PRESS RELEASES


 

Title      

Description 

CONGRESSMAN HUFFMAN MEETS WITH LOCAL TRIBES AND AGENCIES TO DISCUSS MICROGRID CLEAN ENERGY   

Press Release (06/21/24)

Congressman Huffman meets with local tribal members of Tribal Energy Resilience And Sovereignty (TERAS), a joint effort of the Karuk Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe and Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe

CONGRESSMAN HUFFMAN MEETS WITH KARUK TRIBE LEADERS TO  DISCUSS SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF TEK 

 Press Release (06/20/24)
Congress Huffman meets with Karuk Tribe on June 20th, 2024  recieves a traditional necklass as a gift andd is able to vis Orleans and Happy Camp districts to view Ecological impacts of TEK
 

JUVENILE COHO SALMON RELEASE BRINGS TOGETHER THE TRIBES OF THE REGION   

Press Release (08/21/23)

 
Tribes of the region gathered on April 16th, 2024 to pray for the safe journey of about 100,000 juvenile Coho Salmon and nearly 400,000 Chinook fry into the Klamath River.
 

WATER BOARD ADVANCES REQUEST FROM TRIBE AND FISHERMEN TO PROTECT SCOTT AND SHASTA RIVERS

Press Release (08/21/23)

The Karuk Tribe, PCFFA, and ELF Pleased with Waterboard Response to Rule Making Petition to protect flows in the Scott and Shasta Rivers that are critically important for imperiled salmon runs

CHAIRMAN ATTEBERY ANNOUNCES $48,758 FOR KARUK TRIBE

Press Release (11/21/22)

Happy Camp, CA - Today, Chairman Attebery announced that Karuk Tribe was awarded $48,758 in funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program (LIHEAP).

KARUK TRIBE AWARDED WILDFIRE MITIGATION GRANT 

Press Release (10/27/2022)

Orleans, CA -The Karuk Tribe Housing Authority (KTHA), the Tribally Designated Housing Entity of the Karuk Tribe, has been awarded $254,993 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Planning Funds for wildfire mitigation

Klamath Prescribed Fire Training Draws Diverse Participants to Get Good Fire on the Ground

Press Release (10/5/22)

Orleans, CA - This year’s annual Klamath River Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) features more cultural burning than ever before.

KLAMATH SPRING CHINOOK NUMBERS BETTER THAN LAST YEAR, BUT RECENT FLOODS CAUSE CONCERN

Press Release (8/16/2022)

Sawyers Bar, CA - This year, 290 wild spring Chinook salmon made the 85-mile trek up the Klamath to find cool mountain waters for spawning. While this is still far below average, it is more positive than last year's dismal count of 90 fish.

KARUK TRIBE'S Katimiîn and Ameekyáaraam Sacred Lands Act Introduced in Senate

Press Release (6/23/22)

June 22, 2022, the Karuk Tribe’s Katimiîn and Ameekyáaraam Sacred Lands Act (KASL Act) was introduced in the Senate by Senator Alex Padilla and Senator Dianne Feinstein. 

KARUK TRIBE RECEIVES $4M GRANT TO REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK

Press Release (3/23/22)

OAKLAND, Calif. – The northern California Karuk Tribe received a $3 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant to save lives and reduce the severity of wildfire property damage.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AWARDS KARUK TRIBE $1.81M

Press Release

HAPPY CAMP, Calif. - The Karuk Tribe received a $1.81 million grant from the Department of Energy, with the Karuk Tribe committing an additional $1.81 million dollars to establish renewable clean energy sources for multiple buildings across Siskiyou and Humboldt counties.
KARUK TRIBE SCORES LEGISLATIVE WINS TO AID PRESCRIBED FIRE PROJECTS

Press Release (9/15/21)

Happy Camp, California – Several pieces of legislation that will help communities across thestate use prescribed fire more effectively now sit on Governor Newsom’s desk awaitingsignature. The Karuk Tribe supported these efforts through the legislative process.

KARUK TRIBE PETITIONS CA WATER BOARD TO REGULATE SCOTT VALLEY WATER USERS 

Press Release (7-1-21)

Happy Camp, CA –Today the Karuk Tribe filed a formal petition with the California State Water Resources Control Board demanding that it use its emergency powers to curtail water use in the Scott River to prevent the extinction of the Southern Oregon- Northern California Coho Salmon (Coho).

INDIAN COUNTRY LOSES RESPECTED ELDER

Press Release (6-24-21)

Happy Camp, CA – The Karuk Tribe mourns the loss of Charron “Sonny” Davis, a long-time council member and community leader.

CALIFORNIA ADDS KLAMATH SPRING SALMON TO ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST

Press Release (6-17-21)

Sacramento, CA – Today the California Fish and Game Commission ruled unanimously to add Upper Klamath Trinity Spring Chinook to the California Endangered Species List.

KARUK TRIBE DECLARES CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Press Release (6-01-21)

Happy Camp, CA – In response to record low precipitation in the Klamath Basin, the Karuk Tribe has declared a state of emergency. This emergency declaration acknowledges the reality that climate change is upon us, and the dangers that it poses to rivers, forests, wildlife and communities.

TRIBE APPLAUDS GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION

Press release (5-11-21)

Happy Camp, CA – Today the Karuk Tribe applauded actions by Governor Gavin Newsom to issue an emergency proclamation to address severe water shortages in the Klamath Basin and elsewhere in the state.

“These are dire times,” noted Karuk Chairman Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery, “several runs of salmon are hanging on by a thread. We must act decisively if California has any hope of ensuring salmon runs for future generations.”

GROUPS SEEK LIABILITY REFORMS TO FIGHT WILDFIRE

Press release (4-27-21)

Sacramento, CA – Today a diverse coalition representing tribes, ranchers and conservationists announced strong support of Senate Bill (SB) 332, state legislation that would enable more cultural and prescribed burns. Tribes like the Karuk want to use prescribed fire to protect homes and restore watersheds, much like their ancestors did, and farmers, ranchers and conservationists use fire to manage noxious weeds, restore wildlife habitat and protect biodiversity. In many cases the legal and policy barriers for all of these groups are the same.

KARUK TRIBE STATEMENT ON KLAMATH OPERATIONS PLAN

Press release (4-14-21)

Happy Camp, CA –   In the face of what may be the worst drought in modern history, the United States Department of Interior released a Temporary Operations Plan for the Klamath Irrigation Project. The plan dramatically curtails irrigation diversions to less than 10% of demand while failing to meet the biological needs of salmon fisheries downstream.

See Karuk Chairman Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery's statement in the full press release.

 

KARUK TRIBE APPLAUDS ACTIONS BY INTERIOR
SECRETARY HAALAND

 Press release (4-08-21)

Happy Camp, CA – Today Secretary Haaland withdrew seven documents issued by the previous administration that collectively interpreted laws and policies governing operations of the Klamath Irrigation Project.

The move comes as unprecedented drought conditions once again challenge tribal, fishing, and agricultural communities in the Basin.

CITIZENS AND FIRE AGENCIES COLLABORATE ON A CONTROLLED BURN NEAR SOUTHWEST YREKA

 Press release (3-26-21)
The Siskiyou Prescribed Burn Association (SPBA) is helping a local landowner implement a prescribed burn on a six-acre oak woodland in Yreka, CA. Ignitions are tentatively planned for the afternoon of Tuesday March 30, 2021, provided conditions on the ground line up to meet the objectives of the burn safely. Numerous fire agencies are expected to be on site including the Karuk Tribe and the Yreka Fire Department as well as representatives and volunteers from the SPBA.

NEARLY $10 MILLION AWARDED TO THE KARUK TRIBE FOR HAPPY CAMP STREETS

Press release (3-25-2021)

Happy Camp, CA – Today, the Karuk Tribe has been awarded the highly competitive Cycle 5 Active Transportation Program grant, totaling nearly $10 Million, by the California Transportation Commission to facilitate a road improvement project in partnership with Caltrans.

KARUK TRIBE DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENGY IN THE WAKE OF DEADLY SLATER FIRE

Press release (9-16-2020)

Happy Camp, CA – As of this morning, the Slater Fire has burned more than 140,000 acres between the community of Happy Camp on California Highway 96 and O’Brien along Oregon Highway 199 along the California/Oregon border. About 150 homes have been damaged or destroyed in the small community of Happy Camp, CA. Many of these homes belong to Karuk Tribal members and their families.

NOTICE OF DRAFT EA AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, KARUK CLINIC FEE TO TRUST

Public Review Draft EA

BIA Notice of Availability

BIA Karuk Family Services FONSI

Notice of Availability

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), codified at 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., a Draft Environmental Assessment has been prepared for providing acquisition of real property from the Karuk Tribe to the United States of America. The project is subject to NEPA review because it involves a decision of the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. See links in the title section for the Notice of Availability, FONSI 30-Day Notice, and Draft EA for details.

FEDERAL REGULATORS CLARIFY PATH TO KLAMATH DAM REMOVAL

Press release (7-16-2020)

Washington, D.C.— This morning the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the partial transfer of ownership of the lower four Klamath River dams from PacifiCorp to the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) for the purpose of removal. The approval is conditioned on PacifiCorp remaining a co-licensee. Download the press release to read more.

NOTICE OF DRAFT EA AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, KARUK CLINIC

Medical and Dental Facility FONSI and RROF

Draft EA Medical and Dental Facility

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), codified at 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., a Draft Environmental Assessment has been prepared for providing Federal financial assistance to the Karuk Tribe. The project is subject to NEPA review because it is being funded, in part, with Federal fun ding available from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. See links in the title section for the FONSI 30-Day Notice and Draft EA for details.

NOTICE OF DRAFT EA AND FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, KARUK TRIBAL COURT AND WELLNESS CENTER

Draft EA Karuk Judicial Center

Draft EA FONSI Courthouse

Draft EA FONSI Courthouse Appendices

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), codified at 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq., a Draft Environmental Assessment has been prepared for providing Federal financial assistance to the Karuk Tribe. The project is subject to NEPA review because it is being funded, in part, with Federal fun ding available from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance. See links in the title section for the FONSI 30-Day Notice and Draft EA for details.

KLAMATH DAM REMOVAL COSTS WITHIN BUDGET

Press release (3-3-2020)

Klamath River Basin — Last Friday, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation released the GuaranteedKlamath River Basin — Last Friday, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation released the GuaranteedMaximum Price (GMP) for removing four aging Klamath River dams. In short, Kiewit Construction iscommitting to remove the dams for less than $446 million and assume the financial liability for cost overruns beyond that.

INDIAN COUNTRY LOSES RESPECTED ELDER

Press release (10-7-19)

HAPPY CAMP, CA - It is with great sorrow that the Karuk Tribe announces the passing of Alvis “Bud” Johnson.
Mr. Johnson was first elected Chairman by the people of the Karuk Tribe in May of 1989. During his 16 years of continuous service as Chairman, his vision of organizational capacity building and dedication to service delivery generated unprecedented growth and pushed the Karuk Tribe to become a national leader for Tribal sovereignty. Chairman Johnson sat on the NAHASDA Negotiated Rule Making Committee, the California Rural Indian Health Board and was nominated to be a member of the National Self-Governance Health Advisory Committee appointed to serve as an advisor to the Director of Indian Health Services.

KARUK TRIBE RELEASES CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN

Press release (8-15-19)

Today the Karuk Tribe released a Climate Adaptation Plan which acknowledges that “the effects of climate change including changes in precipitation patterns, decreased snowpack increasing droughts, increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, and disease and pest outbreaks are immediate and occurring now.”

CALIFORNIA ADDS PROTECTIONS FOR KLAMATH SPRING SALMON

Press release (2-7-19)

California Fish and Game Commission made Klamath-Trinity Spring Chinook salmon a candidate for listing under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA). The decision was in response to a petition filed last year by the Karuk Tribe and the Salmon River Restoration Council.

COMMUNITIES LINE UP TO SUPPORT DAM REMOVAL

Press release (2-4-19)

Arcata, CA—This week, the California Water Board will hold public hearings on a draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for the removal of the lower four Klamath River dams. Tribes, fishermen, and conservation groups are praising the document which calls removal of the lower four dams “the superior alternative.”

KARUK COLLABORATES FOR ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE

Press release (8-1-18)

USDA awards the Karuk Tribe and UC Berkeley $1.2 Million for collaborative research and education to increase Tribal Ecosystem Resilience in a Changing Climate.

LAMALFA TRIBAL RESTORATION BILL

"Intellectually Dishonest"

Press release (7-9-18)

Beckham Report

Key Findings from Ruffeys Rancheria

Happy Camp, CA— Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) recently introduced a controversial bill to restore a terminated Indian Rancheria in Siskiyou County called Ruffey Rancheria. However, historic records show that Ruffey Rancheria was little more than a parcel of land on which no Indian ever lived, leading noted Indian scholar Dr. Stephen Dow Beckham to describe HR 3535 as “intellectually dishonest” in a newly released report.

Download the Press release for more information.

LAMALFA OVER 70 TRIBES PRESS LaMALFA FOR ANSWERS

Press release (5-2-18)

LaMalfa's Bill to Create New Tribe in Siskiyou County Shrouded in Secrecy; Leaves Commercial Salmon Industry Concerned.

IMLS Museum Services Grant Awarded

Press release (10-3-17)

The awarded $50,000 for a one-year project will allow the Karuk Tribe to launch a professional development program for its staff to expand the content, capacity, and continuity of the Karuk Tribe's Digital Library, Archives, and Museum. In partnership with Humboldt State University, the Clarke Historical Museum, Local Contexts, the Center for Digital Archaeology, and the schools located within the Karuk Aboriginal Territory, the program’s multifaceted opportunities will include training in digitization, 3-D image rendering and cross-cultural sensitivity at the high-school and collegiate levels.

Farm to School Grantee

Press release (7-6-17)

Orleans, CA –The Karuk Tribe is pleased to announce that they are one of 65 projects spanning 42 states and Puerto Rico receiving support this year through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm to School Grant Program, an effort to better connect school cafeterias and students with local farmers and ranchers.

Pikyav Launch

Press release (1-12-17)

Established under the Eco-Cultural Revitalization Branch of the Karuk Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources, the institute is named after the Karuk word píkyav, which means “fix it,” referring to the Tribe’s continuing efforts to restore the earth and its creatures to harmonious balance.

Karuk Tribe Enacts Fishing Restrictions

Press release (4-10-2017)

Happy Camp, CA - The Karuk Tribal Council has taken the unprecedented step of placing restrictions on subsistence fishing by Tribal Members for the first time in history.

California Salmon Fishery Faces Closure

Press release (4-6-17)

Audio from April 6, 2017 press teleconference regarding West Coast Salmon Fishery Closures

Sacramento, CA – California and Oregon salmon fishermen are waiting for a final decision on this year’s salmon quotas but everyone knows that a near total closure of California’s coast is inevitable.

Karuk Tribal Herbaria Opening

Press release (8-3-2016)

Orleans, CA - The Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources is delighted to announce the official Grand Opening of the new Karuk Tribal Herbaria on August 11, 2016 from 4 – 6 pm. The public is invited to attend.

Notice of Intent to Sue NMFS and BOR Over ESA Violations

Press release (6-24-2016)

Happy Camp, CA – Citing a disease infection rate of 90% of sampled juvenile salmon in 2015, today the Karuk Tribe presented the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) with a 60 day notice of intent to sue over violations of the Endangered Species Act. “We cannot allow mismanagement by federal agencies to destroy what little remains of our fisheries,” said Karuk Chairman Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery.

Klamath Dam Removal More Certain Than Ever

Press release (4-6-2016)

The States of Oregon and California, PacifiCorp, the Yurok Tribe, the Karuk Tribe, and the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Commerce will sign an amendment to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement (KHSA). If approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), it will result in the removal of four dams on the Klamath River in 2020, amounting to one of the largest river restoration efforts in the nation.

Klamath Basin Digital Food Security Library

Press Release (3-28-2016)

As one of the seven collaborators in the Food Security Project for the Mid-Klamath region, the Department of Natural Resources is proud to announce the March 23 launch of the Sípnuuk Digital Library, Archives and Museum. This collection was developed as part of a broad food security initiative in the Klamath Basin funded by the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture – Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Food Security Grant # 2012-68004-20018. Sípnuuk, the Karuk word for storage basket, is the name for the regional digital library that is one of the objectives of this grant.

Tribe and conservationists file suit to protect wild salmon, rural river communities

Press release (3-2-2016)

The Karuk Tribe, along with the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center (KS Wild), Center for Biological Diversity, and Klamath Riverkeeper, filed suit in federal court challenging a massive post-fire logging plan in Klamath National Forest that will increase fire danger, degrade water quality, and harm at-risk salmon populations.
California State Legislature Approves Tribal-State Gaming Compact
SB 1224, authored by Senator Lou Correa, ratified the tribal-state gaming compact signed by Governor Brown and the Karuk Tribal Chairman Russell "Buster" Attebery on December 5, 2013. SB 1224 was approved by the State Senate on August 14 by a vote of 28-4 and the State Assembly passed AB 1224 on August 19th by a vote of 63-1. Click here to download press release
Governor Approves Karuk
Gaming Compact
Governor Jerry Brown signed the Karuk Tribe's Gaming Compact moving the Tribe's effort to open a casino in Yreka one step closer to reality.
 
Karuk Tribe Awarded $6 Million for Broadband Initiative Project
 
Klamath River Rural Broadband Initiative is a joint collaboration between the Karuk Tribe and the Yurok Tribe and will provide broadband and Internet access to the communities of Orick, Orleans, Johnsons, Wautec and Weitchpec.

Effects of Dwinnel Dam on Shasta River Salmon and Considerations for Prioritizing Recovery Actions

This document provides the Karuk Tribal Council an assessment of the effects of Dwinnell Dam on the salmon resources of the Shasta River and gives my perspectives for prioritizing possible recovery actions in the subbasin, including dam removal.
Click here to download press release

Groundwater Conditions
in Scott Valley, California

This report describes groundwater conditions in the Scott Valley ... and the development of a groundwater model
representing the alluvial aquifer that can be used to investigate groundwater/surface-water interactions. The goal of this work is to improve understanding of the relationship between land and water use on flow conditions in the Scott River.
Click here to download press release

Executive Summary of Report on Groundwater Conditions in Scott Valley

Removal of Dwinnell Dam and Alternatives
Draft Concepts Report

Passage of salmon and steelhead to the upper Shasta River was blocked by the construction of Dwinnell Dam in 1928. Approximately 22 percent of the salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing habitat of the Shasta River was lost with the construction of the dam and reservoir ... Passage to the upper river could be restored by installing a fish ladder on the dam, trapping and hauling fish around the reservoir, dam removal, or providing a bypass route around the reservoir. These four alternatives are evaluated in this report.
Click here to download press release

TRIBE, CONSERVATION GROUPS SUE SIX RIVERS NATIONAL FOREST TO PROTECT SACRED SITES

Groups Charge that Forest Supervisor Kelly ignored community, federal law, and his own proposed plan
Click here to download press release

Click here to download a copy of the Complaint (as filed)

North Coast Environmental Center
Consultants Support
Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement

Scientific reviews of the KBRA conclude that the agreement is good for fish
Click to download:
Letter from Dr. Thomas Hardy
Letter from Dr. Gregory Kamman

Governor signs bill banning in stream
dredge mining for gold

Ban will remain in place
until new dredge mining rules
protective of fish are developed

Sacramento, CA – Today Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill to temporarily ban the destructive form of recreational gold mining known as suction dredging. Other forms of mining are not affected. With its signing, the bill places an immediate moratorium on all suction dredge mining until the California Department of Fish and Game develops and implements new suction dredge regulations that are protective of fisheries and water quality.

Sacramento, CA – Today Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski, California Oregon Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and PacifiCorp Chairman & CEO Greg Abel,, signed an Agreement in Principal (AIP) that defines the path to what would be the largest dam removal in US history.

Omaha, NE- Klamath River Basin tribal leaders, native activists, sport and commercial fishermen, and conservationists ..disrupt.. the Berkshire Hathaway shareholder meeting..demanding the removal of four Klamath River dams

Klamath Restoration Agreement
Science Reviews

(Click on links to the right
to download ->)

1. Klamath science meeting summary
2. Executive Summary USFWS Arcata Settlement Draft
3. Hardy Comments on Klamath Settlement Agreement
4. HVT comments on FWS Compilation

Press Materials for Omaha Media Events

Orleans, CA- A new report issued by the Karuk Tribe shows that the flesh of a popular game fish in PacifiCorp’s Klamath reservoirs is contaminated by the algal toxin microcystin. The report concludes that the public should by warned by health officials to not eat fish from the reservoirs during summer months.. Click here for the report

Sonoma, CA- Today the Klamath Riverkeeper, the Karuk Tribe of California, and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association (PCFFA) filed a lawsuit against the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast region, for failing to regulate toxic discharges from PacifiCorp’s Klamath dams and reservoirs.

Siskiyou Co., CA – Water samples from Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs contain extremely high levels of the toxic blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa for the third consecutive year since monitoring began in 2005.
Click here to download: Copco/Iron Gate Reservoir Toxic Cyanobacteria Results: June 26-27th, 2007

Sacramento, CA- Today the Klamath Riverkeeper, the Karuk Tribe of California, and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association (PCFFA) jointly petitioned for the California State Water Board to hold PacifiCorp accountable for dangerously high blooms of toxic blue green algae in Klamath reservoirs

Happy Camp, CA – Today, the Department of Interior and Commerce filed the final mandatory terms and conditions that must be met in order for PacifiCorp to relicense the Klamath Dams. Although the agencies do not have the authority under the Federal Power Act to mandate dam removal, they can and did mandate fishways and ladders. ... the cost of the prescribed ladders and fishways makes dam removal an economically favorable alternative to relicensing.

Sacramento, CA – Today a joint federal and state working group released a detailed economic analysis of the controversial Klamath Dam project. The study concludes that because the Klamath dams are so old and outdated, it is cheaper for dam owner Warren Buffet to simply remove them instead of bringing them up to modern environmental standards.
Portland, OR - Ecotrust corporation report, "..a preliminary assessment of removal of the four Lower Klamath River dams. It will identify and begin to quantify the likely economic impacts, both positive and negative, that dam removal would have on local stakeholders, particularly Siskiyou County, as three of the four dams being considered for removal are located within its borders."
Happy Camp, CA – Yesterday Governors Schwarzenegger and Kulongoski announced plans to hold a Klamath Summit in December to “resolve a multitude of complex issues related to the health of the river that impact salmon fishermen, tribes, hydroelectric power and a host of environmental and habitat concerns.”
Happy Camp, CA – After weeks of stalemate, this week saw a flurry of activity in the relicensing of PacifiCorp’s aging Klamath River dams. The latest development is a judicial decision that may force the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to amend the draft Environmental Impact Statement released Monday to include millions of dollars’ worth of fish ladders.

Click here to download a copy of ALJ Ruling
Happy Camp, CA – A day after FERC staff filed a draft environmental impact analysis recommending a ‘trap and haul’ program to drive fish around PacifiCorp’s aging Klamath dams, the California Coastal Conservancy has filed a report that concludes dam removal could be done safely and affordably without leading to floods or exposing the river to toxins.
Happy Camp, CA – Despite what some experts consider an iron clad case for the removal of PacifiCorp’s Klamath dams, today the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a draft environmental impact statement that recommends only modest changes to current dam operations.
Sacramento, CA – In March, Federal agencies issued the terms and conditions for a new license which include fish ladders and flow improvements to benefit dwindling Klamath River salmon, steelhead and lamprey runs. PacifiCorp is fighting these mandates arguing that suitable habitat for salmon no longer exists upstream of the dams...
“PacifiCorp is essentially arguing that they have screwed up this river so much that they shouldn’t have to do anything to fix it,” according to Leaf Hillman, Vice Chair of the Karuk Tribe..."
Happy Camp, CA – A recent analysis of water samples from Copco and Iron Gate Reservoirs reveal extremely high levels of the toxic blue-green algae Microcystis aeruginosa which produces a compound known to cause liver failure and promote tumor growth.
Copco reservoir, OR - Recent phytoplankton cell count results for July 12-13th and 26-27th were received from Aquatic Analysts ... These data clearly show that hepato-toxic (capable of causing chronic liver damage and acting as a tumor promoter) blooms of Microcystis aeruginosa (MSAE) have increased dramatically in intensity and extent ... All reservoir stations on July 27th exceeded the World Health Organization Moderate Probability of Adverse Health Effect Level (MPAHEL) of 100,000 cells/ml..
Portland, OR - For the past several years, Klamath Basin Tribes have appealed to PacifiCorp to remove their Klamath River dams. ... Now under new management, the company is starting to listen.
Portland, OR - Klamath Basin Tribes and allies from the commercial fishing and conservation organizations will stage a rally at the bi-annual meeting of the international hydropower industry- Hydrovision 2006
Happy Camp, CA – In response to a structural fire, which destroyed a ceremonial dance house at the Karuk ceremonial area of Katimin near Somes Bar on July 2, 2006 an emergency session of the Karuk Tribal Council was convened last Friday ... the Tribal Council announced it had approved a plan to offer a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the destruction.
Somes Bar, CA – Fire crews from Orleans and Somes Bar were dispatched to a structural fire at 1:20 a.m. Sunday, July 2, 2006 at the Karuk ceremonial area of Katimin in Somes Bar, California.
A ceremonial dance house was destroyed and has been deemed a total loss. The fire is currently under investigation and a cause has not yet been determined.
Orleans, CA – .. Billionaire investor Warren Buffet intends to work with the Gates Foundation to donate billons of dollars to charity. Meanwhile, on the Klamath River, dams that are owned by a subsidiary of Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. continues to kill salmon, host toxic algae blooms, and put Tribal and non-native fishermen out of work.
Happy Camp , CA – By demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's national standards for health care quality and safety, the Karuk Tribal Health Program has earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval
Orleans, CA – Yesterday Governor Schwarzenegger proclaimed a State of Emergency in 10 Counties providing disaster loan guarantees for salmon fishermen. Although encouraged by the action, Karuk Tribal members will not see much benefit from the package.
Portland, OR - Today Portland based PacifiCorp filed an appeal to Federal Agencies’ mandate to construct ladders on the Klamath Dams. ..Instead of ladders as mandated by the agencies, which the agencies had deemed necessary for success, PacifiCorp seeks to trap fall-run Chinook salmon at Iron Gate dam and drive them 80 miles to Klamath Falls, Oregon
Orleans, CA - The Aquarium Incubator Project provides students, teachers and community members an excellent opportunity to learn about the life cycles and habitat requirements of salmon and trout, important natural resources in the Klamath River Basin.
San Francisco, CA – At a rally .. leaders of the Yurok and Karuk Tribes of Northern California .. join Congressional Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA), George Miller (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) .. to call for lasting solutions to environmental problems on the Klamath River.
San Francisco, CA - During the agency's eighth annual Environmental Awards Ceremony in San Francisco today, U.S. EPA Regional Administrator Wayne Nastri presented plaques to three dozen organizations and individuals throughout the Pacific Southwest in recognition of their efforts to protect and preserve the environment in 2005.
Orleans, CA - The Karuk and Yurok Tribes of California join the Klamath Tribes of Oregon in supporting recent efforts of the Department of Commerce and Department of the Interior towards restoring the Klamath River. Today, the two federal agencies released mandatory terms and conditions for the issuance of a new license for Klamath Dams operated by PacifiCorp.
Happy Camp, CA – In an effort to protect the most critical cold water refugia for salmon, eel, and sturgeon, the Karuk Tribe filed a complaint with California Fish and Game demanding changes to suction dredge mining rules and regulations.
   

For more information contact the Klamath River Campaign Coordinator,
Craig Tucker, Ph.D.

Click here to email Craig

Login

Get in touch

Go to top