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<P><FONT size=7><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>NEWS RELEASE</STRONG></FONT></P></FONT>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>Contact:<SPAN
class=534203522-14012005> </SPAN>Andrew T. Lloyd<BR><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>Attorney<BR><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>Pacific Legal Foundation<BR><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>(916) 419-7111</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>Dawn Collier<BR><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>Media Director<BR><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>Pacific Legal Foundation<BR><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>(916) 419-7111<BR><SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>
</SPAN>(916) 718-8572 (Cell)</STRONG></FONT></P>
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<P align=center><FONT size=5><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>FEDERAL COURT DISMISSES
TRIBE’S<BR>SUIT TO USURP WATER RIGHTS OF<BR>KLAMATH BASIN
FARMERS</STRONG></FONT></P></FONT><U>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>OAKLAND, CA; January 14,
2005:</STRONG></FONT></U><FONT face=Arial> In the second major court victory for
Klamath farmers this week, a federal court yesterday ruled in favor of the
Klamath Water Uses Association when it dismissed the case brought by the Yurok
Tribe to usurp the water rights of Klamath farmers. Pacific Legal Foundation
successfully represented the Klamath Water Users Association as intervenors in
the tribe’s case against the federal government. (The case is <I>PCFFA v. United
States Bureau of Reclamation<SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>.</SPAN></I>)</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>"This is a great victory for Klamath farmers, and
for all of the people who worked hard to put a balanced plan in place for the
Klamath Basin," said Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Andrew Lloyd. "The
farmers and the federal government understood that everyone needs to work
together to manage scarce resources."</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>"Unfortunately, the Yurok Tribe used the Klamath
crisis as a political opportunity to wrest operational control of the Klamath
Project from the Bureau of Reclamation. The tribe wanted the Bureau to dedicate
its stored water to them first, and only if there was water left over could any
be used by the Klamath Project’s farmers. The judge made it clear that the tribe
does not have that authority," Lloyd said.</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>In 2001, Klamath Basin farmers lost their crops and
farms when environmentalists forced a shutdown of water deliveries to the
farmers to protect coho salmon and sucker fish in the Upper Klamath Lake. The
federal government’s decision to end water deliveries to hundreds of farming
families who have lived and farmed in the basin for a century left many farmers
bankrupt and severely damaged the community economically. Despite the
devastation they suffered, the farmers have continued to work with the federal
government to make more water available for in-stream flows through a water bank
program. </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>The Yurok Tribe, which lives nearly 200 miles
downriver from the Klamath Project, claimed the operation of the Klamath Project
and low water flow caused an unprecedented fish die off in 2002. They contended
the bureau should have released more water, and that the low flows violated
their fishing rights under federal law. They sued to force the federal
government to give more water to them and less to the farmers, but failed to
establish any legal basis for the court to do so. </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>The court agreed with PLF’s position that the 2002
fish die off occurred only once in recorded history, and found that the tribe
could not establish that a similar fish die off was likely to occur in the
future. Despite the fish die off, the California Department of Fish and Game
reported that during the 2002 fishing season, the Yurok Tribe and the Hoopa
Valley Tribe were able to catch more than 24,000 fish, which was well above the
historical average harvest of 22,500. </STRONG></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>Earlier this week, Pacific Legal Foundation won
another long-fought victory on behalf of Klamath farmers when a federal judge
ruled that the Endangered Species Act listing of the coho salmon in the Klamath
Basin rivers of southern Oregon and northern California was unlawful. (<I>Grange
v. Evans and National Marine Fisheries Service<SPAN
class=534203522-14012005>.</SPAN></I>) </STRONG></FONT></P><U>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>About Pacific Legal
Foundation</STRONG></FONT></P></U>
<P><FONT face=Arial><STRONG>Founded in 1973, Pacific Legal Foundation is a
national leader in the effort to reform the Endangered Species Act and raise
awareness of the Act’s impact on people. More information on the Foundation
can be found at <I>www.pacificlegal.org</I>.</STRONG></FONT></P>
<P align=center><FONT face=Arial><STRONG># # #</STRONG></FONT></P></FONT>
<P><B><FONT face=Arial></FONT></B> </P>
<P><B><FONT face=Arial>For Immediate Release</FONT></B> </P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>CONTACT:
</FONT><BR><FONT face=Arial>Tanya Augustson, (202) 347-0228,
taugustson@beef.org</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Arial>Karen Batra, (202) 347-0228,
kbatra@beef.org </FONT></P><BR>
<P align=center><U><B><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=4>Judge’s Decision
Scores Victory for Klamath Ranchers’ Water Rights<BR></FONT></B></U><B><FONT
face=Arial color=#000000 size=4>Common-sense management of fish and wildlife
prevails</FONT><U></U></B></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#000000>Washington, D.C. (Jan. 17, 2005) – Ranchers
and farmers in the Klamath River area scored a major judicial victory Friday
when a federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the Yurok Tribe. The case
challenged the Bureau of Reclamation’s management of water in the Klamath
River. </FONT> <FONT face=Arial>The plaintiffs claimed the government’s
management of the Klamath Project violated their fishing rights in 2002 and
resulted in a die-off of salmon on the lower Klamath River.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial>Oakland, Calif. Judge Saundra Armstrong agreed with motions
put forth by the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) and the federal
government that there was no evidence linking the bureau’s management of water
with the die-off. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#000000>The Klamath Project delivers irrigation water
to 220,000 acres of farm land in Oregon, Washington, and southern
California. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is working to
maintain the economic viability of agriculture and ranching communities
throughout the West by minimizing undue regulatory burdens. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#000000>“We are pleased Judge Armstrong recognized the
absence of evidence to support the plaintiff’s claims,” says Jeff Eisenberg,
NCBA director of federal lands. “Producers need their operations to be
viable while simultaneously caring for the environment and protecting fish and
wildlife,” Eisenberg continued. “Obviously there are watershed
issues in the Klamath area that need to be dealt with, but we look forward to
addressing these needs outside the litigation process.”</FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#000000>Dan Keppen, KWUA executive director explained,
“We are sympathetic toward the tribe’s needs, and our attorneys tried to work
with all interested parties to reach a win-win position in this case. Still,
litigation will not resolve their concerns. There are other ways to
constructively reach a remedy that addresses all watershed needs without
needless lawsuits and divisive press attacks.” </FONT></P>
<P><FONT face=Arial color=#000000>A 2003 National Academy of Sciences (NAS)
report "Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River
Basin: Causes of Decline and Strategies for Recovery," found no substantial
scientific support linking irrigation in the Klamath basin to the welfare of
endangered fish. The scientific panel suggested a number of factors –
other than water and flow levels -- could be to blame. These include water
temperature, oxygen levels, algae population, the number and size of dams along
the waterway and development in the area. </FONT></P><BR>
<P align=center><I><FONT face=Arial size=2>~ visit our web sites at
</FONT></I><A href="http://www.beefusa.org"><I></I><I><U><FONT face=Arial
color=#0000ff size=2>www.beefusa.org</FONT></U></I><I></I></A><I><FONT
face=Arial size=2> or </FONT></I><A
href="http://hill.beef.org"><I></I><I><U><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>http://hill.beef.org</FONT></U></I><I></I></A><I><FONT face=Arial size=2>
~</FONT></I></P>
<P><I><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> </FONT><FONT face=Arial
size=2>The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is the largest
organization representing America’s cattle industry. Initiated in 1898,
NCBA is the industry leader in education, influencing public policy to improve
producer profitability and in preserving the industry’s heritage and
future. Efforts are made possible through membership contributions. To
join, contact NCBA at 1-866-BEEF-USA or membership@beef.org.</FONT></I></P><BR>
<P><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080 size=2>Karen Batra</FONT> <BR><FONT
face=Tahoma color=#000080 size=2>Director of Public Affairs</FONT> <BR><B><FONT
face=Tahoma color=#000080 size=2>National Cattlemen's Beef
Association</FONT></B><BR><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080 size=2>1301
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080
size=2>Washington, DC 20004-1701</FONT> <BR><FONT face=Tahoma color=#000080
size=2>202-347-0228</FONT> <BR><U><FONT face=Tahoma color=#0000ff
size=2>kbatra@beef.org</FONT></U><FONT face=Tahoma color=#0000ff size=2></FONT>
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