FEBRUARY 1958 KLAMATH TRIBUNE Page 5 Exec. Comm. Members Issue Joint Statement At Wash, hearings Four Executive Commit t e e members, Dihhon Cook, Boyd Jackson, Jessie L. Kirk, and Sel don K. Kirk, presented a joint statement before the Senate In dian Sub-Committee on the inorn of February 6, prefacing their re marks by stating: "We appear before your Sub committee on what may be the last crucial testimony affecting the future destiny of the Klamath and Modoc Tribes and Vahooskin Hand of Snake Indians (herein after referred to as the Klamath Tribe) enrolled' at the Klamath Indian Agency in Oregon. What we have to say represents our combined conclusions reached only after serious and considered deliberations among ourselves." Their report pointed out that Public Law 587 "as it presently exists has created serious confu sion and disturbances among members of the Klamath Indian Tribe. Much of the confusion and uncertainty arises directly from the fact that recent thinking with respect to the Klamath problem has been based on the estimate that 70 per cent or more of the Klamath .Tribe will choose to withdraw from . tribal member ship under the provisions of P. L. 587." These members felt that the Federal Government should pro vide for the purchase of the en tire reservation if as many as 70 percent o f the members are ser ious about withdrawing, an esti mate they felt to be "grossly er roneous." These committee members, who had an opportunity to speak indi vidually later in the hearings, jointly testified that they were dissatisfied with the appraisal of tribal property released by the Indian Bureau on January 31. As they stated: "On the after noon of January 31, tlie Indian Bureau released to us a general summary of tribal assets, a docu ment which we understand to set forth the total "realization value" of Klamath tribal assets arrived at by the appraisers retained by the Management Specialists pur suant to Section 5 of P. L. 587. The total value, after deductions for "net budgeted expenditures for fiscal vcar 1957" comes to $1J 1.643.9 18. 10. As you will note, the total value is arrived at by appraisal of timber units, grazing units, marsh units, farm units, agency buildings, miscellaneous economic units, and "net tribal asets other than economic units. "We believe that the total figures arrived at by the ap praisers are wholly inadequate as reflecting the true market value of Klamath assets. This seems apparent on the face of the gen eral summary furnished to us. P. L. 587 provides that all tribal property should be appraised. We doubt this has been done." The report states that the ap praisal obviously fails to attribute any value to subsurface rights, including pumice, titanium, dia tomaceous earth, water rights and power resources. "As an example, a 1950 survey under the auspices of the Geo logical Survey of the Department of the Interior indicates a "mini mum total volume of pumice (of) about 0.000,000,000 yards" is pre sent on about 1,100 square miles of the Klamath Reservation. Taken in conjunction with the fact that production of pumice within the State of Oregon has been centered in the Bcnd-Che-mult area north of the Reserva tion, it is startling to us to believe that any independent appraiser could arrive at a valuation of the Klamath Reservation without taking this valuable resource into consideration. Likewise, we be lieve that there are valuable titan ium deposits on the Reservation; and there are considerable de posits of diatomaccotts earth, which is used for production of cosmetics and other by-products." The reoirrt also takes up the matter of water rights and hunting-fishing rights: "In addition to the subsurface items just men tioned, valuable water rights guaranteed to the Klamath Tribe by the United States are tied to the land included within the Reservation. Also, exclusive hunt ing and fishing rights guaran teed by the United States and confirmed by its courts are not considered, not even mentioned, in the summary of the appraisal. Furthermore, it is known that the Army Fngineers have made studies looking toward develop ment of power facilities, utiliz ing Williamson and Sprague Rivers within the Reservation." The Secretary was requested to "be certain that such values as are properly attributable to this re source be included in the ap praisal and that the subcommittee perform a watch-dog function seeing that proper values are in cluded for all these resources." "But first and foremost." the report stated, "recent figures furnished by the Klamath Agency indicate that the Klamath Reser vation contains approximately 5.5(X),(XX),(XX) board feet of cut over and virgin merchantable tim ber. Assuming, on the basisof recent sales, and utilizing a mini mum figure of $38.(X) per thou sand, indicated by recent sales, this timber alone would indicate a value of $W,(XX),(XX).(X) as com pared with the $1 18,(XX).(XX).(X) set forth in the general summary of the appraisal. Fvcn assuming that approximately 1 ,885.(XX),(XX) board teet is lodgepole pine pulp, and that its minimum value is $8.(X) per thousand board feet, we get a figure approximating $150,0U), (XX).OO. We believe that the wide disparitv between $1 18,(XX),(XX).(X) and $-W(0(XUXX).(X), or even $150, (X).(XXUX) is unconscionable." "Accordingly, we. protest be fore this Subcommittee and the public that the appraisal carried out pursuant t P. L. 587 as rep resented by the general summary of tribal assets, is deficient in giving due consideration to po tential and specific values of the Reservation. The apprais.rl re port certainly should not be ap proved by the Secretary of the Interior until it includes full and fair values for all resources. As suming an extreme situation where 10 per cent of the mem bers choose to withdraw, the re turns received would be less than just compensation if the sales do not bring at least appraised prices. Aside from material values, we cannot ignore other values which mean much to us the fact that the Reservation represents our heritage and homeland, and pro vides us with a measure of free dom w hich it has been our custom to enjoy." Their report Concluded with the following recommendation : "If the United States Govern ment is willing to pay a price which is fair and equitable, we wotdd favor federal purchase. We think there should be negotia tions between tribal representa tives and representatives of the United States to' reach a . price satisfactory to the Tribe. In order that there may be time for this, we ask that this Committee request that the Secretary defer approval of the appraisal. If agreement cannot be reached, we ask that the property be trans ferred to a legal entity to be formed by the Tribe." Respectfully submitted, Scldon K. Kirk Jesse L. Kirk, Sr. Dihhon Cook Boyd J. Jackson Appraisal Summary Value-Units Given Item Klamath Timber Units Klamath Grazing Units Marsh Units Farm Units Agency Buildings Fconomic Units other than listed above Xet Tribal assets other than economic units Appraised tribal net worth Xet budgeted expenditures Kstimated Assets available for distribution Xo. of units 95 4 10 Realization Value or other amount $118,-107,5.V).rx) InM.'X ).()) I07.05MH) M.i.(XX).(X) 9M.)0 .?.W,7 1. 10 1.M.7 10.718. 10 2.08 1.1 (JO.OQ 12l.n59AIH.lO The figures above represent a general summary of all the value unit listed in the appraisal of tribal assets. They arc given according to type of unit.