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About Klamath tribune. (Chiloquin, Or.) 1956-1961 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1960)
T APRIL 1960 KLAMATH TRIBUNE Page 3 Budget Hearing Held; Fire Protection Costs, Equipment Availability Pondered The annual budget hearing on landowners inquired a s fire protection was held at Klam ath Agency on April 28. Such hearings are held to afford land owners an opportunity to inspect the proposed budget of the fire protection district and ask ques tions concerning it and also .to discuss protection methods and other questions involved with the vital job of fire protection. The budglet is the basis for which the fire patrol assessment will be as sessed in November and will fi nance the protection job from July 1, 1960, to July 1, 1961. Following introduction of state personnel, a general explanation of fire protection procedures to be followed and a description of fire protection equipment on hand was made by Les Cummings, staff forester with the State. A general discussion between the landown ers and the State and BIA offi cials ensued. Landowners raised questions concerning the fire pro tection equipment, its source, maintenance, length of availabil ity, disposal. It was pointed out that most of this equipment was triballv-owned equipment, used in past seasons by the BIA and now on loan to the State, with the State having the responsibility for its maintenance. Landowners questioned whether there was not a danger that this equipment would be reclaimed by the BIA during the fire season for possible sale under the termination pro gram, leaving the district with in adequate equipment. Vic Sisson of the HIA, serving in a liaison capacity this season between HI A and State, assured that the BIA intended to leave the equipment at the disposal of the district un til the fire season was over. State officials expressed their intent to bring in State equipment as it becomes available so that tribally owned equipment could be re leased for sale. It was brought out that the State would be lim ited in replacement of caterpillars and a need was seen by the land owners for a formal agreement with the BIA to assure that such tribal equipment would remain available through the fire season. Also discussed at length were comparative fire protection costs between the State protective dis trict and Klamath Fire Protective Ass'n, a private, non-profit corp. responsible for protection of much timberland in Klamath County. It being observed that KFTA assesses some 15c per acre for fire protection on lands it services whereas the State will charge about 9c per acre on the Klamath Protective District, to the reason tor such a uitterence. Dis cussion revealed that part of the difference was attributable to the fact that KFPA finances its own equipment while much of the State's equipment is on loan from the BIA. Extent to which local district costs are borne on a statewide basis was also ana lyzed. It was noted that facilities furnished by the State amount to about 26 of the cost and also that the district warden is paid out of the State general fund. State officials emphasized, how ever, that each protective district is set up so that its accounts are wholly independent from other districts. Other matters discussed in cluded fire protection responsib ilities for the Antelope Desert sustained yield unit, in the pro cess of changing ownership, the need for close cooperation be tween all protective agencies, the importance of getting out fire protection information to land owners, and fire fighting pro cedures. State forestry officials present were Dwight Phipps, State For ester; Jim Walker, Assistant State Forester in Protection; Miles Compton, Area Supervisor, ICastern Oregon ; Les Cummings, Staff Forester, Klamath Agency; Bob Madsen, District Warden, Klamath Agency; Hank Davies, Assistant District Warden. Vic Sisson represented the BIA. Landowners present were Weyer haeuser Co., represented by Vince Bousquct and Royce Cornelius, and Klamath Lumber and Box, represented by R. Cantrall. Pres ent on George den. behalf of KFPA was Wardell, District War- Excc-Committcc Passes Resolutions Seeking Prompt Termination Payment 1- that the units which were not successfully sold to private pur chasers on August 1. 1960 would not be readvertized cither. Under Kesoiutions to nave the vei eral Government take title to un sold sustained yield units and make immediate pro-rata distri butions to withdrawing members were passed by the Tribal Ex. Comm. on April S, 1960. Concerned over the delay in the sale of the sustained yield units to pay the withdrawing members, t lie Committee passed two alternative resolutions in an effort to have the termination law amended. The Secretary of the Interior announced earlier that the three sustained yield units for which no bids were received on April 1, 1960 would not be readvertized. The Secretary also announced All Items Sold At April Personalty Sale All 130 items of personal prop erty put up for sale at Klamath Agency on April 28 were sold. Tribal members bid in all items for a total price of $8,978.25. Cash sales totaled $64.00 with the bal a n c c being purchased through pledge of pro rata shares. Another personal property sale is tentatively scheduled for May 18, at the tribal council house at Klamath Agency starting at 10 A. M. Also slated for May is a sale of tribal realty. Six parcels of real property, two of which involve partial, undivided interests, will be put up for sale at the tribal land sales office, Klamath Falls, at 10 A. M May 11. Three of the parcels are fringe units and three are allotments or interests in al lotments which have escheated to the Tribe. RDG EFFORTS SUPPORTED (Continued from Page 1) retaries of Agriculture and the Interior. His letter to Mrs. Mau rine Xeuberger brought an im mediate and favorable response from the late Senator's wife, who strongly endorsed the need for amendatory legislation. (lien Wilkenson, tribal claims attorney, transmitted the Discus sion's (Group's concern to govern ment officials. As a result, a letter addressed to Marie Xorris and Flava Yates by Congressman Ull man indicated that Ullman has been "concerned with this termin ation program cvcr.sincc my elec tion to Congress and I am con tinuing to follow its implementa tion closely." The Congressman went on to state that he has asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide him "with a f til 1 report regarding the problems you raised in your letters to Mr. Skarra and to Mr. Wilkenson." "When I have received that rcprt," Ullman con cluded, "I will contact you fur ther concerning this matter." Among other non-termination activities of the Discussion group were tentative plans for partici pating in the dedication of the new Cliilofjuin Post Office, under taking the responsibility of spon soring a Camp Fire (lirls Unit in Chiloquin, and invitting Frank Tucker, manager of the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce to a luncheon meeting on April 25 for the presentation of a check in the amount of $275.00 for the community hospital fund. the present terms of the law, the Federal government is not re quired to take title to the unsold units until after April 1, 1961. One of the Kesoiutions which was passed by the committee re quested the Secretary of the In terior to "Institute legislation to provide for an immediate pay ment of the full ninety million dollars guaranteed under the Klamath Termination Act, said sum to be paid to the individual members of the Klamath tribe ac cording to their pro-rata share, and that such legislation further provide for interest on ' the amount guaranteed the members at six per cent (C)fo) per annum from the 1st day of April, 1960". The committee also passed an alternative resolution urging the Secretary of the Interior to "In stitute legislation to provide for an immediate partial payment in the amount of Fourteen Million Two Hundred Thirteen Thous and Three Hundred Nineteen and no 100 dollars ($14,213,319.00) which is the realization value for the Chiloquin Sustained Yield Unit, ($1,970,230), Black Hills Sustained Yield Unit ($5,576,395. (X)) and Yainax Sustained Yield Units ($3rf6)9b(X)) for which no bids were received on April 1, 1960 for these units ami because the Secretary of the Interior has announced there will be no r,e advertisement, and there is jio logical reason why they should not be purchased by the U. S. Forest Service prior to the date set forth in the Act, (and which realization values were guaran teed under the Klamath Termina tion Act) said sum to be paid to the individual members of the Klamath Tribe according to their pro rata share." It was decided that these reso lutions would be submitted sinul taneously, giving the Federal government the opportunity of instituting action on either one. Both resolutions contained the further provision that the passage of the resolutions "does not waive any rights" of the committee "to protest the appraisal and the real ization values as now set out in the act". The committee meeting was at tended by 7 committee members an dthe resolutions unanimously adopted. C. Shelland, acting of ficer in charge, and Attorney Haley from Portland were pres ent, as well as Klamath Educa tion staff members.
