From the Hoopa Valley Tribe:
Within hours of taking up the gavel, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Michael Johnson, brought it down on a bill that would gut California’s fisheries and wipe out a thirty-year old program to repair environmental damage caused by the massive Central Valley Project.
Buried in the 100-page bill are eight lines written by Representative David Valadao (R-CA-22) and co-sponsored by eleven other California Republicans, including Speaker Johnson’s predecessor, Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20). They order the Secretary of the Interior to “deem complete the fish, wildlife, and habitat mitigation and restoration actions” required by the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act (PL-102-575 Title XXXIV) signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.
“This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to lie to the Nation,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal Chairman Joe Davis. “Our fishery isn’t restored; it hangs in the balance. Sponsors of this legislation know that.” This year’s harvest allocation of Klamath-Trinity River fall chinook salmon was 374 fish for nearly 3,600 HVT members; and at least one species, coho salmon, is listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).
“The Central Valley Project devastated the Trinity River fishery that has been important to the survival of our people since time immemorial. said Vice Chairman Everett Colegrove.“These lawmakers — and the Central Valley agri-business corporations that support them — would leave us a few hundred fish annually; that cannot possibly support the Hupa people,” said Hupa Fisheries Director Michael Orcutt.
“This bill is a moral outrage. It betrays laws and policies established to protect the Hupa people and the well-being of all Californians,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal Council Member Isaac Bussell.
“On October 3, the Biden Administration told Congress that the President would veto this legislation if it reached his desk,” said Hoopa Valley Tribal Council Member Daniel Jordan.
“We take the President at his word; and we will work with California Senators Alex Padilla and Laphonza Butler, and our Congressman, Jared Huffman (D-CA-2) to strike this untrue language from the legislation and ensure that our fishery is restored,” said Chairman Davis.
The legislation is H.R. 4394 – Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2024
CONTACTS:
- Joe Davis, Chairman, 530 515-0433 (mobile), hoopachairman@gmail.com
- Michael Orcutt, Fisheries Director, 707 499-6143 (mobile), mworcutt@gmail.com
