Dan Keppen

Articles and letters by or about Dan Keppen's
 role in the Klamath Basin

Brief bio: Executive Director Family Farm Alliance, former Executive Director Klamath Water Users Association, Special Assistant to the Regional Director Lester Snow, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Mid-Pacific Region, Director of Member and Government Relations, Northern California Water Association, Water Resources Engineer

Dan Keppen Biography

Rex Cozzalio, a 3rd generation Hornbrook rancher, responds to Family Farm Alliance false claims that Klamath Dams provide no flood control or provision for irrigators, 5/11/23 FOLLOWED BY: Why support Klamath deals? Our world needs food, by Family Farm Alliance Patrick O’Toole and Dan Keppen for the Capital Press, supporting the KBRA/Klamath dam destruction agreement.

Family Farm Alliance - Support Klamath settlement (Klamath Basin Restoration Agreements) to meet food needs (Opinion), by Family Farm Alliance Dan Keppen and Pat O'Toole, guest columnists for The Oregonian, March 31, 2015.
 <  HOWEVER the Klamath River communities and representatives did not support the "agreements."

One fix for Basin water issues may not exist. Multiple smaller ideas could prove to be a better long-term solution by Tom Mallams for H&N 2/15/15. "After reading the article “Fatally Flawed,” and the extremely negative letter penned by Dan Keppen mentioned in it, speaking as one Klamath County commissioner, I feel a response is in order."
Letter sent from Dan Keppen explaining why Clear Lake reservoir should not be considered for water storage for the Klamath Project. 1/28/15. Keppen previously worked for the Bureau of Reclamation, was director of Klamath Water Users Association, presently works for Klamath Water and Power Agency as a media consultant and engineer, and is executive director of Family Farm Alliance.
Commission backs Clear Lake water storage study.  Cost, feasibility, other questions raised as major roadblocks, H&N 1/15/15.

<Tucker's Facebook Photo. House passes bill aiming to expedite Klamath dam removal, H&N 9/25/2020. “ 'The Karuk Tribe lauds Congressman Huffman’s amendment,' said Craig Tucker, natural resource specialist for the Karuk Tribe. 'It’s irresponsible to allow PacifiCorp to operate these dams at status quo and continue the destruction of our fishery.'

Water coalition aims to coordinate conservation efforts, H&N 11/19/19. "The Coalition of the Willing, a group of about 50 to 60 individuals...hired a facilitator whose salary is being financed in part by county funds, with pledges made by state and federal entities....Dan Keppen and Craig Tucker informally chair the stakeholders coalition."
Craig Tucker, Karuk Tribe spokesman, KBRA voting member, and a founder and board member of Klamath Riverkeeper. He joined Green Corps, specialized in community organizing and social justice, outreach director for Friends of the River,  He is Campaign Coordinator for the Karuk Tribe's 'Bring the Salmon Home' campaign. "The goal: removal of four dams on the Klamath River which would represent the largest dam removal project in history." "we worked with the Klamath Project irrigators, the enemies of the tribes since those guys showed up; we did work out a water sharing agreement. ...We did not solve all the problems in the Klamath Basin with these agreements. We did not get rid of all the farmers, we did not rebuild all the wetlands, but we do pull off the biggest dam removal in the history of the world...and if we're still gonna deal with water quality issues at Keno, at the end of the day, I can guarantee the Karuk Tribe and Craig Tucker will be in the front seat dealing with that next."
Dan Keppen: is presently is executive director of Family Farm Alliance and Klamath Water Users Association / KWUA public relations employee. He was engineer and media consultant for the former KWAPA / Klamath Water and Power Agency for KWUA On Project Plan, which was included in the KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement.  Keppen was with Northern California Water Association, and employed by the Bureau of Reclamation before coming to Klamath Falls in 2001 to work as executive director of KWUA.

KWAPA - On Project Plan Newsletter 12/2013, "On behalf of Dan Keppen and KWAPA I would like to send you a copy of the final OPPortunities Newsletter,"  from Chelsea Shearer, Executive Assistant to Greg Addington, KWUA. "At the last OPPAC meeting considerable discussion centered on one potential demand management option still under consideration—the “Farmer Leaseback Program” or “Beginning Farmer Program”. If this option were implemented, KWAPA would use up front money to purchase land outright, and use these lands over the long-term to help provide a means of generating water savings through demand management activities."

KWAPA / KBRA - Klamath On Project Plan Newsletter 3/13/13. "Dan Keppen has created the OPP newsletter Issue 5." Keppen is a former employee of Bureau of Reclamation, former director of Klamath Water Users Association, and currently works for KWAPA / Klamath Water and Power Agency, and is the Executive Director of Family Farm Alliance. The newsletter explains several of the water management details mandated for KWAPA by the KBRA/Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement, including "water transfers and water acquisitions." Keppen's newsletter explains why KWAPA determined, "Storage Option Not Recommended for Further Study." The KBRA mandates California to have a groundwater management plan with "no adverse impacts." "This voluntary action has been taken recently by Tulelake Irrigation District..." There will be a "limit on diversion." OPP's first goal and objective is to "meet commitments specified in the KBRA."
KWAPA Page:  http://www.klamathbasincrisis.org/Poweranddamstoc/kwapa/KWAPAtoc.htm

Family Farm Alliance letters to KBC and KBC response Family Farm Alliance/Dan Keppen letter to KBC News threatening litigation for wording on the 2012 Farm Bill and grievances on our reporting.  KBC editor responds June 2012. Here is the 2012 Farm Bill page including support from KBRT, Sierra Club, Environmental Defense Fund, ... The letter from Keppen also states regarding the dam-removal KBRA: "...we wish to make the following unequivocal points:  The Family Farm Alliance has never made, and does not intend to make, any statement supporting or opposing the KBRA.  Our organization has never taken any position on the KBRA, nor does it anticipate taking any such position.  The Family Farm Alliance advocates for Western irrigated agriculture on issues of general application, and does not typically address local or regional issues such as the KBRA."

Whistleblowing returns to the Klamath Basin. A time honored election-year tradition makes another tour on the issues. Herald and News April 2, 2012 guest commentary by Dan Keppen. "...The latest incident involving Dr. Houser will undoubtedly put proponents of the Klamath River settlement agreements and President Barack Obama’s administration in an embarrassing and defensive position, at least initially. However, as is often the case with any employee that is terminated, it remains to be seen how much “sour grapes” personal vindication — on both sides of the matter — underlies this issue..."
Dr. Houser PAGE: Klamath Dam science whistleblower page: Dr. Paul Houser, hydrometeorologist, and expert scientist on "Scientific Integrity," was the highest level scientist in the Bureau of Reclamation, and the only scientist in the D.C. office. Houser was fired for exposing the Secretary of Interior's "intentional falsification," "bias," and  "predetermined intention" to destroy the Klamath dams.

Family Farm Alliance engages in new farm bill coalition, Family Farm Alliance 3/2012, page 6 "...The Family Farm Alliance joined with representatives of the California Farm Bureau Federation, Trout Unlimited, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, The Nature Conservancy, Arizona Public Lands Council, Environmental Defense Fund, Public Lands Council (PLC) and the Irrigation Association on February 25 to form the Western Agriculture and Conservation Coalition to advocate for balanced management of resources in the rural west.."

Merkley visits Basin; talks funding, policy, H&N, posted to KBC 1/22/12. “There are people locally saying scrap the (Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement), we don’t need it,” said Dan Keppen, executive director of Family Farm Alliance. “Get rid of federal laws like the ESA and all our problems will go away.” KBC NOTE:  Contrary to Keppen's characterization of Klamath irrigators, we do not advocate throwing out federal laws and endangering species, but have long advocated amending those laws that do not work, using unbiased science. The KBRA significantly downsizes agriculture, destroys 4 hydroelectric dams, gives land to the tribes, and plants endangered fish in our warm shallow lakes.

Keppen Appointed to Clean Water America Alliance Board, Family Farm Alliance January 2012 http://www.klamathbasincrisis.org/ffa/2012/2012-01.pdf

Monday Oct 3, Klamath Falls, meeting about signing up for cheaper power rater for irrigators, "Water For Power" (Approximately 50 people attended this meeting.
Below is the audio and some quotes from the Tulelake meeting:
AUDIO 9/28/11 - Klamath Basin "Power for Water Agreement" Holly Cannon, KWAPA / Klamath Water and Power Agency (power part of the KBRA / Klamath Basin Restoration Agreement), Executive Director, held meeting in Tulelake to urge irrigators to sign onto the "low-cost power for water" agreement..."...that's what the KBRA is about, is bringing "low-cost power..."
Cannon: "What you're giving up is water to get affordable power."
Q "What is the acre feet that we're giving away for this cheaper power rate?"
A  Cannon: "I'd say 20-25%, but it varies year to year.....What you're giving up is water to get affordable power...KWAPA is doing an On-Project plan that is designing how you're going to give up water..." 
Q "What happens if we find out with the program it looks good, then all of a sudden it could be higher than the tariff rate? You can't guarantee what that rate's going to be."
Cannon, "We can't guarantee it."
Q "It might not be that golden egg ...and the landlord says, 'no I don't want this,' and then he's stuck with it... and then it could be a liability problem too." 
Cannon, "it could be,"  
Q "and then he  comes back on whoever signs the contract."
Cannon, "yeah."
There is more discussion and clarification by Cannon, Tulelake Irrigation District manager Earl Donosky, and Klamath Water Users Association President Gary Wright regarding the benefits of the KBRA, and also discussion about prerogatives of PacifiCorp.

Klamath groups closer to settlement, Herald and News 4/25/07 "Dan Keppen of the Family Farm Alliance said he witnessed the problems and animosity surrounding water issues in the Klamath Basin and along the Klamath River for a number of years...'...It just wasn't healthy at all,'  he said."

Recent and Proposed Environmental Restoration and Water Conservation Efforts Undertaken by Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) & Landowners, by Dan Keppen. 1/2003 

Below are some of the closed-door negotiations promoted by Dan Keppen and Klamath Water Users Association. Most of them had the promise of more "dependable" water for Klamath Project irrigators. However the majority of the public did not support or the biased "science" behind them, giving land to the tribes that they previously sold, taking more land out of agriculture, or believe the government's promises:

==================== =======================================
 

====================================================

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, any copyrighted material herein is distributed without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml