Scott Valley Protect Our Water

September 24, 2010

 

SCOTT VALLEY – Landowner Tom Pease received a $100 check from the Siskiyou Resource Conservation District recently. This was after Pease decided to withdraw from the application to the Watershed-wide Permitting Program offered by the California Dept. of Fish and Game through the Resource Conservation District (RCD).　

 

"This is good news," said Craig Chenoweth, president of the Scott Valley Protect Our Water (POW), which is standing against the RCD and the Dept. of Fish and Game.　

 

"If you want to get out of this, do it now!" added Chenoweth.

 

POW took exception to the heavy-handedness by the DFG and RCD to coerce landowners into signing onto a Permit that will demand they use less of their legal Water Right. A Water Right is a Property Right and as such adds value to land.　

 

Letters were sent to farmers, ranchers and other landowners "threatening" civil penalties up to $25,000 if they are found in violation of these new Permits.

 

Pease said that he received a letter from the RCD in March 2010 with an application for the Watershed-wide Permit. Then the DFG sent a letter on May 20, 2010 with options regarding the voluntary sign-up, but also with a veiled threat of the $25,000 fines along civil and criminal misdemeanors.　

 

"I felt threatened," said Pease, "I don’t have $25,000 if I receive a fine." So he signed the application and sent in his $100, wondering if he had any other options.

 

After the long summer, Pease said he does have an option – to stand on his California Constitutional rights and say "no."　"I have research and studied the laws. I now believe this is a taking of my property and it is unconstitutional."

 

"To get out of this illegal program, send a letter to the RCD demanding your money back!" said Chenoweth. "It is time we stand together. We say ‘no’ to those regulations that are attempting to destroy our Constitutional Rights."

 

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