Klamath Basin in Crisis

updated August 15, 2001

Government Tyranny is destroying a southern Oregon farm community.

For updated information from the Klamath Basin, see the Klamath Basin Crisis website.

We wish we could report that the farmers of the Klamath Basin and citizens of the surrounding community are suffering under an unprecedented act of government tyranny. Unfortunately this is just the latest in a long list of abuses perpetrated by our government under the aegis of the Endangered Species Act. One of the most perplexing aspects of the government's actions is that it threatens a refuge which is the winter home to 80 percent of the birds within the Pacific flyway, including the endangered bald eagle. A federal biologist has admitted in a written opinion that the bald eagle population will decline as a direct result of cutting the flow of water from Klamath Lake, which feeds both the farmers and the wildlife refuge.

Nothing tells the story or shows the consequences of the government's utter disregard for human life in the Klamath Basin quite like these images of the area showing what it looked like last year, and this year:


After consulting with Andrea Zingg and the head of the food bank in the Klamath Falls area, it appears that the most efficient means, by far, of rendering assistance to the people of the Klamath Basin is through cash donations directly to the food bank. As we mentioned before, this organization offers several benefits over transporting large quantities of food directly: they can purchase food and necessities with MUCH greater buying power than we can, on the order of 25 to 1. In addition, they have the ability to order whatever is needed when the need arises, thus eliminating the need for long-term food storage.

UPDATE:

With the receipt of a matching funds grant from the Ford Family Foundation, donations to the Klamath-Lakes County Food Bank now have TWICE the buying leverage as before... an astounding $50 for every $1 we donate. Let us not allow this opportunity to get some real help to the embattled families in the Basin go by...

With this in mind, we have set up a bank account for contributions. The information is as follows:

Make checks out to "Klamath Basin Crisis Relief Fund" (account number is 471379020798). These can be dropped off at any Key Bank branch, or mailed to

KeyBank
32400 Pacific Highway So.
Federal Way, WA 98003

NEW:
Our first load of money and supplies has been delivered, but bear in mind that the hardships these Americans face are far from over. The 28,000+ lbs. of food that our first donation will buy will be used in a matter of weeks... let's show the farmers of the Klamath Basin that we understand their plight, and will continue to assist them until this crisis is resolved.

Our next step is to notify all radio, TV and newspaper outlets of this effort, and to create and post flyers detailing the drive.

Anything you folks can do to spread the word will help. Call your churches, Boy Scout troops and any other civic-minded groups you can think of, and encourage them to support the people of Klamath Falls. As of today, the food bank will run out of food about the 3rd week in August, so any help we can deliver that weekend will be extremely important to these hard-working American families.

Let's get out the troops, and show the people of Klamath Falls that the TRT and the citizens of Washington State stand firmly with them in their hour of need.

As the water is (temporarily) flowing to satisfy the meager 70,000 acre-feet released by Interior Secretaty Gale Norton, pumping operations around the headgate have been suspended. More on this aspect of the situation as news arises.

Several editorials and columns have been written about the situation in Klamath Falls:

Liberty activist Jeff Head of Emmett, Idaho has created an online petition:

"Let the Irrigation Water Flow in the Klamath Basin of Oregon and Northern California" at: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/klamath/

Songwriter Brian D. Burns has written and recorded a poignant song called "Kill The Land" for the benefit of the citizens struggling in the Klamath Basin.

UPDATE: Brian's website is (sadly) going out of circulation, but he has graciously allowed WSTRT to make his song "Kill The Land" available from our website. You can hear it by clicking here.