-Caveat Lector- Support for Klamath Farmers Grows By John Carty CNSNews.com Correspondent July 11, 2001 An on-line petition drive to support the farmers of Oregon's Klamath Basin in their battle to regain water rights that the federal government stripped away in order to protect "endangered" and "threatened" species of fish, now has more than 3,700 signatures. The Klamath Water Users Association, which is responsible for the "Klamath Basin Crisis" website, introduced the petition which urges "immediate action" to reverse a decision that the group claims "interferes with [the farmers'] God-given rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The controvery revolves around the Endangered Species Act. The Klamath Basin has been found to be the home of sucker fish and the Coho salmon, which are listed as "endangered" and "threatened" species, respectively. The basin also supplies water to over 210,000 acres of farmland, which were included in a government deal called the "Klamath Project.." One thousand, four hundred families depend on this farmland for their livelihood. The irrigation gates at Klamath Lake have been closed since April 7th, shutting off the flow of water to the farmland. Furthermore, the farmers have been offered no restitution for their resulting losses, depite a ruling earlier this year in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims which stated that the government must compensate property owners if the government takes away their water sources to protect endangered fish. The Klamath Water Users Association finds the actions of the government to be "reprehensible and intolerable." In its petition, addressed to political leaders ranging from the Klamath County Sheriff and Commissioners to President Bush and the U.S. Congress, the association calls for "all federal government agencies to immediately cease and desist" from any activities that are denying the farmers their water rights. These rights were granted to the farmers in 1902 under the Reclamation Act, in which Oregon and California ceded areas of the Klamath Basin to the federal government so they could refurbish the land in an effort to promote homesteading. Under the provisions of the act, "all unappropriated water use rights in the basin" were to go to the Klamath Project. The United States Bureau of Reclamation has since rescinded those rights on the grounds of protecting the fish. Because the farmers do not actually own the Klamath Basin but rather were only granted rights to its use, the law of eminent domain, which states that landowners must be compensated with the fair-market value for any land taken by the government for the public good, does not apply. Nevertheless, the farmers say they have been cheated. They call the Endangered Species Act, "an unconstitutional encumbrance on the lives of local citizens all over this nation." Their petition claims that the act is used frivolously to deprive citizens of their lawful property rights, in "violation of limits on federal government powers as described in the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the United States Constitution." In addition to the restoration of its water rights, the association is calling for monetary "relief and assistance" from Congress and the cutting off of funding for the Endangered Species Act. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
