Mt. Shasta, CA – Water and the record drought in the West will be the focus on Saturday, September, 26, at a rally that is expected to draw crowds from California and Oregon at the Headwaters of the Sacramento River at Mt. Shasta City Park – known for the purity and abundance of its waters.
The event will take place from 12 noon to 5 p.m. at the Mt. Shasta City Park, 1315 Nixon Road, Mt. Shasta CA 96067 (off of North Mt. Shasta Blvd. near Ski Village Drive).
Caleen Sisk, Chief and Spiritual Leader and leader of the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, will be the keynote speaker. Caleen's Tribe is opposing state and federal water grabs including plans to build the Delta Tunnels, to raise Shasta Dam, and to build Sites and Temperance Flats reservoirs.
Chief Sisk will be followed by a gathering of dynamic speakers and entertainers, all addressing water challenges in times of devastating drought. This event is co-sponsored by the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center (MSBEC) and the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water (EJCW).
This event follows a recently filed lawsuit (Aug. 24) by the environmental group "We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review" (W.A.T.E.R.) against Siskiyou County and Crystal Geyser Water Company, whose corporate offices are in Napa County, according to a news release from the two co-sponsors . The group has demanded an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for 2 years; the lawsuit requests Crystal Geyser Water Company meet California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) standards and requirements.
"On September 16, 2015, Crystal Geyser, through their PR Firm, Burson-Marsteller, stated it will comply with the EIR process," the group stated. "However, EIR’s don’t always present the entire picture of the effects of an industry's environmental impact. The Mt. Shasta City Park event will shed light on the issues of water bottling overall, plastic waste resulting from bottling, the overall effects and impact on the environment, and the irrationality of bottling water during the time of the worst drought in California’s history."
Sherry Ackerman, PhD., will reveal why multinational conglomerates head for California and New York in search of water, "blue gold," at the pristine mountain source.
Lucas RossMerz, of Sacramento River Preservation Trust, will address the importance of keeping the water in the river headed south to all those who use it for fishing, recreation, residential use and farming.
Reverend Amanda Ford, M.A., of the Environmental Justice Coalition for Water, will address human rights issues surrounding water.
"We are organizing to stand in solidarity because the source of our water here, Mt. Shasta, is threatened by multinational corporate resource extraction and exploitation as are many planetary sources," said Vicki Gold, of Water Flows Free, event co-coordinator. "Single serving plastic water bottling is an idea whose time has clearly passed. Our job is to increase public awareness of the power of the pocketbook."
Mauro Oliveira, of SOL Communications added: "The Sierra Nevada and Mount Shasta snowpacks are the lowest in 500 years. Our mission is to protect our water, our watersheds, oceans, all beings and their habitat. This event will inform and educate about the inter-relatedness of all life. The oceans, rivers and all life forms are suffering from plastic pollution and consequent endocrine disruption. We have to change our habits and question every action of polluting industry.”
Other speakers at the event will be: Konrad Fisher, Klamath Riverkeeper, Bob McFarland, California Guild (formerly California State Grange), Geneva Omann and Roslyn McCoy of W.A.T.E.R., Elaine Hsiao, PhD. candidate, Matt Isler, Sacred Economics and Phoenix Lawhon Isler of MSBEC.
"This is a time for unity, education and consciousness raising about our responsibility as stewards of the water, the land, the planet," according to the news release. "The entertainers, Saratone, Diane Patterson, Al Torre, Jenn Rogar, Sawako Ama and Rieko Ivaska with Iroha, will all bring soulful performances centered on love and respect for water. Mount Shasta is the beacon; here at the headwaters, a coalition of organizations and individuals focused on maintaining the purity of our water and the pristine nature of our ecosystems will form. Teachers, students, people of all ages and diverse cultural backgrounds are invited to join us. It will be a day to remember as this Pacific Northwest Alliance for Water is launched."
For more information, contact: Vicki Gold- (530) 926-4206 / Shannon Hacker- cell #: (805) 455-7185