A number of attendees were seen wearing a copy of the U.S.
Constitution in their otherwise empty holsters; organizers claim the
officially unsanctioned action was meant as a symbol that concerned
citizens were ready to protect their constitutional rights, which
they believe are being violated in this issue.
Protect Our Water (POW) Chairman Craig Chenowith gave a brief
history of the local movement:
“Two years ago, I was asked (by the California Department of Fish
and Game) to sign the ITP (Incidental Take Permit), and I didn’t
know what it was they wanted me to sign,” he told the crowd.
More research revealed to Chenowith that the DF&G “wants to regulate
our adjudicated water rights.”
The chairman said DF&G “finally released a 700-page document ...
(that was) open-ended, vague and discriminatory.”
After consulting with an attorney and various interested groups and
individuals, “I invited people into my living room three and a half
months ago (to form POW – Scott Valley), and look where we are
today,” Chenowith said, sweeping his arm across a room that was
filled to overflowing. Some attendees were actually listening from
outside the open doors to the hall.
“Fish and Game has come onto our properties to threaten us into
signing the ITP so we could get our (Calif. Section) 1600 permits,
so that we could open our headgates,”
Chenowith said.
A number of Scott Valley residents, all of whom have traditionally
been able to open those headgates, releasing water for agricultural
use, would fall under the control of the DF&G, facing penalties up
to an estimated $25,000 if they don’t comply with the new
regulations, which would make opening of headgates without a permit
and permission (particularly in low water years, when the DF&G could
conceivably keep the headgates closed in order to protect coho
salmon spawning grounds in rivers and creeks that pass through or
near Scott Valley) a violation of the new regulations.
Chenowith told those present that the Siskiyou County Farm Bureau
“is suing Fish and Game over the 1600 agreement” and that he is
optimistic for the outcome of that lawsuit.
POW Vice Chairman Mark Baird, like Chenowith a Scott Valley rancher,
was present at that first POW meeting at Chenowith’s home three and
a half months ago, and he, too, stated he was ready to exhaust all
avenues in the fight against what he termed an unconstitutional take
of valley water by the government.
“Fish and Game is involved in an unprecedented take of our rights,
our water and our property in Siskiyou County,” Baird told the
crowd, “and if it succeeds here, they’ll use it in all of
California.
“They are doing this under the pretense of saving fish,” Baird
continued. “Well, we have documentated proof that the DF&G has been
killing fish.
“And we believe the RCD (local Resource Conservation District) is
participating willingly – if they’re not, then they’re not reading
their mail.
“We figured out that Fish and Game wants you to voluntarily sign
that (ITP) contract ... but if you sign this contract, you are
voluntarily giving your water right to the California Department of
Fish and Game.”
Baird asked the crowd if anyone knew why Siskiyou County has been
chosen as “the poster child” (i.e., the test case) on this issue.
“Now I don’t mean to insult anyone here,” he said, “but one reason
they picked Siskiyou County is that they think we’re weak and
stupid.”
He said that Siskiyou County is a large area but sparsely populated,
pointing out that this county has one state assemblyman (Jim
Nielsen, who was present Saturday evening) that it shares with other
counties, while a city like Santa Monica has 14 to itself.
“When a peace officer or government agent tells you, ‘If you sign
this contract, we probably won’t violate you (for breaking the
law),’” Baird explained, “that is the very definition of extortion
(which is against the law) – even (if they do so) by mail, and if
it’s by U.S. Mail, that makes it (extortion in violation of) federal
law.”
The crowd heard from other water and property rights speakers as
well, including author Holly Swanson of White City, Ore., whose
book, “Set Up and Sold Out: Find Out What Green Really Means” was on
sale at the event.
According to www.pointofview.net, Swanson “ ... is a prominent
figure in property rights circles ... she is credited with
documenting and exposing the plan to use public education to
politically indoctrinate America’s children. ... Holly is the
director of the Operation Green Out! campaign and known for her work
to get green politics out of America’s schools.”
More coverage of Saturday evening’s event will appear in Tuesday’s
Scott Valley View.
