Save the Klamath Dams Save the Salmon
Goal:
USD $50,000
Raised:
USD $16,152
Campaign funds will be received by Siskiyou County Water Users Association, inc.
Save the Klamath Dams Save the Salmon
In Northern California the removal of four hydroelectric facilities on the Klamath River is being pushed by Governor Newsom, this is the largest dam removal project in the World. During a time of drought and increasing difficulty in keeping up with electricity requirements, does this make any sense?? Especially as the local population of several counties in California and including some in Oregon are against this removal at 80% of the voting public. Removal of these clean carbon emission blue water facilities producing electricity 24/7 results not only in reducing low cost available electricity, but removes recreational resources, lakeside settings for parks, important firefighting water availability, fish and aquatic lifeforms, numerous endangered species, AND court mandated flushing of the Klamath River to improve naturally occurring algae issues for anadromous Salmon habitat. The area above the hydro reservoirs does not provide Salmon habitat.
Mr. Intiso has filed a Taxpayer Lawsuit in Pro Per to fight the government overreach by Newsom and his associates. The funding mechanism for destroying these facilities was secretly included in a Bond Issue in California where the truth was kept from the voting public. The Bond Issue, which never mentions the secret project to remove the hydro facilities, was concealed from the public by being included in a Bond issue cast as a Clean Water and Storage facility effort. In fact, the bureaucrats intended on spending $250 million dollars of taxpayer money and another $200 million dollars to remove these productive clean electrical generating facilities which have been in place some for over a hundred years. In addition the California Governor, in order to facilitate a project which is not supported by Congress nor by the local area, agreed to become a guarantor and co licensee to the project in order to obtain approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) which was not going to approve the project unless California stepped in and put the State’s Treasury on the line – that’s you, the taxpayer.
This Bond Issue specifically stated that no funding was to be spent from the Bond Issue if it adversely impacted a “Wild and Scenic River”. The environmental statements filed by the FERC clearly state, in numerous places, that the removal of the hydro facilities will adversely impact the “Wild and Scenic River” and the only solution provided is that “time will take care of the problems”. The only estimate we have as to time is a statement by the former Secretary of the Department of Interior, Mr. Salazar, who stated in a presentation to the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, that it might be 2060 before we would know if the “project” was successful.
Mr. Instiso believes that this is an outrageous and illegal use of taxpayer dollars to support the removal of these valuable facilities providing low cost power to the Northern California region and its industries. A lawsuit is an expensive process and this funding effort, which we are asking you to support, is geared to prevent such a travesty from taking place.
PLEASE JOIN US BY SUPPORING THIS GRASS ROOTS EFFORT AND DONATE TO THIS WORTH CAUSE.
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This group is continuing the fight to save the Klamath Dams.
Thank you so much for doing the work your group has diligently been doing since the ballot measure in 2010.
May the Blessings of The Son be upon you, warming your heart and guiding your quest, which is that of God.
Go Anthony!
I know it's not much, I hope it helps this righteous cause. God Bless you Sir
Updates
Today in Federal Court
August 11th, 2023
Thanks to all of you who are supporting the effort to battle against an overreaching bureaucratic government intent on enforcing its will over the People. Our battle with your help continues!! Today the 11th day of August Mr. Intiso and Oregon Senator Dennis Linthicum will have the first hearing on the Motion for Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction on the Complaint filed in the Federal District Court in Medford Oregon.
The Plaintiffs are appearing Pro Se to Demand the Federal Government must follow the law, that they are not exempt from their own statutes. In this case the proposed removal, which is now underway, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in an apparent illegal joint venture with the States of Oregon and California through the agency of a private 501 (3c ) Corporation, Klamath River Renewal Company (KRRC) threatens great harm and destruction with potentially long term biological damage to the Klamath River. The EIR EIS of FERC which was rushed through without a legitimate public hearing (COVID inspired) states unequivocally that unmitigated damage will be resulting from dam removal. The EIR EIS which normally requires specific named mitigation measures for identified damages is waived in the FERC EIR EIS. Wherever damages are identified as a result of the removal the FERC simply states that “time will cure the damage”. This is and should unacceptable. There are many valid arguments and evidence that the purpose of dam removal i.e. to increase the population of Salmon in the Klamath River will not be resolved by dam removal as most of the habitat for Slamon population growth is below the dams where the Klamath passes through cold water refugia. The Klamath being an upside down temperature gradient river is warmer in the upper elevations and becomes colder as it travels through the mountains on the way to the Pacific Ocean. This will not be changed by dam removal.
The main issue in this case centers around the Federal Statute naming the Klamath as a “Wild and Scenic River”. This statute does not and should not be waived for a Federal Agency without Congressional Approval. In fact, the designation of Wild and Scenic River would not have been granted without the dams being in place to “flush” the River and provide court mandated flows through the down river sections. The FERC has erred in this matter by not obtaining approval of Congress to violate their own Statute. In addition, The Klamath Compact, put in place in 1957, which allocated the use of the Klamath River water was approved by Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States. It was further codified by both State Legislatures and Governors. This Statute is also being violated which provided that the use of waters included the hydro electric reservoirs. This is a Public Trust which was created and has been violated by the proposed removal. Only Congress can change that and Congress refused to support the dam removal issue which is now being carried out by the States through the alleged illegal 2016 Amended KHSA agreement between the States and KRRC. The States and FERC decided to avoid the wishes of Congress and proceed on their own to remove the dams.
Again, thank you for your continued support of Mr. Anthony Intiso , Senator Linthicum and this important case.
Siskiyou County Water Users and
Anthony Intiso
Next Steps: Filed in Federal Court
June 12th, 2023
Dennis Linthicum of Oregon and Antonio Intiso of the Siskiyou County Water Users Board and a resident of Yreka have filed a Complaint for Injunctive Relief in Federal Court in Medford, Oregon on June 8, 2023 naming as Defendants The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the State of Oregon and the State of California (CV-00834-AA). The suit which has been filed alleges that the named Defendants have specifically and willingly violated the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (PL 901-542 as amended P.L. 117-286 December 27, 2022. The action further requests the Court to recognize the waters behind the reservoirs as waters under Public Trust and necessary for the proper operation of the Klamath River flows. Mr. Dennis Linthicum is a State Senator in Oregon from the Klamath County area.
The filed lawsuit requests further that the Court order a remand of the FERC decision to remove the hydro facilities and directs that an order that the Defendants and their agents restore any and all damages to existing infrastructure including but not limited to the restoration of the dams, their hydroelectric capabilities, fisheries and habitats impacted by the work conducted by the States and their Contractors and Agents. Further that the States and their Contractors and Agents be restrained from all current and future physical activities related to and or connected with the Removal of the Hydroelectric facilities. It would further request that the States and their Contractors and Agents refrain from any further current or future funding or any expenditure of funds beyond those associated with a “shutdown” of this project.
This lawsuit action has been long overdue to stop the continuing and irreversible harm to the environment, aquatic systems and the Klamath River itself as well as the citizens of the immediate area encompassing both sides of the California and Oregon border. The actions by FERC have been directed by outside sources with little concern expressed by its agents for the public in the affected areas and little to no regard for the inestimable damages that are forecast to result from the removal of these facilities. Very little effort was ever directed towards finding a more equitable and economical solution to the removal of these facilities.
Decision Taxpayer Lawsuit
May 30th, 2023
NOTICE CHANGE IN COURT DATE
May 4th, 2023
Court Hearing Update
April 10th, 2023
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