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Comments and researched, verified concerns, aka Property Rights / Klamath Irrigators / Farmers / Families / Dams / Land / Water Letter regarding Project Number P-2082-027

November 7, 2006

To: Magalie R. Salas, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street, N.E.

Washington, D.C. 20426

To: magalie.salas@ferc.gov

This entire email is to be accepted and construed as my official public comments regarding "Project Number P-2082-027." It is of note that my comments are in maroon, while Language Deception rates bold red and what should be obvious facts are in bold black. You will note today's date: November 7, 2006, is well before the comment deadline of November 24, 2006. I am also mailing these comments in their entirety to "Magalie R. Salas" at the postal mailing address above, and the mailed comments, six pages in length, will be postmarked November 8, 2006. Magalie R. Salas is hereby instructed and expected to immediately notify me upon receipt of both my emailed and mailed comments.

Chicken Little continues his hue and cry in the 21st century form of Felice Pace, Regina Chichizola, some Karuk and Yurok tribal spokesmen, and countless others that feast upon the bounty served up by the good people that irrigate, farm and ranch in the Klamath Basin / Klamath Project. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you: It's apparently not enough to grow and be kept healthy by the plethora of food and fiber products grown in the Klamath Basin (i.e., the area covered by the Klamath Hydroelectric Project No. 2082-027). The people and organizations clamoring for the "restoration" of the Klamath River by the wholesale slaughter of its dams know not what they are really asking. If these people and organizations suddenly found the shelves in their grocery stores bereft of food, would they suddenly be singing a different tune? You betcha!

The Pied Pipers of The Wildlands Project make "restoration," "protection," and other words most Americans are taught from childhood to trust, into cleverly cloaked stalking horses that steal property rights and freedom. Yea, though these Pied Pipers tout "sustainability," their real motive is to make their followers subservient to them and to round up, rope and take control of all the property rights and freedom enjoyed by others, for themselves. A few want the control of the rest, which is nothing new, other than that the planned extermination and extinction of America's middle class, her private property owning, freedom-loving generational resource owners and utilizers. This is not a Republic. It is not America. It is slated to dive into the depths of servitude, with a powerful few controlling the lands, waters, and all other resources that once belonged to a proud and mighty Christian nation known as the United States of America.

Are some of you reading this and growing upset? Good! It's certainly a good time to do so, as such schemes have tricked us into allowing our beloved country, along with our property rights and therefore, our freedom, to totter and almost go over the brink into another Dark Age.

The Klamath DAMS (FERC, you may call them "developments," but they are DAMS) must STAY. They must be maintained and kept fully functional according to your own FERC "vision:" "Abundant, reliable energy in a fair competitive market" and "mission:" "Regulate and oversee energy industries in the economic, environmental, and safety interests of the American public."

These for-the-most-part either young and malleable-minded, or older and either of the mind set of keeping their state or federal -- or grant, i.e., taxpayer-funded -- employment and 'perks,' individuals, have put their self-respect and dignity up for sale as they chorus such Language Deception as: "Removing the Klamath Dams would be the largest dam removal project ever, and thus the largest river restoration project ever" and other equally shrill falsehoods.

The new synonym for "dam" is apparently "development," and for "dams" is apparently "developments." Read on for the FERC wording using these new substitutions:

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for relicensing of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project No. 2082-027

Issued: September 25, 2006

Commission staff prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for relicensing of PacifiCorp’s 161-megawatt Klamath Hydroelectric Project, located primarily on the Klamath River in Klamath County, Oregon and Siskiyou County, California. On average, the project generates 716,820 megawatt-hours of electricity annually. The project occupies 219 acres of lands of the United States, which are administered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

The existing project consists of eight developments, seven of which are located on the Klamath River. PacifiCorp proposes to decommission the upstream-most East Side and West Side developments and to remove the Keno development, which has no generating facilities, from the project. The remaining project developments on the main stem of the Klamath River are J.C. Boyle, Copco No. 1, Copco No. 2, and Iron Gate. The proposed project also includes the existing Fall Creek development, located on a Klamath River tributary.

In this DEIS, Commission staff assessed the environmental and economic effects of:

  • Continuing to operate the project with no changes or enhancements (no-action alternative);
  • Operating the project as proposed by PacifiCorp (PacifiCorp’s proposal);
  • Operating the project as proposed by PacifiCorp with additional or modified environmental measures (staff alternative);
  • Staff alternative with conditions filed by the Department’s of the Interior and Commerce; and
  • Retirement of the Iron Gate and Copco No. 1 developments with additional or modified measures for the remaining developments.

Source: http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/enviro/eis/09-25-06.asp

So, FERC, if you stop calling them "dams," will they stop being dams? Do explain! How can the average layman -- i.e., irrigator, farmer, farmer's wife, farmer's children, farmer's friends, local banker, feed store or other business operator -- intelligently comment on your Draft Environmental Impact Statement for relicensing of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project No. 2082-027  if you change the language with which they are familiar? Would you expect a child to suddenly comprehend Greek in a book that was written in English the previous day?

Continuing from this website address / URL: http://www.ferc.gov/industries/hydropower/enviro/eis/09-25-06.asp

"Based on our detailed analysis of the environmental benefits and costs associated with the four alternatives considered in detail in this draft EIS, we conclude that the best alternative for the Klamath Hydroelectric Project would be to issue a new license consistent with the environmental measures specified in the Staff Alternative.

Comments must be filed by November 24, 2006.

Comments on this DEIS can be eFiled.

http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp

http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling/docs-efiled.asp"

How can anyone outside the federal government employ, with the possible exception of those involved in litigation, hope to understand and lucidly comment, when the very directions are, verily, a can of worms? Visit the "Comments on this DEIS can be eFiled" http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp to see exactly what I mean!

Reading from the FERC 'playbook,' also known as "About FERC: Top Priorities"

Top Priorities: These are the most important issues that are either pending before or being implemented by the Commission. Top Priorities include efforts related to industries regulated by the Commission, and actions that are being taken to improve Commission services for the public. Source: http://www.ferc.gov/about/top-priorities.asp

and "FERC: Strategic Plan FY 2006-FY 2001:"

"FERC Vision: Abundant, reliable energy in a fair competitive market. Source: http://www.ferc.gov/about/strat-docs/strat-plan.asp


FERC Mission: Regulate and oversee energy industries in the economic, environmental, and safety interests of the American public. Source: http://www.ferc.gov/about/strat-docs/strat-plan.asp

Guiding Principles that Strengthen the Commission's Overall Performances 

To fulfill its Mission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission commits to…

Organizational Excellence: Use resources efficiently and effectively to achieve its strategic priorities.

Due Process and Transparency: Complete regulatory proceedings in an open and fair manner, consistent with established regulations.

Regulatory Certainty: Provide regulatory certainty through consistent Commission approaches and actions.

Stakeholder Involvement: Ensure that interested parties are informed and provided an appropriate opportunity to participate in Commission proceedings.

Timeliness: Act on regulatory matters in an expeditious manner
 
 
Goals and Objectives 

Goal 1: Energy Infrastructure - Promote the Development of a Strong Energy Infrastructure

Objective A: Stimulate Appropriate Infrastructure Development

Resolve regulatory and other challenges to needed development

Encourage investment and effect timely cost recovery


Objective B: Maintain a Reliable and Safe Infrastructure

Assure reliability of interstate transmission grid

Protect safety at LNG and hydropower facilities

Incorporate environmental considerations into Commission decisions  
 

Goal 2: Competitive Markets - Support Competitive Markets

Objective A: Develop Rules that Encourage Fair and Efficient Competitive Markets

Employ best practices in market rules

Reduce barriers to trade between markets and among regions


Objective B: Prevent Accumulation and Exercise of Market Power

Assure proposed mergers and acquisitions are in the public interest

Address market power in jurisdictional wholesale markets
 
 

Goal 3: Enforcement - Prevent Market Manipulation

Objective A: Provide Vigilant Oversight

Identify and remedy problems with structure and operations in energy markets


Objective B: Provide Firm but Fair Enforcement

Establish clear and fair processes

Conduct investigations promptly and impose penalties where appropriate

Encourage self-policing and -reporting of violations" 
 
Source: http://www.ferc.gov/about/strat-docs/strat-plan.asp

There must be no heed paid to the expired-since-October 1, 1992, "Endangered Species Act." There must be no question whatsoever that the Klamath Project Dams ("developments") must be relicensed and continue to do their jobs for the people: the people of the Klamath Basin, the people of the United States of America and the people of the world -- who are so much the richer for the blood, sweat and tears equity of the awesome, knowledgeable, hardworking, honorable and honest Klamath Project irrigator and farmer and his family.

You can do no less. You must do no less!

Signed,

Miss Julie Kay Smithson

Property rights and resource provider researcher

London, Ohio 43140

propertyrights@earthlink.net

http://www.propertyrightsresearch.org

Permission to post from the author.