Tribes Continue Power Firm Fight
BBC News
July 20, 2005

Representatives from four tribes said that the firm's American subsidiary, PacifiCorp, operates dam projects which have led to a drop in salmon numbers.

A visit to Scotland last year won the tribes a commitment to find a solution. However, the company announced the sale of PacifiCorp to MidAmerican in May.

Scottish Power said it had no direct control over the hydro scheme.

The tribes said Scottish Power, which has its HQ in Glasgow, had stonewalled them with negotiations until they could find a buyer for the subsidiary.

'Moral Thing to Do'

They argued that because the sale would take up to 18 months to complete, Scottish Power bosses still had time to act.

The Karuk, Yurok, Hoopa and Klamath tribes said the dam development had devastated more than 350 miles of historic salmon spawning grounds on the River Klamath in California and Oregon.

The 15-strong delegation said there had been a huge decline of fish numbers in what was once America's third greatest salmon river.

Ron Reed, a Karuk tribal fishermen, said: "Removing these dams is both the moral thing to do, and the best economic choice for Scottish Power/PacifiCorp.

"The dams are old and inefficient and produce relatively little electricity. They are not vital for energy production, or agriculture.

"Their impact on our local environment and tribal cultural resources cannot be understated.

"And they threaten Scottish Power's image of being a responsible business that cares for the environment and communities." The visitors called on the utility giant to make the decision to scrap the dams at the firm's annual general meeting on Friday.

A Scottish Power spokesman said: "As we said last year, the Klamath negotiations are a PacifiCorp issue that will be resolved in the US, and the proposed sale makes no difference.

"The Tribes have already met with MidAmerican and were assured that they will continue to deal with the same executives at PacifiCorp.

"Scottish Power has not had and will not have any direct involvement in the re-licensing process which, in any case, will ultimately be decided by the Federal authorities."

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Going Against the Flow
By John Driscoll, Eureka Times-Standard
July 21, 2005

For the second year, leaders of the Yurok, Hoopa Valley, Karuk and Klamath tribes are in Scotland making their case for the Klamath's dams to come out. Frustrated with what they see as backpedaling by ScottishPower CEO Ian Russell, the tribes are appealing to shareholders as well as everyday Scots.

PacifiCorp, which merged with ScottishPower in 1999, operates the six dams. "The man gave us his word," Yurok Councilman Richard Meyers said, "and we're going to hold him to it."

ScottishPower has said PacifiCorp is handling the relicensing, and anyway, a sale of the company to investor Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings is pending.

"The Klamath negotiations are a PacifiCorp issue that will be resolved in the U.S. and the proposed sale makes no difference," an unidentified ScottishPower spokesman told the BBC Wednesday.

PacifiCorp is seeking a new 50-year license for its hydropower dams on the Klamath, which produces about 150 megawatts of electricity -- enough for about 150,000 homes. But the dams have hurt the river's salmon runs the tribes rely on by blocking spawning grounds and contributing to poor water quality. There are no fish ladders to take salmon upstream of lowermost Iron Gate Dam.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is overseeing the complicated process, and a parallel and confidential settlement process is meant to come to agreements on the issue.

The contingent appears to have gained some attention in Scotland. The tribes said media coverage has been strong, and several people they've met with have canceled their business with ScottishPower. A member of the Scottish Parliament has even drafted a resolution in support of the tribes' efforts.

"The name ScottishPower cannot be taken to imply that the company's actions have the approval of the people of Scotland," said Scottish Parliament Member Robin Harper in a news release issued by the Karuk Tribe.

Ron Reed of the Karuk Tribe, on the middle Klamath River, said the complex sale of PacifiCorp to MidAmerican is unlikely before FERC comes to a decision. The current license expires in March 2006. That, he said, puts the ball in ScottishPower's court -- regardless of their standoff approach. "We're not buying that because they're supposed to be a green utility," Reed said. "We gave them the benefit of the doubt."

Tribal representatives will be speaking to shareholders at a ScottishPower general meeting on Friday.

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Scottish Parliament to Consider Resolution to Support Klamath River Tribe's Campaign to Remove Dams
Karuk Tribe Press Release
July 22, 2005

Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) Robin Harper announced today that he will be introducing a resolution to support the Hoopa, Karuk, Klamath, and Yurok Tribe's efforts to have Klamath River Dams removed, and the fishery restored. These are the three largest tribes in California and the largest in Oregon.

The Tribes are campaigning in Scotland to pressure multinational energy giant Scottish Power (NYSE - SPI) to remove dams which block over 350 miles of spawning habitat for salmon and degrade water quality. Since the building of the dams, Klamath salmon numbers have plummeted to less that 8% of their historic levels, devastating tribal cultures and local economies.

The dams are operated by Scottish Power's American subsidiary, PacifiCorp, based in Portland, Oregon.

For Tribes, salmon represent more than economic opportunity, they are the centerpiece of their culture. In addition, Tribal members, many of whom live in poverty, rely on subsistence fishing to feed their families. For these people, the dams deny access to healthy traditional food sources. Traditional Karuk Fishermen Ron Reed puts it bluntly, "These dams literally take food from the mouths of our children."

Last year, the Tribes traveled to Scotland and met with Scottish Power CEO Ian Russell. Russell committed to "find the right solution" to the problem. However, after a year of talks, the company's official license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission makes no mention of fish passage of any kind. In addition, Scottish Power has announced plans to sale PacifiCorp to Warren Buffet owned Mid American Energy, based in Des Moines, IA. Financial analysts say that the $10 billion deal will take 12-18 months to complete.

The current dam license expires March of 2006. Federal dam licenses typically last 30-50 years.

According the MSP Harper, "When Scottish Power bought PacifiCorp they bought the responsibilities- and liabilities- that went with that ownership. The salmon is under threat in both the Pacific and Atlantic from pollution, poor river management, fish farming, over-fishing and climate change. Scottish Power should do everything it can to achieve the best environmental standards and live up to their responsibilities. The name "Scottish Power" cannot be taken to imply that the company's actions have the approval of the people of Scotland."

According to Merv George, Jr., who attended last year's meeting with Ian Russell, "Mr. Russell told us last year that we could trust him to resolve this issue. We want to know that he is committed to solving the Klamath problem, not selling it to someone else."

Merv George is the Director of the Klamath River Inter-Tribal Fish and Water Commission. The Commission is comprised of the Karuk, Klamath, Hoopa, and Yurok Tribes.

The Tribes hope to resolve the fate of the Klamath dams before they are forced to deal with another energy corporation. If necessary, they are willing to intervene in the regulatory proceedings governing the sale.

However, with their livelihoods, culture, and the health of their children at stake, Tribal leaders are intent on restoring their fishery no matter who owns the dams.

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, and as defined under the provisions of "fair use", any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment for non-profit research and for educational use by our membership.