North Coast Journal Blogthing

That was the word today from Craig Tucker, Klamath Campaign Coordinator for the Karuk Tribe, as he explained why he, the Karuk Tribe’s Vice Chair Leaf Hillman and commercial fisherman Dave Bitts, of Eureka, are suing the California Department of Fish and Game.

They filed suit in Alameda County Superior Court this morning. The complaint alleges that the DFG is illegally using taxpayer’s money to run its suction dredge mining program — which litigants say allows hobby miners to dredge in places “known to be critical habitat for endangered and at-risk species such as Coho salmon, Pacific lamprey, and green sturgeon,” according to a news release.

DFG was court-ordered to rewrite its suction dredge rules to reflect knowledge of species that were listed for protection after the current rules were written — and it was supposed to have completed the California Environmental Quality Act review process and changed its regulations by June 20 of last year.

That didn’t happen. DFG said it hadn’t the money to do the review. The tribe and others tried legislating change; the governor wouldn’t sign it. Two weeks ago, the Karuk Tribe and a commercial fishermen’s group and others petitioned DFG Director Don Koch to write emergency regulations restricting dredging. They wanted that to be contingent upon the State Water Resources Control Board’s granting half a million bucks to the DFG to do the CEQA review. The money was granted but the petition was rejected.

Thursday evening, DFG spokesperson Jordan Traverso said that, legally, the DFG couldn’t impose emergency regulations based on the criteria the petitioners offered.

So now there’s the lawsuit.  Said Craig Tucker on Thursday by phone:

We’re seeking whatever remedy we can now. If we have to file lawsuits we’ll file lawsuits. This is phenomenally important to the Karuk Tribe. And for those guys not to step up and protect these fish, I just can’t tell you how disappointed we are.

He added that, with all the talk of cuts in state government, the program for “3,000 hobby miners” might be a good place to start.

By 5 p.m. today, DFG Director Koch’s office hadn’t been served with the lawsuit, said Traverso, and so they weren’t ready to comment on it yet.

At the premiere showing in San Francisco at the American Indian Film Festival, left to right: Steve Michelson, DVD producer; Leaf Hillman, Vice-Chair, Karuk Tribe; Lyle Marshall,  Chair, Hoopa Valley Tribe; Merk Oliver, Yurok Tribe; Ray Matz, Yurok Tribe; Stephen Most, author of River of Renewal (book and film). Photo by Thomas B. Dunklin

The Klamath River, in all of its beauty and turmoil, runs through the consciousness of many. And it’s always in the news: fish dying, parasites swarming, dams dropping (perhaps), farmers shaking hands with fishermen, powers-that-be talking.

So we just wanted to remind you of several screenings this week and weekend of River of Renewal. The 54-minute documentary directed by Carlos Bolado is based on Stephen Most’s book River of Renewal: Myth and History in the Klamath Basin.

The film won Best Documentary Feature at the 2008 American Indian Film Festival. Covering the territory from the farms in the dry upper basin on down the river to the ocean, it tells the story of the water war and ecological crises in the Klamath Basin through the eyes of Jack Kohler — a Welsh-Yurok/Karuk who grew up in San Francisco.

The screenings:

Today, Feb. 5, 5:30-7 p.m. at Founders Hall 118 at Humboldt State University. Stephen Most will be there.

Friday, Feb. 6, 6 p.m. at the Yurok Tribal Headquarters in Klamath. Most will be there to answer questions. And, Troy Fletcher, the Yurok Tribe’s Policy Analyst and lead negotiator in the Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement talks, will talk about those negotiations as well about the recent Agreement in Principle between the stakeholders and federal and state leaders to remove the dams.

Saturday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. at the College of the Redwoods campus in Crescent City. Fisheries geo-videologist Thomas B. Dunklin — the guy who took that incredible photo of a Pacific lamprey on the cover of our paper last week — will be screening some salmon footage before the documentary.

Sunday, Feb. 8, 7 p.m. at Westhaven Center for the Arts at 7 pm.