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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1998)
Siletz News Programs Page 9 Natural Resources: Environmental Agreement with EPA MIKE KENNEDY Natural Resources Manager Environmental Agreement Signed With EPA An environmental agreement was recently signed by the Tribal Chairman and the Regional Administrator of Region 10 of the Environmental Protection Agency. The agreement between the Tribe and thé EPA details the visions and goals of the two entities as they relate to the protection of the environment c»n lands owned and/or controlled by the Tribe. Specifically, the agreement was signed with the ' following objectives in mind: to recognize, affirm and implement the G o v e r n m e n t-to -G o v e rn m e n t relationship; to restore, enhance, and protect the environment of the Siletz Reservation and all its resources; to promote the development and implementation of long-term tribal environmental programs; to implement the EPA trust responsibility; to ensure that unique Tribal concerns are communicated and respected; and to assist in EPA planning. The signing ceremony was conducted in the Tribal dancehouse. Tribal Timber Sale Sold The Tribe's Long Tom Logging Unit was sold recently to Hull- Oakes Lumber Company of Monroe, Oregon via a competitive bidding process. Hull-Oakes' high bid of $603.05 per thousand board feet (MBF) for all conifer sawlogs (fir, hemlock and spruce) and $26,081.85 lump sum ($330.15 per thousand board feet) for all hardwoods (alder and maple) was $4.00 per MBF above the advertised minimum acceptable bid. Logging of the 64 acre, 3.665 million board foot Long Tom sale is expected to begin by the beginning of March and must be completed by the end of the year. It is expected to bring in approximately $1,767,000- in net timber revenue to the Tribe. Harvest of this unit will satisfy part of the 1996 and all of the 1997 allowable cut as called for in the approved Siletz Reservation Forest Management Plan. The Hull-Qakes mill is located west of Eugene near the small town of Bellfountain. It is the only steam driven large sawmill remaining in operation in Oregon. The company specializes in large, long timbers. 1998 Timber Sale Being Prepared Road survey and design has been completed for the 1998 timber sale, to be known as South Fork #1. The environmental assessment will be prepared soon, so watch for your chance to provide comments on that document in the next couple months. This unit is expected to be sold sometime this fall. Tree Planting Begins ® The Tribal N atural Resources Crew has begun tree planting operations oh several Tribal plantations. This year's effort involves interplanting ,of approximately 10,000 western red cedar and western hemlock seedlings in the Twenty-Three Creek, Long Prairie #1, and Rock Creek #1 plantations. Interplant ing of hemlock and cedar trees is performed in order to increase the species diversity of the Tribe's plantations. This provides protec tion against plantation failure due to diseases that attack specific species and helps return the units to their pre-harvest species composition. No Firewood Currently Available At this time there are no areas open for Tribal firewood cutting. News from Higher Ed/AVT KELLY BALL Higher Education/AVT Manager The Sharon Butler Memorial Scholarship announces that applications are now being taken. Ih e deadline for the scholarship is May 10, 1998. Applications, along with the required documents, need to be postmarked no later that May 10,1998. The criteria for the scholarship is: A siletz tribal member who resides in Lincoln County at the time of the application. High school seniors, people who have received a GED or a high school equivalency degree. People who have taken some college credits may apply for the scholarship, so long as they have earned more that 36 college credits by July. 1,1998. Application Requirements: Applicants must submit the following: 1. A signed official application; 2. A recommendation letter from a faculty member or counse lor. The written recommendation must be received directly from the school. 3. Each candidate must provide an official transcript and/or GED certificate. 4. Completed applications must Cultural departm ent busy ROBERT KENTTA Cultural Specialist t 1997 was once again a year of growth for the Cultural Programs. The Language Project position was established and tribal mem ber LaVonne Butler has been hired to fill that position. LaVonne is very busy coordinating the curriculum development, produc tion and implementation activities outlined in the ANA Language grant. She will be working with the elders in the near future to document as many alternate terms/pronunciations as possible - in the various Athapascan (Tututni-related) dialects repre sented at Siletz. These will all be included in the dictionary/ curriculum, side by side - and all treated as correct, giving the speaker the choice of which term/ pronunciation they prefer. The language here at Siletz is' very complicated, and dialectic inclu- sion.is seen as the only way we are going to be able to get a successful language program established. LaVonne will also be recruiting tribal members from each of the areas soon to participate in the first round of training on the curriculum. If you are seriously interested and are able to commit to learning and teaching others to use the curriculum, please contact LaVonne. The Brush Creek timber sale is expected to be completed some time in either late spring or early summer. Once completed, that unit will be opened for firewood cutting. Be watching for our annu al elders' woodcut at that time. Near the end of 1997, Craig Whitehead was hired permanently as the Pow-Wow manager. Craig had been on temporary, part-time assignment, juggling his tribal forestry duties as well. We're glad Craig is with us and can now focus even more exclusively on our Nesika Illahee and Restoration Pow-Wow this year. Craig wants everyone to know that there will be a Nesika Illahee logo contest coming up which will be running until early April- Get out your colored pencils. Nesika llahee is August 7-9 this year. Restoration is tentatively scheduled for November 21. Mark your calendars! be mailed to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Attention Kelly BaU, 3789 River Rd. Suite D, Keizer, OR 97303, (503) 390-9494, and postmarked on or before May, 10 1998. To receive an application, contact Kelly Ball or Dub Bellinger, at (541) 444- 2532. Scholarship Announcement The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Trust ResponsibiUty is seeking apphcants from American Indian and Native Alaska students for its Cooperative Education program. Students interested in a career with the BIA or tribes and who are pursuing degrees in Natural Resources fields wUl be considered. This year's priority will be given t<? forestry majors for the seven available positions. This is a work-study program with chosen applicants attending school during the academic year and working for a BIA or tribe during the summer. To be considered for the program, an individual must be in good academic standing and enrolled in an institution of higher education in a Natural Resources field or provide proof of admission to such a program. Applicants must complete a Standard Form 612, provide an original BIA Form 1034 (Indian Preference for Employment), a copy of their most-recent college or high school transcript, a recommendation from the BIA area or agency office, and one from their academic advisor. Applications and accompany ing documents should be mailed to the National Center for Cooperative Education in Natural Resources, Haskell Indian Nations University 155 Indian Av, P.O. Box 5018, c/o Dr. Gail Sloan, Ph.D., Lawrence KS, 66046. Applications will be accepted from January 1 through February 15, 1998. Selections will be announced in March and appointees will be expected to report to their assigned work locations after the completion of their spring academic program.
