Statement on eParka.com News
Earthjustice Statement on Decision not to Empanel Endangered Species Committee in Klamath Basin.
July 13th, 2001
Contact Info: John McManus, Earthjustice, 415-627-6720 ex 230
Zeke Grader, PCFFA, 415-561-5080
Patti Goldman, Earthjustice, 206-343-7340 ex 30
Susan Holmes, Earthjustice, 202-667-4500 ex 204
Print-Friendly Version
San Francisco, CA-- Earthjustice today agreed with the decision of the Interior Department rejecting a petition calling for the convening of the Endangered Species Committee, commonly known as the God Squad, to review Klamath Basin issues. The God Squad has the authority to allow the killing of otherwise protected species thus risking their extinction when certain conditions are met. That thresh hold has clearly not been met in this case. The Interior department decision came a day after the U.S. Senate defeated an amendment by Senator Gordon Smith R-OR that would have effectively suspended the Endangered Species Act in the Klamath Basin.
Earthjustice Executive Director Buck Parker said, “There are many ways to solve the problems in the Klamath Basin. If there’s one thing Americans are for, it’s reasonable compromise and balance. There is no doubt we need to move forward to adjust the balance of how water is shared in the Klamath Basin so that coastal fishing communities, tribes, farmers and fish and wildlife, all get a fair share of the water they need.”
“The God Squad was never intended to be the first resort… it was intended to be the last resort,” said Earthjustice attorney Patti Goldman. “Rejection of this petition recognizes that droughts happen and it’s inappropriate to rollback the ESA and push a few more species into extinction every time we have a drought.”
There are strong indications coming from the region that some farmers are willing to sell their land and water rights, which will help solve the problem of over allocation of the Klamath Basin’s waters.
“Irrigated agriculture contributes far less than many people believe to the Klamath area’s economy,” said Dr. Ed Whitelaw, an Oregon economist and expert on natural resource economics. “The farm sector represents under 10 percent of Klamath County’s total employment and under 1 percent of the county’s total personal income. The sad fact is that agriculture in the Klamath basin has been on a long steady slide for many years, for reasons that have nothing to do with the ESA.” Dr. Whitelaw added, “Rather than prolong the inevitable, it’s time to help these folks make the transition to an ecologically sustainable and economically sound future.”
By rejecting this petition, for the first time, the needs of coastal fishing families and Indian tribes are finally being recognized as being as important as the needs of farming families. Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s associations said, “ This decision means not only that coho salmon in the Klamath will be spared from extinction but valuable king salmon that support tribal, commercial and sport fisheries won’t be wiped out.
American Land Conservancy
A national, non-profit organization founded in 1990, ALC works in close parntership with communities, private landowners, local land trusts, public lands agencies, and elected officials to create effective conservation solutions for threatened land and water resources."
Council
Edward J. Blakely(Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles), Dean of the Milano Graduate School and Professor of Urban Policy. Dr. Blakely was most recently Dean and Lusk Professor of Planning and Development at the School of Urban Planning and Development of the University of Southern California. Dr. Blakely is an internationally recognized scholar in urban community development, and has also been a successful practitioner in strategic planning, financing, real estate development and project management. He serves on the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Urban Development and Transportation. He also serves as an advisor to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and to state governments in the United States, Australia, Sweden, and Japan. His books include Fortress America: Gated Communities in the United States (1997), Separate Societies: Poverty and Inequality in U.S. Cities (1992, co-authored with William Goldsmith), Planning Local Economic Development (1989), Taking Development Initiatives: Local Government’s Role in Economic Development (1986), and Rural Communities in Advanced Industrial Society (1980). Dr. Blakely generally teaches Public Policy and the City (Ph.D.), Managerial Economics, and Management and Organizational Behavior. School of Urban and Regional Planning Administration Edward J. Blakely, Dean
David R. Brower founded Earth Island Institute in 1982, an umbrella organization supporting and incubating innovative environmental projects around the world. Earth Island Institute, based in San Francisco, is the home of the Brower Fund and the Brower Youth Awards...died on Sunday afternoon, November 5th, at his home in Berkeley, CA, surrounded by his family. Brower was 88 years old, and died from complications related to cancer
*Harriet Burgess BLM State Director Ed Hastey and California State Department of Parks and Recreation Director Patricia Meganson both commended Harriet Burgess of ALC for her support at a key time in the acquisition process.
"Without Harriet's help, the final protection of Bodie's 140-year history could not have been achieved. After six years of intense, cooperative effort, title to the last private holdings in the area are now in public ownership," Hastey said...Ms. Burgess, using private personal funds, paid the remaining $2 million to the company in 1997 while federal funding was sought. ...Appropriations were unanimously supported by the Clinton administration, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, Governor Pete Wilson, Rep. John Doolittle, the Mono County Board of Supervisors and numerous private interests.
Brock Evans Present Endangered Species Coalition Endangered Species Coalition:Executive Director
Private Practice of Law, Seattle Washington 1963 - 1967 Northwest Representative, Sierra Club and 1967 - 1973 Federation of Western Outdoors Clubs, Seattle Associate Executive Director and Director, 1973 - 1981 Sierra Club, Washington D.C. Office Attorney at Law, Smith, Brucker, Winn and 1984 Ehlert, Seattle, Washington Candidate for U.S. Congress (Democrat), 1984 First Congressional District (Seattle suburbs), Washington State. Recieved 110, 000 votes out of 230, 000 cast. Visiting Fellow, Harvard (Kennedy School of Fall, 1990 Government), teaching course on "Politics of the Environment"
B.A. History (cum laude), Princeton University 1959 J.D., Ll.B., University of Michigan Law School 1963
Washington D.C. Representative: two large (650, 000 member and 600, 000 member) environmental organizations. Testified over 100 times before about 20 Congressional committees and subcommittees; was leader/organizer, or major strategist in the following national legislative efforts (among others): Alaska Lands Act (1980); Ancient Forest protection legislation (1986 - present); Montana Wilderness legislation (1987 - 94); many Appropriations bills (1979 - 95); Arizona Wilderness Act (1990); Grazing Reform legislation (1985); Mining Law Reform legislation (1990 - 1994); California Desert Protection Act (1988 - 94); Natural Gas Transportation Act (1977); Clean Air Act Amendments (1977, 1991); Energy Mobilization Board (1979); National Timber Supply Act (1970); Forest Management Act (1976); Omnibus Public Works Act (1973 - 81); National Land Use Act (1974); Strip Mine Control Act (1977); Eastern Wilderness Act (1975); Expansion of Redwoods and Grand Canyon National Parks (1968, 78); National Trails Act, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (1968); Reauthorization Endangered Species Trails Act (1978); Barrier Islands legislation (1982); Timber Relief legislation (1984); Wilderness and Park legislation (1967 - present);. In Washington state was one of the leaders in securing successful passage of Washington State Shorelines Act, Washington trails legislation, State Environmental Quality Act, North Cascades National Park, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and Mt. St. Helens National Monument, among others. Named one of the top lobbyists in Washington, D.C., U.S. News and World Report, 1977, Fortune magazine, 1982. Bringing diverse interests together: have initiated and/or participated in extensive dialogues with forest products industry (Areas of Agreement Committee); electric utility industry; National Association of Homebuilders; Labour Unions; member of Army Corps of Engineers Environmental Advisory Board (bringing development and environmental interests together); Department of Defense Biodiversity Initiative; Golf and Environment Steering Committee. Mt. St. Helens legislation, which passed as a result of a coalition of forest products industry and environmentalists, was a result of such efforts.
*Joseph R. Fink, Ph.D.
Unable to locate info at this time
W.E. Garrett
nothing found at this time
Robert Glenn Ketchum
Co-Chair West Coast Council, Aperture Foundation, 1998 to present
Board of Trustees, Alaska Conservation Foundation, Anchorage, AK, 1994 to present Chairman: Communications Committee. ACF is the largest grantmaking foundation in the state. Programs focus on conservation and habitat protection.
Board of Councilors, American Land Conservancy, San Francisco, CA, 1993 to present Board of Trustees: Bruce Babbitt, David R. Brower, Brock Evans, W.E. Garrett, L.W. Lane, Jr., Martin Litton, Helen McCloskey, Pete McCloskey, Margaret W. Owings, Robert Stephens, Stewart Udall.
Curator of Photography, National Park Foundation, Washington, DC, 1980 to 1996 Oversight of photography used in publications; development of book ideas; curator of traveling photography exhibition, "American Photographers and the National Parks", coordinating all aspects of design, scheduling, publicity, and publication production. Co-authored with Robert Cahn, book and catalog by the same name (Viking Press, Inc., NY).
L.W. Lane, Jr. The former publisher of SUNSET Magazine, books and films, and former ambassador to Australia and Nauru, L.W. "Bill" Lane, Jr...Lane became a national leader in the development of conservation policies affecting national parks, deserts, oceans and the atmosphere by serving on national and regional committees. He served as an adviser to the Secretary of the Interior on issues relating to national parks through the Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan administrations. He chaired the Presidential Commission on the Centennial of the National Parks in 1972 and received an environmental award from the National Parks Foundation in 1994. Lane advocates developing responsible environmental priorities for the travel industry...served as U. S. Ambassador to Australia and Nauru in the Reagan and Bush administrations and as Ambassador-at-large and Commissioner General in Japan during the Ford administration...
*Martin Litton
Since 1950 he has fought in the biggest conservation battles that have helped shape today's West. He was a major force in saving the free-flowing Colorado River in Dinosaur National Monument and the Grand Canyon. Through personal lobbying and his role as travel editor at Sunset magazine, he was a key player in establishing the Redwood National Park in 1968.
Floyd J. Marita
Helen McCloskey
Pete McCloskey, Jr.
E. Lewis Reid
Galen Rowell
*Robert Stephens, Ph.D.
Stewart Udall
Colburn S. Wilbur
* Executive Committee
Staff
Harriet Burgess, President
Chris Jehle, Vice President of Finance
Glen Williams, Vice President of Acquisitions
Jacques Etchegoyhen, Project Manager
Jenny Frazier, Project Manager
Donald Hanson, Mid-West Consultant
John Killion, Mid-West Consultant
Nanette Leuschel, Consultant
Floyd J. Marita, Consultant
Kerry O'Toole, Project Associate
Pamela Rey, Project Assistant
Jeff Stump, Project Manager
Beth Van Valkenburgh, Project Assistant
Lauren Ward, Consultant
A partial list of completed and continuing projects.
Klamath River Basin (1,541 acres)
Through an innovative partnership with community leaders, local ranchers, and the Bureau of Land Management, efforts are under way to restore fresh-water marshlands along the north shore of Upper Klamath Lake. ALC acquired and conveyed agricultural land to BLM for restoration to wetlands. These wetlands serve as natural filters, and improve degraded water quality in the Upper Klamath Lake Basin.
ALC Memberships, Partnerships & Affiliations