to work for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).McArthur grew up with the Forest Service?his father worked for the Forest Service?s Intermountain Region and later Rocky Mountain Research Station?volunteering and working on a variety of different research projects for the Forest Service in Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona and Nevada.He holds two degrees from Oregon State University: a Bachelor?s degree in Natural Resources and a Master?s degree in Ecology.McArthur and his family are looking forward to moving to the Eureka area. His wife Jessica is currently a stay-at-home mom working part-time for the Scott River Watershed Council. He has three sons: Kai (15) lives in Hawaii with his mother and looks forward to visiting a new area; and Jack (4) and Flynn (2) are excited about living on the coast and exploring new country.?I love this area and the people that live and work here in northern California,? said McArthur. ?The landscapes and the people are what drew me here.?He enjoys spending time with his wife and sons hiking, camping, beach combing and collecting firewood. He also loves to bake, primarily breads and cakes.McArthur replaces Merv George Jr., who is now forest supervisor for the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon. After McArthur?s arrival, current acting Forest Supervisor Michael Green will return to his role as deputy forest supervisor for the forest. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Fri Aug 10 10:23:21 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2018 10:23:21 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] CBB: 2017 WAS THIRD WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD Message-ID: <03b501d430ce$d6fabda0$84f038e0$@sisqtel.net> Columbia Basin Bulletin State Of The Climate Report: 2017 Was Third Warmest Year On Record Posted on Friday, August 10, 2018 (PST) It's official: 2017 was the third-warmest year on record for the globe, behind 2016 (first) and 2015, according to the 28th annual State of the Climate report. The planet also experienced record-high greenhouse gas concentrations as well as rises in sea level. The annual checkup for the planet ( https://www.ametsoc.org/ams/index.cfm/publications/bulletin-of-the-american- meteorological-society-bams/state-of-the-climate/) led by scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information and published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, is based on contributions from more than 500 scientists in 65 countries and offers insight on global climate indicators, extreme weather events and other valuable environmental data. Notable findings from the international report include: -- Levels of greenhouse gases were the highest on record. Major greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere - including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide - reached new record highs. The 2017 average global CO2 concentration was 405 parts per million, the highest measured in the modern 38-year global climate record and records created from ice-core samples dating back as far as 800,000 years. -- Sea level rise hit a new high - about 3 inches (7.7 cm) higher than the 1993 average. Global sea level is rising at an average rate of 1.2 inches (3.1 cm) per decade. -- Heat in the upper ocean hit a record high, reflecting the continued accumulation of thermal energy in the uppermost 2,300 feet of the world's oceans. -- Global land and ocean combined surface temperature reached a near-record high. Depending on the dataset, average global surface temperatures were 0.68-0.86 of a degree F (0.38-0.48 of a degree C) above the 1981-2010 average. This marks 2017 as having the second or third warmest annual global temperature since records began in the mid- to late 1800s. -- Sea surface temperatures hit a near-record high. Though the global average sea surface temperature in 2017 was slightly below the 2016 value, the long-term trend remained upward. -- Drought dipped and then rebounded. The global area of drought fell sharply in early 2017 before rising to above-average values later in the year. -- Arctic maximum sea ice coverage fell to a record low. The 2017 maximum extent (coverage) of Arctic sea ice was the lowest in the 38-year record. The September 2017 sea ice minimum was the eighth lowest on record, 25 percent smaller than the long-term average. -- The Antarctic also saw record-low sea ice coverage, which remained well below the 1981-2010 average. On March 1, 2017, the sea ice extent fell to 811,000 square miles (2.1 million square kilometers), the lowest observed daily value in the continuous satellite record that began in 1978. -- Unprecedented multiyear coral reef bleaching continued: A global coral bleaching event spanned from June 2014 through May 2017, resulting in unprecedented impacts on reefs. More than 95 percent of coral in some affected reef areas died. -- The total number of tropical cyclones were slightly above average overall. There were 85 named tropical cyclones in 2017, slightly above the 1981-2010 average of 82 storms. Bookmark and Share Bottom of Form -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 596 bytes Desc: not available URL: From denise at conservationcongress-ca.org Mon Aug 13 13:44:30 2018 From: denise at conservationcongress-ca.org (Denise Boggs) Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 14:44:30 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Don=27t_blame_wildfires_on_climate_change?= =?utf-8?q?_=E2=80=93_it=27s_environmentalists=27_fault=2C_says_Zinke_=7C_?= =?utf-8?q?Environment_=7C_The_Guardian?= Message-ID: <8930349a08dd282847899270fee2298d@smtp.hushmail.com> You can?t fix stupid.... https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/13/us-interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-climate-change-environmentalists?CMP=share_btn_link Don't blame wildfires on climate change ? it's environmentalists' fault, says Zinke US interior secretary Ryan Zinke blames environmentalists for the devastation in California and calls for an increase in logging Gabrielle Canon in San Francisco First published on Mon 13 Aug 2018 15.54 EDT The US interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, has blamed environmentalists for California?s ferocious wildfires and claimed, contrary to scientific research, that climate change had ?nothing to do? with them. Instead, he said the fires were worsened because of limits on logging. ?America is better than letting these radical groups control the dialogue about climate change,? Zinke told KCRA, a TV station in northern California, on Sunday. ?Extreme environmentalists have shut down public access. They talk about habitat and yet they are willing to burn it up.? Sign up for monthly updates on America?s public lands His remarks come on the heels of a USA Today op-ed, published last week, where he held environmentalists partly responsible for the fires because of a stance some have taken against logging. Zinke described it as a responsible means of forest management and called for an increase in timber harvesting, adding that this would also be a boon for the economy. ?This is not a debate about climate change,? he said on a trip to the affected area, the Sacramento Bee reported. ?There?s no doubt the [fire] season is getting longer, the temperatures are getting hotter.? California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren?t allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire from spreading! ? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 3:53 PM - Aug 6, 2018 Zinke?s statements echoed sentiments expressed by President Trump ? a 5 August tweet suggested the fires were ?made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren?t allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized?. The claim, referencing decades-long disputes over California water rights, was met with immediate backlash and confusion because firefighters are not struggling with a water shortage. The White House has yet to offer a response or explanation. More than 1,000 square miles (2,590 sq km) have burned across California in the 2018 fire season and at least eight people have been killed in what is now considered the most destructive fire season on record for the state ? several months ahead of when fire season is expected to end. The Ranch Fire, which continues to scorch swaths of land in northern California has officially taken the record as the largest ever observed in the state, burning close to 469 sq miles (1,214 sq km) alone. Governor Jerry Brown has called the devastating situation ?the new normal? as dry conditions and rising temperatures have elongated the fire season, and has joined climate scientists who attribute the shift to climate change. Writing in the Guardian last week, climate scientists Daniel Swain, Crystal Kolden and John Abatzoglou said California had entered an ?era of megafires? that is linked to ?the long-term warming trend?. Researchers do attribute the recent fires in part to forest management strategies, and moves to inhibit naturally occurring wildfires that previously helped maintain an ecological balance in forests. Fire suppression has left forests dense, dry and primed to burn. Such policies, Swain and his colleagues write, were put in place to protect the timber industry. Kristina Dahl, a senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the science showing a link between worsening wildfires and rising temperatures is well established. ?Specifically for the western states,? she said, ?we know that the wildfire activity in recent decades ? at least half of it ? is attributable to human-caused climate change.? ?This is a reality that we have created and that we are living with, but this is an evolving situation. Where we are right now is just one point on a trajectory that is headed in a worsening direction.? Since you?re here? ? we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian?s independent, investigative journalism than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven?t put up a paywall ? we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian is editorially independent, meaning we set our own agenda. Our journalism is free from commercial bias and not influenced by billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. No one edits our Editor. No one steers our opinion. This is important because it enables us to give a voice to the voiceless, challenge the powerful and hold them to account. It?s what makes us different to so many others in the media, at a time when factual, honest reporting is critical. If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as $1, you can support the Guardian ? and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Denise Boggs Www.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour." 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fishonshaw at att.net Mon Aug 13 16:17:12 2018 From: fishonshaw at att.net (Thomas Shaw) Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 23:17:12 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Don=27t_blame_wildfires_on_climate_change?= =?utf-8?b?IOKAkyBpdA==?= In-Reply-To: <8930349a08dd282847899270fee2298d@smtp.hushmail.com> References: <8930349a08dd282847899270fee2298d@smtp.hushmail.com> Message-ID: <410630484.6944110.1534202232735@mail.yahoo.com> OMG... Obviously, someone with that natural resources degree must have missed those lectures on cumulative effects, forest ecology and ecosystem management There appears to be a significant loss of the common sense requirements necessary for these high ranking? position. However, given other examples of departmental to reasonings, such as, a recent statemen suggesting a significant decrease in the incidental take of sea turtles within the CA gillnet fishery, one can easily come to the conclusion that thos detrimental environment swing that we are experiencing is by design.? On Mon, Aug 13, 2018 at 1:44 PM, Denise Boggs wrote: @media {#yiv9729124583 body {margin:2mm 9mm;}#yiv9729124583 .yiv9729124583original-url {display:none;}#yiv9729124583 #yiv9729124583article .yiv9729124583float.yiv9729124583left {float:left;}#yiv9729124583 #yiv9729124583article .yiv9729124583float.yiv9729124583right {float:right;}#yiv9729124583 #yiv9729124583article .yiv9729124583float {margin-top:0 !important;margin-bottom:0 !important;}}Don't blame wildfires on climate change ? it's environmentalists' fault, says Zinke | Environment | The GuardianYou can?t fix stupid.... https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/13/us-interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-climate-change-environmentalists?CMP=share_btn_link Don't blame wildfires on climate change ? it's environmentalists' fault, says Zinke US interior secretary Ryan Zinke blames environmentalists for the devastation in California and calls for an increase in logging Gabrielle Canon in San Francisco First published on Mon 13 Aug 2018 15.54?EDT The US interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, has blamed environmentalists for California?s ferocious wildfires and claimed, contrary to scientific research, that climate change had ?nothing to do? with them. Instead, he said the fires were worsened because of limits on logging. ?America is better than letting these radical groups control the dialogue about climate change,? Zinke told KCRA, a TV station in northern California, on Sunday. ?Extreme environmentalists have shut down public access. They talk about habitat and yet they are willing to burn it up.? Sign up for monthly updates on America?s public lands His remarks come on the heels of a USA Today op-ed, published last week, where he held environmentalists partly responsible for the fires because of a stance some have taken against logging. Zinke described it as a responsible means of forest management and called for an increase in timber harvesting, adding that this would also be a boon for the economy. ?This is not a debate about climate change,? he said on a trip to the affected area, the Sacramento Bee reported. ?There?s no doubt the [fire] season is getting longer, the temperatures are getting hotter.? California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren?t allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire from spreading! ? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 3:53 PM - Aug 6, 2018 Zinke?s statements echoed sentiments expressed by President Trump ? a 5 August tweet suggested the fires were ?made so much worse by the bad environmental laws which aren?t allowing massive amounts of readily available water to be properly utilized?. The claim, referencing decades-long disputes over California water rights, was met with immediate backlash and confusion because firefighters are not struggling with a water shortage. The White House has yet to offer a response or explanation. More than 1,000 square miles (2,590 sq km) have burned across California in the 2018 fire season and at least eight people have been killed in what is now considered the most destructive fire season on record for the state ? several months ahead of when fire season is expected to end. The Ranch Fire, which continues to scorch swaths of land in northern California has officially taken the record as the largest ever observed in the state, burning close to 469 sq miles (1,214 sq km) alone. Governor Jerry Brown has called the devastating situation ?the new normal? as dry conditions and rising temperatures have elongated the fire season, and has joined climate scientists who attribute the shift to climate change. Writing in the Guardian last week, climate scientists Daniel Swain, Crystal Kolden and John Abatzoglou said California had entered an ?era of megafires? that is linked to ?the long-term warming trend?. Researchers do attribute the recent fires in part to forest management strategies, and moves to inhibit naturally occurring wildfires that previously helped maintain an ecological balance in forests. Fire suppression has left forests dense, dry and primed to burn. Such policies, Swain and his colleagues write, were put in place to protect the timber industry. Kristina Dahl, a senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the science showing a link between worsening wildfires and rising temperatures is well established. ?Specifically for the western states,? she said, ?we know that the wildfire activity in recent decades ? at least half of it ? is attributable to human-caused climate change.? ?This is a reality that we have created and that we are living with, but this is an evolving situation. Where we are right now is just one point on a trajectory that is headed in a worsening direction.? Since you?re here? ? we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian?s independent, investigative journalism than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we haven?t put up a paywall ? we want to keep our journalism as open as we can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. The Guardian is editorially independent, meaning we set our own agenda. Our journalism is free from commercial bias and not influenced by billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. No one edits our Editor. No one steers our opinion. This is important because it enables us to give a voice to the voiceless, challenge the powerful and hold them to account. It?s what makes us different to so many others in the media, at a time when factual, honest reporting is critical. If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to support it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as $1, you can support the Guardian ? and it only takes a minute. Thank you. Denise BoggsWww.conservationcongress-ca.org "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the final hour."'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne_______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- An embedded and charset-unspecified text was scrubbed... Name: Untitled URL: From michael at theflyshop.com Mon Aug 13 16:29:08 2018 From: michael at theflyshop.com (Michael Caranci) Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:29:08 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Don=27t_blame_wildfires_on_climate_change?= =?utf-8?b?IOKAkyBpdA==?= In-Reply-To: <410630484.6944110.1534202232735@mail.yahoo.com> References: <8930349a08dd282847899270fee2298d@smtp.hushmail.com> <410630484.6944110.1534202232735@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Did you actually watch the interview this morning? This propaganda piece doesn't even come close to reflecting anything that was actually said in the interview. The purpose of this list serve is to share information, not to posit false propaganda and put forth your own obviously biased opinions about people. Please go away and allow this group to go back to what it was intended. Michael Caranci The Fly Shop 530-222-3555 or 800-669-3474 michael at theflyshop.com On Mon, Aug 13, 2018 at 4:17 PM, Thomas Shaw wrote: > OMG... Obviously, someone with that natural resources degree must have > missed those lectures on cumulative effects, forest ecology and ecosystem > management > > There appears to be a significant loss of the common sense requirements > necessary for these high ranking position. However, given other examples > of departmental to reasonings, such as, a recent statemen suggesting a > significant decrease in the incidental take of sea turtles within the CA > gillnet fishery, one can easily come to the conclusion that thos > detrimental environment swing that we are experiencing is by design. > > On Mon, Aug 13, 2018 at 1:44 PM, Denise Boggs > wrote: > You can?t fix stupid.... > > > https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/13/us- > interior-secretary-ryan-zinke-climate-change-environmentalists?CMP=share_ > btn_link > > Don't blame wildfires on climate change ? it's environmentalists' fault, > says ZinkeUS interior secretary Ryan Zinke blames environmentalists for > the devastation in California and calls for an increase in logging > > Gabrielle Canon in San Francisco > First published on Mon 13 Aug 2018 15.54 EDT > > The US interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, has blamed environmentalists for > California?s ferocious wildfires and claimed, contrary to scientific > research, that climate change had ?nothing to do? with them. Instead, he > said the fires were worsened because of limits on logging. > > ?America is better than letting these radical groups control the dialogue > about climate change,? Zinke told KCRA, a TV station in northern > California, on Sunday. ?Extreme environmentalists have shut down public > access. They talk about habitat and yet they are willing to burn it up.? > Sign up for monthly updates on America?s public lands > > His remarks come on the heels of a USA Today op-ed > , > published last week, where he held environmentalists partly responsible for > the fires because of a stance some have taken against logging. Zinke > described it as a responsible means of forest management and called for an > increase in timber harvesting, adding that this would also be a boon for > the economy. > > ?This is not a debate about climate change,? he said on a trip to the > affected area, the Sacramento Bee reported. ?There?s no doubt the [fire] > season is getting longer, the temperatures are getting hotter.? > > California wildfires are being magnified & made so much worse by the bad > environmental laws which aren?t allowing massive amounts of readily > available water to be properly utilized. It is being diverted into the > Pacific Ocean. Must also tree clear to stop fire from spreading! > ? Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 3:53 PM - Aug 6, 2018 > > > Zinke?s statements echoed sentiments expressed by President Trump ? a 5 > August tweet suggested the fires were ?made so much worse by the bad > environmental laws which aren?t allowing massive amounts of readily > available water to be properly utilized?. The claim, referencing > decades-long disputes over California water rights, was met with immediate > backlash > > and confusion because firefighters are not struggling with a water > shortage. The White House has yet to offer a response or explanation. > > More than 1,000 square miles (2,590 sq km) have burned across California > in the 2018 fire season and at least eight people have been killed in what > is now considered the most destructive fire season on record for the state > ? several months ahead of when fire season is expected to end. > > The Ranch Fire, which continues to scorch swaths of land in northern > California has officially taken the record as the largest ever observed in > the state, burning close to 469 sq miles (1,214 sq km) alone. > > Governor Jerry Brown has called the devastating situation ?the new normal? > as dry conditions and rising temperatures have elongated the fire season, > and has joined climate scientists who attribute the shift to climate change. > > Writing in the Guardian last week > , > climate scientists Daniel Swain, Crystal Kolden and John Abatzoglou said > California had entered an ?era of megafires? that is linked to ?the > long-term warming trend?. > > Researchers do attribute the recent fires in part to forest management > strategies, and moves to inhibit naturally occurring wildfires that > previously helped maintain an ecological balance in forests. Fire > suppression has left forests dense, dry and primed to burn. Such policies, > Swain and his colleagues write, were put in place to protect the timber > industry. > > Kristina Dahl, a senior climate scientist at the Union of Concerned > Scientists, said the science showing a link between worsening wildfires and > rising temperatures is well established. ?Specifically for the western > states,? she said, ?we know that the wildfire activity in recent decades ? > at least half of it ? is attributable to human-caused climate change.? > > ?This is a reality that we have created and that we are living with, but > this is an evolving situation. Where we are right now is just one point on > a trajectory that is headed in a worsening direction.? > > Since you?re here? > > ? we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading the Guardian?s > independent, investigative journalism than ever but advertising revenues > across the media are falling fast. And unlike many news organisations, we > haven?t put up a paywall ? we want to keep our journalism as open as we > can. So you can see why we need to ask for your help. > > The Guardian is editorially independent, meaning we set our own agenda. > Our journalism is free from commercial bias and not influenced by > billionaire owners, politicians or shareholders. No one edits our Editor. > No one steers our opinion. This is important because it enables us to give > a voice to the voiceless, challenge the powerful and hold them to account. > It?s what makes us different to so many others in the media, at a time when > factual, honest reporting is critical. > > If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps to support it, > our future would be much more secure. *For as little as $1, you can > support the Guardian ? and it only takes a minute. Thank you.* > > > Denise Boggs > Www.conservationcongress-ca.org > > "Some of them were angry at the way the Earth was abused; By the men who > learned how to forge her beauty into power; And they struggled to protect > her from them, only to be confused; By the magnitude of the fury in the > final hour." > 'Before the Deluge' Jackson Browne > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Aug 13 16:46:35 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 23:46:35 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Please stop the inflammatory e-mails References: <598504259.7315879.1534203995881.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <598504259.7315879.1534203995881@mail.yahoo.com> All, I apologize to all of you for the recent inflammatory e-mails on this list. ?I had asked folks to refrain from posting inflammatory e-mails but not all have complied . ? I have put the most recent people posting on moderator control. ?Anybody else who speaks up inappropriately will also be put under permanent moderator control. ? Thanks for your understanding. ? ??Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From colleen.caos at gmail.com Mon Aug 13 16:49:51 2018 From: colleen.caos at gmail.com (Colleen OSullivan) Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2018 16:49:51 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Please stop the inflammatory e-mails In-Reply-To: <598504259.7315879.1534203995881@mail.yahoo.com> References: <598504259.7315879.1534203995881.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <598504259.7315879.1534203995881@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Thank you, Tom. "Hot" topic. People get "fired up". We don't folks to get too "inflamed". Colleen On Mon, Aug 13, 2018 at 4:46 PM, Tom Stokely wrote: > All, > > I apologize to all of you for the recent inflammatory e-mails on this > list. I had asked folks to refrain from posting inflammatory e-mails but > not all have complied . > > I have put the most recent people posting on moderator control. Anybody > else who speaks up inappropriately will also be put under permanent > moderator control. > > Thanks for your understanding. > > Tom Stokely > Salmon and Water Policy Consultant > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 14 09:30:26 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 14 Aug 2018 16:30:26 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Thank you for your patience References: <968955785.7735257.1534264226153.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <968955785.7735257.1534264226153@mail.yahoo.com> Env-Trinity subscribers, Many thanks to the majority of you who kept your feelings private during the recent inflammatory exchanges over this list. ?The list was always intended to provide information for a broad range of stakeholders, but not a lot of discussion, especially no flaming.? Denise and I discussed her participation in the list and we both agreed that she is not a good fit for the list. ?At her request, I unsubscribed her. ? In the future, if there are such discussions that are bothering people, please contact the originator privately and express your feelings, not to the whole group. ? If you feel that I should intervene, please let me know privately as well. ?I don't like to censor people, even if they have a completely different opinion than I do, but I also believe that this list provides a good public service and I will do whatever it takes to keep members on the list. ?I probably let the last episode go on too long. ?Thanks to those of you who contacted me about the situation. My heart goes out to all of you who lost your homes and businesses in the fires. ? If you wish to tell me what a great guy I am or what a jerk I am, please reply to me privately, not the list. ?? Sincerely,?Tom Stokely?Env-Trinity list manager530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From The_Fly_Shop_Inc at mail.vresp.com Wed Aug 15 11:03:20 2018 From: The_Fly_Shop_Inc at mail.vresp.com (The Fly Shop, Inc.) Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2018 18:03:20 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Fishing for Relief - 6 Days Left to Help Carr Fire Victims Message-ID: <351fe7fc07-env-trinity=velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us@mail.vresp.com> We're half way to our goal of raising $50,000 to help Carr Fire Victims in Shasta County through "Fishing for Relief". We have six days left before trip winners are picked. Please help us meet our goal. THANK YOU to all of our friends that have donated already, together, the funds we have generated will make a difference. Each of your donations will enter you in a raffle to win a FREE trip to the Golden Dorado Cruiser, or Tarpon Caye Lodge. Any amount of donation will help, and qualify to win a trip. A $20 donation buys 1 ticket and there is no limit to the amount you can donate. The more you donate, the better your odds of winning a trip. ?Click Here to Donate: http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./351fe7fc07/6a8acb1fc5/e150814021 - http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheFlyShopInc./351fe7fc07/6a8acb1fc5/709da2f121 100% of your donation (excluding online credit card processing fees) will go to Carr Fire recovery efforts. You have The Fly Shop's word on that! ______________________________________________________________________ Click to view this email in a browser http://hosted.vresp.com/164276/351fe7fc07/462800151/6a8acb1fc5/ If you no longer wish to receive these emails, please reply to this message with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line or simply click on the following link: http://cts.vresp.com/u?351fe7fc07/6a8acb1fc5/mlpftw/confirm ______________________________________________________________________ Click below to forward this email to a friend: http://oi.vresp.com/f2af/v4/send_to_friend.html?ch=351fe7fc07&lid=462800151&ldh=6a8acb1fc5 ______________________________________________________________________ This message was sent by The Fly Shop, Inc. using iBuilder The Fly Shop, Inc. 4140 Churn Creek Road Redding, California 96002 USA -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Aug 15 12:15:11 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2018 19:15:11 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Water case moves to Portland References: <321166192.8553117.1534360511963.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <321166192.8553117.1534360511963@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/local_news/water-case-moves-to-portland/article_13b2c8dd-2ad1-5551-b4e3-426c4e44f1b3.html Water case moves to Portland - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter ? - 8 hrs ago ?A Klamath County court case that could affect both endangered Lost River and shortnose sucker and the outcome of the irrigation season in the Klamath Basin has been moved from San Francisco to Portland, with a hearing date yet to be determined.Klamath Water Users Association, Sunnyside Irrigation District and Ben Duval are defendant intervenors in the the case brought by Klamath Tribes against the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).The Klamath Tribes is asking, through a court injunction, that Reclamation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and NMFS better manage levels and water quality in Upper Klamath Lake.Judge Michael W. Mosman will preside over the case at Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, a case that was previously presided over by Judge William H. Orrick.?While venue may be proper in the Northern District of California, it is more appropriate in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon: the Klamath Tribes are headquartered there, the sucker fish are there, the Upper Klamath Lake is there, and the Bureau and the FWS have offices there,? said Orrick in a July 26 ruling.?I will let the transferee court address the pleadings as it will.?Mosman, a native of Eugene, was nominated to his current position by former President George W. Bush in May 2003, and confirmed by the Senate later that fall. He?s served as chief judge of U.S. District Court in Portland since 2016.Mosman also has served as judge of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court since 2013, and started as judge in Alien Terrorist Removal Court starting this year.Scott White, executive director of Klamath Water Users Association, commented that he is hopeful the court transfer likely means agriculture producers can finish out the irrigation season.?I can?t imagine that this is going to have a conference and get scheduled before the end of the season and on top of that, have a ruling, regardless of outcome,? White said on Tuesday.?We still have time to finish the season out, which is a really big deal for the growers here who have had thousands of dollars in the ground already, and are just looking to bring those crops to harvest,? White added.?We?re concerned about the health of the fish as well, and we want to protect what?s in the best interest of everybody.?Don Gentry, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, reiterated the Tribes will be prepared for the case regardless of the venue.?I believe that we?ll be prepared to move forward with the court,? Gentry said.hdillemuth at heraldandnews.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Aug 15 14:58:16 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2018 21:58:16 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River trapping summary through Julian week 32 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 32 (Aug 12). The Junction City weir crew got the weir back in and functional on Monday the 6th, so there were 4 trapping days in JWeek 32 there. They did have to reconfigure the weir line a bit so they no longer have their tunnel/chute but they are catching fish and that's what important. Not a lot of fish, even had a zero fish day last week, but zeros are data too, right? We hope to get the Willow Creek weir in here this next week or so. We'll see how it goes! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW32.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66318 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW32.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Aug 17 14:59:10 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2018 21:59:10 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Sandy Bar Ranch is Seeking a Caretaker Couple References: <1724113207.9993329.1534543150908.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1724113207.9993329.1534543150908@mail.yahoo.com> On Tuesday, August 14, 2018 10:09 AM, Sandy Bar Ranch wrote: sure - sounds good.? thanks? blythe On Tue, Aug 14, 2018 at 10:07 AM, Tom Stokely wrote: Do you want?me to post your ad on my env-trinity list?? I have about 400 subscribers who are interested in the K-T river system. Best,?Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? On Tuesday, August 14, 2018 10:04 AM, Sandy Bar Ranch wrote: | Sandy Bar Ranch is seeking a caretaker couple! | | | | | | | | | | | | ? | | | | | | | | | | ? | | Sandy Bar Ranch is looking for a caretaker couple.? | | ? | | Sandy Bar Ranch, is seeking a capable, able-bodied caretaker couple to help with our cabin rental business in exchange for lodging and utilities in a private straw bale home the Klamath River, some paid work, and sharing our riverside homestead. Position starts in late 2018 or early 2019. We seek mature, self-motivated, drama-free folks with basic rural skills to help with cabin cleaning, grounds, and basic maintenance. We offer a beautiful home with established gardens and orchards, in a mountain setting with surrounding wilderness, rivers, and a strong community.??Contact Mark & Blythe for more details.??Please feel free to pass this along.? Thanks!!? | | | | ? | | | | | | | | | | Fall and Fishing season is just around the corner! | | | | | | | | | | ? | | | | Fall is a gorgeous season on the Klamath, and we still have cabins available.? | | | | ? | | | | | | ? | | | | | Check avilability / Submit a booking request | | | | | ? | | | | | | ? | | | | FOLLOW US | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ? | | | | | | ? | | | | | | | ?mail at sandybar.com(530) 627-3379 | | | | ? | | | | | | ? | | Sandy Bar Ranch PO Box 347, 797 Ishi Pishi Rd., Orleans, ca, 95556 ??This email was sent to tstokely at att.netYou received this email because you have been a customer or affiliate of Sandy Bar Ranch.? You may unsibscribe with the link below:? Unsubscribe here | | ? | | Sent by | | ? | | | | | | ? | | ? 2017 Sandy Bar Ranch | | ? | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Aug 20 11:16:01 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2018 18:16:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Ecology Center Job Opportunity! In-Reply-To: <2C4589EE-3473-41A5-9AB7-3BB1114E0BA3@shastavisions.com> References: <2C4589EE-3473-41A5-9AB7-3BB1114E0BA3@shastavisions.com> Message-ID: <1716749680.11202923.1534788961366@mail.yahoo.com> On Monday, August 20, 2018 10:07 AM, Richard Lucas wrote: Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology CenterAdministrative Assistant Position Announcement Since 1988, we have played a pivotal role to preserve,protect and restore the Mount Shasta bioregion, including not only naturalinterconnected systems, but also cultural layers that constitute the humanrelationship to the land.Our work involves science and fact-based public policyadvocacy, community education, legal challenges (when needed), restoration andrenewal. It includes watershed, forest, wildlife and landscape monitoring and stewardship.We build partnerships and alliances, and engage the local community to promotesustainable environmental, economic and cultural resiliency.We seek a professional Administrative Assistant with apassion for our mission, to work as an employee approximately 3 days per week,3 hours per day (36 hours/month; possibly additional hours during peak periods),mostly during the week with occasional evenings and weekends. This pays$15/hour DOE, with an annual performance review and potential pay adjustment.Duties The Administrative Assistant manages office operations forour organization and performs varied tasks to support our board, staff andvolunteers under the supervision of designated board liaisons. Excellent responsivenessand service to donors, funders, supporters, community members and others ismost important. Duties include: ??? ? ? ?Phonecalls/emails - responding quickly to inquiries, and routing them to theappropriate person for action??????Facilities- keeping the office organized and in good order??????Mail- receiving and routing mail to the appropriate person for action??????Project andgrant coordination ? tracking tasks and deliverables to ensureaccountability??????Fiscalsponsorship ? serving as the champion for our sponsored programs??????Managementsupport ? meeting preparation, posting minutes/agendas, etc.??????Volunteercoordination ? serving as the champion for the volunteer program, workingclosely with other staff to recruit and manage volunteers??????Donor andsupporter database - assisting in implementation of our new Salesforcedatabase; ensuring data integrity, including timely, accurate and efficientupdates and synchronization with Patreon, Quickbooks Online, Mailchimp, andother systems as needed; working with the Development and CommunicationsDirector, ensure required delivery of donor and supporter benefits andrecognition Qualifications The ideal candidate is aligned with our environmentalmission, reliable, well organized and flexible, with experience in officeoperations. Experience with office systems and software is required, including workingknowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point, Apple Mail, and GoogleDocs. Additional expertise with systems such as Salesforce,Mailchimp, Eventbrite, Facebook and other social media, Adobe Photoshop,Wordpress, etc. is desirable. Professionalism, great teamwork, integrity and communicationsskills are also important.Employment is mutually at-will, though we prefer candidatesable to make at least a one year commitment.Interested persons may apply by sending a resume and coverletter/email to computer at mountshastaecology.org.We will begin reviewing applications starting on August 22, 2018. For furtherinformation about our nonprofit organization, please see our website at www.mountshastaecology.org. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Aug 20 13:32:52 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2018 20:32:52 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 33 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 33 (Aug 19). Not a lot to report, though a few more fish than the week before were trapped at Junction City. This week we shall attempt to install Willow Creek weir, with the addition of a new (floating) boat gate. I'm thinking this year's WC install will be like doing a triple lutz with an eye patch on. I'll let you know when we are successfully trapping. MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW33.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66432 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW33.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Aug 20 14:06:09 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 20 Aug 2018 21:06:09 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Reclamation releases environmental document for Lewiston treatment and disposal project In-Reply-To: <604b18f455da49b58c7ac8738d225756@usbr.gov> References: <604b18f455da49b58c7ac8738d225756@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <1984683816.11336615.1534799169066@mail.yahoo.com> On Monday, August 20, 2018 1:07 PM, Lisa Navarro wrote: Reclamation releases environmental document for Lewiston treatment and disposal projectMid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif.MP-18-127Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.govFor Immediate Release: August 20, 2018Reclamation releases environmental document for Lewiston treatment and disposal project REDDING, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact related to the Lewiston Community Services District Wastewater Collection Treatment and Disposal Project.?The project will receive grant funding from U.S. Department of Agriculture to update and consolidate three local wastewater treatment systems near Lewiston. Reclamation will provide a license for associated upgrades and continued use of existing percolation beds for the treatment system, which are located on Reclamation property adjacent to the Trinity River.The USDA made the draft Environmental Assessment available for a two-week public review and issued its FONSI on July 2, 2018. Reclamation?s FONSI is supported by the technical content of the EA for the project, prepared on behalf of the USDA. The EA and FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and are available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=34041For additional information or to request a copy of the documents, please contact Megan Simon, Natural Resources Specialist, at 530- 247-8513 (TTY 800-877-8339) or msimon at usbr.gov.# # #Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. If you would rather not receive future communications from Bureau of Reclamation, let us know by clicking here. Bureau of Reclamation, Mid-Pacific Region 2800 Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA 95825 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 21 09:38:51 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2018 16:38:51 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Ryan Zinke, Trump's Interior secretary, fires another shot at California water policy References: <543249276.496461.1534869531444.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <543249276.496461.1534869531444@mail.yahoo.com> Ryan Zinke, Trump's Interior secretary, fires another shot at California water policy | | | | | | | | | | | Ryan Zinke, Trump's Interior secretary, fires another shot at Californi... By Michael Hiltzik Ryan Zinke blasts California water policy, threatens to stampede the state. | | | | Ryan Zinke, Trump's Interior secretary, fires another shot at California water policy By?MICHAEL HILTZIKAUG 20, 2018?|?4:15 PM???Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, stepping up the Trump administration?s attack on California water policy, on Friday issued?a memo to his staff?demanding a ?plan of action? to circumvent state officials. He gave the staff 15 days to develop a proposal and present it to his deputy, a former lobbyist for big water users at odds with the state. Zinke?s memo represents the latest volley in a developing war between the Trump administration and the state over the distribution of water from state and federal projects. The administration has been pushing for more water deliveries to Central Valley farmers, many of whom are in districts that delivered votes to Trump in the last presidential election ? even though the state as a whole voted for his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.The time for action is now.?INTERIOR SECRETARY RYAN ZINKE?Share quote & link??Zinke instructed the staff to produce an action plan aimed as ?maximizing water supply deliveries,? in part by ?streamlining? consultations related to the Endangered Species Act, ?better incorporating best science? into Interior decisions, constructing new water storage, and making infrastructure changes to ?independently operate? the federally funded Central Valley Project. - COLUMN? In a strikingly ignorant tweet, Trump gets almost everything about California wildfires wrongAUG 06, 2018?|?10:35 AM?Many of those initiatives would run counter to state policy. The state Water Resources Control Board is holding a two-day public hearing starting Tuesday on its own plan to increase water flows to the state?s rivers to protect fish and fisheries. Zinke referred to those plans as proposals for ?additional unacceptable restrictions? that would reduce his agency?s ability to deliver water to growers and urban users in Central and Southern California.?The time for action is now,? he exhorted his staff. He called for both proposals for Congressional legislation and preparation for litigation, presumably against the state.Experts in the environmental laws governing state and federal water policy in California viewed the memo as intensifying the intergovernmental confrontation. ?It?s indicative of a more bullying and hysterical tone,? said Doug Obegi, director of the California water program at the Natural Resources Defense Council.Obegi said the memo signaled the government?s intention to ?gut environmental protections? in the Sacramento Delta, from which water is pumped to serve Central and Southern California users. But he also took its overheated tone as ?a sign that the state has been fairly effective at pushing back.?Zinke?s reference to ?new water storage? is probably a reference to a proposal to raise the height of Shasta Dam to increase the capacity of its reservoir, Lake Shasta, which is opposed by the state.Zinke?s reference to his desire to ?independently operate? the Central Valley Project might conflict with federal law, which generally requires the federal government to comply with state policies, even on federally funded water projects. - COLUMN? This Trump official used to be a farm industry lobbyist. Now he's attacking the Endangered Species ActAUG 13, 2018?|?2:40 PM?The plan of action is to be submitted to Interior Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist and attorney for water users who might benefit from the initiatives Zinke ordered, including the vast Westlands Water District in the Central Valley.By directing staff to report directly to Bernhardt, Zinke placed the former lobbyist at the center of the battle over water rights, despite his potential conflicts of interest.Bernhardt, whose obligation to recuse himself from decisions affecting his former clients has expired,?recently published an op-ed in the Washington Post?advocating changes in the Endangered Species Act that could steer more water to Central Valley growers at the expense of fish and fisheries.Other Trump administration figures have also taken steps to undermine state policies. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross this month ordered agencies under his jurisdiction, including the National Marine Fisheries Service, to?circumvent the Endangered Species Act?on the pretext that water deliveries blocked by ESA rules were needed to fight California wildfires ? an assertion contradicted by fire officials. Trump made the same claim in a tweet that was widely?derided as nonsensical?and uninformed.Last week, meanwhile, Zinke claimed in an interview with the right-wing Breitbart News radio service that?"environmental terrorist groups"?are largely responsible for the severity of the fires. Fire scientists and forestry experts say that the main factor in the increasing intensity of wildfires in the West is climate change.5:52 p.m.:?This post has been updated with comments from Doug Obegi of the NRDC. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 21 13:00:40 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2018 20:00:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Some good news- Carr Fire finally stops growing References: <1497067753.645113.1534881640406.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1497067753.645113.1534881640406@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redding.com/story/news/2018/08/21/carr-fire-stops-growing/1050868002/ After weeks of burning thousands of acres, the Carr Fire finally stops growing Damon Arthur, Redding Record SearchlightPublished 7:31 a.m. PT Aug. 21, 2018 |?Updated 8:54 a.m. PT Aug. 21, 2018(Photo: Cal Fire)CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMOREAfter weeks of destroying thousands of acres of wildland ? including more than 1,000 homes ? overnight?Monday the size of the Carr Fire did not increase.The size of the fire remained at 229,651 as of Tuesday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.?The fire stretches north and south from Igo to Lakehead and east and west from Redding to eastern Trinity County.Firefighters continued to gain control of the fire Monday, with containment line around 90 percent of the blaze as of Tuesday morning.The fire, which started July 23, has?destroyed 1,604 buildings, including 1,079 homes, making it the most destructive fire in Shasta County history. Eight deaths also have been linked to the fire.Buy PhotoZita Harrington Biehle's Menlo Way home was reduced to rubble.?(Photo: Amber Sandhu/Record Searchlight)But heavy smoke over the fire has?significantly reduced fire activity, Cal Fire said.However, heavy timber is challenging firefighters? efforts and battling terrain driven winds in the area of Lake Shasta has made fire activity at times unpredictable.Firefighters still do not know when they will have the fire fully contained.RPD: Unlicensed contractor targeted Carr Fire victimThe fire started the afternoon of July 23 after the tire from a trailer tire went flat and the rim started scraping the ground, causing sparks to ignite vegetation in the area of the Carr Powerhouse at Whiskeytown Lake.As crews near completing a containment line around the fire the number of people working on the fire has dropped significantly.There was once more than 4,000 people assigned to the fire, but as of Tuesday morning there were 1,930. Hirz Fire still active Several away from where the Carr Fire has pushed to the shores of Lake Shasta in some spots, the Hirz Fire grew 2,758 acres as of Tuesday morning.As of the latest information issued from the U.S. Forest Service Tuesday morning, the Hirz Fire was 17,467 acres and was 17 percent contained.Price gouging complaints emerge after Carr FireThe fire is about 10 miles east of Interstate 5, north of Gilman Road and the McCloud Arm of Lake Shasta.The fire is burning on U.S. Forest Service land in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.?The fire was active on the northeast side of the blaze. Crews made good progress strengthening fire line on the on the south side of the fire.There are 1,115 people assigned to the fire, the forest service said.Residents of Old Mill Road, Bonnie Vista Lane, Top of the Hill Trail, Hirz Mountain Road, the north side of Gilman Road, and the Bollibokka Fishing Club have?been evacuated."Because the fire is slow moving, the evacuation will remain in place until authorities determine there is no longer a threat to structures in the area," the forest service said in a news release.Find all your answers about the Carr Fire here?Gilman Road has?a "soft" closure between Old Mill Road and the McCloud River Bridge. The soft closure means residents who live south of Gilman Road who have not been told to evacuate will be allowed to get to their property.Buy PhotoA hotshot crew picks up some ember on the road near Bollibokka Club along the McCloud River on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018 at the Hirz Fire. (Special to the Record Searchlight/Hung T. Vu)?(Photo: Hung T. Vu)Several recreation areas on Lake Shasta, however, remain closed.The McCloud River Arm is closed above Holiday Harbor. Hirz Bay, Moore Creek, Pine Point, Ellery Creek, Dekkas Rock and McCloud Bridge are closed.Beehive Campground is closed due to the Carr Fire. ? Bailey Cove, Fisherman?s Point, Centimudi, and Jones Valley are some of the facilities on Lake Shasta that are still open to the public. For more information about recreation on the lake, call the Shasta Lake Ranger District at (530) 275-1587. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Aug 21 13:46:00 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 21 Aug 2018 20:46:00 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Willow Creek weir is going in... Message-ID: Greetings! FYI- On Wednesday August 22nd we intend to slowly begin the installation of Willow Creek weir for the 2018 trapping season (we'll be putting the gate in Thursday). We will be in the same location as last year, just upstream of Trinity River Farms. We have a new-style boat gate this year (floating-type, like the Hoopa Tribe's gate at Tish Tang), which we believe we have designed to allow rafts and boats to float over it. It's submerged. There is signage indicating where it is, and it is the only part of the weir line doesn't stick up a couple of feet... We have located the boat gate on the Hwy 96 side of the river (river left, headed downstream), and we believe that we've left enough space for boaters to comfortably navigate the culvert that is stuck in the riverbed below us. There will be a fish trap in the river upstream of the weir line, but just river right of the gate. We will have someone staffing the weir site 24/7 for the duration of the season, so if you need help please ask. We'll try to keep our eyes peeled and render assistance when/if needed, but please give us a BIG holler if you know you're going to need help. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you, Mary Claire Kier ************************************* Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 I maryclaire.kier at wildlife.ca.gov 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity [SaveOurWater_Logo] Every Californian should conserve water. Find out how at: SaveOurWater.com * Drought.CA.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 3781 bytes Desc: image001.jpg URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Aug 22 09:38:24 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2018 16:38:24 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1846461726.1184213.1534955904289@mail.yahoo.com> On Wednesday, August 22, 2018 9:36 AM, "FIELD, RANDI" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 08/24/2018? ? ? 00:01? ? ? ? ? ? ? 800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700 Comment: Terminate emergency release due to fire activity - facilities restoration in progress Issued by: R. Field-- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "trinity-releases" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to trinity-releases+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 23 13:15:01 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2018 20:15:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Special TMC Meeting- TRRP Refinements Workshop, 8/29/18, 9-5 References: <1565774816.2069126.1535055302025.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1565774816.2069126.1535055302025@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trrp.net/calendar/event/?id=11605 Event Details Trinity Management Council (TMC) TRRP Refinements Workshop - Special TMC Meeting2018-08-29 09:00:00 ??to 2018-08-29 17:00:00Description:Location:?TRRP Office, WeavervillePoint of Contact:?Caryn Huntt DeCarlo, 530-623-1800 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 00 - TMC Refinement Recommendations Workshop Agenda.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 194054 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Aug 24 10:31:19 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2018 17:31:19 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Jolting California officials, Trump administration looks to rewrite rules for Delta water References: <512411650.2622070.1535131879691.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <512411650.2622070.1535131879691@mail.yahoo.com> Big news for CA Water! https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article217160295.html Jolting California officials, Trump administration looks to rewrite rules for Delta water BY DALE KASLERdkasler at sacbee.com - - - - - LINKEDIN - GOOGLE+ - PINTEREST - REDDIT - PRINT - ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY August 23, 2018 12:17 PMUpdated 1 hour 7 minutes ago?The Trump administration is trying a bold new tactic to bring more water to Central Valley farmers ? one that could come at the expense of millions of urban Southern Californians.In an unprecedented move, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation served notice to California officials Aug. 17, stating it wants to renegotiate a landmark 1986 agreement governing the big federal and state water projects and how they pump water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to their member agencies in southern half of the state.?Reclamation?s efforts could significantly alter the balance of power between the state and federal governments as they share control of the water that flows through the Delta. The estuary is the hub of California?s complex north-to-south water delivery system.The complicated 1986 deal requires both sides to surrender water at times from their reservoirs, to serve?Delta environmental needs?and other purposes. Now the feds want to keep more of their water on hand, for delivery to Valley farm-irrigation districts and other customers of the federal government?s Central Valley Project, leaving less for the State Water Project. Experts say hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water could be at stake. Breaking News Be the first to know when big news breaksSIGN UPThe two sides have been discussing possible revisions to the agreement for a while, and there?s considerable uncertainty whether the feds can successfully wrest more water away from the state. But Reclamation?s move is clearly ratcheting up tensions between state and federal officials over how to divide and deliver the state?s precious water supply.State officials ?were hoping this day would not come,? said Greg Gartrell, a Bay Area water policy expert with 30 years of experience in Delta issues.The feds recently threatened to sue the state over a proposal to reallocate the flows on the San Joaquin River,?giving more water to fish?and less to Valley farmers. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who oversees Reclamation, then ordered aides to?develop an action plan?aimed at ?maximizing water deliveries? to agriculture and other Central Valley Project customers. During the 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump told a?rally in Fresno?he would deliver more water to Valley farmers, who have struggled for years with reduced supplies.Meanwhile, Central Valley Project and State Water Project members are in conflict over Gov. Jerry Brown?s plans to build the Delta tunnels, which are supposed to ease the estuary?s environmental troubles and enable both projects to pump water more reliably. So far the big farm-irrigation districts in the CVP have refused to help pay for the tunnels, increasing the burden on State Water Project agencies.Now comes the attempt by Reclamation to rewrite the rules on Delta pumping. Although the two sides informally have been discussing revisions for two years, Reclamation?s formal ?notice of negotiation? landed the same day as Zinke?s bluntly worded memo on water deliveries and sent a jolt through the halls of state government. If the feds get their way in the Delta, there would be less water for the State Water Project and its most important customer: the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves 19 million residents of Los Angeles and surrounding areas. That leaves state officials anxious, experts say.?You have 19 million people who are caught up in the State Water Project,? said Sacramento water lawyer Stuart Somach, who helped negotiate the 1986 agreement while serving in the federal government. ?If you have leverage over 19 million Californians ... you?ve got quite a bit of leverage.? WHERE'S YOUR WATER GOING? We follow every drop. Reporters at The Sacramento Bee scrutinize the crazy, convoluted world of California water. We watch it during drought, we watch it during floods. We hold elected officials and bureaucrats accountable as they move Northern California?s river water around the state, reshape the plumbing of the Delta region on Sacramento?s doorstep and re-divide the state?s supplies to rescue failing fish populations. Stay informed. Take advantage of a 99-cents offer for your first month of access to The Sacramento Bee. CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE RELATED STORIES FROM SACRAMENTO BEE ?Time for action is now.? Interior chief demands plan to pump more California water south Delta tunnels cost soars to nearly $20 billion when accounting for inflation Why San Francisco is joining Valley farmers in a fight over precious California water California?s largest reservoir project in decades gets an $800 million boost. But is it feasible? Delta tunnels get ?real? as backers seek $1.6B loan from Trump administration Gartrell, a retired assistant general manager at the Contra Costa Water District ? which gets water from the CVP ? said the federal government ?probably has the upper hand? in part because of water rights. Both projects operate under legal water rights granted by the state, and the Central Valley Project, which was built about 20 years before the State Water Project, enjoys more senior legal status, experts say. ?My gut feeling is that the risk is greater for? the State Water Project, Gartrell added.Spokeswoman Erin Mellon of the state Department of Water Resources said DWR officials met this week with federal officials about the Delta agreement. ?We have a joint interest in ensuring our water system meets the needs of California communities and ecosystems and will maintain an open dialogue,? she said.?Metropolitan officials had no comment; nor did officials with the mostly agricultural Kern County Water Agency, another big member of the State Water Project. Jennifer Pierre of the State Water Contractors, an organization that represents State Water Project member agencies, said of the negotiations: ?The outcome and its implications are not known. Regardless, we?ve had a decades-long partnership with the CVP and we expect that to continue in the decades ahead.? The state can?t simply ignore Reclamation?s attempt to renegotiate the rules. If a new deal on the Delta isn?t made within two years, the federal government could simply dissolve the 1986 agreement, experts say. That could create a free-for-all for the water in the Delta, something state officials are eager to avoid.?Without an agreement on the Delta, ?you really have quite a chaotic situation,? Somach said.The two sides have shared governance of the Delta since the late 1960s, when?Oroville Dam was completed?and the State Water Project effectively opened for business. A formal deal, known as a coordinated operation agreement, was hammered out in the 1980s. It was approved by Congress and signed into law in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Although Washington and Sacramento frequently have argued over the movement of water through the Delta, this is the first time either side officially has demanded a new deal.Reclamation spokeswoman Erin Curtis said it was a coincidence that Zinke sent his memo demanding more water for farmers the same day that Reclamation notified DWR it wants to renegotiate the Delta agreement. She said her agency has been speaking with state officials informally for two years about the revising the agreement. While those talks have been productive, she said, ?we?re at a place where we haven?t been able to come to an agreement? and Reclamation decided it was time to institute formal negotiations.She acknowledged, however, that Reclamation is motivated by a desire to redivide the water that pours through the Delta.The 1986 agreement?calls for each side ? the State Water Project and the federal CVP ? to release water from their reservoirs to satisfy state standards on Delta water quality and other so-called ?in-basin uses.? Much of that water then rolls completely through the Delta and out to the ocean, and isn?t available for either project to pump to their customers in the south state.The amount of water that?s surrendered can be considerable ? several million acre-feet in most years, according to Gartrell. An acre-foot is 326,000 gallons. Under the 1986 rules, the Central Valley Project is the one surrendering the bulk of the water: 75 percent of it in dry years; 55 percent in wetter years.Now the feds want a better deal.?We want to find a more balanced solution to those requirements,? Curtis said. She added that ?we want to do it in mutual agreement with the state.? Why did the U.S. government agree in 1986 to furnish the bulk of this water in the first place? When the deal was being negotiated in the early 1980s, Somach said the federal CVP had lots of extra water at its disposal ? considerably more than it needed at the time. Reclamation owns and operates most of California?s largest reservoirs, including Shasta Lake.What the feds lacked was an efficient way of moving it through the Delta. The federal government?s Delta pumping plant, built in the early 1950s, has about half the pumping capacity as the state?s plant, completed in the late 1960s. The plants sit 2 miles from each other northwest of Tracy, at the south end of the Delta.So a deal was struck. The feds agreed to surrender more of their water to satisfy the environment and other needs. In exchange, the state agreed to use its pumps to help the Central Valley Project deliver water to its customers ? mainly Valley farmers south of the Delta.Since then, however, conditions in the Delta have changed dramatically, prompting Reclamation?s desire for a new arrangement.The winter-run Chinook salmon and Delta smelt have been given protection under the Endangered Species Act. The Central Valley Project Improvement Act, signed into law by the first President George Bush, designated more of the CVP?s water for environmental purposes. The end result has been a lot less water available for pumping to the south state. That?s hurt customers of both projects, although Valley farmers say they have suffered more than anyone. During the worst years of the recent drought, farmers on the west side of the Valley got no water deliveries at all from the Central Valley Project. Last year?s record rains brought them a 100 percent allocation, but this year, after a relatively dry winter, they got just 50 percent of their expected allotment.Experts said it?s far from certain, however, that Reclamation can secure more water for agriculture.?It?s so complicated, you can?t really guess how it?s going to turn out,? Gartrell said.The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, near Clarksburg. The federal government wants a new agreement on how water pumping through the Delta is governed.?Randall Benton?rbenton at sacbee.com Read more here: Jolting California officials, Trump administration looks to rewrite rules for Delta water | | | | | | | | | | | Jolting California officials, Trump administration looks to rewrite rules f... The Bureau of Reclamation told California officials it wants to renegotiate the rules on water pumping in the Sa... | | | | -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Aug 24 16:40:33 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2018 23:40:33 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Western water honchos secretly huddle on tunnels, fish References: <1335501780.2783852.1535154033885.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1335501780.2783852.1535154033885@mail.yahoo.com> CALIFORNIA Western water honchos secretly huddle on tunnels, fish Jeremy P. Jacobs?and?Michael Doyle, E&E News reportersPublished: Friday, August 24, 2018An aerial view of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.?formulanone/FlickrCalifornia's biggest water players quietly gathered on the shores of Lake Tahoe this week, hoping to reconcile some long-standing differences involving tunnels, fish, rivers and more.In an unpublicized summit that convened Monday, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman met with representatives from Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown's administration as well as officials from the state's major rural and urban water districts. And though the get-together was largely kept under wraps, some interested parties described it as an effort to reach a "global solution" to problems that until now have defied resolution.Among the topics discussed: Brown's $17 billion plan to build twin tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the coordinated operation of state and federal projects that shuttle water from the wet north to farms and cities in the arid south, and California's controversial proposal to reduce water deliveries to farmers from the San Joaquin River to benefit fish.California Department of Water Resources spokeswoman Erin Mellon confirmed the meeting yesterday."The state and federal water projects are intertwined," she said in an email. "We have a joint interest in ensuring our water system meets the needs of California communities and ecosystems and will maintain an open dialogue to achieve these goals."The meeting, held at a resort and conference center on Lake Tahoe's North Shore, comes as the Trump administration has ramped up pressure on California. Last weekend, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke issued a memo asking for his staff to come up with recommendations within two weeks to increase deliveries to California farmers (Greenwire, Aug. 21).Zinke's memo empowered Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt to provide the "final recommendation for action." Bernhardt is a former lawyer for the Westlands Water District, the state's largest agricultural water district.In a letter dated the same day, Aug. 17, Reclamation formally called for renegotiating a 1986 compromise with the state concerning the operation of the state and federal projects.The complicated coordinated operation agreement focuses in large part on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. At its core, it lays out requirements for how much water state reservoirs and federal reservoirs must release to flow into the delta for ecological and water quality purposes. Most of that water flows through the San Francisco Bay and out to the ocean; it does not enter the projects' conveyance system to farms and cities in the south.Under the agreement, the federal Central Valley Project reservoirs are required to release much more of that water, up to three-quarters of it.Reclamation agreed to that in 1986 for two main reasons: It operates most of the large reservoirs in California ? so it had more water available ? and it needed to use the state's more powerful pumps south of the delta to effectively move water.Conditions have changed since 1986, though, including federal Central Valley Project contractors wanting more of that water. The bureau and the state have long sought to update the 1986 agreement but have failed to do so.The?letter?is the first time the agency has officially issued a "notice of negotiation" for a new agreement, and it set a one-year deadline for talks.If the bureau comes out ahead, it could have a major impact on contractors who get water from the California State Water Project, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California ? the country's largest water seller.Metropolitan provides water to 19 million people and has been the biggest proponent of Brown's tunnels.The district's board was briefed on the Lake Tahoe meeting this week, which staff said General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger and Assistant General Manager Roger Patterson would attend. Kightlinger declined to comment on the meeting.A few Metropolitan Water District directors expressed skepticism about the bureau's plans.Director Mark Gold, who represents Los Angeles, criticized Zinke's memo on updating the Central Valley Project to increase deliveries to farms."The feds could be investing in updating CVP infrastructure," he said. "It's written in there pretty strongly, but there is no commitment in trying to put resources to do so, which I thought was also a pretty glaring loophole." -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 132981 bytes Desc: not available URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Aug 28 10:48:21 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:48:21 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Agenda for September 5-6, 2018, Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office, CA-96 References: <58950414.4717548.1535478501212.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <58950414.4717548.1535478501212@mail.yahoo.com> ? TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL September 2018 Quarterly Meeting ? Location:? Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office, CA-96 ? Agenda for September 5-6,2018 (WebEx info on page 2) ? Wednesday Sept 5, 2018 ? Time ?????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? ??????????????????????? DiscussionLeader RegularBusiness: ? 9:00???????????????? Introductions:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ??Welcome andIntroductions ??Approval ofAgenda ??Approval of June TMCMeeting Minutes ?? CVP Operations Update ? 9:30???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? Don, Chair ? 9:45???????????????? Report fromExecutive Director???????? ??????????????????????????????????? Caryn HunttDeCarlo ? Information/ Decision Items: ? 10:30?????????????? Fall Flows Augmentation????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Reclamation/TBD ? 10:45?????????????? Update Humboldt County Water andROD SIR????????????? ??????????? Elizabeth Hadley ? 11:00?????????????? Break ? 11:15 ????????????? Update ROD Flows Technical WhitePaper??????????????????????????????? RobertFranklin ? 11:45?????????????? Lunch ? provided by Yurok Tribe onsite ? 12:45?????????????? TRRP Public Outreach Overview????????????????????????????????????????????? KevinHeld/Mike Dixon ? 1:15???????????????? Assessment of FlowEffectiveness???????????????????????????????????????????? BillPinnix ? 1:45???????????????? Assessment of Solicitor reviewsof Program and??????????????????????? Caryn ??????????????????????? Landowner well/propertyissues ? 2:15???????????????? Break ? 2:30 ??????????????? Trinity River Mainstem andTributary Gauge Review???????????????? ToddBuxton ??????????????????????? Decision Item:? Approvalof recommendations of changes ??????????? ??????????? 3:00???????????????? Update ROC on Coordinated LTOof CVP and SWP????????????????? Caryn ? 3:15???????????????? OverviewInternal/External Peer Review ?????????????????????????????????? JennyNorris Process/Policy for ProgramReports ? 3:30???????????????? SABSelection Process???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Jenny 3:45 ??????????????? Topics for December Meeting?????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? TMC members/Caryn ? 4:00???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? Don, Chair ? 4:15???????????????? Adjourn ? 5:30??? ??????????? TMCDinner Wednesday ? Big Foot Steakhouse, Willow Creek ? Thursday September6, 2018 ? Time ?????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DiscussionLeader ? RegularBusiness: ? 9:00???? ??????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? ??????????? Don Bader, Chair ? Information/ Decision Items: ? 9:15 ??? ??????????? Quarterly Budget update ? ????????? Decisionitem:? Approval of Budget update changes ? 10:15?? ??????????? HGMP???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? JustinLy and Wade Sinnen ? 10:45?? ??????????? Break ? 11:00 ? ??????????? Changes to Wildlife/Riparian Charter??????????????????????????????????????????????????? JamesLee ??????????? ??????????? Decision item:? Approval of Revised Charter ? 11:30?? ??????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????? ??????????? ??????????? Don,Chair ? 11:45?? ???????????? Lunch ? provided by YurokTribe onsite ? 12:45?? ??????????? Field review Hoopa Valley Tribe restoration projects???????????????????????????? Justin Alvarez? ? 2:45???? ??????????? Adjourn?????????????????????? ? WebEx and Call in Information: ? TMC - Day 1 - Sept 5 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300 Passcode:?806 560 624 Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m4d73c913275237f53df1d6b2ca7610a9 ? TMC - Day 2 - Sept 6 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300 Passcode:?805 585 853 Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m706644a4a5ddab7693c620d985604cd0 ? ? Remaining 2018 TMC Quarterly Meetings ? December5 ? 6, 2018 ? Redding, Forest Service, Shasta-TrinityHeadquarters, ?3644 Avtech Parkway ? Remaining 2018 Monthly Teleconference Calls:? 10:00-noon ? October25 November15 ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 30 07:47:52 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2018 14:47:52 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Revised TMC Agenda September 5-6 References: <136353722.1071836.1535640472152.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <136353722.1071836.1535640472152@mail.yahoo.com> Below?is a revised agenda for next week's meeting.? It includes revised times and two new agenda items:? 2018 Klamath Project Operations / Reconsultation? - Jeff Nettleton KBAO Area ManagerandRefinements Next Steps - TMC? ?TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCILSeptember 2018 Quarterly Meeting ?Location:? Yurok Tribe Weitchpec Office, CA-96 ?Agenda for September 5-6,2018 (WebEx info on page 2) ?Wednesday Sept 5, 2018 ? Time ?????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? ??????????????????????? DiscussionLeader RegularBusiness: ?9:00???????????????? Introductions:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair??Welcome andIntroductions??Approval ofAgenda ??Approval of June TMCMeeting Minutes?? CVP Operations Update ?9:30???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? Don, Chair ?9:45???????????????? Report fromExecutive Director???????? ??????????????????????????????????? Caryn HunttDeCarlo ?Information/ Decision Items: ?10:30?????????????? 2018 Klamath Project Operations /Reconsultation???????? ??????????? Jeff Nettleton, KBAO Area Manager11:00?????????????? Break ?11:15?????????????? Fall Flows Augmentation????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Reclamation ?11:30?????????????? Update Humboldt County Water andROD SIR????????????????????????? ElizabethHadley/Craig Tucker ?11:45 ????????????? Update ROD Flows Technical WhitePaper??????????????????????????????? RobertFranklin ?12:00?????????????? Lunch ? provided by Yurok Tribe onsite ?1:00???????????????? TRRP Public Outreach Overview????????????????????????????????????????????? KevinHeld/Mike Dixon ?1:30???????????????? Assessment of FlowEffectiveness???????????????????????????????????????????? BillPinnix ?2:00???????????????? TrinityRiver Mainstem and Tributary Gauge Review???????????????? ToddBuxton??????????????????????? Decision Item:? Approvalof recommendations of changes??????????????????????? 2:30???????????????? Break ?2:45 ??????????????? Assessmentof Solicitor reviews of Program and??????????????????????? CarynLandowner well/property issues ?3:15???????????????? Update ROC on Coordinated LTOof CVP and SWP????????????????? Caryn ?3:30???????????????? OverviewInternal/External Peer Review ?????????????????????????????????? JennyNorrisProcess/Policy for ProgramReports ?3:45???????????????? SABSelection Process???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Jenny4:00 ??????????????? Topics for December Meeting?????????????????????????????????????? ??????????? TMC members/Caryn ?4:15???????????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? Don, Chair ?4:30???????????????? Adjourn ?5:30??? ??????????? TMCDinner Wednesday ? Big Foot Steakhouse, Willow Creek ?WebEx and Call in Information:? TMC - Day 1 - Sept 5 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300?Passcode:?806 560 624? Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m4d73c913275237f53df1d6b2ca7610a9?Thursday September6, 2018 ?Time ?????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? DiscussionLeader ?RegularBusiness: ?9:00???? ??????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????????????????? DonBader, Chair ?Information/ Decision Items: ?9:15 ??? ??????????? Quarterly Budget update ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Caryn? ????????? Decisionitem:? Approval of Budget update changes ?10:15?? ??????????? HGMP???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? JustinLy and Wade Sinnen ?10:45?? ??????????? Break ?11:00 ? ??????????? Changes to Wildlife/Riparian Charter??????????????????????????????????????? JamesLee??????????? ??????????? Decision item:? Approval of Revised Charter ?11:30?? ??????????? Public Forum:? Comments from the public?????????????????? ??????????? Don, Chair ?11:45?? ???????????? Lunch ? provided by YurokTribe onsite ?12:45?????????????? Refinements ?Next Steps???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? TMC ?1:45???? ??????????? Field review Hoopa Valley Tribe restoration projects???????????????? Justin Alvarez? ?3:45???? ??????????? Adjourn?????????????????????? ?WebEx and Call in Information:? TMC - Day 2 - Sept 6 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300? Passcode:?805 585 853Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m706644a4a5ddab7693c620d985604cd0 ? ?Remaining 2018 TMC Quarterly Meeting ?December5 ? 6, 2018 ? Redding, Forest Service, Shasta-TrinityHeadquarters, 3644 Avtech Parkway ?Remaining 2018 Monthly Teleconference Calls:? 10:00-noon ?October25November15?? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 30 08:13:47 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:13:47 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?East_Bay_Times_Editorial=3A_Stop_Gov=2E_B?= =?utf-8?q?rown=E2=80=99s_sleazy_last-minute_Delta_tunnels_bid?= References: <2101618816.1090115.1535642027300.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2101618816.1090115.1535642027300@mail.yahoo.com> Restore the Delta says that this hearing was cancelled, again. TS http://eastbaytimes.ca.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=008b9742cEditorialStop Gov. Brown?s sleazy last-minute Delta tunnels bid?In what would be the sleaziest maneuver of Gov. Jerry Brown?s tenure, a legislative committee suddenly has rescheduled a hearing for this morning that would allow the state to move forward with the governor?s $19.9 billion Delta tunnels water grab. Without a vote of the Legislature, without a vote of the people, and without legislative oversight.Appalling doesn?t begin to describe this end run of ratepayers, voters and their elected representatives on the next-to-last day of the legislative session. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, and state Senate President Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, had canceled the original Aug. 14 hearing after this newspaper and others raised objections. Rendon and Atkins deserve to be labeled gutless if they now allow this charade to proceed.The governor has been determined to make the massive water-conveyance project part of his legacy, no matter the negative impact on the health of the Delta, which supplies two-thirds of the state?s freshwater?supply.?Brown will get his way if the Assembly and Senate?s Joint Legislative Budget Committee follows through with its plan to hold the 8 a.m. session. It?s a procedural hearing that would allow the state Department of Water Resources to extend the State Water Project contracts for another 50 years. Under state law, all the joint committee has to do is meet and listen. If they do, that would allow DWR to lock in water contracts for the Delta tunnels project before Brown leaves office at the end of the year.That, in turn, would allow Southern California?s Metropolitan Water District room to move forward with its desire to snag as much water as possible?from the Delta.The absurdity of extending the contracts is that the governor and the DWR don?t know how much water would be available if the tunnels are built. Nor do they have information on the tunnels? financing or what the cost allocation would be for water districts that might be forced to pay the bills.What is known is that Met, the largest water district in the United States, is pushing the tunnels project forward despite the opposition of its two largest members, the Los Angeles Water District and the San Diego County Water Authority. The L.A. and San Diego districts oppose the project because it doesn?t pencil out. The State Water Resources Control Board and scientists studying the Delta have made clear that more water needs to flow through the Delta toward San Francisco Bay to preserve the Delta?s health.As if Thursday?s hearing isn?t bad enough, Assemblyman Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica, is pushing forward a gut-and-amend bill, AB 2649, that would further circumvent the public?s ability to monitor water contracts. Bloom?s bill would reduce the period for public notification and submittal of final language for future contracts from 60 days to 10.Major water projects affecting the entire state demand maximum transparency, a thorough review process and a full vote of the Legislature, if not all California voters.Extending the state?s water contracts for 50 years without a single vote from the people or the people?s representatives stains the reputation of all involved, including the governor.Call Rendon (916-319-2063) and Atkins (916-651-4039). Demand that they cancel today?s?hearing.Fisherman enjoy casting their lines along the Sacramento River in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta near Courtland, where the twin tunnels would begin.THE ASSOCIATED PRESSPowered by TECNAVIACopyright (c)2018 East Bay Times, Edition. Please review new arbitration language here. 08/30/2018Click here to see this page in the eEdition:? (Login Required)?Facebook -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Aug 30 09:32:06 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:32:06 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity Journal Editorial: Interior secretary eyes more NorCal water Likely bad news for Trinity References: <619729752.961316.1535646726168.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <619729752.961316.1535646726168@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.trinityjournal.com/opinion/editorials/article_742f9e56-a59b-11e8-96d2-63837889d582.html Interior secretary eyes more NorCal water Likely bad news for Trinity - Aug 22, 2018 ?Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Friday?demanded a ?plan of action? to secure more water for Central Valley farmers and urban users south of the Delta, giving his staff 15 days to develop a proposal.Zinke?s memo asks for a plan ?maximizing water supply deliveries,? ?better incorporating best science? into Interior decisions, ?streamlining? consultations related to the Endangered Species Act, constructing new water storage, and making infrastructure changes to ?independently operate? the federally funded Central Valley Project.We?ve heard those buzzwords before. Taken alone and on face value, it?s hard to argue with the goals of greater efficiency. However, taken together, we know what they mean ? significantly increased deliveries of Northern California water. In cruder terms, the plan will likely suck Trinity Lake dry. We?ve seen it before.Maximizing water supply deliveries means pumping more fresh water through the fragile Delta. It?s hard to imagine that not impacting Trinity and Shasta lakes.Better incorporating best science means picking and choosing which science supports your viewpoint.Streamlining consultations means gutting the Endangered Species Act, or at least ignoring the parts that limit water deliveries.New water storage almost certainly means raising the height of Shasta Dam. Or maybe even resurrecting long-shelved dam plans along the Trinity River.Independently operating the Central Valley Project would be a disaster, given how closely intertwined the CVP and State Water Project are. Not to mention it conflicts with federal law.Given that the plan of action is to be submitted to Interior Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt, a former lobbyist and attorney for water users, including the Westlands Water District, it?s not hard to see what side of the fence this plan will fall.Zinke giving his staff 15 days to solve the California water delivery puzzle is laughable. Unless, of course, the pieces of the puzzle are already laid out.We wait to see how Trinity fits into that. Something tells us it won?t be good. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Fri Aug 31 07:31:29 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2018 14:31:29 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 34 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 34 (Aug 26). 'Pretty slow week at Junction City fish-wise, and a building-only (not trapping) week at Willow Creek. We'll have more numbers for you early next week. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW34.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66446 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW34.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Sep 5 16:51:06 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2018 16:51:06 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: Message from Siskiyou County, CA References: Message-ID: Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: > From: "mspd at mtshastaca.gov" > Date: September 5, 2018 at 4:42:08 PM PDT > To: tstokely at att.net > Subject: Message from Siskiyou County, CA > Reply-To: mspd at mtshastaca.gov > > This is an information only advisory. > The Delta Fire is burning near Interstate-5 near the Vollmers Exit north of Lakehead. The fire is currently 30 miles away from the City of Mt. Shasta. Interstate 5 is closed from 10 miles north of Redding at Fawndale Road to 3.6 miles south of Mount Shasta at Mott Road. Motorists are advised to use an alternate route. > There was a smaller fire in Castella that has been mitigated that is not related to the Delta Fire. > > The Shasta County Sheriff's Office is conducting evacuations south of the Shasta/Siskiyou county line. > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Fri Sep 7 10:26:28 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Fri, 7 Sep 2018 17:26:28 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 35 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 35 (Sep 2). We finally got the Willow Creek weir fishing. We are still working out a few bugs, but have two traps this year, both with tunnels off the weir line, and are videoing fish as well. We'll see how it goes! Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW35.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 66480 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW35.xlsx URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Fri Sep 7 13:15:43 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 7 Sep 2018 16:15:43 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Cost Estimates to Repair Oroville Dam Spillways Mushroom to $1.1 Billion Message-ID: <40b4850e-ea1d-4f0d-83f2-a8a397b3d6dd@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/6/1793911/-Cost-Estimates-to-Repair-Oroville-Dam-Spillways-Mushroom-to-1-1-Billion Cost Estimates to Repair Oroville Dam Spillways Mushroom to $1.1 Billion By Dan Bacher In a conference call with reporters and a press release issued on September 5, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) revealed that its cost estimate to construct the main and emergency spillways at Oroville Dan has ballooned from $200 million in the early days of the spillway crisis to $1.1 billion. Critics of DWR?s handling of the spillway crisis, a fiasco that resulted in the evacuation of nearly 200,000 residents of Butte, Yuba and Sutter counties on one hour?s notice, pointed out that a similar dramatic increase in costs is also likely to take occur if Governor Jerry Brown?s Delta Tunnels project is ever constructed. A DWR spokesman said that the cost estimates may increase even further as construction proceeds in 2019. ?The current estimate for emergency response and reconstruction of the main and emergency spillways is $1.1 billion,? said Erin Mellon, Assistant Director of Public Affairs at Department of Water Resources. ?Cost estimates are based on actual and projected work and may be adjusted further as work continues through completion of the project in 2019.? Mellon said the project is currently on track to meet the November 1, 2018 public safety construction milestone to place all concrete on the main spillway. She said the current estimated cost of the Oroville Spillways Emergency Recovery Project through 2019 is $940 million, with major components including: $630 million for main and emergency spillways work through the contract with Kiewit Infrastructure West $310 million for related recovery work including debris and sediment removal, powerline replacement, permitting and development of access roads, DWR staff time, technical consultants and inter-agency support. ?The estimated cost for emergency response, which ended in May of 2017, remains unchanged at $160 million,? Mellon explained. ?Response activities included erosion mitigation for both spillways during the incident, sediment removal, installation of temporary transmission lines, staff time, technical consultants and inter-agency support.? DWR awarded an initial $275 million contract in April 2017 to Kiewit to immediately plan and mobilize crews and equipment to begin construction in May 2017, according to Mellon. ?This budget allowed Kiewit to begin necessary work while the project design was completed, and was not an estimate of the total project cost. Final plans for the main spillway were completed in July 2017 and final design plans for the emergency spillway were completed and approved in August 2018. As with any project of considerable magnitude, cost estimates are affected by conditions onsite and direction from regulatory bodies throughout design and construction,? she explained. To view photos and video of the Oroville Spillways construction, visit DWR?s Oroville Spillway photo gallery and YouTube channel . The Environmental Water Caucus (EWC) and other environmental group have sent letters calling for an accounting of Oroville and State Water Project costs, but they reported hearing nothing back from state officials over the last 19 months since the dam crisis began in February 2017. ?The Oroville Dam Spillway repair project has increased fivefold from its original estimate in the span of one year and seven months,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta (RTD). ?If the $19.9 billion Delta tunnels project ballooned to five times its currentestimated cost, that would mean total project costs could reach $100 billion.? She said the Joint Legislative Budget Committee hearing scheduled at the State Capitol in Sacramento on Tuesday, September 11, in light of the latest information, should not take place until DWR fully accounts for Oroville and State Water Project costs. ?With that 12-digit figure in mind, the JLBC hearing should not happen until DWR assesses the full accounting of the State Water Project, including continued Oroville repairs, CA WaterFix amendments as part of the State Water contract, and a finance plan for the tunnels project,? said Barrigan-Parrilla-Parrilla. ?Holding the hearing before all of these essential materials are available is irresponsible governance." The Governor, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California and corporate agribusiness interests including Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the owners of the Wonderful Company, have been leaning hard on legislative leaders to hold this hearing. Restore the Delta, Food and Water Watch and other groups are urging Californians to call key legislators to delay this hearing that already been delayed twice. Call 855-969-5216 today to be connected with key legislators ? urge them to delay the final hearing rescheduled for September 11 until we know who?s paying for the tunnels! Let's keep up the pressure! Take a few minutes to call key legislators today: Dial 855-969-5216. This line rotates between our two key targets ? President of the State Senate Toni Atkins and the key Committee Chair Senator Holly Mitchell ? who both have the power to stop this hearing. 1. Dial 855-969-5216. This line rotates between our two key targets ? President of the State Senate Toni Atkins and the key Committee Chair Senator Holly Mitchell ? who both have the power to stop this hearing. 2. Tell their office: "I urge you to delay the State Water Project Contract informational hearing until next year. It's irresponsible to hold this hearing without seeing the full amendments to the contract, or knowing the cost impact to California residents. If this hearing isn't delayed, your office will be responsible for forcing the cost of the corporate tunnels on California residents without public oversight.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 1_spillway_delta.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 86078 bytes Desc: not available URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Sep 11 08:10:27 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2018 15:10:27 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 36 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 36 (Sep 9). First week of recovery/trapping at Trinity River Hatchery for the season, and first full week at Willow Creek. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW36.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67061 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW36.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Sep 18 11:19:37 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2018 18:19:37 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Opinion: Prop. 3 is pay-to-play water bond for billionaires References: <275224769.7605573.1537294777840.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <275224769.7605573.1537294777840@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09/15/opinion-why-prop-3-is-an-irresponsible-water-bond/ Opinion: Prop. 3 is pay-to-play water bond for billionaires Sierra Club leader says initiative benefits campaign funders and could harm the environment Proposition 3 is an irresponsible approach to California?s water problems. The nearly $8.9 billion bond was crafted behind-the-scenes, contains critical elements that could directly harm the environment and turns important water policies on their head.The bond substantially benefits billionaire stakeholders and is a bad water deal for Californians.Bond proposals are best created through a legislative process that is transparent and open to the public. Instead, the Proposition 3 authors have taken a clandestine approach from the start.The high cost of putting the bond measure on the ballot through signature-gathering has resulted in a pay-to-play structure, meaning well-funded private groups have paid for the campaign.In exchange, these special interests have received funding guarantees within the bond ? and they?ll receive more than they?ve invested. If the bond passes, taxpayers will end up paying for investments that the private sector would have been required to make through enforcement of existing law. Exactly what projects are included in the bond was negotiated in private.The proponents of Proposition 3 have added incentives that could worsen environmental quality. The initiative could open new funding pathways for dams that environmental groups and smart water policy advocates have opposed.The bond could harm sensitive habitats. Proposition 3 proposes that the Habitat Conservation Fund should be spent on water acquisition. That fund has been an important resource for restoring non-water related habitats. In the face of climate change, the fund should be specifically allocated on wildlife corridor conservation.The proposition also would shift money away from critical environmental investments. It would raid cap-and-trade funds designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and divert the money to unspecified water projects. This would undermine programs that lower emissions and improve air quality and public health for millions of Californians.Proposition 3 undercuts ?beneficiary pays,? the principle that those who receive water are solely responsible for water supply projects. The bond would rob taxpayer dollars to cover repairs even though the existing law states taxpayers are not liable.The proposition specifies that the Friant Water Authority would receive $750 million for repairs, reconstruction, and enlargement of nearby canals. Over-pumping of aquifers caused the groundwater subsidence that damaged the Friant-Kern Canal. Those who caused the damage should pay to repair the canals.The proposition would essentially require taxpayers from across California to pay to fix the Central Valley canal that isn?t even their water source. This makes no sense.Proposition 3 began as a closed-door initiative and if passed would sidestep any legislative oversight. Unlike other environmental bonds passed by voters, Proposition 3 continuously appropriates all the funds. There will be no annual budgeting from the Legislature. This would eliminate future accountability to determine if the state can afford the spending and that it complies with the bond?s stated priorities.The ballot measure would add $430 million to the state?s general fund expenses annually for 40 years. Looking ahead, it?s imperative that the state only pay for those projects that have substantial public benefit, such as a permanent solution to safe drinking water for everyone. Related Articles - Opinion: Prop 1 builds the affordable housing families need - PRO/CON: Is Prop. 3 a water fix or billionaires? windfall? - Opinion: Prop. 3 will provide clean, safe, reliable water - Editorial: Vote yes on Prop. 12 to give farm animals a cage-free life - Saratoga: Community Briefs for the week of Aug. 31 While Proposition 3 claims that it would provide clean water to those in need, only 10 percent of the bond would go directly to disadvantaged communities. Californians can do better.The bottom line is that Proposition 3 would provide back-door subsidies for wealthy private interests. It will not benefit Californians. Proposition 3 deserves a vote of no in November.Eric Parfrey is chairman of the executive committee of Sierra Club California. He wrote this commentary for CalMatters.Proposition 3 is an irresponsible approach to California?s water problems. The nearly $8.9 billion bond was crafted behind-the-scenes, contains critical elements that could directly harm the environment and turns important water policies on their head.The bond substantially benefits billionaire stakeholders and is a bad water deal for Californians.Bond proposals are best created through a legislative process that is transparent and open to the public. Instead, the Proposition 3 authors have taken a clandestine approach from the start.The high cost of putting the bond measure on the ballot through signature-gathering has resulted in a pay-to-play structure, meaning well-funded private groups have paid for the campaign.In exchange, these special interests have received funding guarantees within the bond ? and they?ll receive more than they?ve invested. If the bond passes, taxpayers will end up paying for investments that the private sector would have been required to make through enforcement of existing law. Exactly what projects are included in the bond was negotiated in private.The proponents of Proposition 3 have added incentives that could worsen environmental quality. The initiative could open new funding pathways for dams that environmental groups and smart water policy advocates have opposed.The bond could harm sensitive habitats. Proposition 3 proposes that the Habitat Conservation Fund should be spent on water acquisition. That fund has been an important resource for restoring non-water related habitats. In the face of climate change, the fund should be specifically allocated on wildlife corridor conservation.The proposition also would shift money away from critical environmental investments. It would raid cap-and-trade funds designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and divert the money to unspecified water projects. This would undermine programs that lower emissions and improve air quality and public health for millions of Californians.Proposition 3 undercuts ?beneficiary pays,? the principle that those who receive water are solely responsible for water supply projects. The bond would rob taxpayer dollars to cover repairs even though the existing law states taxpayers are not liable.The proposition specifies that the Friant Water Authority would receive $750 million for repairs, reconstruction, and enlargement of nearby canals. Over-pumping of aquifers caused the groundwater subsidence that damaged the Friant-Kern Canal. Those who caused the damage should pay to repair the canals.The proposition would essentially require taxpayers from across California to pay to fix the Central Valley canal that isn?t even their water source. This makes no sense.Proposition 3 began as a closed-door initiative and if passed would sidestep any legislative oversight. Unlike other environmental bonds passed by voters, Proposition 3 continuously appropriates all the funds. There will be no annual budgeting from the Legislature. This would eliminate future accountability to determine if the state can afford the spending and that it complies with the bond?s stated priorities.The ballot measure would add $430 million to the state?s general fund expenses annually for 40 years. Looking ahead, it?s imperative that the state only pay for those projects that have substantial public benefit, such as a permanent solution to safe drinking water for everyone. Related Articles - Opinion: Prop 1 builds the affordable housing families need - PRO/CON: Is Prop. 3 a water fix or billionaires? windfall? - Opinion: Prop. 3 will provide clean, safe, reliable water - Editorial: Vote yes on Prop. 12 to give farm animals a cage-free life - Saratoga: Community Briefs for the week of Aug. 31 While Proposition 3 claims that it would provide clean water to those in need, only 10 percent of the bond would go directly to disadvantaged communities. Californians can do better.The bottom line is that Proposition 3 would provide back-door subsidies for wealthy private interests. It will not benefit Californians. Proposition 3 deserves a vote of no in November.Eric Parfrey is chairman of the executive committee of Sierra Club California. He wrote this commentary for CalMatters. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Sep 19 08:46:33 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2018 15:46:33 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 37 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 37 (Sep 16). We were slow at Willow Creek last week, but things have started to pick up. In one day (yesterday) we saw more Fall Chinook than we saw all last week. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW37.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67163 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW37.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Sep 20 09:19:30 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2018 16:19:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] $500,000 in water study funds cut References: <1113817879.466006.1537460370293.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1113817879.466006.1537460370293@mail.yahoo.com> $500,000 in water study funds cut | | | | | | | | | | | $500,000 in water study funds cut By By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter The Klamath Tribes believe the federal government has taken a ?giant step backwards? in the road to a comprehens... | | | | $500,000 in water study funds cut - By HOLLY DILLEMUTH H&N Staff Reporter ? - Sep 18, 2018 The Klamath Tribes believe the federal government has taken a ?giant step backwards? in the road to a comprehensive, long-term agreement aiming to solve water conflicts in the Basin.That?s because the U.S. government rolled back a federal program in its fifth year of providing $500,000 for a study aimed at testing water quality in Upper Klamath Lake. The decision came from the desk of U.S. Department of the Interior Sec. Ryan Zinke.In an email obtained by H&N from the Bureau of Reclamation?s Klamath Basin Area Office Manager Jeff Nettleton to the Klamath Tribes, Nettleton cited budget cuts as a main reason for the rollback of the funding.Nettleton said the Reclamation office has been told it could see potential cuts to a portion of its budget in 2019 and 2020 of between 13 and 20 percent.Due to the rapidly approaching end of the 2018 Federal Fiscal Year (Sept. 30), Nettleton said Reclamation has to reprogram the funds that would have been committed to this year?s agreement to other activities to avoid losing those funds.?...we will work closely with the Klamath Tribes to close out the current agreement and evaluate the possibilities for future funding of the key activities under the agreement, but that future is uncertain due to budget cuts and other issues,? Nettleton said in the email, dated Aug. 20.Mikkelsen trip canceled?It?s like a change in direction,? said Don Gentry, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, at his office in Chiloquin. ?You?re just all of a sudden told, we?re not going to give you that fifth year of funding.?Meanwhile, Alan Mikkelsen, Zinke?s advisor on western water and resources, who is tasked with mediating talks with the tribes and both on-and off-Project irrigators, has canceled his visit this week. Mikkelsen has visited the Basin several times speaking to the variety of stakeholders in the water issue. He had planned to visit the Basin this week.An email to the H&N Monday morning from an aide said he could not make the trip this week for reasons unknown as of press time. Calls to Mikkelsen by the H&N were not immediately returned as of press time.?No flexibility for talks?Due to concerns on the status of endangered shortnose and Lost River sucker and the decision to roll back funds, the Klamath Tribes stated in a press release last week there is now no flexibility to even consider water allocation negotiations until significant progress is made on improving water quality in Upper Klamath Lake.?The Tribes believe that the declining health of the lake and surrounding ecosystem is a community issue, one that can be solved with local collaboration to the benefit of it all,? Gentry said in the news release.?We stand ready for further collaboration with our Basin neighbors but do not see a way forward to even begin discussions with our tribal membership about water allocation agreements until we see measurable progress towards clean water and harvestable levels of C?waam and Koptu,? Gentry said.?There is a basic level of trust needed that is just not there right now as it was in the recent past when the Tribes and a broad range of Basin stakeholders supported the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement (KBRA), which Congress failed to approve, and the Upper Klamath Basin Comprehensive Agreement (UKBCA).?Political pressureIn a Sept. 5 letter from U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, both Democrats, to Sec. Zinke, the senators jointly stated, ?Any progress on water challenges in the Klamath Basin, either in the short or long term, will be contingent on the willingness stakeholders to trust one another. The decision to reprogram these funds at the eleventh hour has the appearance of an overtly political decision that will undermine efforts to reach a long-term solution in the Klamath Basin.??In what can only be described as a giant step backwards, the federal government recently pulled funding for critical water research that could help us understand how to make the lake safer for people, fish, birds, and other wildlife,? Gentry in the release.Gentry believes the lack of funding for the study of improving water quality is hampering progress on reducing the flow of nutrients into the lake.The Tribes have been working with the Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and local landowners to reduce nutrients flowing into the lake, Gentry said.hdillemuth at heraldandnews.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sun Sep 23 17:05:13 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 23 Sep 2018 20:05:13 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Sacramento News and Review Profile:" The most dangerous man in the Delta" In-Reply-To: <7288BFD6-D5C3-4C4E-8AAC-BB790074FFEF@fishsniffer.com> References: <7288BFD6-D5C3-4C4E-8AAC-BB790074FFEF@fishsniffer.com> Message-ID: <3051889f-b108-40b8-9c6c-447bf63986dd@mtasv.net> Good Evening Here is the excellent profile of me that Scott Anderson wrote in the Sacramento News and Review. Thanks Dan https://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/most-dangerous-man-in/content?oid=27127311 LOCAL?STORIES | OPINIONS | CALENDAR | ARTS&CULTURE | MUSIC | DINING | FILM | CANNABIS | GUIDES | N&R?EVENTS | Tweet The most dangerous man in the Delta In casting a wide investigative net, independent journalist snares hypocrisies of two California governors By Scott Thomas Anderson scotta at newsreview.com Read 1 reader submitted comment This article was published on 09.20.18 . Dan Bacher stands at the Clarksburg boat launch in the north Delta. PHOTO BY SCOTT THOMAS ANDERSON Related stories: Fire down below State records reveal nearly 30 gas wells in the path of the proposed Delta tunnels. SN&R, 08.02.18. Bidding in secret: Officials quietly solicit contracts on ?twin tunnels? project despite lawsuits, lack of permits Just months after the California WaterFix project was dealt several blows, state officials started moving forward to award construction contracts. SN&R, 12.21.17. Why save the Delta? Unknown river towns fear untold devastation from Jerry Brown?s twin tunnels project Meet the farmers and river people who don?t want to say goodbye to their way of life. SN&R, 08.31.17. Advertisement ?I live in a very dark place,? Dan Bacher says, glancing into sunrays glinting off the Sacramento River. ?This problem of corporate influence, the domination of big money in Sacramento, is just growing beyond control.? Bacher?s been shining a light into dark corners for decades as an independent journalist. For the last eight years, much of his work has cast a critical glow on Gov. Jerry Brown?s environmental policies. Just as Brown?s career has been pestered by the bumblebee attacks of columnist Dan Walters, so too has he been dogged by Bacher, who writes sharply from a progressive viewpoint. The difference between the two Dans goes beyond their profiles: While Walters has always enjoyed a mainstream megaphone for his political bashing?writing for The Sacramento Union, The Sacramento Bee and now for CALmatters?Bacher?s follow-the-money critiques of Brown have been anchored mainly in the pages of an outdoor magazine called The Fish Sniffer. Now, as Brown approaches his final months in office, arguably moving regulatory mountains and legislative earth to slice two massive tunnels through the Delta, it?s Bacher who might tag a sharp asterisk to the governor?s legacy. Bacher?s reporting on the estuary?s fate, along with his exposes on expanded offshore drilling under Brown, are being published on an array of lefty news sites, including Daily Kos, Alternet, CounterPunch and LA Progressive. Last November, The New Yorker ran its own story questioning Brown?s mantle as a climate defender, highlighting his administration?s ongoing dealings with Big Oil and fracking operations. Those are relationships Bacher has been documenting for years. And the fish sniffer says he isn?t finished sniffing out the money trail he believes unravels ?the myth of Jerry Brown, green warrior.? It?s a hot afternoon in the Delta. Bacher peers at a levee through the window of a barbecue house. Its earthen wall is in the proposed path of California WaterFix, better known as the twin tunnels. Bacher?s been writing about the project since it was reworked as a new version of Brown?s failed 1982 attempt to build an open-air ?peripheral canal? to move Delta water to Southern California cities and agribusinesses. While Bacher?s journalism is achieved the old-fashioned way?attending legislative hearings, state commission meetings and scientific forums?he also likes to engage in some tongue-in-cheek trolling of Brown on social media. ?California is the nation?s ?green leader,? and Jerry Brown is the ?ultimate climate leader,?? Bacher posted on Facebook when the American Lung Association released its latest report grading our air quality. ?That?s why four out of five urban areas with the most polluted air in the nation are in California, the nation?s third biggest oil producer.? Another time, Bacher posted an archival photograph of Brown walking with a smile next to cult leader and mass murderer Jim Jones, adding the one-word caption, ?Memories.? Driving Bacher?s environmental coverage, which has led to him hanging out with Woody Harrelson and talking forest protection with Merle Haggard, is an obsession with conserving endangered fisheries. A Sacramento native, Bacher got his start in journalism in 1983 for a bilingual newspaper in San Jose called El Observador. He soon ended up at a rod-and-reel magazine called The Fish Sniffer. It was launched by the late Hal Bonslett, who urged Bacher to cover water concerns shared by sportsmen, tribal councils and environmental activists. In 2006, Bacher became co-owner of The Fish Sniffer. Around the same time, state officials renewed a push to channel huge volumes of Delta water south, despite the National Marine Fisheries Service warning of extinction dangers for chinook salmon and Delta smelt. Trying to understand how this could happen, Bacher began reporting on the trend of special interest groups getting associates appointed to regulatory panels and state commissions under the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. This focus allowed Bacher to break a big story, one he says mainstream journalists didn?t want to touch with a 10-foot fishing pole: Bacher learned that the chair of the Marine Life Protection Act Initiative Blue Ribbon Task Force, a group charged with designating ?marine protected areas? off California?s coast, was Catherine Reheis-Boyd, president of the Western States Petroleum Association. That?s the primary lobbying association for Chevron, Exxon, Shell and Valero. ?Then I started investigating the other people on the panel,? Bacher says. ?They were almost all corporate operatives.? Campaign finance reporting is another specialty of Bacher, one he says is vital to understanding the twin tunnels saga. Bacher has documented hundreds of thousands of dollars pumped into the campaign for the $7 billion Proposition 1 water bond, which state officials claim can help mitigate environmental damage from the tunnels, among other purposes. Mega-contributors to that initiative included Southern California orchard tycoon Stewart Resnick, along with the California Farm Bureau Federation, Western Growers Service Association and California Cotton Alliance. For Bacher, Brown?s decision to side with such big-money agribusinesses, similar to his ties to the oil industry, pollute his environmental record. ?We thought Jerry Brown would be better than Schwarzenegger, and he wasn?t,? Bacher says. ?I think it?s finally time for the mainstream media to stop clinging to this false narrative around him.? And if it won?t, Bacher will be around to do it himself. Tweet -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: promo.gif Type: image/gif Size: 444 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: spacer.gif Type: image/gif Size: 44 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Sacramentositebanner.gif Type: image/gif Size: 108020 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: AdV.gif Type: image/gif Size: 438 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: local-news.gif Type: image/gif Size: 1778 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: News2.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 24674 bytes Desc: not available URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Sun Sep 23 17:53:38 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2018 00:53:38 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 38 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 38 (Sep 23). MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW38.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67305 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW38.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Thu Sep 27 15:58:08 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2018 15:58:08 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - September 20, 2018 Message-ID: Hello, I will start posting weekly updates here, usually on Mondays, through out the survey season. The first redds were spotted during the second full week of September. Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_09_21.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1168809 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_09_21.pdf URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Sat Sep 29 13:15:48 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Sat, 29 Sep 2018 20:15:48 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 39 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 39 (Sep 30). We saw what I hope is just the beginning of some real Chinook numbers at the Willow Creek weir this week. With the rain this weekend I am curious what kind of numbers we shall have this next week. Junction City weir will be pulled this next week (JW 40), which I believe will also be the end of the spring Chinook spawning at Trinity River Hatchery. I'm not sure how they are doing on their egg take. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW39.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67320 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW39.xlsx URL: From sari at sisqtel.net Mon Oct 1 14:36:01 2018 From: sari at sisqtel.net (Sari Sommarstrom) Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2018 14:36:01 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] [SPAM?] CBB: West Coast Fishery Disaster 2015-2017, Warm Water Impacts Message-ID: <010901d459ce$c07a69d0$416f3d70$@sisqtel.net> Columbia Basin Bulletin Commerce Department Declares West Coast Fishery Disaster, 2015-17; Warm Water Impacts Posted on Friday, September 28, 2018 (PST) In declaring a fishery disaster, the U.S. Department of Commerce determined that west coast commercial salmon fisheries suffered during the warm ocean conditions of 2015 to 2017 off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California, in addition to the commercial sardine fishery off California. Commerce announced the disaster this week, Sept. 25. "The Department of Commerce and NOAA stand ready to assist fishing towns and cities along the West Coast as they recover," said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. "After years of hardship, the Department looks forward to providing economic relief that will allow the fisheries and the communities they help support to rebound." Between July 2016 and March 2018, multiple tribes and governors from Washington, Oregon, and California requested fishery disaster determinations, a Commerce news release said ( https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/media-release/us-secretary-commerce-declares- commercial-fishery-disasters-west-coast-salmon-and). The Secretary, working with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, evaluated each request based on the available data and found that all but one (the California red sea urchin fishery) met the requirements for a fishery disaster determination, Commerce said. The determinations for West Coast salmon and sardines now make these fisheries eligible for NOAA's fishery disaster assistance and the 2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act provided $20 million in disaster assistance. The Department of Commerce is determining the appropriate allocations of these funds to eligible fisheries. Unusually warm ocean temperatures, referred to as "the Blob," encompassed much of the West Coast beginning about 2014, combining with an especially strong El Nino pattern in 2015. The warm conditions have now waned, although some after-effects remain, according to a status report by the Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Northwest Fisheries Science Center in March 2018 (see CBB, March 16, 2018, "Ocean Conditions Returning To Normal (Cooler), Salmon Returns Will Remain Depressed A Few Years," http://www.cbbulletin.com/440365.aspx) Those residual effects are: -- Feeding conditions have improved for California sea lions and seabirds that experienced mass die-offs caused by shifts in their prey during the Blob. -- Plankton species, the foundation of the marine food web, have shifted back slightly toward fat-rich, cool-water species that improve the growth and survival of salmon and other fish. -- Recent research surveys have found fewer juvenile salmon, and consequently adult salmon returns will likely remain depressed for a few years until successive generations benefit from improving ocean conditions. -- Reports of whale entanglements in fishing gear have remained very high for the fourth straight year, as whales followed prey to inshore areas and ran into fishing gear such as pots and traps. -- Severe low-oxygen conditions in the ocean water spanned the Oregon Coast from July to September 2017, causing die-offs of crabs and other species. The U.S commercial fishing and seafood industry (including imports) generated $144 billion in sales in 2015, a 6 percent decline from the previous year, and supported 1.2 million jobs, a 15 percent decline from 2014, although this is still above the 5 year average, according to a 2017 NOAA Fisheries report. Factors such as the "warm blob," marine toxins, and El Nino affected the Pacific marine environment in 2015, and West Coast fishermen saw lower landings and revenue for several key commercial species. (See CBB, May 12, 2017, "NOAA Fisheries Issues Reports On Fisheries Economics, Status Of U.S. Fisheries," http://www.cbbulletin.com/438893.aspx.) Even as the effects of the Blob and El Nino dissipate, the central and southern parts of the West Coast face low snow pack and potential drought in 2018 that could put salmon at continued risk as they migrate back up rivers to spawn, according to NOAA. The 2015 Fisheries Economics of the United States is at https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/economics/publications/feus/fisheries_economics _2015/index and the 2016 Status of U.S. Fisheries report is at http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/sfa/fisheries_eco/status_of_fisheries/status_u pdates.html Bookmark and Share Bottom of Form -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.gif Type: image/gif Size: 8928 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.gif Type: image/gif Size: 596 bytes Desc: not available URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Oct 1 16:05:57 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 1 Oct 2018 16:05:57 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - September 28, 2018 Message-ID: Hello, Redd numbers are starting to pick up. It is still early but this year's redd count is currently on a similar trajectory as last year. Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_09_28.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1075308 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_09_28.pdf URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Oct 3 13:46:55 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2018 20:46:55 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] It has been pointed out I... Message-ID: I sent you the wrong iteration of JW 39 on Saturday, sorry about that. Here is the correct one, with updated WCW numbers. Last week at WCW we had two days with 200+ fish and an additional 100+ day. It was a Chinook show, mostly at WCW last week, this week we're finally seeing some more steelhead. The bears are stepping up their interference so numbers are likely down this week. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW39.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67403 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW39.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Oct 4 16:59:44 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2018 23:59:44 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Message from MC Kier on WCW fish counts. In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <1933768932.4874804.1538697585012@mail.yahoo.com> On Wednesday, October 3, 2018 1:47 PM, "Kier, Mary Claire at Wildlife" wrote: I sent you the wrong iteration of JW 39 on Saturday, sorry about that. Here is the correct one, with updated WCW numbers. ? Last week at WCW we had two days with 200+ fish and an additional 100+ day. It was a Chinook show, mostly at WCW last week, this week we?re finally seeing some more steelhead. The bears are stepping up their interference so numbers are likely down this week. Cheers! MC ? ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist ? Fisheries 707/822-5876? 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity ? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW39.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67403 bytes Desc: not available URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Fri Oct 5 10:31:33 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 5 Oct 2018 13:31:33 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Restore the Delta critiques Prop. 3 as agribusiness dumps Big Money into campaign In-Reply-To: <203AC7CD-9C9D-4289-9BBB-598957B62271@fishsniffer.com> References: <203AC7CD-9C9D-4289-9BBB-598957B62271@fishsniffer.com> Message-ID: <53abaf7f-8295-41b5-a7e1-6e772bc98df8@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/4/1801558/-Restore-the-Delta-critiques-Prop-3-as-agribusiness-dumps-Big-Money-into-campaign Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the co-owners of the Wonderful Company. Photo courtesy of the Wonderful Company. Restore the Delta critiques Prop. 3 as agribusiness dumps Big Money into campaign By Dan Bacher As billionaire agribusiness tycoons Stewart and Lynda Resnick and other agribusiness interests continue to dump hundreds of the thousands of dollars into Jerry Meral?s Yes on Propositio Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, offers her analysis of the controversial water bond. Her critique points out three major flaws of the water bond: (1) the percentage of money allocated in the $8.9 billion dollars to help with environmental justice water community needs is a ?pittance?; (2) The money in Prop 3 marked for Delta restoration is tied to the construction of the Delta tunnels; and (3) Taxpayers should not be on the hook for the needed $700 million in repairs to fix and expand the Friant-Kern Canal as earmarked in Prop 3. Here is her analysis: "Restore the Delta has been working on so many issues this year that we have not weighed in with our members on Proposition 3, the $8.9 billion dollar water bond, on the November ballot. Additionally, we did not open a PAC and lead an opposition campaign opposing Prop 3, as we did against Prop 1 in 2014, because we knew that even if we could raise the money, we didn?t have the mental/physical/spiritual bandwidth to lead an opposition campaign on top of all the other work we have undertaken this year in our advocacy to stop the Delta tunnels, and to ensure that adequate flows are restored to the Delta estuary, for all Delta communities. We can, however, make a statement evaluating Prop 3. So here we go! We don?t like it! We really, really don?t like it -- despite the fact that it does contain some needed dollars to help communities with serious water needs in the San Joaquin Valley ? which makes not liking it problematic. But we still don?t like it. Our first problem is that the percentage of money allocated in the $8.9 billion dollars to help with environmental justice water community needs is a pittance. It is about 10% of the overall bond. This is the problem we see time and time again with water resource management in California. About 90% of funding in water project management goes to fund special interest water districts, industrial agriculture, and speculative developers looking for new water supplies. The projects that are needed to solve serious drinking water problems for environmental justice communities in all of California, to create regional self-sufficiency to lessen dependence on the Delta, and to protect existing water supplies, rivers, and watersheds like the Delta, continue to be grossly underfunded. To read more about these funding inequities, click here to read an excellent op-ed by Eric Parfrey, Chair of Sierra Club California. We understand why certain groups would support this bond for water challenged communities within their service areas. We get it and empathize fully. But we believe that perpetuating a water bond scheme that favors a small percentage of special interests without rebuilding California?s water system to favor 98% of water users just doesn?t work any longer. We have had 30 years of that scenario, and water management outcomes are not improving. Second, the money in Prop 3 marked for Delta restoration is tied to the construction of the Delta tunnels. It contains mitigation money for projects that water exporters are supposed to pay for to correct problems from over exporting water over the last 30 years. And it?s packed with funding for restoration projects that will not work with construction and operation of the fresh-water-depleting Delta tunnels. As long as adequate flows do not pass through the Delta to nourish the estuary, either from tunnel operations, over pumping at the current facilities, or inadequate flow releases, restoration projects will fall short to accomplish their promised goals. Why should voters throw good money after bad decision making? Third, subsidence from groundwater pumping in the South San Joaquin Valley is what has caused the Friant-Kern canal to sink and to require expensive repairs. Taxpayers should not be on the hook for the needed $700 million in repairs to fix and expand the Friant-Kern Canal as earmarked in Prop 3 after big growers damaged their own groundwater system. Don?t be fooled. The push to expand the capacity of Friant-Kern Canal and related facilities to move water around links up to plans for Kern County Water Agency to receive additional water exports from the Delta tunnels. Kern County interests want lots of new water for their desert communities from other parts of the state in order to become the proverbial oasis in the desert, sort of like Palm Springs. Remember, Kern County Water Agency, is set to contribute only about 21% of Delta tunnels funding, as the project will primarily be funded by Metropolitan Water District customers, yet KCWA maintains that their export allotments will increase dramatically. Meanwhile, Southern California environmental justice communities will be subsidizing big ag through higher water rates and property taxes for the tunnels, and, through Prop 3, will be subsidizing big ag infrastructure, while groundwater supplies in Southeast Los Angeles County remain polluted, and regional self-sufficiency water projects remain on the back burner." You have only to look at the campaign donors to Proposition 3 to understand who will benefit from it ? the corporate agribusiness lobby and large, well-funded conservation organizations. Stewart and Lynda Resnick, the Beverly Hills billionaire owners of the Wonderful Company, and many of the same agribusiness interests that promote the Delta Tunnels are now funding the campaign to pass Jerry Meral?s water bond, Prop. 3, on the November ballot in California. The Resnicks? Wonderful Orchards LLC has donated $100,000 to the campaign to date. The Resnicks, who are known as the Koch Brothers of California, contribute many hundreds of thousands of dollars to candidates from both sides of the political aisle and to proposition campaigns so they can continue selling back public water to the public at a huge profit while promoting legislation and other efforts to eviscerate laws protecting fish, wildlife and water. The Resnicks also contributed $150,000 to Governor Jerry Brown?s Proposition 1 water bond campaign in the fall of 2014. Timber industry billionaires, agribusiness organizations, oil companies and other corporate interests dumped $21.8 million into that campaign in a few short months. To read about how Brown broke his Prop 1 ?promise? to not spend any water bond money on the Delta Tunnels, read my East Bay Express article: www.eastbayexpress.com/? "Stewart and Lynda Resnick have given big money to Democrats for years. But the powerful San Joaquin Valley farming couple also makes sure they give thousands to Valley Republicans," according to an article published in the Miami Herald on August 23: www.miamiherald.com/... "Why? Water," said reporter Kate Irby. The Resnicks are among the biggest contributors to the University of California system ? and Stewart Resnick served as an advisor to Linda Kathehi, the disgraced chancellor at UC Davis. According to an investigation by the Sacramento Bee in April 2016, I was one of the journalists being monitored by a private firm, hired by Katehi and funded by our tax dollars: www.sacbee.com/? For a complete rundown on the Resnicks manipulation of California water politics and their long war on the public trust, go to: www.dailykos.com/? Meral, with the Natural Heritage Institute, is one of the leading advocates for the construction of the Delta Tunnels, a massive public works project that opponents say will destroy the Delta ecosystem and West Coast fisheries. Meral, in a moment of candor, infamously said in 2013, ?The Delta cannot be saved.? No matter what proponents might claim, this bond is designed to support subsidized corporate agribusiness in the San Joaquin Valley, as evidenced by the contributors to the bond campaign and the provisions of the bond, including $1.1 billion to fix Kern County canals. The watershed restoration and fish and wildlife projects are thrown in there in an effort to fool organizations to sign onto the bond when the real purpose of the bond is to get the taxpayers to pay for projects that benefit corporate agribusiness, not the public and the public trust. Agribusiness interests and big conservation NGOs have dumped over $3 million into Jerry Meral's Yes on Prop. 3 water bond campaign, as of August 3. Here are the top five contributors to Yes on Prop. 3 to date: Ducks Unlimited $400,000 California Waterfowl Association $275,000 California Wildlife Foundation Vesta Fund $200,000 American Pistachio Growers $160,000 California Fresh Fruit Association $155,000 Here are other contributors to the campaign: Agricultural and Dairy Community for Safe Drinking Water and A Reliable Water Supply $100,000 California Rice Industry Association $100,000 Northern California Water Association $100,000 Western Growers $75,000 California Dairies, California Activities $75,000 Grimmway Enterprises Incorporated $61,415 American Pistachio Growers $60,000 Maxco Supply, Inc. $50,000 Wonderful Orchard Orchards LLC $50,000 Kern Machinery Mutual $25,000 California Citrus Mutual $25,000 Milk Producers Council $20,000 Delano Farms Company $18,650 For more information, go here: www.dailykos.com/... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Stewart-and-Lynda-Resnick-4-1.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 16843 bytes Desc: not available URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Oct 9 09:59:48 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2018 09:59:48 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - October 5, 2018 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Oct 9 10:00:49 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2018 10:00:49 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - October 5, 2018 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 On Tue, Oct 9, 2018 at 9:59 AM Gough, Steve wrote: > see attached... > > Steve Gough > Fish Biologist > U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service > Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office > 1655 Heindon Road > Arcata, CA 95521 > > *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * > (707) 825-5197 > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_05.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1141165 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_05.pdf URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Oct 9 11:21:43 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2018 18:21:43 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 40 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 40 (October 7). Junction City wrapped up their season this past week, pulling out of the river after trapping on Tuesday. The counts on the JC tab are final (draft). Trinity River Hatchery finished up their spring Chinook spawning period during JW 40 as well. They will be on a spawning break during JW 41 and 42, and will open the ladder back up in JW 43 (Oct 22) when spawning will recommence. We had some success at Willow Creek weir this past week, but it wasn't quite what we were hoping for. The steelhead showed up and we got a few Coho as well, but the Chinook numbers dropped from the prior week at least partially due to bear damage to the weir line. We are constantly tweaking this new set-up. I'm hoping we can keep it dialed in and get more of the fish we know are in the river into our traps. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW40.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67588 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW40.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Oct 9 12:33:29 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2018 12:33:29 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - October 5, 2018 w/ attachment Message-ID: Sorry about that. See attachment THIS time... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_05.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1141165 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_05.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Oct 9 17:03:43 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2018 00:03:43 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: [Trinity Releases] Re: Change Order - Lewiston Dam In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <636803777.7646455.1539129823335@mail.yahoo.com> On Tuesday, October 9, 2018 9:47 AM, "WASHBURN, THUY" wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time ? ? ? ? ? ? From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 10/14/2018?? ? ?0800 ? ? ? ? ? ? 450 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 400 10/15/2018?? ? ?0800 ? ? ? ? ? ? 400 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 350 10/16/2018?? ? ?0800 ? ? ? ? ? ? 350 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 300 Comment: ?Winter base flow Issued by:? T. Washburn On Wed, Aug 22, 2018 at 9:36 AM FIELD, RANDI wrote: Project:?Lewiston?Dam Please make the following release?changes?to the Trinity River:?Date?????????? ?????Time? ? ? ? ?From (cfs)?? ??To (cfs) 08/24/2018? ? ? 00:01? ? ? ? ? ? ? 800? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?700 Comment: Terminate emergency release due to fire activity - facilities restoration in progress Issued by: R. Field -- View online at http://www.trrp.net/restore/flows/release-email/ --- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Oct 15 08:46:05 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 15:46:05 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Water_bond_Proposition_3_has_something_fo?= =?utf-8?q?r_everyone_=E2=80=94__and_that=27s_the_problem?= References: <2134933483.10701716.1539618365468.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2134933483.10701716.1539618365468@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-skelton-proposition-3-california-20181015-story.htmlWater bond Proposition 3 has something for everyone ? ?and that's the problemBy?GEORGE SKELTONOCT 15, 2018?|?12:05 AM?|?SACRAMENTO??Sprinklers irrigate a farm field in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)Call it a Christmas tree or a candy shop, Proposition 3 has a nice gift for almost everyone, especially eastern San Joaquin Valley farmers.The Nov. 6 ballot initiative would authorize the largest water bond in California history, $8.9 billion. Add in $8.4 billion for interest payments and the total reaches $17.3 billion. That?s $430 million annually for 40 years.inRead?invented by TeadsADVERTISEMENTProposition 3 is the product of a classic pay-to-play operation. It?s probably not what Gov. Hiram Johnson envisioned when he and Progressive reformers created California?s direct democracy system more than a century ago.Those reforms included the initiative, referendum and recall. The idea was to empower citizens to fight special interests ? not to provide the interests with another tool to buy themselves public benefits.Under pay to play, an initiative creator shops his draft proposal to interest groups, trolling for financial backing. Interests that donate to the cost of collecting voter signatures and the election campaign usually buy themselves a share of the initiative?s benefits. It?s a good investment. Roughly 80% of bond measures pass.There?s also a version of pay to play in every legislative body in America. It?s old-fashioned pork barrel politics, a sort of ?pay to vote? extortion. A legislator demands a special carve-out for his district in exchange for his vote.More from George Skelton ?In 2009, the California Legislature passed a water bond so bloated with pork that lawmakers were too embarrassed and fearful to even place it on the ballot. It totaled $11.1 billion and was saturated with such extraneous lard as bike trails, ?watershed education centers? and money for a Lake Tahoe water taxi.Finally in 2014, the Legislature ? motivated by common sense and a devastating drought ? passed a more modest, relatively pork-free $7.5-billion water bond that voters overwhelmingly approved.Last year, the Legislature passed another water bond ? held down to $4.1 billion by Gov. Jerry Brown ? and voters approved it in June.Neither the governor nor the Legislature thought a third water bond in four years was practical or prudent. But Jerry Meral, a veteran water expert, environmentalist and pay-to-play practitioner, thought otherwise and devised Proposition 3.The campaign had raised $4.7 million as of Oct. 1. There has been no opposition money.Agriculture has been a major bankroller ? nut orchards, fruit trees, dairies, rice.Also kicking in big have been bird hunters and watchers ? Ducks Unlimited, the California Waterfowl Assn. ? and the California Wildlife Foundation. Some wetlands would be restored under the proposal.Environmentalists are split. The Nature Conservancy supports the measure. The Sierra Club is opposed.?A lot of the money is going to a few big farming interests in the Central Valley,? asserts Kathryn Phillips, the Sierra Club director in California.Coverage of California politics ?Opponents are especially bothered by a $750-million expenditure to repair the federally owned Friant-Kern and Madera canals between Fresno and Bakersfield.Two problems, critics say:First, the canals aren?t working right because they?ve sunk. And the land has sunk because farmers have over-pumped groundwater, causing major subsidence.Growers caused their own problem. Now they want the whole state to pony up to solve it.Historically, water projects are funded on the basis of beneficiary pay. Water users pay through their monthly bills. Proposition 3 would undo that policy for these two broken canals.Second problem: The federal government owns the canals and should be responsible for fixing them ? not the state.?In the age of Trump, California taxpayers are going to fix a federal project? It?s just mind-boggling,? says Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), who wrote the cleaned-up $7.5-billion water bond in 2014 and strongly opposes Proposition 3.Meral answers: ?The federal government has been a little bit missing in action in California. It will be an unmitigated catastrophe if those canals aren?t fixed. We just can?t let them go. An agricultural water supply means we have a food supply.?Not just ?we? have the supply, however. California growers export much of their produce overseas. Maybe the whole world should kick in with repair dough if all Californians are expected to.Actually, there are many good things on this loaded Christmas tree ? money for purifying water for drinking, flood protection, dam repairs, recycling, desalination and habitat restoration.An expenditure I especially like is $80 million to finally tear down Matilija Dam on the Ventura River near Ojai. It was built when I was a kid. My steelhead-fishing dad predicted it would silt up. Steelhead runs soon ceased because the oceangoing trout lost their spawning beds. And the reservoir sure enough filled up with silt and became utterly useless.The question is whether all these projects are needed right now and are cost-effective. There seemed to be no prioritizing.?It?s garbage ? nothing but pet projects,? Rendon says. ?It?s the old way of doing business. Cynical politics, what people don?t like.?In the other legislative chamber, however, state Senate leader Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) supports the measure. Her district makes out well under Proposition 3.?It will increase reliable water supply in my district and across the state,? Atkins said in an email to me.One crucial flaw in the initiative is that the Legislature would have no say over the bond program?s operation. No legislative oversight. The money would be spent unchecked by state agencies.Voters should resist Proposition 3. And the next Legislature should devise a more modest plan with less candy. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Oct 15 11:22:56 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 11:22:56 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - October 12, 2018 Message-ID: The latest... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_12.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 5792723 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_12.pdf URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Oct 15 16:17:18 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2018 23:17:18 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 41 Message-ID: Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 41 (October 14). The only numbers that were added this week were at Willow Creek weir as Junction City weir is out of the water for the season and Trinity River Hatchery is in its planned break in spawning between spring and fall Chinook. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW41.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67654 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW41.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Oct 20 07:49:23 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2018 14:49:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trump orders quicker environmental review of California water projects References: <748565122.13988225.1540046963374.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <748565122.13988225.1540046963374@mail.yahoo.com> The Order is inserted below the article. ?TS http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-trump-water-20181019-story.html Trump orders quicker environmental review of California water projects By?BETTINA BOXALLOCT 19, 2018?|?3:25 PM???The intake channel at the C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant in Tracy. The federal plant sends water south to San Joaquin Valley farmers. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)President Trump on Friday directed federal agencies to speed up their environmental review of major water projects in California and to develop plans to suspend or revise regulations that hamper water deliveries.The directive will have little immediate practical effect. But it comes a bit more than two weeks before a midterm election in which some Central Valley Republicans are in close races to hold on to their congressional seats.inRead?invented by TeadsADVERTISEMENTRailing against environmental regulations that have hurt water deliveries to the valley is a perennial GOP battle cry ? and one that could give a political boost to Republican incumbents. But the presidential memo also illustrates the legal constraints that prevent the federal government from single-handedly sending more water to San Joaquin Valley growers.The memo sets 2019 deadlines for the U.S. Interior and Commerce departments to issue updated environmental rules that govern water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ? the center of California?s sprawling water supply system.The review of export limits under the Endangered Species Act started under the Obama administration, which signaled that the protections could grow more restrictive because populations of imperiled fish continue to plummet.Federal biologists could retreat from that, loosening export limits when they issue the new rules next spring. But if they do, the action will inevitably be challenged in the courts, which blocked a similar effort by the George W. Bush administration.California?s massive federal irrigation system, the Central Valley Project, must also adhere to state environmental regulations and water rights permits.In tweets this summer, Trump echoed farmers? protests that water flowing to the sea is wasted. In one tweet that was quickly condemned by state officials, Trump incorrectly claimed that water that had been ?diverted into the Pacific Ocean? was inhibiting efforts to fight Northern California wildfires.The Trump administration signaled that it was wading into California water politics in August.Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ordered the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the Central Valley Project, and other Interior agencies to develop an ?initial plan of action? that would ? among other things ? maximize water deliveries, streamline federal environmental reviews of project operations and prepare ?legislative and litigation measures? to increase deliveries.The efforts have been led by Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former partner in one of the nation?s top-grossing lobbying law firms, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. There, he represented the politically influential Westlands Water District, which would be among the chief beneficiaries of improved deliveries to south-of-delta Central Valley Project customers.In a briefing on Friday?s directive, Bernhardt said it could be the single most significant action a president has taken on Western water in his lifetime.The memo, which Trump signed on a trip to Arizona, also sets a 2019 deadline for environmental reviews of the Klamath Project, which delivers water for irrigation in Oregon and Northern California.Five Republican congressmen from the Central Valley ? House Majority leader Kevin McCarthy, David Valadao, Devin Nunes, Jeff Denham and Tom McClintock ? watched as Trump signed the memo after a fundraising lunch in Scottsdale.Trump then handed the pen to Nunes, who for years has introduced legislation attacking the federal Endangered Species Act. Several of his proposals have passed the House only to die in the Senate.?This will move things along at a record clip,? Trump told the group. ?And you?ll have a lot of water. I hope you?ll enjoy the water you?ll have.?McCarthy, casting the signing as another promise kept by Trump, said the order could increase deliveries to the Central Valley by more than a million acre-feet. He gave no details as to how.Three valley Republicans are facing serious challengers, although Denham, of Turlock, is the only incumbent polling behind his Democratic challenger. Josh Harder, a former venture capitalist, has a 5-point lead among likely voters in California?s 10th Congressional District,?according to a recent poll?conducted by UC Berkeley?s Institute of Governmental Studies. The race is listed as a ?Republican toss-up? by the nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report.As water exports from the delta increased in recent decades, populations of migrating salmon and delta smelt ? a finger-sized fish found only in the delta ? plummeted. That has triggered endangered?species protections under state and federal law that periodically limit the intake of the government pumping plants that divert supplies to San Joaquin Valley fields and Southland cities.State water?quality standards also mandate that a certain level of fresh water flows through the delta to keep salt water from the San Francisco Bay away from the delta pumps.Legal experts say that any attempts by the Trump administration to skirt state environmental regulations could run afoul of a 1978 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case that pitted California against the Central Valley Project.The high court found that, under the 1902 Reclamation Act, federal irrigation projects in the West must conform to state laws.Kate Poole, an attorney with the environmental group the Natural Resources Defense Council, has waged numerous legal battles to uphold Endangered Species Act protections in the delta. She saw more politics than policy in the memo.?We cannot comment on campaign stunts,? she said after reviewing Trump?s directive.Times staff writer Maya Sweedler contributed to this report.3:25 p.m.:?This article was updated with details of the signing, Central Valley congressional races, and a comment from environmental attorney Kate Poole. THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press SecretaryFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 19, 2018?October 19, 2018???MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIORTHE SECRETARY OF COMMERCETHE SECRETARY OF ENERGYTHE SECRETARY OF THE ARMYTHE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY?SUBJECT:??????? Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West??By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following:???????Section?1.??Policy.? During the 20th?Century, the Federal Government invested enormous resources in water infrastructure throughout the western United?States to reduce flood risks to communities; to provide reliable water supplies for farms, families, businesses, and fish and wildlife; and to generate dependable hydropower.? Decades of uncoordinated, piecemeal regulatory actions have diminished the ability of our Federal infrastructure, however, to deliver water and power in an efficient, cost?effective way.?????? Unless addressed, fragmented regulation of water infrastructure will continue to produce inefficiencies, unnecessary burdens, and conflict among the Federal Government, States, tribes, and local public agencies that deliver water to their citizenry.? To meet these challenges, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce should, to the extent permitted by law, work together to minimize unnecessary regulatory burdens and foster more efficient decision-making so that water projects are better able to meet the demands of their authorized purposes.???????Sec.?2.??Streamlining Western Water Infrastructure Regulatory Processes and Removing Unnecessary Burdens.? To address water infrastructure challenges in the western United?States, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary?of Commerce shall undertake the following actions:?????? (a)? Within 30?days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall:?(i)?? identify major water infrastructure projects in?California for which the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce have joint responsibility under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (Public Law 93-205) or individual responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (Public Law 91-190); and?(ii)? for each such project, work together to facilitate the designation of one official to coordinate the agencies'?ESA and NEPA compliance responsibilities.? Within the 30-day time period provided by this subsection, the designated official shall also identify regulations and procedures that potentially burden the project and develop a proposed plan, for consideration by the Secretaries, to appropriately suspend, revise, or rescind any regulations or procedures that unduly burden the project beyond the degree necessary to protect the public interest or otherwise comply with the law.? For?purposes of this memorandum, "burden" means to unnecessarily obstruct, delay, curtail, impede, or otherwise impose significant costs on the permitting, utilization, transmission, delivery, or supply of water resources and infrastructure.?????? (b)? Within 40?days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall develop a timeline for completing applicable environmental compliance requirements for projects identified under section?2(a)(i) of this memorandum.? Environmental compliance requirements shall be completed as expeditiously as possible, and in accordance with applicable law.?????? (c)? To the maximum extent practicable and consistent with applicable law, including the authorities granted to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce under the?Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (Public Law?114-322):??????????? (i)??? The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of?Commerce shall ensure that the ongoing review of the long-term coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project is completed and an updated Plan of Operations and Record of Decision is issued.??????????? (ii)?? The Secretary of the Interior shall issue final biological assessments for the long-term coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project not later than January?31, 2019.??????????? (iii)? The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall ensure the issuance of their respective final biological opinions for the long-term coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project within 135?days of the deadline provided in section?2(c)(ii) of this memorandum.? To the extent practicable and consistent with law, these shall be joint opinions.??????????? (iv)?? The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall complete the joint consultation presently underway for the Klamath Irrigation Project by August 2019.?????? (d)? The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall provide monthly updates to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and other components of the Executive Office of the President, as appropriate, regarding progress in meeting the established timelines.???????Sec.?3.??Improve Forecasts of Water Availability.? To facilitate greater use of forecast-based management and use of authorities and capabilities provided by the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law?115-25) and other applicable laws, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall convene water experts and resource managers to develop an action plan to improve the information and modeling capabilities related to water availability and water infrastructure projects.? The action plan shall be completed by January?2019 and submitted to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality.???????Sec.?4.??Improving Use of Technology to Increase Water Reliability.? To the maximum extent practicable, and pursuant to the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (Public Law?102-575, title?XVI), the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (Public Law?104-298), and other applicable laws, the Secretary of the Interior shall direct appropriate bureaus to?promote the expanded use of technology for improving the accuracy and reliability of water and power deliveries.? This promotion of expanded use should include:?????? (a)? investment in technology and reduction of regulatory burdens to enable broader scale deployment of desalination technology;?????? (b)? investment in technology and reduction of regulatory burdens to enable broader scale use of recycled water; and?????? (c)? investment in programs that promote and encourage innovation, research, and development of technology that improve water management, using best available science through real-time monitoring of wildlife and water deliveries.???????Sec.?5.??Consideration of Locally Developed Plans in Hydroelectric Projects Licensing.? To the extent the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce participate in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing activities for hydroelectric projects, and to the extent permitted by law, the Secretaries shall give appropriate consideration to any relevant information available to them in locally developed plans, where consistent with the best available information.???????Sec.?6.??Streamlining Regulatory Processes and Removing Unnecessary Burdens on the Columbia River Basin Water Infrastructure.? In order to address water and hydropower operations challenges in the Columbia River Basin, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, shall develop a schedule to complete the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement and the associated Biological Opinion due by 2020.? The schedule shall be submitted to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality within 60?days of the date of this memorandum.???????Sec.?7.??General Provisions.? (a)? Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:??????????? (i)?? the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or??????????? (ii)? the functions of the Director of the Office of?Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.?????? (b)? This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with?applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.?????? (c)? This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United?States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.?????? (d)? The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the?Federal Register.??????????????????????????????????? DONALD J. TRUMP?? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Oct 20 07:59:40 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2018 14:59:40 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fox and Hounds: Not Another Water Bond? References: <862473349.13980844.1540047580595.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <862473349.13980844.1540047580595@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.foxandhoundsdaily.com/2018/10/not-another-water-bond/ Not Another Water Bond? By?Joel FoxEditor and Co-Publisher of Fox and Hounds Daily?Friday, October 19th, 2018 It feels every election Californians are voting on another water bond?and passing them. This November Proposition 3 is on the ballot, placed there through the initiative process. The state has plenty of unspent water related bonds. Shouldn?t we use the billions authorized for past water bonds yet expended before adding more billions to the state debt?This bond would generate $8.89 billion for a number of water related projects including water quality, watershed and fisheries improvements, surface water storage and more at a total cost to taxpayers of $17.3 billion once the bonds are paid off with interest 40 years later. It?s hard to complain about the initiative?s goals but the costs should be put into context.Since 2000 California voters have approved $31 billion in water and environmental projects using general obligation bonds. That?s money that comes out of the general fund used for all other services the state provides and GO bonds have first call on general fund revenues. About $10 billion of the $31 billion has not been allocated. That includes $4 billion that voters okayed as recently as the June primary election. In 2014, voters passed a ballot measure to reallocate unsold water-related bonds and authorized $7 billion for water purposes. Few have been sold by the state.Citing a 2017 state treasurer?s report, the?California Taxpayers Association notes?that California has $83.24 billion in outstanding general obligation bond debt, with another $38.61 billion in authorized but unissued debt. If all bonds are sold,?California would have $121.85 billion in general obligation bond debt, equivalent to nearly as much as the 2017-18 general fund budget.?(Emphasis added.)When do we say stop and use the resources at hand?Of course, water is important to California?s quality of life. Water has been an important and contentious issue since the state was born and still is today. Just consider the fight that is brewing over Jerry Brown?s proposed tunnel project. But, by continually passing water bonds, especially those placed on the ballot through the initiative process, there is no overall management plan to deal with water issues.Do voters consider the size of the state?s bond debt when voting on measures such as Prop 3? Hardly. If the proposal sounds good they support the idea and vote yes.Californians should be concerned with water issues. But let?s spend money already authorized and let?s have better planning before jacking up the state?s general obligation debt. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kierassociates at att.net Sat Oct 20 08:44:52 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2018 08:44:52 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trump's One Alpha Dog Memo Message-ID: <000601d4688b$d7f5cca0$87e165e0$@att.net> The essence of the Trumpster?s 19 October ?Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West? (pasted in below) can be found in the middle of pg 2 ?(a) Within 30 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall: .. (ii) for each such project, work together to facilitate the designation of one official [emphasis added] to coordinate the agencies? ESA and NEPA compliance responsibilities.? ?One official? to coordinate the responsibilities of the regulated and the regulator Let?s see - how many Reclamation projects do you suppose will end up under the sole coordination of the National Marine Fisheries Service or the Fish & Wildlife Service? We know who gets to play Alpha Dog in conservative administrations Bill Kier From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Tom Stokely Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2018 7:49 AM To: Env-trinity Subject: [env-trinity] Trump orders quicker environmental review of California water projects The Order is inserted below the article. TS http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-trump-water-20181019-story.html Trump orders quicker environmental review of California water projects Image removed by sender. Bettina Boxall By BETTINA BOXALL OCT 19, 2018 | 3:25 PM Image removed by sender. Trump orders quicker environmental review of California water projects The intake channel at the C.W. "Bill" Jones Pumping Plant in Tracy. The federal plant sends water south to San Joaquin Valley farmers. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) President Trump on Friday directed federal agencies to speed up their environmental review of major water projects in California and to develop plans to suspend or revise regulations that hamper water deliveries. The directive will have little immediate practical effect. But it comes a bit more than two weeks before a midterm election in which some Central Valley Republicans are in close races to hold on to their congressional seats. inRead invented by Teads ADVERTISEMENT Railing against environmental regulations that have hurt water deliveries to the valley is a perennial GOP battle cry ? and one that could give a political boost to Republican incumbents. But the presidential memo also illustrates the legal constraints that prevent the federal government from single-handedly sending more water to San Joaquin Valley growers. The memo sets 2019 deadlines for the U.S. Interior and Commerce departments to issue updated environmental rules that govern water exports from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ? the center of California?s sprawling water supply system. The review of export limits under the Endangered Species Act started under the Obama administration, which signaled that the protections could grow more restrictive because populations of imperiled fish continue to plummet. Federal biologists could retreat from that, loosening export limits when they issue the new rules next spring. But if they do, the action will inevitably be challenged in the courts, which blocked a similar effort by the George W. Bush administration. California?s massive federal irrigation system, the Central Valley Project, must also adhere to state environmental regulations and water rights permits. In tweets this summer, Trump echoed farmers? protests that water flowing to the sea is wasted. In one tweet that was quickly condemned by state officials, Trump incorrectly claimed that water that had been ? diverted into the Pacific Ocean? was inhibiting efforts to fight Northern California wildfires. The Trump administration signaled that it was wading into California water politics in August. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ordered the Bureau of Reclamation, which oversees the Central Valley Project, and other Interior agencies to develop an ?initial plan of action? that would ? among other things ? maximize water deliveries, streamline federal environmental reviews of project operations and prepare ?legislative and litigation measures? to increase deliveries. The efforts have been led by Deputy Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, a former partner in one of the nation?s top-grossing lobbying law firms, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. There, he represented the politically influential Westlands Water District, which would be among the chief beneficiaries of improved deliveries to south-of-delta Central Valley Project customers. In a briefing on Friday?s directive, Bernhardt said it could be the single most significant action a president has taken on Western water in his lifetime. The memo, which Trump signed on a trip to Arizona, also sets a 2019 deadline for environmental reviews of the Klamath Project, which delivers water for irrigation in Oregon and Northern California. Five Republican congressmen from the Central Valley ? House Majority leader Kevin McCarthy, David Valadao, Devin Nunes, Jeff Denham and Tom McClintock ? watched as Trump signed the memo after a fundraising lunch in Scottsdale. Trump then handed the pen to Nunes, who for years has introduced legislation attacking the federal Endangered Species Act. Several of his proposals have passed the House only to die in the Senate. ?This will move things along at a record clip,? Trump told the group. ?And you?ll have a lot of water. I hope you?ll enjoy the water you?ll have.? McCarthy, casting the signing as another promise kept by Trump, said the order could increase deliveries to the Central Valley by more than a million acre-feet. He gave no details as to how. Three valley Republicans are facing serious challengers, although Denham, of Turlock, is the only incumbent polling behind his Democratic challenger. Josh Harder, a former venture capitalist, has a 5-point lead among likely voters in California?s 10th Congressional District, according to a recent poll conducted by UC Berkeley?s Institute of Governmental Studies. The race is listed as a ?Republican toss-up? by the nonpartisan political handicapper Cook Political Report. As water exports from the delta increased in recent decades, populations of migrating salmon and delta smelt ? a finger-sized fish found only in the delta ? plummeted. That has triggered endangered species protections under state and federal law that periodically limit the intake of the government pumping plants that divert supplies to San Joaquin Valley fields and Southland cities. State water quality standards also mandate that a certain level of fresh water flows through the delta to keep salt water from the San Francisco Bay away from the delta pumps. Legal experts say that any attempts by the Trump administration to skirt state environmental regulations could run afoul of a 1978 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a case that pitted California against the Central Valley Project. The high court found that, under the 1902 Reclamation Act, federal irrigation projects in the West must conform to state laws. Kate Poole, an attorney with the environmental group the Natural Resources Defense Council, has waged numerous legal battles to uphold Endangered Species Act protections in the delta. She saw more politics than policy in the memo. ?We cannot comment on campaign stunts,? she said after reviewing Trump?s directive. Times staff writer Maya Sweedler contributed to this report. 3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with details of the signing, Central Valley congressional races, and a comment from environmental attorney Kate Poole. THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 19, 2018 October 19, 2018 MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR THE SECRETARY OF COMMERCE THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY THE SECRETARY OF THE ARMY THE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY SUBJECT: Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby direct the following: Section 1. Policy. During the 20th Century, the Federal Government invested enormous resources in water infrastructure throughout the western United States to reduce flood risks to communities; to provide reliable water supplies for farms, families, businesses, and fish and wildlife; and to generate dependable hydropower. Decades of uncoordinated, piecemeal regulatory actions have diminished the ability of our Federal infrastructure, however, to deliver water and power in an efficient, cost?effective way. Unless addressed, fragmented regulation of water infrastructure will continue to produce inefficiencies, unnecessary burdens, and conflict among the Federal Government, States, tribes, and local public agencies that deliver water to their citizenry. To meet these challenges, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce should, to the extent permitted by law, work together to minimize unnecessary regulatory burdens and foster more efficient decision-making so that water projects are better able to meet the demands of their authorized purposes. Sec. 2. Streamlining Western Water Infrastructure Regulatory Processes and Removing Unnecessary Burdens. To address water infrastructure challenges in the western United States, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall undertake the following actions: (a) Within 30 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall: (i) identify major water infrastructure projects in California for which the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce have joint responsibility under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) (Public Law 93-205) or individual responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (Public Law 91-190); and (ii) for each such project, work together to facilitate the designation of one official to coordinate the agencies' ESA and NEPA compliance responsibilities. Within the 30-day time period provided by this subsection, the designated official shall also identify regulations and procedures that potentially burden the project and develop a proposed plan, for consideration by the Secretaries, to appropriately suspend, revise, or rescind any regulations or procedures that unduly burden the project beyond the degree necessary to protect the public interest or otherwise comply with the law. For purposes of this memorandum, "burden" means to unnecessarily obstruct, delay, curtail, impede, or otherwise impose significant costs on the permitting, utilization, transmission, delivery, or supply of water resources and infrastructure. (b) Within 40 days of the date of this memorandum, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall develop a timeline for completing applicable environmental compliance requirements for projects identified under section 2(a)(i) of this memorandum. Environmental compliance requirements shall be completed as expeditiously as possible, and in accordance with applicable law. (c) To the maximum extent practicable and consistent with applicable law, including the authorities granted to the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce under the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (Public Law 114-322): (i) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall ensure that the ongoing review of the long-term coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project is completed and an updated Plan of Operations and Record of Decision is issued. (ii) The Secretary of the Interior shall issue final biological assessments for the long-term coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project not later than January 31, 2019. (iii) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall ensure the issuance of their respective final biological opinions for the long-term coordinated operations of the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project within 135 days of the deadline provided in section 2(c)(ii) of this memorandum. To the extent practicable and consistent with law, these shall be joint opinions. (iv) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall complete the joint consultation presently underway for the Klamath Irrigation Project by August 2019. (d) The Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall provide monthly updates to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality and other components of the Executive Office of the President, as appropriate, regarding progress in meeting the established timelines. Sec. 3. Improve Forecasts of Water Availability. To facilitate greater use of forecast-based management and use of authorities and capabilities provided by the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-25) and other applicable laws, the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce shall convene water experts and resource managers to develop an action plan to improve the information and modeling capabilities related to water availability and water infrastructure projects. The action plan shall be completed by January 2019 and submitted to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality. Sec. 4. Improving Use of Technology to Increase Water Reliability. To the maximum extent practicable, and pursuant to the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act (Public Law 102-575, title XVI), the Water Desalination Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-298), and other applicable laws, the Secretary of the Interior shall direct appropriate bureaus to promote the expanded use of technology for improving the accuracy and reliability of water and power deliveries. This promotion of expanded use should include: (a) investment in technology and reduction of regulatory burdens to enable broader scale deployment of desalination technology; (b) investment in technology and reduction of regulatory burdens to enable broader scale use of recycled water; and (c) investment in programs that promote and encourage innovation, research, and development of technology that improve water management, using best available science through real-time monitoring of wildlife and water deliveries. Sec. 5. Consideration of Locally Developed Plans in Hydroelectric Projects Licensing. To the extent the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce participate in Federal Energy Regulatory Commission licensing activities for hydroelectric projects, and to the extent permitted by law, the Secretaries shall give appropriate consideration to any relevant information available to them in locally developed plans, where consistent with the best available information. Sec. 6. Streamlining Regulatory Processes and Removing Unnecessary Burdens on the Columbia River Basin Water Infrastructure. In order to address water and hydropower operations challenges in the Columbia River Basin, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, and the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works under the direction of the Secretary of the Army, shall develop a schedule to complete the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement and the associated Biological Opinion due by 2020. The schedule shall be submitted to the Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality within 60 days of the date of this memorandum. Sec. 7. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations. (c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. (d) The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. DONALD J. TRUMP -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: ~WRD000.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 823 bytes Desc: not available URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sat Oct 20 11:04:38 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 20 Oct 2018 14:04:38 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Trump signs memorandum to send more water to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness interests (updated!) Message-ID: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/19/1805750/-Trump-will-sign-memorandum-to-send-more-Delta-water-to-corporate-agribusiness-today https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/10/20/18818339.php Trump signs memorandum to send more water to San Joaquin Valley agribusiness interests By Dan Bacher Congressman Jeff Denham (CA-10) on Friday joined President Donald Trump in Arizona for Trump?s signing of a memorandum directing the Department of Interior to slash environmental protections for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in order to benefit Central Valley agribusiness interests. The memo directs the Department of Interior to deliver more Sacramento and San Joaquin River water to big growers in the San Joaquin Valley ? and less to salmon and other imperiled fish populations and the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary. The memo was issued just prior to the midterm elections as Denham and other GOP incumbents face tough challenges from Democratic candidates. The memorandum is available here: https://t.co/kNbTDw8DBP ?President Donald Trump is jumping into Western water wars on the side of agricultural interests just weeks before the midterm elections, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the plans ? a major political gift for GOP incumbents in some of the most competitive House races in the country where water supply is a top campaign topic,? according to Politico reporter Annie Snider before the release of the memo. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, Denham and corporate agribusiness groups praised Trump?s memorandum on western water while fishing and environmental groups condemned it. The memorandum directs the Department of the Interior and the Department of Commerce ?to work together to deliver western communities the water supplies they need to irrigate millions of acres of farmland and provide water and power to millions of Americans,? according to a statement from Zinke?s Office. ?Water is the lifeblood of any thriving economy, and its importance in the West cannot be overstated,? said Secretary Zinke. ?We want to use water in the most practical sense, and make sure our water infrastructure is in world class shape for all uses. Working to get our farms the water they need is key to rural prosperity, and I applaud President Trump for making this key issue a top priority of his administration.? The Memorandum directs the Interior and Commerce Departments to take a number of specific actions, including: ?Expediting regulatory actions essential to the operation of water infrastructure Improving the information and modeling capabilities related to water availability Expanding use of water desalination and water recycling Accelerating and clarifying requirements for compliance with the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act Removing unnecessary burdens unique to the operation of the Columbia River Basin?s water infrastructure.? Representative Denham lauded Trump?s memorandum in a press release entitled, ?POTUS Responds to Rep. Denham?s call to save Central Valley Water.? ?My number one priority has always been to deliver more water to the Central Valley,? said Denham . ?This order will reduce regulatory burdens and promote more efficient environmental reviews of California water storage projects, ensuring that Valley farmers and residents have a supply of water for generations to come.? Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) also applauded Trump?s executive action. ?Today?s announcement by the President is the next step in restoring more reliable water supplies to all regions of California,? said Costa. ?For years, communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley have been harmed by the regulations imposed under the Endangered Species Act which reduce the Valley?s water supplies in order to restore fish populations.? Fellow Democratic Congressman John Garamendi (CA-3), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee who represents over 200 miles of the Sacramento Valley, slammed the memorandum. ?President Trump is continuing his attack on the environment and on California?s constitutional right to determine its water policies,? said Garamendi. ?Not only is he attacking the multi-million dollar fishing industry in California, but he?s also attacking the contractual and legal rights of water districts and seems determined to advance the disastrous $20 billion twin tunnels boondoggle.? ?This is nothing but a cynical effort to build support for his endangered political allies in the Central Valley. I?ll defend the Delta against anyone, no matter who it is or which political party they belong to,? said Garamendi. Fishing and environmental groups blasted the memorandum as a political move, based out of desperation, to bolster the chances of GOP incumbents whose campaigns are heavily funded by corporate agribusiness interests. "Western water mismanagement has been horrendous for commercial, recreational, and guide fisheries in California,? said Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA) executive director Noah Oppenheim in a statement. ?Water users have sucked our rivers dry for far too long, and the fish have been paying the price.? ?Just last month the Secretary of Commerce declared our 2016 and 2017 fishing seasons to be official federal fishery disasters. With today's announcement, the Trump Administration is poised to ram another ill-founded biological opinion down our throats. Why such a short timeline? Seems like things are getting desperate at the Department of the Interior and a few Central Valley congressional races to me,? said Oppenheim. PCFFA is the largest organization of commercial fishermen on the West Coast, with over 750 members fishing for sustainable seafood from Santa Barbara to Alaska, according to Oppenheim. Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Restore the Delta, criticized Denham for ?leading the charge to interfere with states rights to oversee and operate its water delivery system? by pressuring Trump to sign the presidential memorandum. ?The real water grab is what Congressman Denham is inflicting on the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary,? said Barrigan-Parrilla-Parrilla. ?Denham, a supposed conservative, is leading the charge to interfere with state rights to oversee and operate its water delivery systems, by pushing President Trump for Federal intervention in the Water Quality Plan for the Bay-Delta currently before the State Water Resources Control Board. In the process, he is splitting his own district, forgetting what is important to his constituents in San Joaquin County ? a healthy and restored Delta.? ?While we would like to see even more flows restored to rivers that flow into the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary than what is presently being considered by the State Water Board, the present plan before the Board, which President Trump and Interior Secretary Zinke are now trying to help Representative Denham thwart, contains at least an improvement over current in-flow conditions for the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary,? she stated. She also pointed out that Denham, supposedly an ?opponent? of the tunnels project, is promoting two Congressional riders that would ban the ability of Delta residents to sue over the tunnels and Central Valley Project operations. ?Congressman Denham, who claims to be against the Brown Administration?s WaterFix tunnels, has, however, also voted for and helped to advance the controversial Calvert and Valadao riders in the Department of Interior House Appropriations bill,? she revealed. ?The Calvert rider would strip Delta residents of due process rights by blocking their ability to litigate over the tunnels project, while the Valadao rider would block Delta residents from being able to litigate over the operation of the Central Valley Project.? ?Our concern is that Congressman Denham?s effort to stop the needed restoration of river flows downstream in the Delta, with passage of these riders, would mean that millions of Bay-Delta residents would have no legal recourse for deteriorated water quality conditions and reduced access to needed fresh water supplies from a re-operation of water projects ? all to support almond growers up and down the San Joaquin Valley, whose crops are sold mostly to foreign markets,? she stated. ?This matches up with recent campaign contributions Congressman Denham has taken from Stewart Resnick of the Wonderful Company, and board members from the Oakdale Irrigation District, and show the Congressman?s concerns for the top 1% of agribusiness at the expense of everyday Californians.? "Californians should not be fooled,? she added. ?Congressman Denham is using the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary to further his political aspirations and to hold onto power. He is no friend of the estuary, or his constituents who depend on a healthy San Francisco Bay-Delta." The memorandum comes at the end of a tumultuous week at Trump?s Department of Interior. After media reports earlier this week that the Interior Department?s Acting Inspector General Mary Kendall would be replaced with Suzanne Tufts, a political appointee from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Interior Department today issued a statement that the reported replacement was ?false information.? In fact, Kendall will be staying in her job and there never had been any decision to replace Kendall with Tufts, according to the Office of Interior Secretary Zinke. ?HUD sent out an email that had false information in it,? said Heather Swift, a senior adviser to Zinke, in a statement. ?Ms. Tufts was referred to the Department by the White House as a potential candidate for a position in the Inspector General?s office. At the end of the day, she was not offered a job at Interior.? More information: www.dailykos.com/ ? Today?s memorandum signing by Trump also takes place as Governor Jerry Brown continues to promote his Delta Tunnels project before he leaves office. Considered to be the most environmentally destructive public works project in California history by opponents, the project is comprised of two massive 35-mile long tunnels under the Delta to facilitate the export of water to corporate agribusiness interests on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, oil companies conducting fracking and other extreme oil extraction methods in Kern County, and Southern California water agencies. Opponents say the removal of big quantities of water from the Sacramento River would result in the destruction of the San Francisco Bay-Delta, the largest estuary on the West Coast of the Americas, and West Coast fisheries. The say the project would not only hasten the extinction of Sacramento River winter and spring Chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and long fin smelt and other fish species, but would imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath rivers. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Oct 22 09:06:24 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2018 09:06:24 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - October 19, 2018 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_19.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 5817079 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_19.pdf URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Oct 22 11:22:32 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2018 18:22:32 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 42 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 42. The only action this past week was, once again, at the Willow Creek weir. Trinity River Hatchery was in its second week of spawning break. They will resume spawning this week. Here's a little update on the current Klamath basin fishing regs: Klamath River is closed to adult harvest, jacks only (22" or smaller, 2 fish bag limit). Area within 100 yds of mouth is completely closed. I-5 fishery to reopen sometime soon. Trinity sectors still open to adult harvest (2 fish bag limit; max 1 adult). Upper Trinity slated to close as of Oct. 29. Lower Trinity closure date TBD. We know (from some video we've reviewed) there ARE fish in the Trinity above Willow Creek. Below is a screen shot from October 5th when a couple thousand fish went through the weir/tunnel/camera box/trap and on upstream in a single 24 hour period. This picture is from ~2:30 in the afternoon. That's a piece of canvas floating on top of the water to act as a jump screen. [cid:image002.jpg at 01D469F9.7F9CC260] Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image002.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 24283 bytes Desc: image002.jpg URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW42.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67689 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW42.xlsx URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Sun Oct 28 11:15:23 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2018 18:15:23 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 43 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 43 (October 28). Trinity River Hatchery did their first week of fall Chinook recovery this past week, and Willow Creek weir continued with tagging. Folks, I just want to remind you, because I've gotten a few sad emails about the numbers: At Willow Creek we are only hoping to trap about 10% of the fish in the run. The numbers that we are trapping (and tagging) are what is reflected in the summary, NOT the number of fish in the river. At some point (well past the end of the season) we'll have all the video reviewed and compare those numbers of fish counted to the number we estimate using our mark (at the weir)/recapture (at TRH) experiment. And the numbers we are trapping could be quite different than in past years simply due to different species potentially having different wariness of the weir in general in its new configuration, or of the light in the camera box. Also please remember that the numbers that are on the TRH summary account for the processed and /or spawned fish. Many more fish that are diverted into the round tanks for holding/ripening etc are not included in those numbers, so do no fret. Yet. I hear from anglers there are plenty of fish in the river. And they can't all be lying because I am getting tag returns. Please DO return your tags in the season you get them. After this year we will NOT be paying on out of season tags. Let me know if you have any questions about any of this. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW43.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67835 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW43.xlsx URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Wed Oct 31 18:15:06 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 31 Oct 2018 21:15:06 -0400 Subject: [env-trinity] Delta Advocates at Public Hearing Say California WaterFix Is Inconsistent with Delta Plan Message-ID: <9b094095-fa30-47e2-b19c-24a8429068eb@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/31/1807920/-Delta-Advocates-at-Public-Hearing-Say-California-WaterFix-Is-Inconsistent-with-Delta-Plan Delta Advocates at Public Hearing Say California WaterFix Is Inconsistent with Delta Plan By Dan Bacher Dozens of Delta advocates showed up for the public comments period of the Delta Stewardship Council on Friday, October 26 to testify how Governor Jerry Brown?s California WaterFix project is inconsistent with the Delta Plan. As usual, the hearing was held at 9 a.m. on a workday, forcing many of those who attended to take off time from work. At issue was the ?consistency determination? for the California WaterFix that the California Department of Water Resources has filed with the Delta Stewardship Council. This ?consistency determination? is how DWR will get approval from the Delta Stewardship Council that the Delta tunnels project is consistent with the Council?s Delta Plan. This process checks off a box to move forward with construction of the tunnels, a project that the Brown administration has been rushing to complete as much as possible before the Governor leaves office, despite strong opposition to the tunnels from Delta residents, Indian Tribes, environmental justice advocates, recreational and commercial fishermen, Delta farmers and elected officials. In an action alert to its members, Restore the Delta said, ?It?s time to tell the DSC the project needs to be stopped once and or all.? Kathy Miller, San Joaquin County Supervisor, started the hearing by stating that the project is not consistent with the Delta Plan because it does not protect, restore or enhance the Delta, as required under the Delta Reform Act of 2009. She said the Delta, the largest estuary in the Americas, is ?not a mere conduit in a plumbing system.? Michael Frost, First Vice President of the Restore the Delta Board, emphasized that the Council did a ?terrible job of outreach? and ?the entire process process reeks of corruption by corporate ag.? He said the WaterFix takes away the fresh water, the life blood of the Bay Delta Estuary, which is equivalent to denying a human being their blood. ?The Delta Tunnels is based on the premise of taking more blood out of the body. It is not consistent with the Delta Plan ? it is like relying on blood pulled out of somebody near death,? he concluded. Bill Wells of the California Delta Chambers and Tourist Bureau also criticized the Delta Stewardship Council and DWR for failing to conduct proper outreach to the people of the Delta. He also provided a quick fact check for one of the most popular Delta myths touted by Delta Tunnels proponents--The Delta is not one earthquake away from collapsing. ?Historically, not one Delta levee has failed because of an earthquake,? said Wells. Jim Cox, President of the California Striped Bass Association State Board, said the California WaterFix uses ?Nineteenth Century technology to solve a Twenty-first Century problem.? Although other plans to fulfill the coequal goals of ecosystem restoration and water supply reliability were submitted, they were not even considered by the Council or DWR, said Cox. ?We live in a state of high tech solutions to problems and yet the fix relies on taking more water. out the Delta,? said Cox. ?Californians can do better than this.? Diane Burgis, Contra Costa County Supervisor, testified how the tunnels ?will change the Delta forever.? ?DWR completetely dropped the ecosystem benefits that would be provided with a Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP),? she said. ?The models show that the Delta Tunnels will take more water in the summer and the fall. All our counties have filed appeals and lawsuits against the project. The WaterFix is inconsistent with the Delta Plan.? Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, said her organization turned out hundreds of people to make comments ? and many would not have come except for the outreach they did. ?After the process went forward, it was poorly noticed,? she said. ?We?re not playing a game ? this lack of outreach undermines democracy. DWR and the state failed to do outreach to the subsistence fishing community ? that means 40,000 to 60,000 people are not being taken into consideration.? James Motlow, the author of a book about Locke, ?Bitter Melon: Inside America's Last Rural Chinese Town,? said he was concerned about the traffic impacts of the construction work of the Delta Tunnels; they would cause irreparable damage to the town of Locke. ?Locke is is one of 149 historical landmarks in California, including the Golden Gate Bridge and the State Capitol,? he stated. Deirdre Des Jardins of California Water Research pointed out that DWR did no analysis on whether the the levees could be raised to repel sea level rise. She said the Council cannot make a determination of whether the Delta Tunnels project protects the Delta without that analysis. In her written comments, Des Jardins made three points with respect to the Best Available Science requirement in the Delta Plan, and also with respect to whether there is substantial evidence in the record about WaterFix project impacts on the Delta. Citing extensive documentation, she said, ?Modeling of initial WaterFix operations is based on speculation about the Biological Opinions; the WaterFix project also has no defined long-term operational scenario, but could be used to abandon salinity control in the Delta; and The WaterFix sea level rise projections do not use the current best available science.? John Morais, who was born in Ryde and grew up in Walnut Grove, discussed the already big siltation problems on the Delta that are the result of decades of the state and federal water projects shipping water south ? and said the situation will only get worse with the construction of the tunnels. ?Taking more water out of the Sacramento River is insane. It will only build and create more beaches; bring saltwater further into the Delta; and close off more sloughs and channels. If the tunnels are approved, flooding will likely be a disaster,? said Morais. Jan McCleery, President of the California Delta Alliance, said, ?The Tunnel project is not consistent with the Delta Plan? and focused on the construction phase of the plan. ?The Delta Plan calls for attention to both sides of the co-equal goals equation. One side is to reliably export ?Excess? water for beneficiary use. But the Council has repeatedly refused to accept the scientific definition of what excess is, causing continued conflicts between water exporters and the other side of the equation, protecting the Delta as a Place,? she noted. ?It?s hard to believe anyone would plan a major construction project through the heart of the fragile estuary they are committed to protecting. Especially when they have a much better alternative - the Eastern route,? she explained. ?Discovery Bay is a boating community in the south Delta,? she said. ?The primary anchorage here is the west side of Mildred Island, flooded decades ago. It is beautiful, calm, relaxing, and draws boaters into the area to spend tranquil nights. It is one of the many features that make the Delta a boating mecca for Northern Californians. Mildred isn?t even listed as an anchorage in the EIR. Probably because the next island west is Bacon Island where significant construction will occur, pile driving 24x7, flood lights, trucks causing dust and noise on the levee road - not compatible with a quiet anchorage. (It will be even worse up in Clarksburg and Hood where construction is in their backyard full time),? she noted. ?That story of ruining favorite recreation areas repeats itself throughout the Delta. Between barge facilities being placed where they are the most disruptive to recreation and boating, and the heavy barge traffic in all the waterways, boating will be untenable. This is not protecting the recreational values of the Delta as required by the Delta Reform Act and Water Code. Boaters will stop coming to the Delta, ruining the economy of boating communities,? she stated. Proponents of the Delta Tunnels project also spoke at the public hearing. Gloria Gray, the newly elected Metropolitan Water District board chairperson, said, ?We strongly believe that investing in the California WaterFix will uphold the coequal goals of the Delta Plan. Only by building the project can we stop reverse water flows in the South Delta.? Likewise, Jeremy Smith of the State Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO, said the WaterFix is consistent with the Delta Plan. ?Construction projects without a reliable supply of water can?t go forward. We support the California WaterFix,? he concluded. In the next step in the consistency determination process, the Delta Stewardship Council will hold a Public Workshop on staff-prepared draft findings regarding the appeals of the certification of consistency submitted on July 27, 2018 by the California Department of Water Resources for the California WaterFix (Certification Number C20185). The Public Workshop will commence on November 15, 2018 at 9:00 am, and, if necessary, recommence on November 16, 2018 at 9:00 am at the Ramada Inn (1250 Halyard Drive, West Sacramento, CA 95691). For more information and to access the Public Meeting Notice, please click here. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Fri Nov 2 10:34:46 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2018 10:34:46 -0700 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - October 26, 2018 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_26.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1222335 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_10_26.pdf URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sat Nov 3 23:05:59 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 4 Nov 2018 01:05:59 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Fishermen Petition Water Board to Control Pesticide Pollution on California's Gorgeous Smith River In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/2/1809523/-Fishing-Groups-Petition-State-to-Control-Pesticide-Pollution-on-California-s-Gorgeous-Smith-River Photo of Smith River courtesy of the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC). Fishermen Petition Water Board to Control Pesticide Pollution on California's Gorgeous Smith River By Dan Bacher The Smith River, located in the redwood region of the far northwest corner of California near the Oregon border, is known as the state?s most pristine coastal river. The legendary river produces huge steelhead and king salmon for anglers fishing from shore and boats every year ? and is home to the California state steelhead record of 27 pounds, 4 ounces, set back in 1976 by Robert Halley of Crescent City. Yet this gem is threatened by massive pesticide pollution from lily bulb farms in the river?s estuary. This estuary, along with other river estuaries up and down the coast, provides key habitat for juvenile salmon, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout on their migration. To stop the decline of the Smith River?s precious fishery, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA), Institute for Fisheries Resources, and Environmental Law Foundation today petitioned the State Water Resources Control Board today to regulate large scale pesticide pollution from lily bulb farms in the Smith River?s estuary. The Smith is the state?s last undammed and undiverted coastal river, but fishermen say pesticide pollution is killing salmon and impacting the fishing and recreational industry in this rural and economically depressed area. In October, the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board announced that it was abandoning a seven-year long process to establish a permit for lily bulb cultivation in favor of a ?purely voluntary program? for this Wild and Scenic River, according to the three groups. ?The Smith River salmon restoration potential is unparalleled,? stated Noah Oppenheim, PCFFA Executive Director. ?Despite its outstanding upstream habitat quality, the Smith has the state?s heaviest pesticide use per acre directly adjacent to its estuary, with virtually no regulatory oversight.? In contrast, California salmon fisheries are heavily regulated by the federal Pacific Fishery Management Council and California Department of Fish and Wildlife ? and North Coast fisheries have been severely curtailed or closed in recent years. ?It?s time for other industries that impact ours to clean up their act; our coexistence depends on it,? emphasized Oppenheim. Oppenheim said at issue is roughly 2,000 acres of the Smith River?s estuary farm land that is used for lily bulb farming, ?Growers use nearly 300,000 lbs. of fumigants, herbicides and fungicides yearly in the estuary,? he stated. ?The estuary is critical habitat for coho salmon, a threatened species. Residents and federal agencies have complained of health impacts, drinking water contamination, and impacts to salmon from unregulated pesticide use from farms for over 30 years. Recent studies have confirmed water contamination in the estuary.? The petition by the three organizations claims that the Regional Board has failed to follow its own laws and policies by proposing a voluntary program. The Water Code and State Board policies require an enforceable permit for agricultural pollution that contains certain concrete features. The groups say that recent tests detected 17 pesticides in the tributaries and ditches that feed the estuary, 10 instances of contamination of the aquatic life, and copper contamination up to 8 times the levels that are toxic to salmon. ?These are major violations of state and federal law,? said Regina Chichizola, a local policy coordinator for Institute for Fisheries Resources. ?It would take very little regulation and action to stop the pesticides from entering the Smith River. Simple actions like stopping direct chemical runoff to creeks, not spraying in the rainy season, creating streamside buffers and restoring salmon habitat could protect public health and the economy on the state?s wildest river.? ?The water in Smith River belongs to all Californians,? said Nathaniel Kane, attorney for Environmental Law Foundation. ?The Regional Board?s failure to regulate lily bulb farming violates laws intended to protect people and ecosystems from exactly this kind of contamination. We are petitioning today to demand the accountability and results that the law requires.? The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board describes the Smith as ?an important free-flowing National Wild and Scenic river in the extreme northwestern area of the Region. This 700 square mile watershed provides substantial habitat for a variety of plant, wildlife, and fish species. The river is known for its clear waters, towering redwoods, and diverse forest community that support anadromous steelhead, salmon, and cutthroat trout.? I have left a message with the North Coast Board staff regarding their reaction to the filing of the petition with the State Board. I will report their response if and when I receive it. This is not the first time that the Smith River has been threatened with environmental degradation. In 2014, river advocates waged a successful campaign to stop a large nickel mine from devastating the Wild & Scenic North Fork Smith River. That project would have devastated the area for recreation, polluted public drinking water in California and damaged critical habitat for the federally threatened coho salmon and other fisheries. Red Flat Nickel Corporation, a foreign-owned mining company, had submitted plans to the Rogue-Siskiyou National Forest in Oregon to conduct exploratory drilling in the Baldface Creek/North Fork Smith River watershed. The company also applied to Oregon Water Resources Department for a five-year limited license (LL-1533) to extract thousands of gallons of public waters from tributary streams of the North Fork Smith River. Fortunately, based upon its findings and the many comments received, the Oregon Department of Water Resources found that ?with the data available there is no basis for appropriate conditions that can be applied to mitigate likely impacts to water quality and sensitive, threatened, and endangered species.? Read the full Final Order to Deny Red Flat Nickel Mine here: Final Order to Deny Red Flat Nickel Mine Let?s hope that the State Water Resources Control Board does the right thing like the State of Oregon did in the case of the nickel mine and puts an end to pesticide pollution on the Smith. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Smith-River.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 214179 bytes Desc: not available URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Nov 5 11:53:30 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 5 Nov 2018 19:53:30 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 44 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 44 (November 4). Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW44.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 67924 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW44.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Thu Nov 8 10:25:06 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Thu, 8 Nov 2018 10:25:06 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 2, 2018 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_02.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1224529 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_02.pdf URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Thu Nov 8 13:29:12 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 8 Nov 2018 16:29:12 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Revised Article: California Voters Defeat Proposition 3, the Big Ag-Backed Water Bond In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <4ceba816-ae29-4ea0-8b02-0d849b37b688@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/7/1810959/-California-Voters-Defeat-Proposition-1-the-Big-Ag-Backed-Water-Bond California Voters Defeat Proposition 3, the Big Ag-Backed Water Bond By Dan Bacher The voters of California decisively defeated Proposition 3, the controversial $9 billion water bond backed by powerful corporate agribusiness interests, in Tuesday?s midterm election. 52.34% of the voters, 3,568,010, voted No for the measure, while 47.66%, 3,248,415, voted Yes, with 100 percent of precincts reporting. Opponents of the water bond include the Sierra Club California, Friends of the River, League of Women Voters of California, Save The American River Association, Food & Water Action, Restore the Delta and the Southern California Watershed Alliance. Supporters of the measure include the Western Growers, California Rice Industry Association, California Fresh Fruit Association, Stewart and Lynda Resnicks? the Wonderful Company, Ducks Unlimited, the California Waterfowl Association, the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) and California Trout. The Sierra Club California, the primary opponent of the measure, celebrated the defeat of the proposition. The backers of the measure, including agribusiness, spent $5,653,034 on the Yes campaign while the Sierra Club spent less than $5,000 on the No Campaign. ?We have said all along that there were some good ideas in Proposition 3,? said Kathryn Phillips, Director of Sierra Club California. ?For example, there was money for San Francisco Bay restoration and for improving water systems in disadvantaged communities in the bond.? ?But the vast bulk of the proposition would have turned water policy upside and put the general public and the environment at a disadvantage,? she said. ?That?s why we became reluctant opponents of Prop 1.? ?Also, we were concerned about the pay to play aspect of the measure and how it was crafted behind the scenes,? stated Phillips. ?That?s a lousy way to do public policy, especially public policy that is expending public dollars.? ?We spent less than $5,000, while they spent $5.6 million on the campaign,? she added. Food & Water Action, the political affiliate of Food & Water Watch, also praised the defeat of Proposition 3, noting that it would have favored corporate agribusinesses at taxpayer expense by funding dams and other infrastructure projects that would funnel more water to special interests. ?California voters were wise to vote down Proposition 3, a measure that would have saddled our state with $9 billion of new debt to send more water to corporate agribusiness,? said Adam Scow, California director of Food & Water Action. ?California?s water problems cannot be solved until the state brings agricultural water use in harmony with the realities of our supply.? Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, issued a statement crediting Sierra Club California for the defeat of the water bond: "Credit for defeating Proposition 3 rightfully goes to Sierra Club California. Their leadership on this effort to stop Prop 3 has created yet another funding challenge for CA WaterFix and other environmentally-disastrous water projects. Moreover, defeating this measure has prevented Big Ag from receiving a massive handout without the proper legislative oversight. We are grateful for the Sierra Club's great work to stop Prop 3 and congratulate them on a job well done!" Supporters of Proposition 3 were disappointed by the defeat of the measure Tuesday night. ?While the result of last night?s vote on Proposition 3 is disappointing, I?m optimistic that California water suppliers can overcome these challenges through their proven history of innovation and dedication to a sustainable California water future,? said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. ACWA?s Board of Directors unanimously supported both Proposition 3 and Proposition 68, which was approved by voters in June 2018. "Proposition 3 would have provided $8.8 billion in general obligation bond funding for water projects intended to provide safe drinking water to disadvantaged communities, implement the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), repair infrastructure and restore watersheds. It also would have dedicated funding to improve water supply reliability, which in turn benefits California?s food production and economy," according to Quinn. To read my previous article about Proposition 3 and the millions of dollars being dumped into the Yes campaign, go to: www.dailykos.com/... The Sierra Club, Food and Water Action and Restore the Delta also commented on the election of Gavin Newson as the new Governor-elect. ?We endorsed Newsom and are happy he got elected,? said Sierra Club California?s Philipps. ?He is going to be a good governor for the environment. We believe he will be more attentive to nature resource issues than the previous two governors have been.? Food & Water Action also welcomed Governor-elect Newsom, who has pledged to advance efforts to combat climate change, and invited him to take statewide action on fracking and oil drilling that Governor Jerry Brown failed to enact. ?We congratulate Governor-elect Newsom on his victory and look forward to working with him on advancing California?s transition to 100 percent renewable energy, which must include bans on fracking, neighborhood drilling, and the swift closure of the dangerous Aliso Canyon gas field,? said Scow. ?We also urge Governor-elect Newsom to change course and drop the costly and unnecessary Delta tunnels project.? In reaction to the election of a new Governor, Restore the Delta stated, ?We have survived the election and have selected a new Governor! To usher in this new era for California, we want to make it perfectly clear what kind of water policies, programs, and projects we want to see the Newsom Administration pursue and implement.? The group has created a petition stating exactly what steps Governor-elect Newsom should take to secure a sustainable future for California water, and will deliver it to him on day 1 of his new term. The steps include: ?We do NOT want the CA WaterFix project to break ground and irreversibly destroy the Delta. Massive twin tunnels are not the 21st century solution we need to modernize California?s water conveyance systems. This project can and should be stopped immediately; Our state?s existing water infrastructure MUST be upgraded to protect not only our state?s water storage facilities and supplies, but the public?s safety; Local, sustainable water projects and programs must be funded, supported, and implemented in communities across California. Not only will sustainable projects increase our self-sufficiency and regional water supplies, but these projects will also decrease our environmental footprint and create well-paying jobs throughout California.? Unfortunately, Newsom?s first major action regarding water issues on the morning after the election does not portend well for those seeking to restore California?s imperiled salmon and steelhead populations. The State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday morning postponed a decision on a plan that would have provided increased water flows for the San Joaquin River and Delta after Governor-elect Gavin Newsom joined Governor Jerry Brown in signing a letter requesting more time for negotiations over the plan. For more information, go to: https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/Gov-elect-Newsom-joins-Brown-in-wading-into-13371482.php -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 9 19:31:54 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2018 03:31:54 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fwd: BLM Redding FO Term Natural Resource Specialist, GS-9/11 In-Reply-To: References: <51843e3257a54ba093eef5b089d1ab83@Mail5.trinitycounty.org> Message-ID: <1015454778.70179.1541820714711@mail.yahoo.com> From:?Acridge, Sara [mailto:sacridge at blm.gov]? Sent:?Thursday, November 08, 2018 5:34 PM To:?Sara Acridge Subject:?BLM Redding FO Term Natural Resource Specialist, GS-9/11?Hi everyone,??Exciting news - the BLM Redding Field Office Term Natural Resource Specialist, GS-0401-9/11, has posted to USA Jobs! This position will be the implementation leader for our Emergency Stabilization & Rehabilitation (ES&R)? work post-Carr Fire.? This job is?open to the public, so please?share?widely & often?with your networks. The job announcement closes on 11/15/2018.??Here's the link:?https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/516343500?Best,? Sara?Sara E. AcridgeResource Management SupervisorBureau of Land ManagementRedding Field Office sacridge at blm.gov(530) 224-2180 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sat Nov 10 00:00:29 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 10 Nov 2018 03:00:29 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] \Delta Stewardship Council staff finds California WaterFix inconsistent with Delta Plan! In-Reply-To: <38F1ED28-B5A6-4428-A362-FF6317D6D12D@fishsniffer.com> References: <38F1ED28-B5A6-4428-A362-FF6317D6D12D@fishsniffer.com> Message-ID: <4407ba0f-5c5e-40a0-ac9e-22bec5af9590@mtasv.net> https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/8/1811366/-Breaking-Delta-Stewardship-Council-staff-finds-California-WaterFix-inconsistent-with-Delta-Plan Breaking: Delta Stewardship Council staff finds California WaterFix inconsistent with Delta Plan! By Dan Bacher The Delta Stewardship Council staff on November 8 released a draft report recommending that the Council sustain the appeals filed by an array of organizations, Tribes and governments ? and find that WaterFix is not consistent with the Delta Plan. ?In light of claims raised by nine appellant groups, Council staff recommends that the Council conclude that substantial evidence does not exist in the record to support the Department's findings that California WaterFix is consistent with the Delta Plan. Staff further recommends that the Council remand the matter to the Department for reconsideration, pursuant to Water Code section 85225.25,? according to the report. The Council staff found that there was no evidence that indicated the Delta Tunnels project would be operated in a manner that meets Delta water quality standards; that DWR did not use the best available science; that DWR did not provide evidence that water suppliers who would benefit from the tunnels would reduce their reliance on the Delta; and DWR failed to demonstrate that ?the project is consistent with respect to compatibility with local land use plans.? What does this all mean? ?That means the tunnels will be stopped if the Council members go along with the staff recommendations,? said Michael Brodsky, lawyer for the Save the California Delta Alliance. ?The California Department of Water Resources could revise and resubmit the tunnel project at a later date, but I think that would be unlikely if the vote is that it is not consistent with the Delta Plan.? Brodsky said the council staff accepted 3 of Save the California Delta Alliance's main arguments: that the Waterfix is not consistent with D-1641 water quality requirements, particularly that it violates the Export to Inflow ratio; that WaterFix does not respect local land uses because of impacts on recreation and legacy communities; that WaterFix does not comply with the Delta Plan policy to reduce reliance on the Delta as a source of water supply. ?The staff report also finds that WaterFix did not use best available science with regard to sea level rise,? said Brodsky. Bill Jennings, Executive Director of the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and board member of the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), said he agrees with many of the staff conclusions, but disagrees with others. ?On a whole, the staff properly concluded that the California WaterFix is inconsistent with the Delta Plan,? said Jennings. ?We were mildly surprised with their findings, but all of the appellant groups made a convincing case that the California Water Fix is simply not consistent with the Delta Plan and Delta Reform Act.? ?The staff agreed with us that the tunnels project doesn?t rely on the best available science and that the beneficiaries of the project have not established reduced water reliance on the Delta and improved regional water self-sufficiency,? he noted. ?They have also failed to establish substantial evidence on how they could comply with delta flow objectives, as specified in State Water Board Decision D1641. In addition, they failed to provided adequate evidence that they respect local land use when siting project facilities or restoring habitat,? said Jennings. Jennings said he disagreed with the staff?s conclusion that the tunnels? adaptive management plan is consistent with the Delta Plan. For example, he said the WaterFix lacks a final signed adaptive management plan and a financial plan sufficient to ensure implementation of an adaptive management plan. Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, praised the DSC staff for having the courage to issue a report finding the tunnels project inconsistent with the Delta Plan. ?We thank and congratulate Delta Stewardship Council staff for doing the right thing and for having the backbone to assert that the CA WaterFix is inconsistent with the Delta Plan. Restore the Delta and its membership have shown up to countless public meetings, hearings, and workshops to communicate this message for three years now,? she said. ?As Governor-Elect Newsom prepares to take office, we hope he reflects on the DSC?s findings that indicate the tunnels project will not protect, enhance, or restore the Delta,? Barrigan-Parrilla stated. ?Newsom won over voters by leaving the impression that he would modernize California. Governor-Elect Newsom has the chance to create his own unique legacy by backing away from this outdated 20thcentury project to pursue 21stcentury alternative projects that actually benefit the public trust.? ?The state of California is ready for innovative water management strategies and local self-sufficiency projects that create a more sustainable, reliable water supply. Newsom could be the leader to make this happen,? she said. Likewise, Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) praised the staff for issuing such a thorough and accurate report. ?The staff of the Delta Stewardship Council has found the deeply flawed twin tunnels proposal does not respect local communities, reduce reliance on the Delta, or support healthy Delta flows, per requirements of the Delta Plan,? said Frazier in a statement. ?These findings validate and confirm what I have been saying from the very beginning about this ill-conceived project.? ?The plan does not use the best science and fails to honestly assess the impacts to Delta communities and the region?s agricultural and recreational economy. Most of all, DWR?s plan fails to reduce reliance on the Delta for statewide water needs, which is a principal requirement of the Delta Plan. The Council?s membership now has a clear responsibility to protect the Delta by rejecting DWR?s certification of consistency,? he concluded. Frazier noted that a ?certification of consistency? declares a project to be consistent with the coequal goals of the 2009 Delta Plan ? and is a necessary regulatory step for any development in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Nine separate Delta stakeholder groups appealed the certification of consistency submitted by DWR in July. These appellant groups are: (1) the North Coast Rivers Alliance, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations, San Francisco Crab Boat Owners Association and Winnemem Wintu Tribe; (2) Save the California Delta Alliance; (3) Friends of the River, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Water Impact Network, Planning and Conservation League, AquAlliance, Environmental Water Caucus, Sierra Club California and Restore the Delta; (4) North Delta Cares Action Committee; (5) City of Stockton; (6) Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District; (7) San Joaquin County, Contra Costa County, Solano County, Yolo County and Local Agencies of the North Delta; (8) Central Delta Water Agency and South Delta Water Agency; and (9) County of Sacramento and Sacramento County Water Agency. The Delta Stewardship Council will conduct a public workshop on November 15-16, 2018 at the Ramada Inn (1250 Halyard Drive, West Sacramento, CA 95691) to review and discuss this staff draft Determination related to appeals received on the California WaterFix project Certification of Consistency with the Delta Plan submitted by the California Department of Water Resources. ?Staff is presenting this version of the Determination to the Council, interested parties, and the public to discuss recommended edits and revisions prior to releasing a proposed Determination for Council consideration and action at a hearing during the December 20-21, 2018 Council meeting. There will be no Council action at the November public workshop,? according to today?s announcement from the Council. Access the Staff Report here . Access the Staff Draft Determination Regarding Appeals of Certification of Consistency for California WaterFix here . More information on the public workshop is available here . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Nov 13 09:11:03 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2018 17:11:03 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 45 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JW 45 (Nov 11). Not a lot of fish at Willow Creek, it would be surprising to us otherwise. With no rain on the horizon we will stay in for a bit longer even though our trapping numbers are low, both because of the video and to try to get as many tags out there as we can. Numbers are definitely picking up at Trinity River Hatchery. They will be spawning three days this week and three days next week as well. As these numbers pick up the lag between the fish entering and getting the trapping summary out will increase. We do the best we can to get the TRH information to you as soon as we can get the data input. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW45.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 68024 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW45.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Nov 13 10:55:34 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2018 10:55:34 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 9, 2018 Message-ID: see attached... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_09.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1219660 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_09.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 16 17:45:17 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2018 01:45:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Quarterly Meeting December 5-6 in Redding References: <27820404.2276649.1542419118005.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <27820404.2276649.1542419118005@mail.yahoo.com> Trinity Management Council (TMC) Quarterly Meeting 2018-12-05 09:30:00 ??to 2018-12-06 17:00:00 Description: Location:?Redding, Forest Service, Shasta-Trinity Headquarters, 3644 Avtech Parkway -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Nov 19 08:50:01 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2018 16:50:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?In_wake_of_California=E2=80=99s_worst_wil?= =?utf-8?q?dfire_catastrophe=2C_significant_rain_finally_on_the_horizon?= References: <935259043.3286496.1542646201690.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <935259043.3286496.1542646201690@mail.yahoo.com> This is a very informative article about the recent fires and summarizing the various factors that resulted in such catastrophe without blame. ? But if you only want to read the good news about the coming rain, see the highlighted section at the end of the article. TShttp://weatherwest.com/archives/6538 In wake of California?s worst wildfire catastrophe, significant rain finally on the horizon Filed in?Weather/Climate Discussion?by?Daniel Swain?on November 17, 2018 ??504 Comments A wildfire catastrophe of almost unimaginable scale in Northern California Camp Fire in its early hours as viewed by NASA?s Landsat 8 satellite. It?s a refrain that Californians have heard all too often in recent years: yet another extremely destructive, fast-moving wildfire has torn through multiple communities, leaving widespread destruction in its wake. But this time, the numbers and details are staggering even by comparison to recent disasters in the fire-weary Golden State. The Camp Fire, which ignited in a wooded area in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Butte County and quickly overran the town of Paradise last Thursday, has been responsible for over 70 deaths.?Over one thousand people remain unaccounted for as of today?a number that has, ominously, been rising steadily now for over a week. Nearly 15,000 structures have been destroyed, including essentially the entire town of Paradise (population: 27,000). The Camp Fire is already, by a very wide margin, the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. In fact, in terms of lives lost and buildings burned, the Camp Fire may be the?worst North American wildfire in the modern firefighting era. To put the human toll in perspective: the confirmed number of deaths during this catastrophic fire exceeds that during any California earthquake since at least the 1933 Long Beach quake (exceeding both the Loma Prieta (1989) and Northridge (1994) events). Details emerging from the grim and ongoing recovery effort suggest that the final toll could ultimately be higher than any California natural disaster since the 1906 earthquake and firestorm in San Francisco. Even for those of us who follow these kinds of events closely?it has been genuinely shocking to watch this tragedy unfold. Woolsey Fire as it approached Malibu last week. (David McNew) Elsewhere in Northern California, an?extremely dense layer of choking smoke?from the Camp Fire has led to one of the worst air pollution episodes in modern history from San Francisco to Sacramento to Chico, and all points in between. Unusually stagnant air, due to persistent atmospheric pressure and sinking air/weak offshore flow, has allowed smoke to accumulate in the Central Valley and seep westward over the Bay Area, lingering even over the adjacent Pacific Ocean. Air quality of the past week has consistently been?worse in Northern California than anywhere else on Earth?including the infamously polluted megacities of Beijing and Delhi?due to extremely high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5, which is very different indeed from the more common ?photochemical smog.?)?Most schools and universities have cancelled classes until further notice; the Big Game between Stanford and UC Berkeley has been postponed until December; and N95 respirators have become a common sight even in Silicon Valley and among tourists visiting the Golden Gate Bridge. Before (above) and after (below) shot of San Francisco skyline. That?s not fog; that?s smoke from the Camp Fire. (Marc Stokes) And certainly not to be forgotten: another extremely large and highly destructive wind-driven fire, the Woolsey Fire,?destroyed hundreds of homes and forced the emergency evacuation of Malibu?and other parts of western Los Angeles/Ventura County. The fire burned all the way to the Pacific Ocean?and at one point necessitated the reversal of all lanes on the Pacific Coast Highway to facilitate the urgent evacuation of several coastal towns.? This fire also took several lives, destroyed important infrastructure, and burned a majority fraction of the much-visited Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Under normal circumstances, this huge blaze would be a larger story in its own right?but the even more massive scale of the human tragedy still unfolding in Northern California has commanded considerably more attention over the past few days. If you are interested in helping out in the aftermath of these disasters, please keep in mind this advice from?disaster response experts:?contribute either cash or your time(especially if you have relevant special skills)?not physical items.?Local news outlets have been maintaining?growing lists of ways to make a difference. The need will only grow in the weeks and months to come; 20% of the total housing stock in Butte County has disappeared overnight, and as many as 30,000 people may be without homes to return to after all is said and done. ? Yet another hot summer/dry autumn sequence set the stage for explosive fire conditions What, exactly, happened in the early hours of the Camp Fire that made this particular fire so unbelievably deadly and destructive? A confluence of unfortunate factors was at play. The ignition point of the fire was northeast of Paradise; strong offshore & downsloping winds (blowing from northeast to southwest) gusting over 50mph pushed the fire directly toward town with astonishing speed. Vegetation in the region has been at record-dry levels for the time of year due to a combination of anomalous summer warmth and a conspicuously dry start to the rainy season this autumn. The combination of extremely low fuel moisture and drying downslope winds resulted in an essentially unstoppable, miles-wide fire front moving from east to west down the slopes of the Sierra Nevada foothills all the way into the Northern Sacramento Valley east of Chico (ultimately, the fire jumped Highway 99 and only slowed as it approached irrigated agricultural fields to the west). Paradise was a community at especially high risk of wildfire. The town is surrounded by a mix of dense and sparser forest and mixed brush; some of this land has been logged commercially, and other areas actually experienced a fairly intense fire less than a decade ago?locally thinning fuels even further. Yet these vegetation types, given the degree of dryness and winds, were still enough to fuel what ultimately became California?s worst wildfire on record. Paradise also had a relatively limited number of escape routes for its nearly 30,000 residents?and the fire came from a direction that cut some of these off early in the event. Thus, despite?putting into place an organized evacuation plan?(which had been rehearsed by the entire town in recent years), the?frantic evacuation led to gridlocked traffic?in the immediate path of the fire front. Thousands were trapped on the roads leading out of town when the fire moved through, and the number of?harrowing stories?(and videos) emerging from the fire zone?is genuinely startling. Tragically, as many weather and fire experts had initially feared, it is starting to appear that many folks stuck on these roads and in neighborhoods cut off by the rapid advance of the flames were ultimately not able to escape in time. Interior Northern California experienced one of its warmest summers on record (again) in 2018; in the vicinity of the Camp Fire,?4 of the 5 warmest summers on record have occurred in the past 5 years. (Residents of San Francisco would be forgiven for not realizing this, as in a localized zone along the NorCal coast summer 2018 was actually a relatively cool one by recent standards). Even more importantly: California?s rainy season has been greatly delayed again this year?something that has allowed both the Camp Fire in NorCal and the Woolsey Fire in SoCal to burn so aggressively so late in the calendar year. It is genuinely astonishing that California?s deadliest and most destructive wildfire on record has now occurred in Butte County in November?a place that has typically already received over 5-6 inches of rainfall by the date of the Camp Fire?s ignition. In this part of California, there is essentially no precedent for large wildfires at this time of year as the rainy season is typically well underway by this point. This is unsettlingly analogous to the record-setting Thomas Fire in SoCal less than a year ago, which became California?s then-largest wildfire in the middle of December (a dubious record that has already been eclipsed by the Ranch Fire in Mendocino County this past summer).?In our recent work, we pointed out?that much of California appears to be in the?early stages of an autumn drying trend?that will likely?become more pronounced?as the climate continues to warm. ? Climate change is a wildfire ?risk multiplier? in California, but not the only relevant factor There has been much discussion over the past week regarding the role of climate change in setting the stage for disasters like the Camp Fire. While the scientific conversations will continue to evolve in the coming months and years, one thing is abundantly clear: warming temperatures and changing precipitation seasonality are unquestionably increasing the already high wildfire hazard across the American West, including California. This effect comes mainly from the increasing aridity of vegetation?which causes existing fires to burn hotter, faster, and more intensely. Fire season is now considerably longer than it used to be?a reality that has become?painfully clear over the past several years in California. But other human factors are at play as well. The encroachment of urban and suburban developments into high fire risk zones in the ?wildland-urban interface,? along with the burgeoning population of relatively isolated communities in heavily vegetated areas, have greatly increased the overall risk. And in certain vegetation regimes, the legacy of a century-long practice of ?total fire suppression? has led to a deficit of natural, low-intensity ?good fire,? and a subsequent increase in the density of flammable vegetation. Indeed,?as we pointed out in our recent perspective piece: wildfires are complex events, and no single factor is to blame for a particular fire.?But on top of everything else, climate change is acting as wildfire ?threat multiplier? in a place that hardly needs any additional contributions to wildfire risk.?There are?some short-term actions we can take to mitigate these hazards, and I imagine the scope of the current disaster will be a?catalyst for some serious introspection?at the state level in California.?I?ll revisit some of these ideas in the months to come, but for now?I promise it?s time for some good news. ? Finally some good news: significant rainfall by Thanksgiving, especially in NorCal Widespread significant rainfall is expected later this week across most of California, especially in the northern half of the state. (NCEP via tropicaltidbits.com) Just about everyone will be happy to hear that rain is finally headed for California?with significant accumulations likely by Thanksgiving, especially in NorCal. The first system or two early this week might end up being ?sacrificial? in the sense that they will largely fall apart as they move into the very dry and stable antecedent airmass. But subsequent storms later in the week, especially from Wednesday through Saturday, could bring widespread (and possibly even locally heavy) precipitation to the northern half of the state. Rain will likely also fall in SoCal, though it will probably be lighter in magnitude. By Friday, though, there?s an excellent chance that just about the entire state will have received enough moisture and onshore winds to fully clear the air of smoke, and help to extinguish the remaining flames. In NorCal, the rains this week should (finally!) be ?season-ending? from a wildfire perspective. In the Sierra Nevada, significant snow will fall above pass level?probably giving a boost to early-season snow totals that are currently right around zero. There is some concern that precipitation near the recent burn scars in NorCal (especially the Camp Fire, Carr Fire, and Delta Fire) could be heavy enough to induce debris flows or flooding, especially in areas that have burned very recently in the past two weeks). That will largely depend on how far south a potentially significant atmospheric river event sags next weekend. It?s possible that the heaviest totals will remain up in Oregon or along the far North Coast, but if you do live near or downstream of these fire zones if would be wise to pay attention to the forecasts this week (and, unfortunately, for the winter to come). In SoCal, I don?t think widespread precipitation will be heavy enough to cause major problems in the recent burn scars, but there?s still a slight chance that could change. Some weak ridging could return to California following a wet Thanksgiving weekend. (NCEP via tropicaltidbits.com) All in all, I think this may (understandably!) be one of the most anticipated pattern changes in quite some time. For most, the rain and mountain snow can not come soon enough. In the very long run, there?s still uncertainty whether this pattern change will be sustained or transient; it?s possible that some weak ridging may return to California the week after Thanksgiving. It is also worth noting that there is?currently a Red Flag Warning in effect for the Camp Fire zone?for the rest of the weekend; gusty winds and dry conditions are once again taking place. This event isn?t too extreme by the standard of recent weeks, but it is worth remembering that until soaking rains arrive later this week,?fire risk will remain very high in many places?and smoke-related air pollution will remain a major concern. But the key message is this: relief is, finally, on the way. Share this: - Facebook6K+ - Twitter - Google -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From fgutermuth at usbr.gov Mon Nov 19 17:38:47 2018 From: fgutermuth at usbr.gov (Gutermuth, Frederic) Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2018 17:38:47 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Draft Environmental document available and public meeting for Proposed Chapman Phase A Channel Rehabilitation Project Message-ID: Dear Trinity River Interested folks - The Trinity River Restoration Program is proposing a new project, the Chapman Ranch Phase A channel rehabilitation project, for next summer. We look forward to hearing your input and will hold a public meeting on Nov 28th at 6 pm in the North Fork Grange in Junction City, CA. Details are found at: http://www.trrp.net/restoration/channel-rehab/chapman/ Reclamation's press release is below. *Reclamation announces public meeting for Chapman Ranch Phase A channel rehabilitation project* WEAVERVILLE, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation, along with the Bureau of Land Management and the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, released the draft Environmental Assessment/Initial Study for the Trinity River Restoration Program?s proposed Chapman Ranch Phase A channel rehabilitation project in Trinity County. The Trinity River Restoration Program proposes to construct the Chapman Ranch Phase A channel rehabilitation project to increase salmon and steelhead habitat downstream of Lewiston Dam, and is scheduled for implementation in the summer 2019. The public meeting will be held: Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 6 ? 8 p.m., North Fork Grange Hall, 131 Dutch Creek Road, Junction City. The open house format will include meeting TRRP personnel, learning about the proposal, asking questions and providing input. Written comments will be accepted at the meeting. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments on additional channel rehabilitation projects in the Junction City area which are in an earlier phase of development. The draft EA/IS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act and is available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=35981 or http://www.trrp.net/. The documents are also available for review at the TRRP office, 1313 Main Street, Weaverville, CA and the Trinity County Library, 351 Main Street, Weaverville, CA. Comments are due by close of business Dec. 21, 2018. Please email comments to bgutermuth at usbr.gov. Written comments may be mailed to Brandt Gutermuth, Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, Weaverville, CA 96093. For additional information or to request a copy of the document, please contact Gutermuth at bgutermuth at usbr.gov, 530-623-1806 or Kevin Held at kheld at usbr.gov, 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339). - Sorry for any duplicate postings - Happy Thanksgiving - Brandt Brandt Gutermuth Environmental Scientist*|* Trinity River Restoration Program *|* U.S. Bureau of Reclamation *|* PO Box 1300, 1313 S. Main St., Weaverville, CA *|* 530.623.1806 w; 530.739.2802 cell*|*FGutermuth at usbr.gov -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Nov 21 12:09:44 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2018 20:09:44 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Bureau of Reclamation names Michael Ryan Acting Director for the Mid-Pacific Region References: <1974262924.4834688.1542830984075.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1974262924.4834688.1542830984075@mail.yahoo.com> Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-18-172 Media?Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100,?eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: Nov. 19, 2018 Bureau of Reclamation names Michael Ryan Acting Director for the Mid-Pacific Region ?WASHINGTON ? Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman Monday selected Michael Ryan as acting director for the agency?s Mid-Pacific Region. Ryan currently serves as a senior advisor to the Commissioner and has previously served as Reclamation?s Great Plains regional director for 12 years. ?Mike brings a wealth of experience in water and power operations and resource management,? said Commissioner Burman. ?As acting regional director, Mike will help provide continuity in Reclamation?s role in implementing the President?s Memorandum on Promoting the Reliable Supply and Delivery of Water in the West.? The Presidential Memorandum, which was signed on October 19, directs the departments of the Interior and Commerce to ensure western water users have the most abundant water and power supplies possible. This includes identifying regulations and procedures that potentially burden the Klamath Irrigation and Central Valley Projects and developing a proposed plan to suspend, revise or rescind any regulation or procedure that unduly burdens them. Ryan joined Reclamation in 1982, in Billings, Montana. During his 36-year career, Ryan has worked in facility operation and maintenance, dam safety and river restoration programs across the West. Ryan also served as the Klamath Area Office Area Manager before becoming the Great Plains regional director and entering the Senior Executive Service in 2005. Prior to serving as the Great Plains Regional Director, Ryan was the Northern California Area Manager at Redding, California. In this capacity, Ryan managed nine dams that stored and delivered water for irrigation and municipal use, and six associated power plants. He also served as chairman of the Trinity Management Council, tasked with developing and implementing the Trinity River Restoration Program and advising the Secretary of the Interior on Trinity River anadromous fishery restoration issues. A native of Deer Lodge, Montana, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 1984 from Montana State University Bozeman. Ryan is a registered professional engineer. # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at?http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter?@USBR?and?@ReclamationCVP. ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Fri Nov 23 11:18:38 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2018 11:18:38 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 21, 2018 Message-ID: Happy Thanksgiving! Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_21.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1784735 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_21.pdf URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Fri Nov 23 12:21:48 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2018 12:21:48 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 21, 2018 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Hello again, The attached update has been corrected. Reaches 3 and 4 were not surveyed this past week. Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 On Fri, Nov 23, 2018 at 11:18 AM Gough, Steve wrote: > Happy Thanksgiving! > > Steve Gough > Fish Biologist > U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service > Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office > 1655 Heindon Road > Arcata, CA 95521 > > *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * > (707) 825-5197 > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Fri Nov 23 12:22:26 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Fri, 23 Nov 2018 12:22:26 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 21, 2018 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 On Fri, Nov 23, 2018 at 12:21 PM Gough, Steve wrote: > Hello again, > The attached update has been corrected. Reaches 3 and 4 were not surveyed > this past week. > > Steve Gough > Fish Biologist > U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service > Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office > 1655 Heindon Road > Arcata, CA 95521 > > *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * > (707) 825-5197 > > > On Fri, Nov 23, 2018 at 11:18 AM Gough, Steve wrote: > >> Happy Thanksgiving! >> >> Steve Gough >> Fish Biologist >> U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service >> Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office >> 1655 Heindon Road >> Arcata, CA 95521 >> >> *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * >> (707) 825-5197 >> > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_21.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1358002 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_21.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Nov 27 07:59:54 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2018 15:59:54 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Supreme Court limits Endangered Species Act: Habitat must contain endangered species References: <702309467.7539928.1543334394842.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <702309467.7539928.1543334394842@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-court-endangered-20181127-story.htmlSupreme Court limits Endangered Species Act: Habitat must contain endangered speciesBy?DAVID G. SAVAGENOV 27, 2018?|?7:35 AM?|?WASHINGTON??A guard stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images)The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision on Tuesday limited the reach of the Endangered Species Act, ruling that the government can designate a protected ?habitat? only in areas where a threatened animal now lives. The justices set aside a ruling that restricted development in a wooded area in Louisiana where an endangered frog could live. But in fact, the roughly 100 remaining dusky gopher frogs live only in a wooded area nearby in Mississippi. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the ?critical habitat? of an endangered species ?must also be a habitat? now. The ruling is a victory for Weyerhaeuser and other development companies that challenged the broad habitat protections imposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jay_glase at nps.gov Tue Nov 27 09:37:19 2018 From: jay_glase at nps.gov (Glase, Jay) Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2018 11:37:19 -0600 Subject: [env-trinity] [EXTERNAL] Supreme Court limits Endangered Species Act: Habitat must contain endangered species In-Reply-To: <702309467.7539928.1543334394842@mail.yahoo.com> References: <702309467.7539928.1543334394842.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <702309467.7539928.1543334394842@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: huh, as usual, I'm confused. I see these two lines that seem to contradict each other. *Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the ?critical habitat? of an endangered species ?must also be a habitat? now.* *"But in the end, they agreed with the chief justice that the law?s reference to protecting ?critical habitat? was best understood as referring to places where an endangered animal could currently live.* What does "could currently live" mean? Might they be there because it's good habitat, might they be there based on previous surveys but we don't see them right now, might they be there now and then? And most importantly, if I can manage to extirpate a living thing from an area, can I then not worry that this area might be critical habitat when someone tries to recover that species? I've only read the article in this post, so is this the supreme court or the journalist writing the article causing my confusion. Or maybe I'm not really all that confused but just pretending to be. I'm sure someone will let me know. cheers to all you critical habitat enthusiasts On Tue, Nov 27, 2018 at 10:02 AM Tom Stokely wrote: > > https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-court-endangered-20181127-story.html > Supreme Court limits Endangered Species Act: Habitat must contain > endangered species > By DAVID G. SAVAGE > > NOV 27, 2018 | 7:35 AM > | WASHINGTON > > > A guard stands outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, DC. (Mark > Wilson / Getty Images) > The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision on Tuesday limited the reach of > the Endangered Species Act, ruling that the government can designate a > protected ?habitat? only in areas where a threatened animal now lives. > > The justices set aside a ruling that restricted development in a wooded > area in Louisiana where an endangered frog could live. But in fact, the > roughly 100 remaining dusky gopher frogs live only in a wooded area nearby > in Mississippi. > > > Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said the ?critical habitat? of an > endangered species ?must also be a habitat? now. > > The ruling is a victory for Weyerhaeuser and other development companies > that challenged the broad habitat protections imposed by the U.S. Fish and > Wildlife Service. > > -- Jay Glase Midwest Regional Fishery Biologist National Park Service 2800 Lake Shore Drive East Ashland, WI 54806 jay_glase at nps.gov Phone 402-661-1512 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Tue Nov 27 09:10:30 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2018 17:10:30 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Justices punt dusky gopher frog case to lower court References: <625383782.7609807.1543338630910.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <625383782.7609807.1543338630910@mail.yahoo.com> Here?s another article with a link to the decision: https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/stories/1060107447?#_=_ SUPREME COURT Justices punt dusky gopher frog case to lower court Ellen M. Gilmer, E&E News reporter Published: November 27, 2018 at 10:40 AM Dusky gopher frog.??John Tupy/Fish and Wildlife Service The Supreme Court is sending the dusky gopher frog back to a lower court. In a narrow?opinion?this morning, a unanimous bench ruled that the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals must grapple with the meaning of "habitat" to determine whether the Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts to protect land for the rare amphibian were overly broad. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that the Endangered Species Act, which governs the critical habitat designations at issue in the case, does not include a "baseline definition" of habitat. The 5th Circuit must consider the definition to determine whether land protected for the dusky gopher frog meets the standard. The Supreme Court also ruled that the 5th Circuit should review whether FWS properly considered the costs and benefits of its decision not to exclude a broad swath of private land in its critical habitat designation for the frog. All seven other members of the court who heard the case signed on to the opinion. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was not confirmed in time for Oct. 1 oral arguments, did not participate. The case ? the first argued this term ? deals with FWS's 2012 decision to include more than 1,500 acres of private land in Louisiana in a critical habitat designation for the frog. The warty amphibian was once common across the South but is now considered one of the 100 most endangered species in the world, with most individuals living around a single pond in Mississippi. The private Louisiana land protected by FWS contains the types of ephemeral ponds perfect for the frog. But the private landowners and timber giant Weyerhaeuser Co., which harvests trees there, say the agency overstepped because the land is not habitable for the creature right now. An eight-member court pushed lawyers for both sides to explain the limits of FWS's power and the value of the Louisiana land for the dusky gopher frog (Greenwire, Oct. 1). The case is the biggest environmental dispute on the Supreme Court's calendar this term and has been watched closely by environmental groups and property rights advocates. Twitter:?@ellengilmer?Email:?egilmer at eenews.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sun Nov 25 12:06:11 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 25 Nov 2018 15:06:11 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Breaking: West Coast Commercial Crab Fishermen Sue Fossil Fuel Industry In-Reply-To: References: <38F1ED28-B5A6-4428-A362-FF6317D6D12D@fishsniffer.com> <9024DF72-9D35-47F5-937C-C8EFDF2CA6B3@fishsniffer.com> <465005554.132426.1542081763874@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <8cce37b8-0045-4d69-a3ae-241a755d1f2c@mtasv.net> > On Nov 15, 2018, at 9:17 AM, Daniel Bacher wrote: > > https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/11/14/1812900/-Breaking-West-Coast-Commercial-Crab-Fishermen-Sue-Fossil-Fuel-Industry > > > > > Noah Oppenheim, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA), speaks at a press conference against a water grab by the Trump administration in January. Photo by Dan Bacher. > > Breaking: West Coast Commercial Crab Fishermen Sue Fossil Fuel Industry > > By Dan Bacher > > On the day before the commercial crab season was scheduled to begin on most of the California coast, the West Coast?s largest commercial fishing association filed a landmark lawsuit against Big Oil. > The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA) today filed the litigation to hold 30 fossil fuel companies, including Chevron, Exxon-Mobil, BP other oil industry giants, accountable for losses caused by four straight years of fishery closures that have harmed crabbers, their businesses, their families, and local communities in California and Oregon. > > The fishermen filed the suit in California State Superior Court in San Francisco, asserting state law claims, including ?negligence, defective product liability, nuisance, and failure to warn about the dangers associated with products the fossil fuel companies knew would cause, among other things, warming of the oceans and atmosphere.? > > ?Americans are well aware of the damaging and sometimes catastrophic effects of climate change,? said Noah Oppenheim, PCFFA's executive director, in a press release. ?For crab fishermen, that means significant portions of the Dungeness crab fishery have been closed repeatedly since 2015, including parts along the coast this year .? > > Oppenheim said the Dungeness crab fishery contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy in Oregon and California each year. But he noted that harmful algal blooms can cause a buildup in crabs of domoic acid, a potent neurotoxin that is a health threat to people and an economic threat to the entire crab fishery. > > ?The algal blooms and domoic acid flare-up's are linked to a warming of the Pacific Ocean knowingly caused by the fossil fuel industry,? said Oppenheim. > > "We're taking a stand for the captains and crew, their families, and the business owners that support the fleet," Oppenheim said. "The fossil fuel companies named in our lawsuit knowingly caused harm, and they need to be held accountable. We are seeking to implement measures, at the fossil fuel industry?s expense, that will help crabbers adapt to a world in which domoic acid flare-up's will be increasingly common, and also help those crabbers who suffer financial losses as a result." > > The complaint documents how the oil industry has known for decades that fossil fuel production and use has led to greenhouse gas pollution that causes global warming, but has concealed and denied this information: > > Defendants, major corporate members of the fossil fuel industry, have known for nearly a half century that unrestricted production and use of their fossil fuel products create greenhouse gas pollution that warms the planet, changes our climate, and disrupts the oceans. They have known for decades that those impacts could be catastrophic and that only a narrow window existed to take action before the consequences would be irreversible. They have nevertheless engaged in a coordinated, multi-front effort to conceal and deny their own knowledge of those threats, discredit the growing body of publicly available scientific evidence, and persistently create doubt in the minds of customers, consumers, regulators, the media, journalists, teachers, and the public about the reality and consequences of the impacts of their fossil fuel pollution. > > The lawsuit also documents the loss to the commercial crab fishing industry they say is caused by climate change: > > The complaint [PCFFA] represents commercial Dungeness crab harvesters and onshore crab processors and wholesalers that have suffered, and continue to suffer, substantial economic losses due to those lost fishing opportunities. The severe curtailment of the crab fishery, which is among the most productive, lucrative, and reliable fisheries on the west coast, had damaging ripple effects throughout California?s and Oregon?s fishing families and communities, creating severe hardships that many fishermen and fishing businesses, including Plaintiff?s members, have struggled to overcome. > > John Beardon, who fishes for Dungeness crab out of Crescent City, California,? said, ?We?re out fishing all the time, and it?s obvious the oceans are getting warmer. That?s bad for crabs and other fish, and it?s bad for those of us who make a living on the water.? > > ?The last three years have been really hard. Our community came together and held a fish fry to help our crew members. But fish fries and disaster relief are no solution to these closures we?re now seeing year-after-year-after year,? Beardon emphasized. > > A disaster relief appropriations package passed by Congress in 2018 will aid impacted crabbers, but it provides only partial relief, leaving a substantial recovery gap, according to Oppenheim. > > Oppenheim said there are nearly 1,000 Dungeness crab permits in California and Oregon ? and the crab fleet is responsible for ?thousands of jobs on the boats and thousands more in the local businesses that support the fishery.? > > ?The families and businesses in our coastal communities should not have to bear the costs when fisheries are closed because of domoic acid flare-up's linked to fossil fuel companies and global warming,? said Oppenheim. ?In addition to seeking compensation from fossil fuel companies for losses suffered by crabbers and others from those closures, we?re demanding these companies pay for additional measures that will help mitigate future impacts. Those costs should not fall on the shoulders of hardworking fishermen, first receivers, and their families when the only reason they?re needed is because of what the fossil fuel companies have done.? > > Some measures that Oppenheim said might be available after further testing and development include: > > holding crabs in depuration tanks until they rid themselves of domoic acid; and > rapid testing kits that would allow crabs to be tested individually, instantly, and affordably, enabling the marketing of clean crabs even during a domoic acid flare-up. > Not all areas of the California coast will open to commercial crabbing on November 15 this year, underlining the continuing impact that warming of the oceans and atmosphere have on crab fishermen. > > California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Director Charlton H. Bonham has delayed the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab fishery from Bodega Head, Sonoma County north to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line, due to elevated levels of domoic acid. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery south of this area will open as scheduled on Thursday, Nov. 15. > > State health agencies determined that Dungeness crab in state waters from Bodega Head, Sonoma County north to the Sonoma/Mendocino county line have elevated levels of domoic acid ? linked to fossil fuel companies and global warming, according to the PCFFA lawsuit ? and recommended a delay of the commercial fishery in this area. > > ?Commercial take and/or possession of Dungeness crab is prohibited in these waters. North of the Sonoma/Mendocino county line, the Dungeness crab commercial season is not scheduled to open until Dec. 1. That opener is also subject to delay pending test results both for domoic acid as well as crab quality,? according to the CDFW. > > Downloads/Links: > > Full copy of the complaint > Backgrounder on the fossil fuel industry?s role in warming oceans and crab fishery closures > Interactive timeline? showing what the fossil fuel industry knew about the damage their products would cause, when they knew it, and what they did (and didn?t) do about it. > It is significant that the suit was filed in a state that is one of the country?s leading oil producers, where both offshore and onshore drilling by many of the same oil oil corporations named in the suit have expanded in recent years. While state officials and the mainstream media continually portray California as the nation's "green leader," the reality is much different. > > In fact, Big Oil is the most powerful corporate lobby in California and the West - and the Western States Petroleum Association is the most powerful corporate lobbying organization. The inordinate influence of the oil and gas industry over California regulators is highlighted by the Brown administration?s approval of over 21,000 new oil and gas well permits, including 238 new offshore wells, over the past 7 years. > > ?You may not realize it when thinking about politics in environmentally conscious and ?green? California, but an 18-month-long NBC Bay Area and Maplight investigation found the oil and gas industry paid $182 million to California politicians, PACs and political causes between 2001 and June 30, 2018,? reported NBC Bay Area on October 25. ?For the past year and a half, the Investigative Unit worked with Maplight, a nonpartisan group based in Berkeley that tracks campaign contributions to uncover just how much money and influence the oil and gas industry wields in Sacramento.? > > To view the full report, go to: www.nbcbayarea.com/... > WSPA and Big Oil wield their power in 6 major ways: through (1) lobbying; (2) campaign spending; (3) serving on and putting shills on regulatory panels; (4) creating Astroturf groups: (5) working in collaboration with media; and (6) contributing to non profit organizations. For more information, go to: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/9/3/1792899/-A-Must-Read-Before-Going-to-the-Climate-March-on-September-8-Big-Oil-and-WSPA-s-Grip-on-Californi a > > The Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen?s Associations (PCFFA)is the largest and most active trade association of commercial fishermen on the West Coast. PCFFA has led the fishing industry in protecting the rights of fishermen and fishing communities since 1976. We constantly fight for the long-term survival of commercial fishing as a productive livelihood and way of life. > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Tue Nov 27 14:30:06 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2018 22:30:06 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 47 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 47 (November 25). Willow Creek weir trapping season is over. The last trapping was Monday morning before Thanksgiving. With an unknown amount of rain predicted over the long holiday weekend (and the zero fish day on Friday the 16th) it seemed like time to pull the gear. We (HVT-Fisheries and CDFW) got all the gear yanked out of the river on Tuesday the 20th. Although we would've liked to have seen (and tagged!) what fish the new rain brought up it wouldn't have been worth the risk of potentially losing so much equipment. Trinity River Hatchery keeps on spawning, three days last week, three days this week. Still mainly a Chinook show, but with the rain I imagine the steelhead numbers will start to pick up any time. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW47.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 68153 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thruJW47.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Nov 28 07:03:51 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2018 15:03:51 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Zinke=E2=80=99s_=232_has_so_many_potentia?= =?utf-8?q?l_conflicts_of_interest_he_has_to_carry_a_list_of_them_all?= References: <558843560.410278.1543417431616.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <558843560.410278.1543417431616@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/the-man-behind-the-curtain-interiors-no-2-helps-drive-trumps-agenda/2018/11/18/6403eb4c-e9ff-11e8-b8dc-66cca409c180_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.27610b907a59 Zinke?s #2 has so many potential conflicts of interest he has to carry a list of them all Interior Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt poses for a photograph in the library at the Department of the Interior on Oct. 18, in Washington, D.C. He used to come to the public library when he was in law school. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)By?Juliet EilperinNovember 19 David Bernhardt, deputy secretary of the Department of Interior, had just left McDonald?s on his way to work last year when he started choking on his breakfast burrito. His 2017 white Jeep Wrangler careened across Old Dominion Drive, struck a BMW in the next lane, crossed into oncoming traffic and crashed into a nearby apartment building. Medics who rushed to the scene urged him to head to the hospital. But Bernhardt ? who had been on his way to a meeting at the White House Council of Environmental Quality ? opted instead to call his wife for a ride home, clean himself up, and head into work. His brand-new Jeep was towed; he sported visible bruises. ?I think that I probably looked like Rocky Balboa,? Bernhardt recalled. His admirers inside and outside Interior like to tell the story ? it takes more than a dangerous accident to keep him from his work. ADVERTISING ?If it says anything, it says, you know, where I come from, you sign up to do the job and then go do it,? said Bernhardt, 49. Bernhardt?s relentless work ethic helps explain how he?s managed to advance Trump?s pro-industry agenda over the nation?s public lands. Having worked for years as a lobbyist representing many of the very businesses he now regulates, he walked into the No. 2 job at Interior with so many potential conflicts of interest he has to carry a small card listing them all. ?This is the deep state,? said Jim Lyons, who served as deputy assistant secretary for land and minerals management under Barack Obama. ?He is the guy behind the curtain who?s manipulating everything, which he can do with his wealth of knowledge and experience.? In recent weeks his boss, Ryan Zinke, has come under?increased scrutiny for a Montana land deal. If Trump reshuffles his Cabinet and Zinke steps down, it will likely be Bernhardt who steps up. [Democrats prepare to grill interior secretary, other officials come January] Other technocrats have already begun to rise within the administration, such as the Environmental Protection Agency?s Andrew Wheeler. On Friday, President Trump announced that?he would nominate Wheeler?? who assumed the helm of the EPA after Scott Pruitt resigned in July ? to serve on a permanent basis. But even without the top job, Bernhardt is already helping steer the 70,000-person department. In a year and a half, he has made it easier for federal authorities to approve drilling projects on land and offshore, has proposed narrowing habitat protections for endangered species, and is pushing California to divert more of its water from conservation to agricultural interests. While Zinke drew headlines over multiple ethics investigations, Bernhardt focused on executing President Trump?s vision to fuel the nation?s energy production. Already, the department has offered 17 million acres of federal lands for oil and gas leases. This has sparked a major battle over the leases on offer: 88 percent of the parcels offered in fiscal 2017 had protests filed against them, according to the Bureau of Land Management, compared to 35 percent under the last administration. And while the BLM has been forced to take hundreds of parcels off the auction block, it has also posted some eye-popping sales. In September, for example, the agency held a lease sale that netted $972.8 million in bonus bids for 142 parcels in New Mexico?s Chaves, Eddy and Lea counties ? a record for the BLM. Oil companies extracted 142 million barrels in Eddy and Lea counties between January and August, a 56 percent increase compared to all of 2016. If developed, those new wells will not only generate more revenue for companies and the Treasury, they will boost greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change. BLM estimates that over the next 20 years its plan to boost drilling in southeastern New Mexico would emit greenhouse gas emissions equal to 733 coal plants operating for one year. Bernhardt has helped spearhead this shift. An avowed champion of the rural Americans who compose a critical part of the president?s base, he describes his mission as being shaped by witnessing his hometown?s economic collapse during the 1980s oil shale bust. ?That?s a terrible feeling, where you know a bunch of your buddies? parents lose their jobs and there?s no hope, and nobody believes that people are helping them ? whether that?s true or not,? he said. But Bernhardt ? whose cavernous office at Interior headquarters is sparsely furnished, as opposed to Zinke?s dark wood paneling and animal trophies ? said what he thinks ?isn?t what matters to the American people in any way, shape or form.? ?My philosophy, my views are really irrelevant,? he said in a recent interview. ?The views that matter are the views of the president of the United States. And, you know, obviously by joining his administration, I?ve embraced his vision for rural America. I?m committed to keeping the promises he?s made.? Often, Bernhardt cites the law when asked his opinion. Queried on his views on climate change, for example, Bernhardt said he had virtually no legal obligation to act ? even though climate change is already raising global temperatures and Interior scientists?warn?it is harming land and key species under the department?s control. ?The last time I checked,? he said, ?there was a law that said I must provide a guy to help the Department of Energy write a report.? 'A walking conflict of interest'? Over the past two decades, Bernhardt has played key roles in both Interior headquarters and the lobbying community that works to sway the department?s decisions. He had to recuse himself from ?particular matters? directly affecting 26 former clients in order to adhere to the Trump administration?s ethics requirements. The recusals have expired for four of them, allowing Bernhardt to plunge into policymaking that has prompted critics to say he is helping his former clients. As a partner at the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Bernhardt represented clients such as the Westlands Water District, which provides water to California farmers. Water is Westlands? lifeblood, but it has to compete with state and federal officials? push to supply it to municipalities and imperiled species as well. Bernhardt represented Westlands when it unsuccessfully sued Interior over the Endangered Species Act, and sat on the board of a conservative group connected to the water district, CESAR, that has challenged federal scientific findings on endangered species such as California?s delta smelt. On Aug. 17, two weeks after Bernhardt?s recusal over Westlands Water District expired, Zinke tasked him with drafting a new plan for managing federal and state water supplies there. Interior and California officials have been tight-lipped about ongoing negotiations, but Bernhardt and his colleagues have made clear they hope to overhaul existing agreements to provide more water to agricultural interests. Even before the recusal period ended, Bernhardt addressed a meeting of the Association of California Water Agencies and met with Interior officials working on the state?s water issues. Last month, Bernhardt was the featured speaker on a White House call announcing President Trump?s memorandum aimed at ?removing unnecessary regulatory burdens? for water infrastructure projects. ?From my perspective, today?s action might be the most significant action taken by a president on Western water issues in my lifetime,? Bernhardt told reporters. Critics say it was inappropriate. ?Bernhardt is a walking conflict of interest,? said Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), a critic of DOI?s approach to California water issues. ?The recusal was a sham, and the fact that they created this plan to spring into action on behalf of all their special interests after his one-year recusal expired doesn?t surprise anyone.? Westlands, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment, is one of four organizations from which Bernhardt is no longer recused. These include North Dakota?s Garrison Diversion Conservancy District and Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District. And as Bernhardt explained, just because he represented a specific company doesn?t mean he can?t make policy decisions affecting its industry. ?So, truthfully, you can fully meet your ethical requirements appropriately and still serve the department,? Bernhardt said. To keep track of his conflicts he carries a list the size of a credit card of 22 former clients still covered by his ethics recusal, including oil industry heavyweights like Halliburton Energy Services. Still, Bernhardt?s affiliation with his former firm has cropped up multiple times since he?s assumed office. He abruptly canceled a Sept. 14 keynote appearance before the Colorado River Water Conservation District, citing advice from department ethics attorneys. While Interior did not disclose the exact nature of the potential conflict, emails obtained under the Colorado Open Records Act show that lawyers flagged the fact that Bernhardt?s former firm represents the Central Arizona Water Conservation District. The district is trying to blunt the impact of being the lowest-ranking beneficiary in a multistate negotiation over how to divvy up water from the Colorado River in the case of a future drought, a topic that was on the agenda for the Grand Junction, Colo., conference. And while Bernhardt has removed himself from several decisions where Interior has come out in favor of his former clients ? like the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District, which recently won approval for a controversial plan to tap water from the Missouri River ? his former firm still touts its connection to him. In a Dec. 20 letter to the District doubling its monthly fees, BHFS wrote, ?Many of the decision-makers in the agencies are former co-workers and colleagues.? A card with clients of Interior Deputy Secretary David Bernhardt are seen listed on this small card, which he carries with him as he performs his job. Bernhardt, who worked as a lobbyist for a decade before rejoining the department, is prohibited from participating in matters that specifically affect 22 of his former clients until Aug. 3, 2019. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)'Death by a thousand cuts' When Bernhardt got ready to move over to Interior?s solicitor?s office in 2005, he knew he was going to spend much of his time dealing with the?Endangered Species Act. As he recounted in a speech at the Heritage Foundation this fall, ?I was a little nervous.? So he asked his aides for the entire legislative history of the act, just before leaving for a vacation at Dewey Beach, Del. with his wife and two young kids. They brought him 10 volumes bound in deep red covers over faded pages. They filled up nearly his entire trunk. When he arrived at Dewey, Bernhardt told his wife, ?I?m not going to leave the house the entire time. I?m going to study the entire legislative history of the Endangered Species Act.? A gray-haired Washington hand who often speaks in a methodical, somnolent tone but can be teary at office goodbye parties, Bernhardt is never underprepared. He once gave everyone in DOI?s congressional affairs a free copy of Strunk and White?s ?The Elements of Style,? instructing them to craft any memos they submit to the interior secretary with care. Former congressman Scott McInnis (R-Colo.), one of his first bosses, recalled how he sometimes cracked Rodney Dangerfield jokes to try to distract Bernhardt from reading documents. ?He wouldn?t laugh. He?d smile, and go back to reading.? Whit Fosburgh, president of Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said Bernhardt arrived at a meeting on sage grouse several months ago with ?everything we?ve ever written marked up, with comments written in the margins .?.?. He is going to be prepared for a legal cross-examination when you sit down.? And Peg Romanik, a senior career lawyer at Interior who worked for Bernhardt when he served as solicitor as well as in his current role, said Bernhardt is open to having a back-and-forth with staffers who don?t always agree with his policy views. ?He was very respectful of hearing our opinions, and he would admit when we were right,? she said. [Endangered Species Act proposal would overhaul existing protections] As one of the main architects of Trump?s energy and public lands agenda, he knows how to check the boxes and follow the rules. Nowhere is that clearer than when it comes to the Endangered Species Act, which he mastered during that long-ago beach vacation. Last year, Bernhardt brought together top career officials at the Fish and Wildlife Service with political appointees to discuss how to retool Endangered Species Act regulations and gave them a 30-day deadline to produce a draft. The proposed rule, if enacted, could mark the biggest change to federal endangered species policy in decades, making it easier for development to take place in imperiled species? habitats. It would instruct the department, for the first time, to analyze the economic impact of listing a species. Critics say it would impose a major financial burden on the agency, and it would only trigger federal intervention if an action harms ?the whole? of a species? key habitat, rather than just part of it. Noah Greenwald, endangered species director for the advocacy group Center for Biological Diversity, said the plan would allow these places to be chipped away over time. The Northern spotted owl?s range is 9.5 million acres, he noted: ?There?s no timber sale of old growth forest that would ever affect all 9.5 million acres.? If enacted, he added, it could pave the way for the permitting of oil and gas operations in states such as Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico that could threaten the wide-ranging lesser prairie chicken, which is likely to be listed in the coming year. ?It?s death by a thousand cuts,? Greenwald said. The new proposal also codifies some of the legal opinions Bernhardt wrote as solicitor a decade ago, which limit the federal government?s intervention on behalf of imperiled species. One restricts Interior from acting if a species is imperiled by ?melting glaciers, sea level rise, or reduced snowpack but no other habitat-based threats,? while the other limits action unless officials determine it is ?probable? a species will go extinct ?within the foreseeable future.? ?These Endangered Species Act provisions are beautifully sneaky,? said William J. Snape III, an American University law professor who also serves as the Center for Biological Diversity?s senior counsel. ?I have to give the guy credit. He?s got some bombs in there.? Speaking at the Heritage Foundation, Bernhardt called the suggestion that the proposal would undermine the law?s protections ?laughable.? ?The environmental standards are not changing, what?s changing is how we go about making our decisions, potentially, in less burdensome ways.? And while Bernhardt?s critics will continue to decry many of his actions, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) said he?s been ?a breath of fresh air? compared to many of his predecessors. ?He actually does something when we talk,? Bishop said. ?That?s something that never happens with the Department of Interior.? Read more Interior officials dismissed benefits of national monuments, records show Trump officials offer proposal to overhaul endangered species rules Here are the career officials who have risen under Trump -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Nov 28 07:21:08 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2018 15:21:08 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Trump officials announce $450 million loan for new California reservoir project References: <103861367.8242318.1543418468280.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <103861367.8242318.1543418468280@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.redding.com/story/news/2018/11/27/trump-officials-announce-450-million-loan-california-sites-reservoir-project/2130237002/ Trump officials announce $450 million loan for new California reservoir project Damon Arthur, Redding Record SearchlightPublished 3:57 p.m. PT Nov. 27, 2018 |?Updated 3:59 p.m. PT Nov. 27, 2018 Buy Photo (Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) CONNECTTWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE Trump administration officials were in California on Tuesday to announce a $450 million loan for the Sites Reservoir project in Colusa County. The money will be used to build a tunnel to carry water from the Glenn-Colusa Canal to an existing reservoir, giving farmers on the west side of the Sacramento Valley more access to irrigation water. The 12-foot diameter tunnel, called an intertie, will also be used to transport water to and from Sites Reservoir after it is built, said Jim Watson, general manager of the Sites Reservoir Authority. ?With the large reservoir, the benefits of the intertie get extended down into the San Joaquin Valley for rural communities and also to provide benefits for the cities in the Bay Area and Southern California,? Watson said of the 1.8 million acre-foot reservoir project. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke traveled to Maxwell to tour the area where the tunnel will be built and to meet with local and state officials. Accompanying them were Republican congressional members Doug LaMalfa of Richvale,?David Valadao of Hanford and Jeff Denham of Hawthorne, as well as Republican Assemblyman James Gallagher,? ?The president was right, California is a blessed state,? Zinke said. ?We have a lot of water, but we need to make sure we have flexibility in the system and that we can move water back and forth and not let it go out to the sea.? Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, right, answers a reporters question after touring fire ravaged Paradise, Calif. with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, center, Monday, Nov. 26, 2018. The pair advocated more aggressive forest management policies to mitigate damage from future wildfires. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)?(Photo: Rich Pedroncelli, AP) Zinke and Perdue also visited Paradise on Monday to see the devastation from the Camp Fire, which has killed an estimated 88 people and destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings in Butte County. Sites officials say the reservoir provides more flexibility for the state?s water system because during times of the year when runoff levels are high, water can be pumped from the Sacramento River and stored at Sites. During drier periods, water can be taken from Sites, which will be the seventh-largest reservoir in the?state, and used for irrigation and drinking water, officials said. Sites will allow the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to keep more water in Lake Shasta, which will benefit salmon that spawn in the Sacramento River in the Redding area, said Jeff Sutton, general manager of the Tehama-Colusa Canal Authority. BY U.S. CELLULAR PREPAIDNo credit check, overages or activation fees with U.S. Cellular prepaid plans.See more ? The endangered winter-run salmon need colder water for spawning, and that cold water comes from Lake Shasta. Sutton said storing water in Sites Reservoir means the bureau can store more cold water in Lake Shasta for those salmon. Raising Shasta Dam: Nearby property owners want answers USDA officials said they supported the project because of its benefits to cities, farms and wildlife. The $449.2 million loan is the largest the agency has ever given, said Sarah Marquart, a spokeswoman for the USDA?s Rural Development program. ?So you can see the scale of how strongly Congress and USDA and the Trump administration feel about what?s happening here in California with regard to the importance of Sites Reservoir and the ability to move water both ways,? Perdue said. Sites Reservoir, if it is built would be located west of the Sacramento River in Colusa County.?(Photo: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation) LaMalfa said he has long supported the Sites project. ?I?ve said many times before ? surface storage projects like this one are absolutely critical to securing the future of our state?s water supply,? LaMalfa said in a statement. ?We know all too well the potential economic impacts of a drought, and Sites Reservoir will enable more water storage during wet years in preparation for dry years.? The money from the USDA isn?t free, though. Trump wants to cut red tape, hasten water projects in California The loan will need to be paid off in 40 years at 3.875 percent interest, Marquart said. Money to repay the loan will come from rural and urban water users, Watson said. It could be some time, though, before ratepayers see the cost of the projects on their water bills. The Sites Authority, made up of 31 water agencies, is still going through environmental studies necessary before the project can be built. Watson said the intertie should be complete by 2024, and he envisioned Sites Reservoir being completed by 2030. Financing for the $6.4 billion project is still being assembled, Watson said. But he expects the reservoir to be paid for through a series of loans, bonds and grants. Watson said he expects finance charges on all the loans to cost around $2 billion on top of the construction costs. The state has already granted the Sites project $816 million from the Proposition 1 water bond. The authority also plans to seek loans from the EPA and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Q&A: What Trump's water memo means ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Nov 30 10:18:02 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2018 18:18:02 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Could_this_obscure_California_agency_dera?= =?utf-8?q?il_Jerry_Brown=E2=80=99s_Delta_tunnels=3F?= References: <1470171332.459836.1543601882011.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1470171332.459836.1543601882011@mail.yahoo.com> Could this obscure California agency derail Jerry Brown?s Delta tunnels? BY RYAN SABALOW, ALEXEI KOSEFF AND DALE KASLER rsabalow at sacbee.com - - - - - LINKEDIN - GOOGLE+ - PINTEREST - REDDIT - PRINT - ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY November 30, 2018 12:00 AM Updated 10 hours 3 minutes ago? As Gov. Jerry Brown leaves office, his controversial Delta tunnels plan is on the ropes.? Most farmers who would get water from the tunnels?still haven?t agreed to pay their share. Rather than support the tunnels, the?Trump administration is trying to bend federal environmental laws?to simply deliver more water through the existing Delta system to San Joaquin Valley farms and cities ? and just rejected the project?s request for a big startup loan. Brown?s successor, Gavin Newsom, says he would like to see the project scaled down. Lawsuits challenging the project abound. Amid that uncertainty, an obscure state council is poised to send the $16.7 billion project back to the drawing board ? potentially throwing another roadblock at the tortured, decade-long plan.? On Dec. 20, the Delta Stewardship Council will vote to determine whether the tunnels project ? officially known as California WaterFix ? complies with what?s known as the ?Delta Plan,? a set of policy goals, mandated by state law, that put protection and restoration of the fragile estuary?s eco-system on an equal footing with more reliable water supplies. The council was formed in 2009, when the Legislature passed the Delta Reform Act. The law established that water supply and eco-system improvements were ?coequal goals? that must be met when it comes to managing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hub of California?s north-to-south water delivery system. Now the council appears on the verge of ruling that WaterFix doesn?t measure up. In a report Nov. 15,?the council?s staff found the project fell woefully short of complying with the Delta Plan on several fronts. The report said the state Department of Water Resources, which is overseeing the project, failed to prove that south-state water agencies have done enough to reduce their dependence on water shipped through the Delta ? as the Delta Plan requires. It said the tunnels project poses unacceptable ?conflicts with land uses in existing Delta communities.? It scolded DWR for not using up-to-date scientific analysis on how climate change would affect operations of the tunnels. At a council meeting right after the staff released its report, board Chairman Randy Fiorini blasted the Brown administration for trying to rush the project through before the governor leaves office. ?Political expediency is not the goal here for such an important and significant project,? said Fiorini, a Brown appointee and a grape farmer from Turlock. ?Frankly, I?m frustrated. This project came to me before it was ready.? He urged the Brown administration to withdraw its petition before the council meets again to vote on Dec. 20. It?s not clear what the Brown administration plans to do. The state Natural Resources Agency, which oversees DWR, provided a letter to the council from Resources Secretary John Laird declaring that WaterFix is consistent with the Delta Plan, the Delta Reform Act and the concept of ?coequal goals? of water deliveries and ecosystem health. ?It?s disappointing that the ... council staff (fails) to acknowledge the Legislature?s intended vision for addressing long-term conveyance improvements under the Delta Reform Act,? Laird wrote. ?Conveyance? refers to rerouting water from the north part of the Delta to the south, via tunnels or a canal. Because its authority has not yet been seriously tested in court, it?s not clear whether a ?no? vote from the stewardship council would be enough to kill the project outright, said Richard Frank, director of the California Environmental Law & Policy Center at UC Davis. But Frank said it?s just one more hurdle for a project that seems to be losing steam as Brown?s final term as governor winds down.? ?It?s unclear to me whether this has the momentum to get to the finish line,? Frank said. ?I?m sure Jerry Brown regrets the fact that he was unable to get it to the finish line before he left office.? RELATED STORIES FROM SACRAMENTO BEE Jolting California officials, Trump administration looks to rewrite rules for Delta water Delta tunnels cost soars to nearly $20 billion when accounting for inflation Why San Francisco is joining Valley farmers in a fight over precious California water Brown?s successor, Newsom, has been lukewarm on the project, saying on the campaign trail he favors ?a more modest proposal? that might include scaling the twin tunnels envisioned under Brown?s WaterFix plan to just one. ?But I?m not going to walk away. Doing nothing is not an option,? Newsom?told the Los Angeles Times?in October. ?The status quo is not helping salmon.? A spokesman for Newsom declined to comment.? The Delta council is deliberating as the project deals with another setback. In early November, the federal Environmental Protection Agency rejected the Delta Conveyance Finance Authority?s application?for a $1.6 billion loan?that could have jump-started construction. The authority, which was formed earlier this year by the south-of-Delta agencies that are attempting to finance the tunnels, plans to talk to the EPA and ?hopefully we?ll get some ideas about what we can do? to get the loan approved next year, said authority executive director Brian Thomas. The West Coast?s largest estuary, the Delta is the key battle ground in the state?s never-ending fights over water. Between the 1940s and 1960s, the state and federal governments built massive pumping stations on the Delta?s southern edge near Tracy to deliver water to 25 million Southern Californians and Bay Area residents, plus millions of acres of San Joaquin Valley farmland. All that pumping over the years has been linked to a precipitous decline in fish populations, particularly the critically endangered Delta smelt and winter-run Chinook salmon. The pumping stations are so powerful, they can cause the currents in the southern Delta to flow in the wrong direction. Those ?reverse flows? disrupt aquatic habitats and confuse migrating fish, which follow the backward currents to the pumping stations, predatory fish and their deaths.? To comply with the Endangered Species Act and protect the fish, pumping is often throttled back, allowing water that would otherwise head to farms and cities to flow to the ocean. The tunnels ? a pair of underground pipes, 40 feet in diameter and 35 miles long ? are supposed to dramatically reduce the reverse flows. They would link the pumping stations directly with the northern end of the Delta, just south of Sacramento. By having much of the Sacramento River?s flow deposited directly on their doorstep, the pumps wouldn?t have to work nearly so hard and the ?reverse flow? phenomenon would be abated. Brown?s administration says pumping could proceed with fewer interruptions, improving the reliability of water deliveries to the south. Proponents say they don?t intend to take any more water from the Delta than they already do, but without the tunnels, south-of-Delta water agencies would eventually face crippling shortages as the estuary?s environmental woes get worse and pumping gets shut down more frequently. Tunnels opponents, including environmentalists and local government officials from the Delta and greater Sacramento, say the project would actually worsen conditions in the estuary and detract from the quality of life in the largely agricultural region. Among other things, they argue that diverting river water just outside Sacramento would rob much of the Delta a large portion of its pure water, leaving the estuary to depend more heavily on the relatively brackish water from the San Joaquin River. The tunnels are in a sense a Brown family legacy. His father, former Gov. Pat Brown, spearheaded the State Water Project in the 1960s and the construction of the state?s pumps to deliver water to Southern California. The State Water Project was never fully finished; an alternate conveyance system was planned as the second phase. During his first two terms as governor, Jerry Brown tried to finish the job his father started. He pushed for a ?peripheral canal? to route some of the Sacramento River directly to the pumps, serving essentially the same role as the tunnels. Voters killed the plan in 1982. Now, in his final term, Brown sees the tunnels project sliding out of his grasp. Practically all of the big Valley farming agencies have balked at paying their share of the WaterFix costs. In response, California?s largest urban water agency, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, agreed in April to bankroll $10.8 billion of the WaterFix?s total cost, breathing new life into the sputtering project. Metropolitan spokeswoman Rebecca Kimich declined an interview request and referred questions about WaterFix?s future to the Brown administration.? The Stewardship Council isn?t the only state agency whose approval Brown?s water officials had hoped to win before his term ends. A marathon?water-rights hearing?that began in 2016 before the State Water Resources Control Board has yet to conclude. Its members, all appointed by Brown, oversee California?s complicated water-rights system and must decide whether the tunnels project is allowed to divert water from the Sacramento River at a spot near Courtland ? the point where the tunnels would begin. Water board spokesman George Kostyrko said it?s not clear the board will issue a ruling by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the Trump administration and Congress have largely shunned the tunnels. Instead, congressional Republicans and the president?s staff have sought to secure more water for human uses by bending the U.S. Endangered Species Act to crank up the existing Delta pumps ? efforts fiercely opposed by environmentalists, many of whom also oppose Brown?s tunnels plan. At least 58 tunnels opponents, including Sacramento-area governments, environmentalists, fishing groups and Native American tribes, have sued under California?s environmental protection law, saying the tunnels would further degrade the estuary. Many of those same opponents filed lawsuits challenging the plan?s financial arrangements. Even with all the hurdles taken together, the Delta tunnels? foes say they?re not resting easy, nor are they ready to call the project dead. ?It feels more like the daisy game played by children,? Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla of Restore the Delta said in an email. ?Instead of ?He loves me; He loves me not,? we are down to a daily scenario of ?Tunnels; No tunnels.? We will see which petal we end with on Governor Brown?s last day.? Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/state/california/water-and-drought/delta/article222218820.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Dec 1 08:28:09 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2018 16:28:09 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Westlands WD: Public Scoping Meeting to Be Held for Shasta Dam Raise Project References: <1471946746.161381.1543681689242.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1471946746.161381.1543681689242@mail.yahoo.com> https://wwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/shasta-dam-raise-eir-press-release.pdf Westlands Water District 3130 N. Fresno Street, P.O. Box 6056, Fresno, California 93703-6056, (559) 224-1523, FAX: (559) 241-6277 Public Scoping Meeting to Be Held for Shasta Dam Raise Project he Project would increase the height of Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet and expand capacity of Shasta Lake by up to 634,000 acre feet. Consistent with CEQA, the District issued a Notice of Preparation to develop the EIR on November 30, 2018, initiating a 30-day public comment (PRC ?21091). To review a copy of the Notice of Preparation, visit https://wwd.ca.gov/. The District is asking for comments from Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments; special interest groups; and the public to help identify issues and concerns associated with the potential effects of implementing the Project. Written comments are due on or before 11:59 p.m., Friday, January 4, 2019. The District is hosting an open house and public scoping meeting to provide the public with information on the Project and receive written scoping comments. The meeting will be held on: ??Wednesday, December 12, 2018, 5:00 ? 7:00 PM ? Hilltop Holiday Inn, Palomino Room, 1900 Hilltop Drive The open house portion of the meeting will be from 5:00 ? 5:30 pm. A presentation from Westlands regarding the Project and EIR will begin at 5:30 pm. Following the presentation, the open house will then resume until 7:00 PM. Written comments can be submitted via the following methods: - U.S. mail (postmarked by Jan. 4, 2019) or hand-delivery: Shasta Dam Raise Project c/o: Stantec 3301 C Street, Suite 1900 Sacramento, CA 95816 - Email:?shastadameir at stantec.com The SLWRI was led by the Mid-Pacific Region of the Bureau of Reclamation and assessed a range of water supply and environmental improvements that could be realized through changes at Shasta Dam. These studies were conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, which culminated in transmittal of the SLWRI Final Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement to Congress in July 2015. Redding, Calif. ? Westlands Water District (District) is preparing an environmental impact report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Shasta Dam Raise Project (Project). Formerly known as the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation (SLWRI), t Shasta Dam Raise Project Scoping Meeting Notice November 30, 2018 Page 2 For more information on SDRP visit https://wwd.ca.gov/ For more information on SLWRI visit: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ncao/shasta-lake.htmlhttps://wwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/shasta-dam-raise-eir-press-release.pdf -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Dec 1 16:08:23 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2018 00:08:23 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Huge Delta water deal backed by Dianne Feinstein, Jerry Brown, Kevin McCarthy References: <1578569460.308775.1543709303724.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1578569460.308775.1543709303724@mail.yahoo.com> Huge Delta water deal backed by Dianne Feinstein, Jerry Brown, Kevin McCarthy BY EMILY CADEI AND DALE KASLER ecadei at mcclatchydc.com dkasler at sacbee.com - - - - - LINKEDIN - GOOGLE+ - PINTEREST - REDDIT - PRINT - ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY November 30, 2018 04:37 PM Updated November 30, 2018 06:42 PM WASHINGTON? California?s most senior Democrat and most powerful Republican in Washington are teaming up to extend a federal law designed to deliver?more Northern California water?south, despite the objections of some of the state?s environmentalists. While controversial, the language in their proposal could help settle the contentious negotiations currently underway in Sacramento on Delta water flows ? the lifeblood of California agriculture as well as?endangered salmon and smelt. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, the House majority leader, are leading the push to fold an extension of expiring provisions in the 2016 Water Infrastructure for Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act into the year-end spending bill that Congress must pass this month. And on Friday, they won the endorsement of Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown.? The legislation would make hundreds of millions of federal dollars available for California water storage projects as well as desalination and water recycling programs. The WIIN Act also gives the federal government?s Central Valley Project and the State Water Project more operational flexibility to increase water deliveries at certain times of year to the south state through the massive pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, leaving less water in the system for Chinook salmon and other endangered species.? The ability to pump more water has become a key demand of local water agencies that are in the midst of trying to negotiate a water flow agreement for the lower San Joaquin River watershed.? They are in talks with California officials to try to?stave off a controversial proposal?by the State Water Resources Control Board to divert considerably more of the San Joaquin?s flow to fish, leaving less for farms and cities. The board is scheduled to vote on the plan Dec. 12 but Brown?s administration?has been urging the farms and cities to make voluntary deals?under which they would pay for habitat restoration and other projects to help the fish. In return, they wouldn?t surrender as much water as the state water board is proposing. Jeff Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, said an extension of the WIIN Act would give those farms and cities more comfort with the river-flow settlements. They?re more likely to accept a deal if they ?have the added certainty that things like the WIIN Act will allow you to get more water supply more reliably,? Kightlinger said. Feinstein and McCarthy also want the deal to help fund the potential settlement agreements ? part of a bid to win Brown?s support for their proposal. The WIIN Act extension would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to collect fees from the participating water contractors to pay for things like habitat restoration. It appeared to have worked. On Friday afternoon, Brown released a statement saying he supported the extension of the law, ?including important provisions that House Majority Leader McCarthy and Senator Feinstein have proposed that enable California water users to participate in voluntary agreements and help improve river flows to restore fish populations.? Environmentalists were quick to blast the legislative proposal, and Brown?s decision to support it. Doug Obegi, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council, said the outgoing Democratic governor is cooperating with the Republicans in an effort to keep the Trump administration from backing away from his controversial Delta tunnels proposal. ?This appears to be a quid pro quo where the governor trades away our salmon and thousands of fishing jobs for his stupid Delta tunnels,? Obegi said. Osha Meserve, a Sacramento lawyer representing environmental groups that oppose the Delta tunnels project, said the law ?creates a pot of money that could potentially be put towards what we think of as environmentally destructive projects.? The original law ?was supposed to be kind of special to accommodate the pain of the drought that was going on,? added Meserve. Now that those drought conditions have mostly abated, she questioned the necessity of extending the same, more flexible standards for pumping in the Delta.? Lisa Lien-Mager, deputy secretary at Brown?s California Natural Resources Agency, disputed the depiction of the governor?s support. ?It?s not a quid pro quo,? she said in an emailed statement. ?The WIIN Act and its provisions ensure that any changes to water operations must be consistent with the California Endangered Species Act. The Brown Administration has been clear that any policies we advance on water supply have to also protect ecosystems and comply with (the California Environmental Quality Act). Where there are opportunities to add flexibility to the system to meet both of those objectives, we will work with our federal partners to pursue that. ? As it stands now, most of the provisions in the WIIN Act are scheduled to expire in 2021. Feinstein and McCarthy?s proposal, which is supported by a handful of other California members of Congress from both parties, would extend the California sections of the law until 2028. And it would make more than $670 million in federal funding available for water storage projects in the state. In the past, those funds have been used for studies on a controversial proposal to raise Shasta Dam and one to expand the San Luis Reservoir. Brown?s administration has been opposed to the Shasta Dam project. It would also provide $160 million over for wastewater, groundwater, water desalination projects. An example of one such project: the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program, which transports recycled wastewater from the cities of Turlock and Modesto to agricultural users in the Del Puerto Water District. The program has received several million dollars from the federal government through the WIIN Act.? The 2016 law hasn?t translated into lots of additional water for south state water agencies thus far, mainly because state officials have been reluctant to cooperate with federal efforts to increase pumping through the Delta, according to Obegi. The state and federal governments operate the pumps in tandem. Frustrated Trump administration officials have been trying to ramp up the pressure on California to increase water deliveries in recent months. In August, the Interior Department and Bureau of Reclamation declared they want to renegotiate a landmark 1986 agreement that governs how the state and federal governments operate the Delta pumps. Outside policy experts say the Trump administration is trying to take greater control over Delta operations and ship more water to the federal Central Valley Project customers, almost all of whom are San Joaquin Valley farmers that are allied politically with the president. Environmentalists say greater federal control would translate into fewer protections for fish. ?I am hopeful that the state of California will stand its ground,? said John McManus of the Golden Gate Salmon Association, which represents commercial fishermen. Congress has just a week to work out a spending deal to keep the federal government funded for the rest of the fiscal year. The water proposal Feinstein and McCarthy are pushing is only one of dozens of potentially controversial measures lawmakers are trying to add to the bill. And like the others, the WIIN Act extension is likely to be a subject of last-minute horse trading. But the bipartisan nature of the measure ? and the endorsement of California?s governor ? give it a significant edge. Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article222443740.html#storylink=cpy -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Dec 1 19:34:00 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2018 03:34:00 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Westlands WD: Public Scoping Meeting to Be Held for Shasta Dam Raise Project In-Reply-To: <1471946746.161381.1543681689242@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1471946746.161381.1543681689242.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1471946746.161381.1543681689242@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1192844418.354327.1543721640108@mail.yahoo.com> Several people have inquired about the location of the December 12 scoping meeting for enlargement of Shasta Dam. ?It is my understanding that it is in Redding. ? The ?Hilltop Holiday Inn is located in Redding at?1900 Hilltop Dr, Redding, CA 96002. Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? On Saturday, December 1, 2018, 8:41:33 AM PST, Tom Stokely wrote: https://wwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/shasta-dam-raise-eir-press-release.pdf Westlands Water District 3130 N. Fresno Street, P.O. Box 6056, Fresno, California 93703-6056, (559) 224-1523, FAX: (559) 241-6277 Public Scoping Meeting to Be Held for Shasta Dam Raise Project he Project would increase the height of Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet and expand capacity of Shasta Lake by up to 634,000 acre feet. Consistent with CEQA, the District issued a Notice of Preparation to develop the EIR on November 30, 2018, initiating a 30-day public comment (PRC ?21091). To review a copy of the Notice of Preparation, visit https://wwd.ca.gov/. The District is asking for comments from Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments; special interest groups; and the public to help identify issues and concerns associated with the potential effects of implementing the Project. Written comments are due on or before 11:59 p.m., Friday, January 4, 2019. The District is hosting an open house and public scoping meeting to provide the public with information on the Project and receive written scoping comments. The meeting will be held on: ??Wednesday, December 12, 2018, 5:00 ? 7:00 PM ? Hilltop Holiday Inn, Palomino Room, 1900 Hilltop Drive The open house portion of the meeting will be from 5:00 ? 5:30 pm. A presentation from Westlands regarding the Project and EIR will begin at 5:30 pm. Following the presentation, the open house will then resume until 7:00 PM. Written comments can be submitted via the following methods: - U.S. mail (postmarked by Jan. 4, 2019) or hand-delivery: Shasta Dam Raise Project c/o: Stantec 3301 C Street, Suite 1900 Sacramento, CA 95816 - Email:?shastadameir at stantec.com The SLWRI was led by the Mid-Pacific Region of the Bureau of Reclamation and assessed a range of water supply and environmental improvements that could be realized through changes at Shasta Dam. These studies were conducted pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act, which culminated in transmittal of the SLWRI Final Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement to Congress in July 2015. Redding, Calif. ? Westlands Water District (District) is preparing an environmental impact report (EIR) under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) for the Shasta Dam Raise Project (Project). Formerly known as the Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation (SLWRI), t Shasta Dam Raise Project Scoping Meeting Notice November 30, 2018 Page 2 For more information on SDRP visit https://wwd.ca.gov/ For more information on SLWRI visit: https://www.usbr.gov/mp/ncao/shasta-lake.htmlhttps://wwd.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/shasta-dam-raise-eir-press-release.pdf _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Dec 3 08:05:50 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2018 16:05:50 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Meeting Agenda, Redding Dec 5-6 References: <1998292639.1010333.1543853150530.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1998292639.1010333.1543853150530@mail.yahoo.com> There is a possibility that the meeting on Dec 5 may be postponed due to a federal office closure from the death of former President G.H.W. Bush. ?I will keep you informed. TRINITY RIVER RESTORATION PROGRAM Program Refinements Meeting ??WednesdayDecember 5, 2018?? Location:?Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor?s Office 3644 Avtech Parkway,?Redding ? Agenda(WebEx info at bottom of page) ? 9:00?????Introductions????????????????????????????????????Meeting facilitated by Mike Harty, Kearns & West ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Chad Smith attending via phone 9:15?????Review/Discussion Refinements Recommendation #1 ? Cooperative Agreement ????????????Ideas on how to approach/Process ????????????Determine signatories 10:30??Review/Discussion Refinements Recommendation #2 ? Develop Single TRRP Foundational Document 11:15??Break 11:30?continue -Review/Discussion Refinements Recommendation #2 ? Develop Single TRRP Foundational Document ????????????How should this be approached???Who on TMC should do what tasks? 12:00???Lunch 1:15?????Review/Discussion Refinements Recommendation #3 ? Adaptive Management Plan ????????????How should this be approached???Who on TMC should do what tasks? 2:30?????Break 2:45????Discussion/recommendations/scheduling of 2019 Refinements meetings ????????????Bimonthly??Quarterly???Number of Days? 3:15?????Review of Cooperative Agreement Template / editing 4:30?????Adjourn 6:00??TMC Dinner Wednesday? Cheesecakes Unlimited Located:??1135 Pine Street, Redding? ? Refinements - Dec 5 Call-in number:1-408-792-6300 Passcode:?803 981 350???????? Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m856555d1b4e861db8a0970bc36dede8a TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL December 2018 Quarterly Meeting ?Thursday December 6, 2018 Location:?Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor?s Office? 3644 Avtech Parkway,?Redding Agenda?(WebEx info on page 2) ? Thursday December 6, 2018? Time???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Discussion Leader Regular Business: 9:00?????????????????Introductions:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Don Bader, Chair ??Welcome and Introductions ??Approval of Agenda? ??Approval of September TMC Meeting Minutes ??CVP Operations Update? ? 9:30?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Don, Chair 9:45?????????????????Report from Executive Director??????????????????????????????????????????Caryn Huntt DeCarlo Information /?Decision Items: 10:30???????????????Presentation Klamath Dam Removals???????????????????????????????Mark Bransom,? CEO Klamath River Renewal Corporation ????????????????????????????????????????????????? 11:00???????????????Break 11:45???????????????TMC approval of 2019 meeting and teleconference??????????Caryn ????????????????????????dates???Decision Item????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? 12:00???????????????Lunch? 1:15?????????????????Hamilton Ponds Adaptive Management???????????????????????????Damon Goodman? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????FWS ? 2:00?????????????????Science Advisory Board Formulation???Decision Item???????Jenny Norris 3:00?????????????????Break 3:15?????????????????Quarterly Budget Update???Decision Item??????????????????????????Caryn ???????????????????????????????????? 3:45?????????????????Update ROC on Coordinated LTO of CVP and SWP??????TBD ? ? ? 4:00?????????????????Topics for March Meeting???????????????????????????????????????????????????TMC members/Caryn 4:15?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Don, Chair 4:30?????????????????Adjourn ? TMC - Day 2 - Dec 6 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300???Passcode:?806 076 336 Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m0ed3ce2fa5f51ca5dbd474c21681b290 ? ? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Dec 3 11:14:08 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2018 19:14:08 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] TMC Refinements Meeting cancelled for December 5, Meeting still on for Dec 6 References: <1903657045.1169838.1543864448342.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1903657045.1169838.1543864448342@mail.yahoo.com> On Monday, December 3, 2018, 11:02:31 AM PST, Huntt DeCarlo, Caryn wrote: The Secretary of the Interior has sent an official notification that Wednesday December 5 is an official federal holiday to honor President Bush and federal agencies will be closed. We are therefore unable to hold the scheduled Refinements meeting on December 5th.?? We will still hold the Thursday TMC December 6th meeting?and will discuss rescheduling of the Refinements meeting. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Dec 3 11:54:10 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2018 19:54:10 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] updated TMC Agenda for Thursday Dec 6, STNF/USFS HQ Avtech Parkway Redding References: <68805071.1192565.1543866850387.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <68805071.1192565.1543866850387@mail.yahoo.com> TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL December 2018 Quarterly Meeting ?Thursday December 6, 2018 Location:?Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor?s Office? 3644 Avtech Parkway,?Redding Agenda?(WebEx info on page 2) ? Thursday December 6, 2018? Time???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Discussion Leader Regular Business: 9:00?????????????????Introductions:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Don Bader, Chair ??Welcome and Introductions ??Approval of Agenda? ??Approval of September TMC Meeting Minutes ??CVP Operations Update? ? 9:30?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Don, Chair 9:45?????????????????Report from Executive Director??????????????????????????????????????????Caryn Huntt DeCarlo Information /?Decision Items: 10:30???????????????Presentation Klamath Dam Removals???????????????????????????????Mark Bransom,? CEO Klamath River Renewal Corporation ????????????????????????????????????????????????? 11:00???????????????Break 11:45???????????????TMC approval of 2019 meeting and teleconference??????????Caryn ????????????????????????dates???Decision Item????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????? 12:00???????????????Lunch? 1:15?????????????????Hamilton Ponds Adaptive Management???????????????????????????Damon Goodman? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????FWS ? 2:00?????????????????Science Advisory Board Formulation????????????????????????????????Jenny Norris 3:00?????????????????Break ? ? ? ? 3:15?????????????????Update ROC on Coordinated LTO of CVP and SWP???????????Katrina Harrison ? 3:45?????????????????Quarterly Budget Update???Decision Item??????????????????????????Caryn 4:00?????????????????Topics for March Meeting???????????????????????????????????????????????????TMC members/Caryn 4:15?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Don, Chair 4:30?????????????????Adjourn ? TMC - Day - Dec 6 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300???Passcode:?806 076 336 Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m0ed3ce2fa5f51ca5dbd474c21681b290 ? ? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Dec 4 14:47:50 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2018 14:47:50 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - November 30, 2018 Message-ID: see attached... Note that some reaches were not able to be surveyed last week due to post-precipitation turbidity. Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_30.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1782693 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_11_30.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Dec 5 06:14:08 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2018 14:14:08 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Revised Trinity Mgmt Council Agenda References: <1322877975.2393154.1544019248201.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1322877975.2393154.1544019248201@mail.yahoo.com> TRINITY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL December 2018 Quarterly Meeting ?Thursday December 6, 2018 Location:?Shasta-Trinity National Forest Supervisor?s Office? 3644 Avtech Parkway,?Redding Agenda?(WebEx info on page 2) ? Thursday December 6, 2018? Time???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Discussion Leader Regular Business: 9:00?????????????????Introductions:???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Don Bader, Chair ??Welcome and Introductions ??Approval of Agenda? ??Approval of September TMC Meeting Minutes ??CVP Operations Update? ? 9:30?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Don, Chair 9:45?????????????????Report from Executive Director??????????????????????????????????????????Caryn Huntt DeCarlo ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????and Mike Dixon Information /?Decision Items: 10:45???????????????Presentation Klamath Dam Removals???????????????????????????????Mark Bransom,? CEO Klamath River Renewal Corporation???? 11:15???????????????Break 11:30???????????????TMC approval of 2019 meeting and teleconference??????????Caryn ????????????????????????dates???Decision Item????????????? ? 11:45??????????????Topics for April Meeting??????????????????????????????????????????????????????TMC members/Caryn ???????????????????????????????????????????????? 12:00???????????????Lunch? 1:15?????????????????Hamilton Ponds Adaptive Management???????????????????????????Damon Goodman? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????USFWS ? 2:00?????????????????Quarterly Budget Update???Decision Item??????????????????????????Caryn 3:00?????????????????Break ? ? ? ? ? 3:15?????????????????Update ROC on Coordinated LTO of CVP and SWP???????????Katrina Harrison ? 3:30?????????????????Public Forum:??Comments from the public??????????????????????????Don, Chair 3:45?????????????????Adjourn ? TMC - Dec 6 Call-in number: 1-408-792-6300???Passcode:?806 076 336 Web link:?https://trrp.webex.com/trrp/j.php?MTID=m0ed3ce2fa5f51ca5dbd474c21681b290 ? ? ? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Dec 5 10:20:10 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2018 18:20:10 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 48 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 48 (December 2). Three days of spawning in JWeek 48 at TRH, and finally the steelhead have started to show themselves. Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW48.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 68221 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW48.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Dec 5 14:55:18 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2018 22:55:18 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Tiny salamanders could stand in the way of massive dam raising project References: <1896144349.2748450.1544050518834.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1896144349.2748450.1544050518834@mail.yahoo.com> Tiny salamanders could stand in the way of massive dam raising project Damon Arthur, Redding Record SearchlightPublished 9:59 a.m. PT Dec. 5, 2018 A trio of tiny salamanders could stand in the way of a massive $1.4 billion project to?raise the height of Shasta Dam. An environmental organization has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, asking a judge to force the federal agency to make a determination on whether three salamander species living around?Lake Shasta should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The?suit was filed after the wildlife service failed to act on a?2012 request from the Center for Biological Diversity?to list the three amphibian species as either endangered or threatened under federal law. The agency had one year to decide to list the amphibians or reject the request, said Jenny Loda, an attorney for the group. Because the federal agency did not rule?on the request, the center sued, she?said. What happens with the center's request could affect?the plans to raise the height of Shasta Dam by 18? feet, she said. Buy Photo Federal officials want to raise the height of Shasta Dam to store more water in Lake Shasta.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) If the agency determines the three closely related amphibians, the Shasta salamander, Samwel Shasta salamander and Wintu Shasta salamander?are threatened with extinction the bureau would have to find a way to raise the dam without harming the 4-inch amphibians. That could be hard to do, Loda said. "I am not sure whether there is a way for them to raise the height of the dam without impacting the salamanders." Loda said. "It seems that any increase in the level of Shasta Lake will have some impact on one or more species of Shasta salamanders." The Shasta salamander is a small, lungless amphibian that is only found in Shasta County, according to the lawsuit. The salamander was considered?one species until a scientific study released in April 2018 split it into three species, based upon DNA analysis. Shasta salamander?(Photo: U.S. Forest Service) The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. Pam Bierce, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said she could not comment on pending litigation. Last spring, Congress approved $20 million for preconstruction and design work on raising the dam. This summer, crews drilled?core samples into the dam to determine whether it could withstand the extra weight of another 18? feet in height.? RELATED:?Work begins on raising the height of Shasta Dam Bureau officials hope to award the first construction contract on raising the dam by the end of 2019, with work beginning in 2020. Raising the height of the dam would require moving numerous roads, bridges, campgrounds, homes and other facilities to higher ground. The bureau is also working to get state and local partners to help pay 50 percent of the project's cost. Buy Photo Nathan Morgan hangs over the side of Shasta Dam on Thursday. Morgan and others were drilling holes in the dam to test the strength of the concrete in preparation for raising the height of the dam.?(Photo: Damon Arthur/Record Searchlight) One of those partners, the Westlands Water District out of Fresno, is holding a meeting in Redding next Wednesday to give a presentation on the project and take written comments to begin work on an environmental impact report. The meeting is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Palomino Room at the Holiday Inn at 1900 Hilltop Drive. Loda said raising the dam would be bad for the salamanders because the water level in the lake could rise up to 20? higher than current limits when the lake is full, inundating more salamander habitat. The project would also mean moving businesses, homes, roads and other structures farther into salamander territory, she said. Residents of Lakehead raised questions Monday night about the plans to raise the height of Shasta Dam.?(Photo: Record Searchlight photo) "We would like the Bureau of Reclamation to scrap its plans to raise the Shasta Dam.? This is a damaging project, not just for the Shasta salamander, but for many other species of plants and wildlife that already had habitat destroyed by the Shasta Dam," Loda said. Several years ago the Center for Biological Diversity asked the fish and wildlife service to consider listing four species of snail found near Lake Shasta as either threatened or endangered. Like the salamanders, the agency did not meet the deadline to determine whether the mollusks needed federal protection, Loda said. The center is not the only group opposed to raising the dam. The state of California is against the project because it would further inundate the McCloud River, which is protected under state law. The Winnemem Wintu Tribe also is against the dam raise because, the tribe says, higher water levels in the lake would harm sacred ceremonial sites along the McCloud Arm of the lake, the tribe's ancestral homeland. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Wed Dec 5 15:01:51 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 2018 23:01:51 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Editorial: Brown, Feinstein betrayal of the Delta is unacceptable References: <692771640.2754086.1544050911113.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <692771640.2754086.1544050911113@mail.yahoo.com> Editorial: Brown, Feinstein betrayal of the Delta is unacceptable | | | | | | | | | | | Editorial: Brown, Feinstein betrayal of the Delta is unacceptable California must stop effort to hand more control of Delta water to federal government | | | Editorial: Brown, Feinstein betrayal of the Delta is unacceptable California must stop effort to hand more control of Delta water to federal government Shame on Gov. Jerry Brown and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein. Their betrayal of the?Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ignores respected scientists? research, circumvents the state?s management of water and could negatively impact California water politics for the next decade.?Without a public hearing. Without proper vetting. And possibly without the support of any West Coast senator except Feinstein. Just as two state agencies are about act to protect the environmental health of the Delta, the governor and California?s senior senator are trying to undermine them. Californians should urge their congressional representatives to oppose this travesty and demand that Brown and Feinstein stop their collusion with the Trump administration to weaken federal water protections. At issue is the federal WINN (Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation) Act, which ?was originally designed as a short-term fix to send more Delta water south during California?s historic drought. It is scheduled to expire in 2021. On Friday, Brown announced his support for a seven-year extension of the act, a scheme Feinstein had a hand in crafting along with the Trump administration and Republican House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Bakersfield. Here?s a news flash for Brown and Feinstein. The drought is over. The extension only serves to hand the federal government more power over California water politics. It?s the means for Brown and Feinstein to force their will on the state. The extension is designed as a rider to the federal appropriations bill, so it wouldn?t? get the committee scrutiny a bill of such magnitude deserves. Californians? only hope of killing the project at the federal level is for Congress to reject the rider. It?s possible. When the WIIN Act became law in 2016, every other West Coast senator opposed it. Killing the extension will be a significant test of Sen. Kamala Harris? environmental commitment and leadership ability. For Brown, the WIIN Act extension reportedly comes with Trump administration financial support for the Delta twin tunnels. For Feinstein, the extension is a way to send more water south and to get $640 million for water storage projects, including environmentally controversial plans for raising Shasta Dam. The push for sending more water south comes as the state Water Resources Control Board is scheduled to vote Dec. 12 on a plan that would do just the opposite. The board will consider using more of the water from the San Joaquin River for preservation of fish in the Delta. On Dec. 20, the state Delta Stewardship Council will vote to determine whether the twin-tunnels project complies with the 2009 Delta Reform Act, authored by then-state Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto. The Delta Reform Act established that water supply and ecosystem improvements are co-equal goals that must be met when managing the Delta?s fragile environment.? It is widely believed that the twin-tunnels project doesn?t come close to meeting that mandate. Six years ago, at Feinstein?s urging, one of the world?s most prestigious scientific organizations, the National Academy of Sciences, studied the health of the Delta. As Feinstein said, the agency ?is the only body whose views will be respected by all the relevant parties as a truly independent voice.? The academy concluded that the best way to preserve the Delta?s ecosystem was to send more water, not less, through it and out to San Francisco Bay, rather than shipping the water south. When it comes to the health of the Delta, we expect the Trump administration to ignore scientific research. But for Brown and Feinstein to do so is unacceptable. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Dec 7 14:07:58 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2018 22:07:58 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! References: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> If you would like something to laugh about, check out this clip by John Oliver on the "salmon cannon." Have a great weekend! Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) | | | | | | | | | | | Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) There is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It?s awesome. Check it out. Connect with Last Week Tonight onlin... | | | Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Fri Dec 7 14:20:17 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2018 22:20:17 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] DWR Withdraws Consistency Determination for Cal WaterFix References: <1766538852.754264.1544221217194.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1766538852.754264.1544221217194@mail.yahoo.com> https://mavensnotebook.com/2018/12/07/this-just-in-department-of-water-resources-withdraws-consistency-determination-for-california-water-fix/ THIS JUST IN ? Department of Water Resources withdraws consistency determination for California Water Fix December 7, 2018?Maven??Breaking News The Department of Water Resources has sent a letter to Randy Fiorini withdrawing the Department?s certification of consistency for the California Water Fix. ?While DWR firmly believes the timing of filing the Certification of Consistency for WaterFix was appropriate based on the thorough record that had been prepared for the project and that this record more than adequately supports the findings that WaterFix is consistent with Delta Plan policies, DWR appreciates that there are unresolved issues related to interpretation of the requirements of the Delta Reform Act and Delta Plan policies,? the letter states.? ?Therefore, DWR is hereby withdrawing the Certification of Consistency for California Water Fix that was filed on July 27, 2018.? Read the full letter here:???DWR to DSC WaterFix Consistency Certification 12.7.18 Brief background:?The Department of Water Resources filed a consistency determination with the Delta Stewardship Council that the California Water Fix project was consistent with the Delta Plan as required by the Delta Reform Act.? That consistency determination was then appealed by nine parties.? In October, a public hearing was held where evidence was presented by both sides; subsequent to that, the Delta Stewardship Council staff issued a draft determination that not enough evidence existed in the record to support DWR?s determination that the California Water Fix was consistent with the Delta Plan, and staff recommended the Council remand the matter back to the Department of Water Resources.? In mid-November,?the Council held a two-day workshop that ended with Chair Fiorini saying the submission of the consistency determination was premature and recommended DWR withdraw the consistency determination, (which DWR has done today.) PRIOR COVERAGE: - CAL WATER FIX CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION APPEAL WORKSHOP:?Delta tunnel proponents come out in support of Cal Water Fix at the Delta Stewardship Council - Cal Water Fix workshop at the Delta Stewardship Council ends with Chair Fiorini suggesting the Department of Water Resources withdraw consistency determination FOR MORE INFORMATION ? - Access the staff?s draft determination and other materials by clicking here. - Watch the workshop on webcast today and tomorrow by clicking here. - Legal analysis: Delta Stewardship Council Staff Determination Presents Hurdle for California WaterFix Project.?from Somach, Simmons & Dunn -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From colleen.caos at gmail.com Fri Dec 7 14:23:43 2018 From: colleen.caos at gmail.com (Colleen OSullivan) Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2018 14:23:43 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! In-Reply-To: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Thank you for the laugh. I'm still grinning. On Fri, Dec 7, 2018, 2:08 PM Tom Stokely If you would like something to laugh about, check out this clip by John > Oliver on the "salmon cannon." > > Have a great weekend! > > Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) > > > Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) > > There is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It?s awesome. Check it > out. Connect with Last Week Tonight onlin... > > > > > Tom Stokely > Salmon and Water Policy Consultant > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Sat Dec 8 07:43:43 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Sat, 8 Dec 2018 15:43:43 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] =?utf-8?q?Big_setback_for_Gov=2E_Brown=E2=80=99s_tw?= =?utf-8?q?in_tunnels_delta_water_project?= References: <1766627709.1008242.1544283823434.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1766627709.1008242.1544283823434@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Big-setback-for-Gov-Brown-s-twin-tunnels-delta-13451160.php?t=c127f4dad2 Big setback for Gov. Brown?s twin tunnels delta water project Peter Fimrite?Dec. 7, 2018?Updated: Dec. 7, 2018 10?p.m. A crucial certification needed to build two tunnels that officials believe would help solve California?s water delivery problems was withdrawn Friday, ensuring that Gov. Jerry Brown?s pet water project won?t be approved before he leaves office in January. The California Department of Water Resources withdrew its petition seeking approval of Brown?s $17 billion twin tunnels plan, known as California WaterFix, which would take water out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and deliver it to users in the south. The withdrawal of the petition, known as a Certification of Consistency, means the Delta Stewardship Council won?t be voting on the proposal Dec. 20. The Brown administration apparently did not think approval was likely after they were criticized by council staff for, among other things, not providing enough analysis of the effects of climate change on water usage. - Unlimited Digital Access for 99? - Read more articles like this by subscribing to the San Francisco Chronicle ?SUBSCRIBE The project?s opponents called the withdrawal, signed by water resources Director Karla Nemeth, a victory for fish and the environment. Related Stories - OpinionGOP seeks to ban lawsuits on delta twin tunnels - LocalCalifornia?s 2-tunnel delta project back on track with SoCal... ?It?s a great day for the San Francisco Bay, delta and California,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, the executive director of the conservation group Restore the Delta, which has been fighting for years to block construction of the tunnels. ?It?s clear that the gigantic tunnels project submitted to the Delta Stewardship Council couldn?t pass the laugh test when it comes to leaving enough water in the delta to keep salmon and other wildlife alive,? said John McManus, president of the Golden Gate Salmon Association. ?What you see today is Jerry Brown?s Department of Water Resources finally coming to grips with that.? The decision Friday may be a reprieve, but nobody believes the battle is over. ?WaterFix will continue to move forward,? said Erin Mellon, the spokeswoman for the Department of Water Resources, in a statement. ?We will work with the Delta Stewardship Council to resolve issues related to Delta Plan interpretation and plan to submit a revised certification.? Council leaders said they are willing and eager to work with the governor and other stakeholders on a resolution that everyone can support. ?The council has been clear in its Delta Plan that we must improve the way water is diverted from the delta,? said Jessica Pearson, the council?s executive officer. ?We encourage the department to re-engage with the council in early consultation, and ask all stakeholders to commit to engaging productively to address the issues that were raised.? It is unclear what kind of support a revised application would get from Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom, who has been less enthusiastic than Brown, suggesting at one point that he would prefer one tunnel instead of two. The idea of WaterFix is to modernize the state?s water system, ensure reliable deliveries south and help the delta ecosystem. Brown and water officials throughout the state have said the 1,100 miles of levees in the delta are increasingly vulnerable to earthquakes, flooding and saltwater intrusion from downstream. The problem with the system now is that the big pumps near Tracy used by the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project suck in and kill fish, including young chinook salmon and endangered delta smelt. The pumps have also caused portions of the San Joaquin River to flow backward, confusing the migrating fish, according to biologists. The problems have forced rationing of water deliveries to Central Valley farmers, Southern California water agencies and some Bay Area water suppliers in dry years. The hope is that the tunnels will deliver more water to Southern California without harming the fish. The biggest supporter of the plan is the massive Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which recently agreed to pay $10.8 billion of the cost after several other water agencies balked. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:?pfimrite at sfchronicle.com?Twitter:?@pfimrite -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From danielbacher at fishsniffer.com Sat Dec 8 10:24:45 2018 From: danielbacher at fishsniffer.com (Daniel Bacher) Date: 8 Dec 2018 13:24:45 -0500 Subject: [env-trinity] Brown Administration Withdraws Key Document Necessary for Approval of Delta Tunnels Message-ID: https://fishsniffer.com/index.php/2018/12/08/brown-administration-withdraws-key-document-necessary-for-approval-of-delta-tunnels/ https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/12/7/1817121/-Breaking-Department-of-Water-Resources-Withdraws-Key-Document-Needed-for-Delta-Tunnels-plan https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2018/12/07/18819657.php Karla Nemeth photo courtesy of the Department of Water Resources. Breaking: Brown Administration Withdraws Key Document Necessary for Approval of Delta Tunnels By Dan Bacher In a major setback for Delta Tunnels proponents, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Friday sent a letter to Randy Fiorini, chair of the Delta Stewardship Council, announcing the withdrawal of the Department?s ?certification of consistency? for the California WaterFix. The ?certification of consistency? with the Delta Plan is required under the Delta Reform Act of 2009. In their controversial document, DWR claimed that the Delta Tunnels would be ?consistent? with the Delta Plan?s ?co-equal goals? of providing a more reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Delta ecosystem , but nine appellant groups challenged this contention. ?While DWR firmly believes the timing of filing the Certification of Consistency for WaterFix was appropriate based on the thorough record that had been prepared for the project and that this record more than adequately supports the findings that WaterFix is consistent with Delta Plan policies, DWR appreciates that there are unresolved issues related to interpretation of the requirements of the Delta Reform Act and Delta Plan policies,? wrote Karla Nemeth, DWR Director. ?Therefore, DWR is hereby withdrawing the Certification of Consistency for California Water Fix that was filed on July 27, 2018.? Read the full letter here: DWR to DSC WaterFix Consistency Certification 12.7.18 After receiving the letter, Council Chair Randy Fiorini responded, "During the appeals process this fall, several of the parties expressed a willingness to work toward resolving issues that were raised. The withdrawal of its Certification of Consistency for the California WaterFix now provides the opportunity to fully engage.? ?It must be acknowledged that status quo conditions for conveyance in the Delta are unsustainable,? Fiorini added. ?It is the responsibility of all stakeholders in and beyond the Delta to find workable solutions to improve statewide water supply reliability as well as protect and enhance the Delta ecosystem, all in a manner that protects the Delta as an evolving place.? Following the action by DWR, the Council?s Executive Officer Jessica Pearson dismissed the appeals as ?no longer raising issues before the Council,? thereby lifting the ex parte restrictions that had prohibited its members and staff from working with the parties outside of the Council?s appeals process. ?The Council has been clear in its Delta Plan that we must improve the way water is diverted from the Delta,? said Executive Officer Jessica Pearson. ?We encourage the Department to re-engage with the Council in early consultation, and ask all stakeholders to commit to engaging productively to address the issues that were raised.? This is a big victory for opponents of Governor Jerry Brown's Delta Tunnels project ? and indicates that the future of the tunnels project will depend largely on what Governor Elect Gavin Newson intends to do once he takes over from Brown in January. Newsom said he plans to continue the California WaterFix project, but would prefer to see a one tunnel option, according to an interview LA Times columnist George Skelton conducted with Newsom in October: www.latimes.com/ ? Delta advocates celebrated DWR?s withdrawal of the certification, but said the Delta is still imperiled by the deal between Governor Jerry Brown, President Donald Trump, Senator Dianne Feinstein and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to increase water deliveries to corporate agribusiness at the expense of West Coast fisheries, the San Francisco Bay Delta ecosystem and the public trust. ?This is a great day for the Delta Protection Act,? said Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta. ?We are thrilled about DWR's withdrawal from the consistency determination process.? ?But the Delta is still in danger,? she noted. ?There is this WIIN Act deal between Governor Brown, Senator Feinstein, the GOP Congress, and the Trump Administration. While Feinstein?s staff continues to say the tunnels are not on the table, we know they are.? ?Otherwise she would not be working with lame duck leadership, and instead would be getting ready to create a sustainable water plan for California with new her Democratic colleagues in the House of Representatives in January. Today is a good day for the San Francisco Bay-Delta and California. But it's not over yet,? Barrigan-Parrilla concluded. On November 8, the Delta Stewardship Council staff released a draft report finding that the California WaterFix is not consistent with the Delta Plan after considering the appeals filed by an array of organizations, Tribes and governments to the ?certification of consistency? filed by the California Department of Water Resources. ?In light of claims raised by nine appellant groups, Council staff recommends that the Council conclude that substantial evidence does not exist in the record to support the Department's findings that California WaterFix is consistent with the Delta Plan. Staff further recommends that the Council remand the matter to the Department for reconsideration, pursuant to Water Code section 85225.25,? according to the report. The release of the staff report was then followed by a Council workshop in Sacramento on November 15 during which Council Chair Randy Fiorini and Council Member Frank Damrell suggested that DWR withdraw their controversial document. ?Fundamentally, my takeaways so far after reviewing the record, listening to the testimony at the October hearings, and after today, I think the Department has filed its certification of consistency before it was ready to demonstrate consistency with the Delta Plan?.. I would strongly encourage the Department to consider withdrawing the certification of consistency,? said Randy Fiorini, DSC Board Chair, at the end of the meeting. The Delta Tunnels project would divert Sacramento River water from the North Delta through two giant tunnels to the South Delta to facilitate the export of Northern California water to corporate agribusiness on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California water agencies. For more information, read my comprehensive report on the Delta Stewardship Council?s actions: www.dailykos.com/? Caleen Sisk, Chief and spiritual leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, pointed out the connections between the Delta Tunnels, Sites Reservoir and the Shasta Dam raise that the WIIN Act facilitates. ?The Twin Tunnels, Sites Reservoir, and the Shasta Dam raise ?are all 1 Brown WaterFix project? to get the Water Mongers more water to sell back to the communities, towns and cities,? she stated. If contructed, the tunnels project would destroy West Coast fisheries and hasten the extinction of Sacramento River spring and winter chinook salmon, Central Valley steelhead, Delta and longfin smelt and green sturgeon. The two massive tunnels would also imperil the salmon and steelhead populations on the Trinity and Klamath Rivers. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Karla_Nemeth.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 25444 bytes Desc: not available URL: From trinflyguy at shasta.com Mon Dec 10 07:15:03 2018 From: trinflyguy at shasta.com (trinflyguy at shasta.com) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 07:15:03 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! In-Reply-To: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> References: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Hilarious! Lets hope this doesn't give the TRRP any ideas! ---------------------------------------- From: "Tom Stokely" Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 2:08 PM To: "Env-trinity" Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! If you would like something to laugh about, check out this clip by John Oliver on the "salmon cannon." Have a great weekend! Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) There is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It's awesome. Check it out. Connect with Last Week Tonight onlin... Tom Stokely Salmon and Water Policy Consultant 530-524-0315 tstokely at att.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Dec 10 11:24:23 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 19:24:23 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 49 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 49 (December 9). Cheers! MC ****************************************************** Mary Claire Kier CA Department of Fish and Wildlife - Trinity River Project Environmental Scientist - Fisheries 707/822-5876 5341 Ericson Way, Arcata CA 95521 ****************************************************** Klamath/Trinity Program reports can be found online @ https://nrmsecure.dfg.ca.gov/documents/ContextDocs.aspx?cat=KlamathTrinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW49.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 68272 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW49.xlsx URL: From vhelliwell at mcn.org Mon Dec 10 13:52:07 2018 From: vhelliwell at mcn.org (Vivian Helliwell) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 13:52:07 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! In-Reply-To: References: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: Take note that the John Oliver Salmon Cannon was posted in 2014, along with the company website (Whoosh Innovations). I haven't found anything about successes or study results, have you? Vivian Helliwell Watershed Conservation Director, PCFFA and IFR (707) 953-0095 vhelliwell at mcn.org On Dec 10, 2018, at 7:15 AM, trinflyguy at shasta.com wrote: > Hilarious! Lets hope this doesn't give the TRRP any ideas! > > > > From: "Tom Stokely" > Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 2:08 PM > To: "Env-trinity" > Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! > > If you would like something to laugh about, check out this clip by John Oliver on the "salmon cannon." > > Have a great weekend! > > Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) > > > > > Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) > There is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It?s awesome. Check it out. Connect with Last Week Tonight onlin... > > > > Tom Stokely > Salmon and Water Policy Consultant > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kierassociates at att.net Mon Dec 10 14:37:49 2018 From: kierassociates at att.net (Kier Associates) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 14:37:49 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! In-Reply-To: References: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <002d01d490d8$fb215b70$f1641250$@att.net> 'Good eye, Vivian I was so tickled by the presentation I didn't notice that it was four years old Bill From: env-trinity [mailto:env-trinity-bounces at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us] On Behalf Of Vivian Helliwell Sent: Monday, December 10, 2018 1:52 PM To: trinflyguy at shasta.com Cc: Env-trinity Subject: Re: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! Take note that the John Oliver Salmon Cannon was posted in 2014, along with the company website (Whoosh Innovations). I haven't found anything about successes or study results, have you? Vivian Helliwell Watershed Conservation Director, PCFFA and IFR (707) 953-0095 vhelliwell at mcn.org On Dec 10, 2018, at 7:15 AM, trinflyguy at shasta.com wrote: Hilarious! Lets hope this doesn't give the TRRP any ideas! _____ From: "Tom Stokely" Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 2:08 PM To: "Env-trinity" Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! If you would like something to laugh about, check out this clip by John Oliver on the "salmon cannon." Have a great weekend! Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) Image removed by sender. Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) There is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It 's awesome. Check it out. Connect with Last Week Tonight onlin... Tom Stokely Salmon and Water Policy Consultant 530-524-0315 tstokely at att.net _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: image001.jpg Type: image/jpeg Size: 350 bytes Desc: not available URL: From vhelliwell at mcn.org Mon Dec 10 15:09:36 2018 From: vhelliwell at mcn.org (Vivian Helliwell) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 15:09:36 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! In-Reply-To: References: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <606EDFD9-8D5B-4B66-A764-4F61E473187A@mcn.org> Phil Where is it known to be working, please? Vivian On Dec 10, 2018, at 2:53 PM, "Bairrington, Philip at Wildlife" wrote: > They are a regular exhibitor booth at larger annual AFS meetings. I understand that it works well. > > From: env-trinity On Behalf Of Vivian Helliwell > Sent: Monday, December 10, 2018 1:52 PM > To: trinflyguy at shasta.com > Cc: Env-trinity > Subject: Re: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! > > Take note that the John Oliver Salmon Cannon was posted in 2014, along with the company website (Whoosh Innovations). I haven't found anything about successes or study results, have you? > > > Vivian Helliwell > Watershed Conservation Director, PCFFA and IFR > (707) 953-0095 > vhelliwell at mcn.org > > > On Dec 10, 2018, at 7:15 AM, trinflyguy at shasta.com wrote: > > > Hilarious! Lets hope this doesn't give the TRRP any ideas! > > > > From: "Tom Stokely" > Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 2:08 PM > To: "Env-trinity" > Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! > > If you would like something to laugh about, check out this clip by John Oliver on the "salmon cannon." > > Have a great weekend! > > Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) > > > > > Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) > There is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It?s awesome. Check it out. Connect with Last Week Tonight onlin... > > > > Tom Stokely > Salmon and Water Policy Consultant > 530-524-0315 > tstokely at att.net > > _______________________________________________ > env-trinity mailing list > env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us > http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From Philip.Bairrington at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Dec 10 14:53:14 2018 From: Philip.Bairrington at wildlife.ca.gov (Bairrington, Philip@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 22:53:14 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! In-Reply-To: References: <1454826233.723337.1544220478946.ref@mail.yahoo.com> <1454826233.723337.1544220478946@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: They are a regular exhibitor booth at larger annual AFS meetings. I understand that it works well. From: env-trinity On Behalf Of Vivian Helliwell Sent: Monday, December 10, 2018 1:52 PM To: trinflyguy at shasta.com Cc: Env-trinity Subject: Re: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! Take note that the John Oliver Salmon Cannon was posted in 2014, along with the company website (Whoosh Innovations). I haven't found anything about successes or study results, have you? Vivian Helliwell Watershed Conservation Director, PCFFA and IFR (707) 953-0095 vhelliwell at mcn.org On Dec 10, 2018, at 7:15 AM, trinflyguy at shasta.com wrote: Hilarious! Lets hope this doesn't give the TRRP any ideas! ________________________________ From: "Tom Stokely" > Sent: Friday, December 7, 2018 2:08 PM To: "Env-trinity" > Subject: [env-trinity] Fish passage problems solved with Salmon Cannon! If you would like something to laugh about, check out this clip by John Oliver on the "salmon cannon." Have a great weekend! Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) [https://s.yimg.com/nq/storm/assets/enhancrV2/23/logos/youtube.png] Salmon Cannon: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) There is a cannon that shoots salmon over dams. It's awesome. Check it out. Connect with Last Week Tonight onlin... Tom Stokely Salmon and Water Policy Consultant 530-524-0315 tstokely at att.net _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Tue Dec 11 13:40:41 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2018 13:40:41 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - December 7, 2018 Message-ID: The latest... Steve Gough Fish Biologist U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Arcata Fish & Wildlife Office 1655 Heindon Road Arcata, CA 95521 *Steve_Gough at fws.gov * (707) 825-5197 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_12_07.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1792084 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_12_07.pdf URL: From kheld at usbr.gov Mon Dec 17 13:52:03 2018 From: kheld at usbr.gov (Held, Kevin) Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2018 13:52:03 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Availability of draft EA for Trinity River channel rehabilitation project: Dutch Creek Message-ID: Reclamation announces availability of draft environmental assessment for Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Release: December 17, 2018 WEAVERVILLE, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program, along with agency co-leads Bureau of Land Management and North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and cooperating agency Shasta-Trinity National Forest, announce the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment/Initial Study for the proposed Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project. The Trinity River Restoration Program is a multi-agency program with eight partners forming the Trinity Management Council, as well as numerous other collaborators. The TRRP implements the 2000 Department of the Interior Record of Decision, which directs the Department to restore the Trinity River fisheries impacted by dam construction and related diversions of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project. The TRRP proposes to construct the Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project to increase salmon and steelhead habitat downstream of Lewiston Dam, and plans to implement within the next two years. The draft EA/IS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act and is available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=36421 or http://www.trrp.net/. The documents are also available for review at the TRRP office, 1313 Main Street, Weaverville, CA and the Trinity County Library, 351 Main Street, Weaverville, CA. Comments will be accepted up to 30 days after the anticipated Dec. 19, 2018 publication of the legal notice in the Redding Record Searchlight, which would be on or around Jan. 18, 2019. Please email comments to fgutermuth at usbr.gov. Written comments may also be mailed to Brandt Gutermuth, Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, Weaverville, CA 96093. For additional information or to request a copy of the document, please contact Gutermuth at fgutermuth at usbr.gov, 530-623-1806 or Kevin Held at kheld at usbr.gov, 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339). # # # Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation's second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR . -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Dec 17 16:04:26 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:04:26 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Draft environmental assessment for Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project available In-Reply-To: <0b664977325248f488652f6cc64c9567@usbr.gov> References: <0b664977325248f488652f6cc64c9567@usbr.gov> Message-ID: <1461231067.6394124.1545091466310@mail.yahoo.com> ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Lisa Navarro To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Monday, December 17, 2018, 2:22:05 PM PSTSubject: Draft environmental assessment for Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project available Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-18-180 Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: Dec. 17, 2018 Reclamation announces availability of draft environmental assessment for Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project? WEAVERVILLE, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program, along with agency co-leads Bureau of Land Management and North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and cooperating agency Shasta-Trinity National Forest, announce the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment/Initial Study for the proposed Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project. ? The Trinity River Restoration Program is a multi-agency program with eight partners forming the Trinity Management Council, as well as numerous other collaborators. The TRRP implements the 2000 Department of the Interior Record of Decision, which directs the Department to restore the Trinity River fisheries impacted by dam construction and related diversions of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project. The TRRP proposes to construct the Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project to increase salmon and steelhead habitat downstream of Lewiston Dam, and plans to implement within the next two years. The draft EA/IS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act and is available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=3642 or http://www.trrp.net/. The documents are also available for review at the TRRP office, 1313 Main Street, Weaverville, CA and the Trinity County Library, 351 Main Street, Weaverville, CA. Comments will be accepted up to 30 days after the anticipated Dec. 19, 2018 publication of the legal notice in the Redding Record Searchlight, which would be on or around Jan. 18, 2019. Please email comments to fgutermuth at usbr.gov. Written comments may also be mailed to Brandt Gutermuth, Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, Weaverville, CA 96093. For additional information or to request a copy of the document, please contact Gutermuth at fgutermuth at usbr.gov, 530-623-1806 or Kevin Held at kheld at usbr.gov, 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339). ### Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Dec 17 09:30:45 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2018 17:30:45 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 50 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 50 (December 16). If we get this week's data input before the weekend then I will send out JWeek 51 at that point, otherwise you'll have to wait until the new year as I will be taking next week off. Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW50.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70130 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW50.xlsx URL: From steve_gough at fws.gov Mon Dec 17 16:10:48 2018 From: steve_gough at fws.gov (Gough, Steve) Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2018 16:10:48 -0800 Subject: [env-trinity] Trinity River Mainstem Redd Survey Update - December 14, 2018 Message-ID: The crews may try to head out on a couple reaches this final week where there is still a little spawning activity if visibility allows. Steve -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_12_14.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 1794746 bytes Desc: TrinityReddUpdate_2018_12_14.pdf URL: From tstokely at att.net Mon Dec 17 16:28:27 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2018 00:28:27 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Fw: Draft environmental assessment for Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project available In-Reply-To: <1461231067.6394124.1545091466310@mail.yahoo.com> References: <0b664977325248f488652f6cc64c9567@usbr.gov> <1461231067.6394124.1545091466310@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <641123624.6417761.1545092907810@mail.yahoo.com> There was a 1 missing on the end of the link in that version.? Please try?https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=36421?or?http://www.trrp.net/ Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? On Monday, December 17, 2018, 4:04:39 PM PST, Tom Stokely wrote: ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Lisa Navarro To: "tstokely at att.net" Sent: Monday, December 17, 2018, 2:22:05 PM PSTSubject: Draft environmental assessment for Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project available Mid-Pacific Region Sacramento, Calif. MP-18-180 Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5100, eccurtis at usbr.gov For Immediate Release: Dec. 17, 2018 Reclamation announces availability of draft environmental assessment for Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project? WEAVERVILLE, Calif. ? The Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program, along with agency co-leads Bureau of Land Management and North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and cooperating agency Shasta-Trinity National Forest, announce the availability of a draft Environmental Assessment/Initial Study for the proposed Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project. ? The Trinity River Restoration Program is a multi-agency program with eight partners forming the Trinity Management Council, as well as numerous other collaborators. The TRRP implements the 2000 Department of the Interior Record of Decision, which directs the Department to restore the Trinity River fisheries impacted by dam construction and related diversions of the Trinity River Division of the Central Valley Project. The TRRP proposes to construct the Dutch Creek channel rehabilitation project to increase salmon and steelhead habitat downstream of Lewiston Dam, and plans to implement within the next two years. The draft EA/IS was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act and is available at https://www.usbr.gov/mp/nepa/nepa_project_details.php?Project_ID=3642 or http://www.trrp.net/. The documents are also available for review at the TRRP office, 1313 Main Street, Weaverville, CA and the Trinity County Library, 351 Main Street, Weaverville, CA. Comments will be accepted up to 30 days after the anticipated Dec. 19, 2018 publication of the legal notice in the Redding Record Searchlight, which would be on or around Jan. 18, 2019. Please email comments to fgutermuth at usbr.gov. Written comments may also be mailed to Brandt Gutermuth, Bureau of Reclamation, Trinity River Restoration Program, P.O. Box 1300, Weaverville, CA 96093. For additional information or to request a copy of the document, please contact Gutermuth at fgutermuth at usbr.gov, 530-623-1806 or Kevin Held at kheld at usbr.gov, 530-623-1809 (TTY 800-877-8339). ### Reclamation is the largest wholesale water supplier in the United States, and the nation?s second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Its facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife benefits. Visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov. Follow us on Twitter @USBR and @ReclamationCVP. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center, Alameda & Kipling Street PO Box 25007, Denver, CO 80225 United States _______________________________________________ env-trinity mailing list env-trinity at velocipede.dcn.davis.ca.us http://www2.dcn.org/mailman/listinfo/env-trinity -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Wed Dec 19 14:35:45 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2018 22:35:45 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 51 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 51 (Dec 23). They are done working fish up for the week so I figured I would get this out to you now. TRH will be spawning steelhead starting next week; I believe this week was the last week they were planning on spawning Coho salmon. Whether you are traveling or hunkered down for the holidays I wish you well. Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW51.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70201 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW51.xlsx URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 20 08:31:01 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2018 16:31:01 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Democrats' House takeover could mean big changes for California water policy References: <773975445.8088451.1545323461949.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <773975445.8088451.1545323461949@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-california-water-congress-20181219-story.htmlDemocrats' House takeover could mean big changes for California water policyBy?SARAH D. WIREDEC 19, 2018?|?4:10 PM? Among the changes ahead when Democrats take control of the House in January, add this one: The switch will upend the balance of power in California?s water wars. In the two years since Republicans? 2016 election triumphs, party members from the Central Valley led by the current House majority leader, Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, have gotten several water bills for their area through Congress. Those included the first significant California-specific policy in decades, as part of the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, also called the WIIN Act. Come January, however, two of those Central Valley Republicans won?t be in Congress any more, and ? more crucially ? McCarthy will lead a minority party, giving him little say over what legislation the House considers. And the Democrat expected to take the reins of the water-policy subcommittee at the House Natural Resources Committee is Rep. Jared Huffman of San Rafael, a fierce opponent of the WIIN Act. ?It does seem like a pretty dramatic change in the congressional landscape,? said Doug Obegi, a senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. PAID CONTENTWhat Is This? By BHMD ? California?s House Republicans have maneuvered to exert their power before they lose it, but time is running out: The next two days are likely their last chance to influence state water policy for at least the next two years. McCarthy has pushed in recent weeks to include a seven-year extension of the WIIN Act in a government-funding bill that Congress needs to pass by midnight Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown. While it?s possible to add the water-law extension to that budget measure, the window to do so is nearly closed. California?s battles over how its water is used and diverted aren?t necessarily between Democrats and Republicans. They have long pitted rural and urban communities against one another, created tension between northern California and southern California and left every politician muttering the old adage that whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over. With Republicans in control of the House, Senate and White House since 2016, the four Republican congressmen from the Central Valley ? McCarthy and Reps. David Valadao, Devin Nunes and Jeff Denham ? have been able to pass bills favoring water flows to the region?s farmers and residents. None were as substantial as the WIIN Act, which temporarily increased how much water is pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to San Joaquin Valley farmers and Southern California. It also provided millions of dollars for new dams and other water storage projects, and allowed waivers of environmental studies required by the decades-old Endangered Species Act. It took McCarthy and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) years to?negotiate the California provisions of the WIIN Act.?Feinstein said that while the law doesn?t expire until 2021, proponents needed to take the chance to extend it now. ?This bill took three years and 27 drafts to get done, and I?m convinced it?s the best we can do,? said Feinstein, who broke with most other California Democrats to support the act. ?It?s important to extend it now because it is there, it is passed.? On the other side, opposing Democrats from the Delta area have had eight years ? since their party lost the House majority in 2010 ? to prepare for their chance to craft water policy that they consider best for the state. They vehemently opposed the WIIN Act in 2016. Huffman, who is expected to become chairman of the House?s Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee, is a well-known environmental advocate and thorn in California Republicans? side. His career has focused on water policy, including five years as senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. In Congress for the last few years, he has been the California delegation?s most vocal critic of Republicans? water proposals. Westlands Water District, which provides water to over 1,000 square miles of farms in Fresno and Kings counties, is bracing for a fight with Huffman. They?ve clashed before. ?I?m sure Representative Huffman will continue his bizarre and inexplicable lifelong crusade against the farmers and farmworkers that grow the food that graces his table and the tables across the nation and the world. And we will be glad to defend what we do,? said Johnny Amaral, Westlands Water District's Deputy General Manager for External Affairs. Huffman signaled that the WIIN Act will be closely scrutinized before Congress extends it ? assuming McCarthy doesn?t win an extension this week. ?The hearings on this issue are long overdue and I?m not sure why the folks who push these things in the final days of [the] session are so afraid of hearings and scrutiny,? he said. Huffman said he will hold hearings on a comprehensive Western water bill that he has introduced in the past, focusing on reclamation and water recycling infrastructure, refilling groundwater sources and drought response. ?Unfortunately, in the last six years folks have been much more interested in pitting fisherman against farmers and fighting that same old fight,? Huffman said. ?Some of the folks who have done business this way for so long are going to have to adjust to more transparency, and that could be threatening to some of the special interests that quite frankly have had the run of the place.? Yet Republicans aren?t without leverage. Their party?s continued control of the Senate and the White House means it will be difficult for Democrats to get bills signed into law. ?I don't think any environmental legislation will come out of this Congress because it won?t be able to get out of this Senate,? said Holly Doremus, an environmental law professor at UC Berkeley. Instead, she said, Democrats can use their House majority to draw attention to issues including climate change that haven?t gotten friendly public hearings in a Republican Congress, Doremus said. ?They have an opportunity to reframe some debates,? Doremus added. The most noticeable change will be increased oversight of the federal agencies that oversee water and the environment, said Peter Gleick, president emeritus of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security. ?Maybe the best we can hope for is some of the worst retreats from environmental protections will be slowed down,? Gleick said. Obegi, the Natural Resources Defense Council lawyer, said it?s the bills that likely won?t get a hearing in the next Congress that he?s excited about. In a House controlled by Democrats, he expects a dead end for Republican bills to preempt the Endangered Species Act or exempt major construction projects from environmental reviews. With Huffman in charge, and Denham and Valadao gone, attention could shift from the needs of the Central Valley. In the past, water policy has united Central Valley politicians across party lines; Rep. Jim Costa (D-Fresno) consistently joins Republican colleagues in backing pro-Valley water legislation. But Denham?s and Valadao?s replacements are Democrats without much experience with local politics or farming. Yet Amaral, of the Westlands Water District, said hopefully, ?Thankfully, water issues in the Central Valley are not partisan issues, and we look forward to working with all the members of the Central Valley delegation to help secure a reliable water supply for the valley.? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 20 08:47:53 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2018 16:47:53 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Deal could avoid shutdown, but California wildfire and water measures have to wait References: <732022403.8103193.1545324473402.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <732022403.8103193.1545324473402@mail.yahoo.com> Deal could avoid shutdown, but California wildfire and water measures have to wait BY EMILY CADEI WASHINGTON? Congressional leaders reached a short-term spending deal Wednesday that effectively punts most of the contentious funding decisions into the new year. That includes the question of whether to extend a federal law designed to deliver?more Northern California water?south, which has become a factor in the Delta water-sharing agreement reached earlier this month.? Congressional aides said federal wildfire recovery funding will have to wait until the new year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell?announced Wednesday morning?that the Senate would vote on a ?simple measure that will continue government funding into February.? More precisely, the spending bill will fund the government through Feb. 8.? $20 for 365 Days of Unlimited Digital Access Last chance to take advantage of our best offer of the year! Act now! SUBSCRIBE NOW #READLOCAL Democratic leaders in Congress signaled Wednesday they would support the measure, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it.? Barring any last-minute surprises, that will end the?threat of a partial government shutdown?over the Christmas holiday. But as McConnell noted on the Senate floor, ?there will be important unfinished business left in front of us and we?ll owe it to the American people to finally tackle it? in 2019.? The Kentucky Republican primarily was referring to funding for a border wall, an issue where the president and congressional Democrats remain far apart. But the temporary spending deal also leaves a myriad of other issues unresolved. California congressional aides said it will not include the billions in funding the state has requested to help those affected by 2018?s disastrous wildfires.? Gov. Jerry Brown?s office estimated in November that recovery efforts underway in Butte County and Southern California will require more than $9 billion from the federal government. Those funds are likely to be included in a 2019 disaster supplemental spending bill, instead. FEMA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and other federal agencies have plenty of funds to cover recovery expenses until then, one aide said, so the delay should not affect local recovery efforts. Also out: an extension of expiring provisions in the 2016 Water Infrastructure for Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, which Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield, the House majority leader, had been?pushing this month to include?in the fiscal year 2019 spending legislation. Brown also endorsed the move. | | | | | | | | | | | Huge Delta water deal backed by Dianne Feinstein, Jerry Brown, Kevin McC... California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Gov. Jerry Brown are pressing Congress to extend a wat... | | | The legislation would make hundreds of millions of federal dollars available for California water storage projects as well as desalination and water recycling programs. It also gives the federal government?s Central Valley Project and the State Water Project more operational flexibility to increase water deliveries at certain times of year to the south state through the massive pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, leaving less water in the system for Chinook salmon and other endangered species. The ability to pump more water was a key demand of local water agencies in the negotiations on a water flow agreement for the lower San Joaquin River watershed. The California government?reached a tentative series of deals?with local irrigation districts, urban water suppliers and the federal government to reduce water diversion and contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in cash for habitat improvement projects to boost the ailing fish.? Those deals would not, however, keep as much water for fish as the state Water Resources Control Board has proposed in a new allocation plan. And for some environmental groups, it was not enough.? ?It appears that California?s salmon, thousands of fishing jobs, and the health of the Bay Delta estuary are the sacrificial lambs in these series of agreements between the Trump and the Brown administrations,? Doug Obegi, a lawyer for the Natural Resources Defense Council told the Bee in an email last week.? Delaying a WIIN Act extension further complicates the outlook for those compromises, although there will be no immediate impact on the pumping guidelines. Those provisions are in place through 2020, per the original WIIN Act. There?s no guarantee, however, that the language will make it in the next spending bill.? Feinstein and McCarthy ? who joined forces to pass the original WIIN Act in 2016 ? hold powerful posts in Congress. The bill also has support from California Democratic Reps. Jim Costa and John Garamendi and incoming Rep. T.J. Cox, as well as from Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, a senior appropriator.? But many of the same environmental groups that oppose the water flow deals are also against extending the WIIN Act due to the pumping provisions, and they have significant sway among Democrats in Washington. California?s other Democratic senator, Kamala Harris,?opposes the proposal, as well. And Brown, a key champion, is leaving the governor?s mansion at the end of the year. His successor, Democrat Gavin Newsom, is more skeptical about some of Brown?s water priorities, most notably his proposal to build two huge tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Newsom has not weighed in on the WIIN Act extension. Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article223319110.html#storylink=cpy Tom Stokely?Salmon and Water Policy Consultant530-524-0315?tstokely at att.net? -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 27 17:42:25 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2018 01:42:25 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Historic agreements may ensure more reliable water supply in the Valley References: <1588737232.10975397.1545961345858.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <1588737232.10975397.1545961345858@mail.yahoo.com> http://www.thesungazette.com/article/business/2018/12/19/historic-agreements-may-ensure-more-reliable-water-supply-in-the-valley/ Historic agreements may ensure more reliable water supply in the Valley By Reggie Ellis State, fed governments, water agencies agree to water fixes but farmer groups are skepticalBy Reggie Ellis @Reggie_SGNFRESNO ??A series of historic agreements signed last week by the state and federal governments, as well as water agencies and users, may be the first step in more reliable water flows for residents and farmers in eastern Tulare County.On Dec. 12, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced the agreements to resolve water conflicts that have vexed the State for decades and to reaffirm the collaborative partnership between the Federal and State governments to develop long-term solutions to California?s major water problems. Friant Water Authority, which oversees operations of the Friant-Kern Canal serving several cities and 15,000 farmers on the Valley?s east side, described the agreements as historic.?Today?s announcement is a paradigm shift in how water will be managed for human and environmental needs and how decisions will be made about the use of the State?s most precious resource,? FWA wrote in a statement released jointly by seven other water agencies, irrigation districts, and exchange contractors up the state.??It is a good deal for the State and the Nation.?Since August 2018, Reclamation and DWR, with support from public water agencies from nearly every region of the State, have engaged in accentuated discussions to address contributions from the Central Valley Project, the State Water Project, and the public water agencies they serve to voluntary agreements to resolve conflicts over proposed amendments to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Update and to revise water sharing formulas under the 1986 Coordinated Operations Agreement.The product of those discussions includes a series of voluntary agreements to resolve conflicts over proposed amendments to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Update. The plan, along with the voluntary agreements, were adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board, better known as the State Water Board, on Dec. 12, ending a nine-year process during which the board studied and analyzed options, and conducted one of the most extensive public outreach efforts in its history.?Californians want a healthy environment, healthy agriculture, and healthy communities, not one at the undue expense of the others,? said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. ?Doing that requires that the water wars yield to collective efforts to help fish and wildlife through voluntary action, which the plan seeks to reward. The collaborative spirit we heard today offers promise and motivation towards that goal.?Alex Biering, public information officer for Friant Water Authority (FWA), said the agreements resulted in three main water solutions: 1) the state and federal government will coordinate their releases down tributaries to the Delta to maintain more consistent fishery flows and water deliveries; 2) provide funding for water purchase programs and research for conservation improvements that don?t involve additional water flows; 3) water agencies and irrigation districts, and many of their users, agreed to let land along the Tuolumne and Sacramento Rivers fallow in exchange for payments from water users along the San Joaquin River who can use the additional water.To put the deals into a local perspective, Biering said FWA may have held onto an additional 200,000 acre feet of water it lost to west side farmers during the height of the drought when the Bureau of Reclamation announced a zero allocation for FWA users.?This will significantly reduce the likelihood that water from Friant [Dam] water will be sent to non-Friant users and the likelihood that allocations will be cut in dry years,? Biering said. ?I would describe this as historic.? The State Water Board is also progressing with an effort to update flow requirements for the Sacramento River, its tributaries, and the Delta and its tributaries ? including the Feather, Yuba and American rivers. This update is at an earlier stage of development than the Lower San Joaquin River/Southern Delta plan update; a draft proposed plan and staff report analyzing alternatives will be released later this year for public review and comment.The two Bay-Delta Plan updates are part of a delicate balancing act aimed at addressing an ecological crisis in the Delta and preventing further collapse of Bay-Delta fisheries while considering the many other vital water uses for millions of Californians. A dramatic decline in the once-thriving populations of native fish species that migrate through and inhabit the Delta has brought some species to the brink of extinction. In 1984, for example, about 70,000 fall-run Chinook salmon adults returned to the San Joaquin Basin. The number of returning adults dropped to 40,000 in 2010 and just 10,000 in 2016 and 2017.Currently, flows remaining in the San Joaquin River and its three tributaries can run as low as 6 percent in dry or drought years, while they average 10 to 20 percent of unimpaired flow at critical times of the year and range from 21 to 40 percent on average. The final Lower San Joaquin River/Southern Delta update includes improved instream flows February through June, the critical months for migrating fish on the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers. These flows are measured as a percentage of ?unimpaired flow,? the amount of water moving down river if there were no dams or other diversions.A flow criteria report adopted by the State Water Board in 2010 concluded that an unimpaired flow requirement of 60 percent on the Lower San Joaquin River would be desirable to preserve the attributes of a natural variable system to which native fish species are adapted. That report did not consider impacts to other water users, however, which the Board has done in arriving at a lower flow requirement.The plan update the Board adopted today includes a requirement for 40 percent of unimpaired flow, within a range of 30 to 50 percent. The Board?s proposal seeks to incentivize agreements that offer habitat restoration and other measures that can benefit fish and wildlife with less water, than just water alone. The update also includes a revision of the salinity standard for the southern Delta. Maintaining an adequate amount of fresh water in the southern Delta is critical to protecting agriculture in the region. The year-round salinity standard in the draft final update increases slightly from the current seasonal standards, while continuing to provide water quality needed to support a vibrant agricultural future for the Delta.FWA stated, ?These agreements will result in immediate improvements to the environment and at-risk aquatic species, such as the Delta smelt and salmon, and commit local, regional, Federal and State agencies to a long-term course for collaboration to further ecosystem enhancement and water supply improvements.?Conservation organizations applauded the action as an important first step and called for ongoing productive and transparent discussions among all parties.?Several groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund, Trout Unlimited, Defenders of Wildlife, American Rivers and The Nature Conservancy, issued the following statement: ?California?s water future looks brighter tonight. The State Water Board?s approved Phase 1 of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan will help us all protect clean water for 25 million residents, support jobs and start the recovery of our 10,000-year-old native salmon runs. After decades of inaction, today?s historic vote helps put Californians back in the driver?s seat to protect our own precious resources.?Farmers weren?t as keen on the agreements. Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual (CCM) called the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan a ?water grab? because it would require an average of 40% of water flows to be taken from agricultural water users on the lower San Joaquin River to provide a consistent habitat for endangered fish in the Delta. CCM President Joel Nelsen voiced his opposition to the plan in a July 25 letter to Gov. Jerry Brown stating that the over-regulation of agriculture and its water use will hurt the state?s rural economy and foster ?expensive and lengthy legal battles.?It is astounding that after years implementing a flawed scientific approach that takes water away from municipal and agricultural beneficial uses with no measurable benefits to fish; the State Board is doubling down on the same failed approach,? Nelsen said.The Tulare County Farm Bureau was among 56 farm bureaus, grower co-ops, and agriculture coalitions to opposed the plan earlier this year because it would surface water flows for agriculture by an average of 180,000 acre feet per year and up to 900,000 acre feet in dry years.That would be in addition to the 118,000 to 370,000-acre foot reduction farmers are already bracing for due to the implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. SGMA (pronounced ?sig-muh?) requires overdrafted watersheds, such as the Kaweah and Tule rivers in Tulare County, to offset well pumping with surface water through recharge basins or by reducing water use by fallowing ag land. The letter also stated the plan eroded long-established, and often historic, water delivery priority for senior water right holders.?Until every opportunity has been exhausted for creative conservation and collaboration among stakeholders, a difficult and damaging regulatory path which is premised upon uncertain future fisheries successes should be avoided at all costs,? the letter concluded. Share this: - - Tweet - More - Copyright ? 2018 The Sun-Gazette Newspaper -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From tstokely at att.net Thu Dec 27 18:07:50 2018 From: tstokely at att.net (Tom Stokely) Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2018 02:07:50 +0000 (UTC) Subject: [env-trinity] Forest Health Watershed Coordinator Grant Program References: <2118597887.10999202.1545962870426.ref@mail.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <2118597887.10999202.1545962870426@mail.yahoo.com> https://www.conservation.ca.gov/dlrp/grant-programs/watershed/Documents/2018%20WCGP%20RFP%2012.07.18%20final.pdf Applications are being accepted for the California Department of Conservation?s Forest Health Watershed Coordinator Grant Program. The program will award eight grants of as much as $235,000 apiece for projects that develop and implement watershed improvement. The application deadline is Friday, Feb. 15. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov Mon Dec 31 10:29:44 2018 From: MaryClaire.Kier at wildlife.ca.gov (Kier, Mary Claire@Wildlife) Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2018 18:29:44 +0000 Subject: [env-trinity] CDFW Trinity River Project trapping summary through Julian week 52 Message-ID: Greetings! Attached please find the TRP trapping summary through JWeek 52 (Dec 31). I was glad to see a few more Coho and steelhead coming into the hatchery this past week and totally expecting the Chinook to be petering out. Best of wishes to all of you for a happy, healthy, and safe 2019! Cheers! MC -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW52.xlsx Type: application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet Size: 70281 bytes Desc: 2018 TRP_ trapping_summary_thru_JW52.xlsx URL: