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NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Julianne Dittman or Irene Clements, (559) 237-0263 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 13, 2001 EVENT: Rally in support of Klamath farmers' water crisis DATE: Friday August 17 TIME: Noon PLACE: Fresno County Farm Bureau, 1274 West Hedges, Fresno Fresno County Farm Bureau to hold rally in support of Klamath farmers Similar regulatory threats to agriculture's water supply exist here The Fresno County Farm Bureau will hold a rally in support of Klamath Basin farmers and ranchers and to draw attention to the regulatory threats facing agricultural water supplies on Friday, Aug. 17 at noon at the Farm Bureau's parking lot, 1274 West Hedges Ave., near Olive and West avenues. The FCFB rally is one of several rallies scheduled for the week held in conjunction with the Klamath Relief Fund's convoys leaving several western cities to converge in Klamath Falls on Aug. 20. Klamath area farmers were hard hit this year when agricultural water deliveries were eliminated to protect Endangered Species Act-protected fish. Because of the ESA-listed sucker fish and Coho salmon, the Klamath Project received no water allocation from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, leaving almost one-quarter million acres of farmland, ranches, wildlife refuges and habitat without a water source. "This cutoff of water deliveries to Klamath farmers is an example of what can happen throughout the West with the enforcement of environmental policies, regardless of the cost," said Phil Larson, FCFB Director and organizer of the rally. "Economic considerations should be a part of listing species under the Endangered Species Act, but they're not and the human and social effects are far-reaching. The Endangered Species Act must be amended," said Larson, a FCFB past-president and Kerman area farmer. Scheduled to speak at the Fresno rally are Larson, and west side farmers Mark Borba, of Riverdale, and Ted Sheely, or Lemoore. The dramatic water crisis in Klamath is similar to the chronic water shortages facing farmers and farm communities on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, which has had reduced water supplies since 1992. The major difference is that the Klamath farmers received no water this year during the planting and critical growing seasons for most crops. Only recently, was a meager amount of water released for limited agricultural use. Nonetheless, the economic and environmental impacts from the Klamath area's loss of water have been significant, with an estimated $300-to-$400 million in economic loss. The lost farm revenue resulted in a loss of jobs, and funding for schools, county and city governments and businesses. Also, property values have plummeted. Likewise, environmental impacts have been far-reaching. The largest concentration of bald eagles in the lower 48 states and habitat have been compromised, erosion of prime topsoil has occurred, and almost 45,000 acres in national wildlife refuges have dried up, leaving migratory fowl without habitat or food. A similar rally organized by the Tulare County Farm Bureau is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 16 at the Tulare Agri-Center. Additional information about the rallies can be obtained from the FCFB at (559) 237-0263 and TCFB at (559) 732-8301. |
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Questions? Comments? Corrections? Additions? Convoy Logistics Discussion Board: http://disc.server.com/Indices/164197.html Klamath Basin Water Crisis: http://www.klamathbasincrisis.org
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