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.