North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman hosted a forum of the Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee he chairs this afternoon, orchestrating a two-hour panel discussion focused on the stalled agreement to remove four hydroelectric dams from the ailing Klamath River. The forum began with heartfelt testimony from the Karuk and Yurok tribal chairs and ended with […]
Klamath River
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Watch Huffman’s Klamath Forum Live
North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman is holding is hosting a forum today in his role as chair of the Water, Oceans and Wildlife Congressional Subcommittee focused on seemingly stalled plans to remove four hydroelectric dams along the upper Klamath River. Read more about the issues here and tune in below at 2 p.m.
Posted inNews (NCJ)
‘Monuments to Colonialism:’ With Klamath Dam Removal at an Impasse, Huffman Calls Congressional Forum
Since time immemorial, as summer turns to fall, the Karuk Tribe’s fatawana, or world renewal priests, have gathered for a renewal ceremony that spreads across many days. They fast and hike to ancient prayer sites. They dance and ritualistically bath in the waters of the Klamath River, all in an effort to bring balance back […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Newsom Appeals to Warren Buffett in Effort to Save Klamath Dam Removal Deal
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appealed to one of the world’s richest men in an effort to save the Klamath dam removal deal. The groundbreaking deal to remove four hydroelectric dams along the lower Klamath River was reached in 2016 and would constitute one of the largest dam removal projects in history. Under the deal, the […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Supreme Court Declines to Reconsider Tribes’ Water Rights at Klamath River, T-S Reports
The Times-Standard is reporting the Supreme Court has declined to overturn a court decision guaranteeing that Native tribes near the Klamath River can reserve enough water in the river to protect fish populations and beyond. “The ruling, or affirmation, by the Supreme Court is encouraging,” said Mike Orcutt, the Hoopa Valley Tribe’s fisheries director in […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Trinity River Under Siege
While local tribes celebrated a federal appellate court ruling last month upholding their senior water rights on the Klamath River, a trio of threats facing the Trinity River combine to paint a foreboding picture for local salmon populations. “Just the status quo is a risk to the river and the fishery,” said Thomas Stokely, a […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Fire and Food in Karuk and Yurok Communities
Traditional Native methods of prescribed burning aren’t just helping protect forests on the North Coast. According to an article published by Civil Eats, the controlled burns and ancient agroforestry practices are on their way to reestablishing forest-grown food staples, reviving traditional foodways and working toward food sovereignty. The article, produced with Mongabay, details how Karuk […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
NYT Story Examines Heroin’s Impact on Local Tribes and its Link to an Ailing River
The New York Times this week explores the devastating impacts of the nation’s opioid crisis on Kaurk, Hoopa and Yurok tribal communities, placed in the context of their connection to the struggling health of the Klamath River — an integral link between the tribes as well as their past, present and future in the region. It’s […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
‘Definite Plan’ for Klamath Dam Removals Filed
The “definite plan” for removing four dams from the Klamath River has been filed with the Federal Regulatory Energy Commission, providing a detailed blue print for how the largest river restoration project in U.S. history will unfold. “We have completed a major milestone through the development and filing of this plan,” said Mark Bransom, executive […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Coasties Rescue Stranded Hiker Near Klamath River (Video)
A crew from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay rescued a stranded hiker near the mouth of the Klamath River on Sunday. The hiker had contacted the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office at about 2:30 p.m. to report he’d become stranded at the bottom of a 300-foot cliff near the mouth of the Klamath River […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
Federal Commission Approves Advisory Panel for Klamath Dam Removal Effort
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a proposal from the nonprofit organization formed to facilitate removal of the four hydroelectric dams clogging the Klamath River to form a panel of experts to help guide the process. Mark Bransom, executive director of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation, praised the commission’s decision in a press release. […]
Posted inNews (NCJ)
In ‘Crisis,’ Yuroks Suspend Commercial Salmon Season
For the second year in a row, the Yurok Tribe will not have a commercial fishery — a devastating blow to the tribe’s culture and economy. “We are in crisis mode,” said Yurok Tribal Chair Thomas O’Rourke in a press release that lamented poor conditions on the Klamath River that have led to historically low […]