Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/54083
8A Daily News – Tuesday, January 31, 2012 Opinion Water and economic vitality in the Klamath basin D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer's home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Last Monday the Interior Department published a draft report summarizing two years of scientific and technical studies conducted to help inform a forthcoming decision on whether to remove four hydroelec- tric dams on the Kla- math River, per the Kla- math Hydroelectric Set- tlement Agreement (KHSA) of 2010. The comprehensive draft same natural resources for thou- sands of years to support their way of life and spiritual wellbeing. Nat- ural resources in the basin, including clean water, abundant and reli- able supplies of fish, and terrestrial plants and ani- mals, are central to their cultural identity. The construction of Richard report, entitled Klamath Dam Removal Overview Report for the Secretary of the Interior: an Assessment of Sci- ence and Technical Information (Overview Report), and each individual study conducted on the environmental and economic impacts of the potential dam removal, are avail- able at www.KlamathRestora- tion.gov. The Klamath Basin, covering over 12,000 square miles in south- ern Oregon and northern Califor- nia, contains many natural resources and economic opportu- nities related to fisheries, farming, ranching, timber harvest, mining, and recreation. Each of these resources and opportunities has sustained communities throughout the basin for many decades. The Klamath Basin is home to six fed- erally recognized Indian tribes who have depended on many of these Mazzucchi Positive Point PacifiCorp's hydroelec- tric dams on the Kla- math River combined with irrigated agricul- ture, both beginning in the early 1900s, contributed to declines in fisheries and water quality as well as to detrimental impacts to tribal resources and culture throughout the Klamath Basin. Present crises in agricultural water availability and fish populations combined with relicensing require- ments to lead basin stakeholders to come to agreement on the KHSA and the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement to remove four of these dams. The report presents a summary of dozens of reports regarding the economics, engineering, biology, water quality, recreation and real estate impacts of dam removal that were first published last Septem- ber. "The science and analyses pre- sented in these reports are vital to making an informed and sound decision on the Klamath River dam removal," said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. "As we work toward strengthening the health and economic prosperity of all that depends on the Klamath — including our watersheds, fisheries, and forests — I encourage mem- bers of the public to offer their input on this draft overview report and perspectives on the opportuni- ty that lies ahead." The economic reports analyzed find that dam removal and imple- mentation of the related watershed- wide restoration program provide an opportunity to bring significant additional jobs to the region and strengthen local economies in the Klamath Basin for reasons that include improved fish populations; additional recreational and com- mercial fishing opportunities; and increased agricultural output due to more certainty in water deliveries. As part of its commitment to openness, transparency and scien- tific integrity, the Interior Depart- ment is arranging for a scientific peer review of the report by a six- member independent panel. In addition, the Department is encouraging the public to review and offer technical comments on the draft report for the peer review- ers to consider during their deliber- ations. The public comment period on the draft report is open from Jan. 24 through Feb. 5, 2012. Com- ments received after this date will not be considered by the peer reviewers so it is vital that public comments be emailed to: ksdor@atkinsglobal.com. The chairman of the House water and power subcommittee strongly opposes dam removal leading fellow Republican and our representative Wally Herger to email me the following rhetoric: "I have long been an advocate for reforming misguided environmen- tal laws and I have joined my col- leagues on multiple occasions with legislation to reform our regulatory environment. I will continue to be a strong advocate for our private property rights, common-sense natural resources management, and the rural way of life we enjoy in Northern California. I will actively oppose federal funding for job-killing proposals that are masked by the feel-good word "sustainability." I encourage all to take time to review the report rather than wal- low in Wally's knee-jerk politics. In my opinion sustainability is far more than a "feel-good word" but is the key to the equitable, environ- mentally sound, and lasting solu- tion of vexing contemporary issues and problems. Only with thorough and balanced consideration of all aspects of the area can we ensure water and economic vitality in the Klamath basin. Richard Mazzucchi is a retired research engineer specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. He can be reached at living-green@att.net. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. No to jobs, energy; yes to big green rat hole Just how far out in the enviro- wacko left field do you have to be to cheer and support the cancella- tion of the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring 700,000 barrels a day of much-needed oil to Ameri- can refineries and consumers? It would reduce dependence on oil from the Middle East and other sources inimical to America and create tens of thousands of good- paying private sector jobs? Those jobs, by the way, would involve not a dime of government (your) money but would generate much income to the government. If you are President Obama, you just have an ideological compass so beholden to Big Green, the well- funded and powerful conglomera- tion of anti-business, anti-prosperi- ty, anti-domestic energy and anti- free market fringe groups, that it just makes sense to say no to the pipeline. Our resident liberal writer parroted the talking points put out by those same fringe groups in the process of decrying Congressman Herger's supposed parroting of Republican talking points. Me? I consider it a privilege and honor to write and correct such disingenu- ous, fallacious statements. First, there is no such thing as "filthy tar sands oil." Crude oil is essentially the same whether it comes from shale, tar sands, or deposits under land or water. There is light crude, heavy crude, sweet crude, etc. but it all gets to the refin- ery as crude oil for processing into petroleum products used in your car, furnace and a multitude of items that contribute to our prosper- ity and lifestyle. Tar sands oil, if it has any distinguishing characteris- tic, generates a small percentage more of the carbon dioxide that the enviros and their well-paid groups decry as causing the earth to warm — except that it's not warming — or our climate to change — except that it's always been changing regardless of earth's human popula- tion. Hint: the numbers and intensi- ty of hurricanes has dropped over the last several decades, defying predictions from the global warm- ing alarmists. Then there's the fact that if we don't build the Keystone pipeline, the oil will still be sent to refineries in Texas, but in railroad cars which will generate even more of the car- bon they despise (Warren Buffet will profit; he owns Burlington Northern). Or it will go to Canada's western ports and be sold to China or other countries that will process and use it in far more inefficient and polluting ways than we do in America. It will be loaded into tankers, tankers that have a much greater potential for environmental damage than a pipeline. The project has been studied to death over years; the pipeline gets buried some 20 feet underground. There are literally millions of miles of pipelines criss-crossing Ameri- ca. The incidents of leakage are incredibly small considering the massive quantities of oil and other products that flow through them. The Keystone pipeline could still begin construction while the route is fine-tuned over or around areas that are genuinely susceptible, but the aquifers that enviros are so apoplectic about are many hun- dreds of feet underground, often with impermeable layers between the water and the surface. Not to worry, we are told by the likes of Democratic Rep. Jan Schakowsky (Ill.), who suggested in an interview that the 20,000 jobs the project would create were relatively insignificant. Real- ly? "Twenty thou- sand jobs is really not that many jobs, and investing in green technologies will produce that and more." How do the voters in Illinois put up with such an ignoramus? "Investing" trans- lates to throwing many more billions of your hard- earned tax dollars down another humongous green rat hole like Solyndra (half a billion went poof). Even Germany and Spain are pulling the plug on the subsidies their citizens have squandered on wind and solar power. America has enough technologically recover- able oil and natural gas to last a hundred years or more; we have enough coal to power those little electric cars, or your lights and computers, for hundreds of years. This column is nowhere near long enough to correct the misin- formation put out by liberals, using Herger's official response, to spout nonsense in service to Obama's agenda over a pipeline in the Mid- west. That's one reason I post arti- cles and information at "Polecat News and Views" (DonPolson.blogspot.com), where anyone that wants to get their information free of the media spin, and distortion by liberals, can educate them- selves. On the home page, scroll Don Polson The way I see it down to the "energy/resources" label, where you'll find over 170 articles, dozens just since Jan- uary 1. For instance, read how "Obama is ignoring his own jobs council's recommenda- tions." In his jobs council's report: "Policies that facilitate the safe, thoughtful and time- ly development of pipeline, transmission and distribution projects are necessary." Read, in "White House Keystone Cops," about the drastic reduction in pipeline acci- dents. Read about the implications for national security from Andrew Malcolm of Investors.com. "Interi- or Department energy propaganda misleading, disingenuous," from the Institute for Energy Research, explains the distortions we've been given from Obama and the Interior Department. If gasoline prices spike over $5 a gallon this summer, three times the price in January 2009, the only per- son responsible for that fact is Pres- ident Obama. Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.