Native Americans, Enviros, and Fishermen Battle Scottish Power

The cultures of four Native American tribes are at stake as Scottish Power's dams affect river. Four Native American Tribes, a river conservation group, and a commercial fishing organization are teaming up to fight Scottish Power over a complex of dams that are slowly destroying what was once the 3rd greatest salmon river in North America. Native American Tribes, Enviros, and Fishermen battle Scottish Power over dam issue Group to visit Scotland in July. Four Native American Tribes, a river conservation group, and a commercial fishing organization are teaming up to fight Scottish Power over a complex of dams that are slowly destroying what was once the 3rd greatest salmon river in North America. The ancient cultures of the Hoopa, Yurok, Karuk, and Klamath Tribes live and die with the salmon. We are currently engaged in a Federal dam relicensing process with Scottish Power’s American subsidiary, PacifiCorp. Despite years of meetings, the company is yet to entertain plans to restore salmon. Next month, we will be in Scotland to make demands directly on Scottish Power. We are looking for local groups to help us. We will be staying in Edinburgh and need help with media contacts, affordable accommodations, tips on staging media events in Scotland, and venues for slideshow presentations. We also will ask locals to join us in our media events. More information will be forthcoming, but if anyone is interested in helping please contact me. Thanks! Craig Verbatim copying and distribution of this text is permitted in any medium, provided this notice is preserved. If you wish to modify text (or use photo) in derivative work then please email craig@friendsoftheriver.org

Related

http://www.friendsoftheriver.org/PressRoom/2004-04-26_FOR.html

http://capwiz.com/friendsoftheriver/issues/alert/?alertid=5432071&type=SW

Comments

Native Americans, Enviros, Fishermen and Scots people Battle Scottish Power

That's it!! We can't allow them to get away with it! I just cancelled my Scottish Power account and became a 'real' green customer. Do the same and tell them why at these emailaddresses: shareholder.services@scottishpower.com investor.relations@scottishpower.com ADSholderServices@pacificorp.com usinvestor.relations@pacificorp.com environment@scottishpower.com And look here for green energy: http://www.greenelectricity.org/domestic.html (don't fall for the bogus greens!) Do it Now!

Re: Native Americans, Enviros, and Fishermen Battle Scottish Power

Tha seo inntinneach, cha robh fios agam gun robh a leithid ann de chompanaidh chumhachd uaine... thanks for the info!

Re: Native Americans, Enviros, and Fishermen Battle Scottish Power

I hope as many people and groups as possible will lend a hand in petitioning and leafleting the annual ScotPow shareholders meeting. Only through weight of numbers can we highlight how the activities of our homegrown capitalists are threatening different cultures and species in other countries.

Re: Native Americans, Enviros, and Fishermen Battle Scottish Power

Craig I hope that you and everybody is doing well in Scotland. Here's some great news from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Dan Bacher Court Orders Restoration of Trinity River Flows! By Dan Bacher In a landmark decision greeted with jubilation by representatives of the Hoopa and Yurok tribes, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered the release of flows proscribed under the Trinity River Record of Decision (ROD) of December 2000. “Nothing remains to prevent the full implementation of the ROD, including its complete flow plan for the Trinity River,� the Court ruled on Tuesday, July 13. “We’re just elated,� said Clifford Lyle Marshall, chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe. “Hoopa is a very happy town. The timing of the decision surprised us, since we were told the decision could go either way.� Marshall said the decision would compel the federal Bureau of Reclamation to release 47 percent of river flows for fish and 53 percent for agriculture and power. Prior to the ROD, up to 90 percent of the river had been diverted to agriculture and power users, resulting in dramatic declines in salmon and steelhead populations. "This decision is awesome," said Marshall. "The river is a vital part of the economy of our tribe and the Northern California economy. The decision gives the river the priority it deserved in the first place. It means that the river will get water, salmon runs will come back, tourism will return, recreational fishermen will come back, people will be eating in the local restaurants, and the commercial salmon fishery may be sustained." Although Marshall said the court made its decision based on the law and over 20 years of scientific studies, the outpouring of support for Trinity River restoration by the public, newspapers and politicians through the state had a lot to do with the victory. "It wasn't a case of Indians versus farmers," emphasized Marshall. "The people of California raised their voice to support the Trinity River. The river should be regarded as a national treasure. We had a great alliance of people, with lot of efforts on many fronts. Public opinion drives public policy - and the people of California decided that for a small price, the Trinity River could be restored." The Westlands Water District, in conjunction with the Northern California Power Association and SMUD, filed suit against the federal government in 2000 right after former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt issued his ROD. However, a broad coalition of Indian Tribes, commercial fishermen, recreational anglers and environmental groups forced the SMUD and three members of the NCPA- Palo Alto, the Port of Oakland and Alameda to pull out over the past 1-1-/2 years. Whether Westlands, the largest federal irrigation project in the country, will appeal the case to the next step, the U.S. Supreme Court, is unknown at this time. “We are still reviewing the decision,� said Tupper Hull, spokesman for the Westlands Water District. “It is a complicated decision although it appears to overturn Judge Wanger’s decision on a number of grounds. We are looking at the overall impact of the decision on Central Valley Project water users.� Hull noted that Westlands is continuing to pursue settlement talks with the Tribes, even though these talks have been unsuccessful in the past. “We believe that there is still an opportunity for people of goodwill from the different parties to protect their interests, including the Trinity River fishery,� said Hull. Troy Fletcher, executive director of the Yurok Tribe, said he is “optimistically enthusiastic� about the decision, but noted that litigation could continue if Westlands decides to appeal. “The bottom line is that the fish won in this round,� said Fletcher. “Now there is a need to defend this ruling and to make sure that the ROD is implementing the decision.� Tom Stokely, senior resource planner Trinity County, and Byron Leydecker, president of Friends of the Trinity River, were likewise optimistic about the outcome of the decision. “It is is likely the SEIS that Judge Oliver Wanger ordered will disappear and that the ROD will move ahead,� said Stokely. “We plan on finishing building the bridges that will be required to release more water down the river.� Stokely said that the decision, when implemented, would result in an approximate doubling of the total volume of water released down the river. “Salmon need water to thrive, so this will have a very beneficial effect on the fishery,� he noted. “After 39 years, the law has been finally upheld,� said Leydecker. “On this one issue, the Bureau of Reclamation can’t operate without regard to the law. We have a long way to go until we see full Trinity River restoration, but this is a major victory.� Although this decision portends well for the future of salmon fisheries, the prospects for this year’s salmon runs on the Klamath and Trinity Rivers are looking dire because of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s granted 100 percent of contract flows to agricultural water users in the Klamath Basin of Southern Oregon, according to Troy Fletcher. The Department of Interior, under pressure from Bush’s political strategist Karl Rover to curry favor among agribusiness for the reelection campaign of a Republican Senator in Oregon, decided to cut off flows for fish and divert them to subsidized agribusiness in the Klamath Basin in 2001. The change in water policy by the Bush administration resulted in the largest fish kill in U.S. history in September 2002 when over 34,000 salmon perished. The majority of these fish were destined for the Trinity River, the Klamath’s largest tributary. “We are extremely concerned that we will see a repeat of the 20002 fish this fall because the federal government decided to give water to agriculture at the expense of fish,� said Fletcher. “After being classified as a below average year, the year was reclassified by the Bureau as a dry year in May. We need flows for fish throughout the year, but flows have been greatly reduced this summer.� Hopefully, we will see a cooler-than-average summer and fall so an outbreak of disease among adult chinooks in warm water conditions doesn’t take place like it did in September 2002. Meanwhile, we can thank the Ninth Circuit Court for upholding the law and science in ordering the implementation of the Trinity River Record of Decision.

Re: Native Americans, Enviros, and Fishermen Battle Scottish Power

hey, I hate Bush and blame him for ALL our problems. But I can't figure this one out. Why does the picture on the main page show a sign that says "Bush Kills Salmon?" What does Bush have to do with this issue? Can he be SO evil that his tenticles are even trying to achieve genocide by wiping out an original berring straights crossing tribe?

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