Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2005)
TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS Cheyenne Maldonado, Ashliegh Ramirez, and Darian Dorman make keychains at Culture Camp. Please see more Culture Camp photos on pages 5-7. Tribal Council Approves Timber Rotation Age Change by Mike Kennedy On July 22, 2005. the Siletz Tribal Council approved changing the tribe's timber rotation age from 80 years to 60 years, effective with the 2006 annual al lowable cut. The rotation age is the age that the tribe's trees are planned to grow to be fore being harvested. The change in rotation age was prompted by changes in the forest prod ucts industry over the last 10 years that have reduced the number of mills that can handle larger logs such as those that the tribe now harvests. This reduction in mills threatens the ability of the tribe to sell its timber in the future. When a small portion of the tribe's former timber lands was returned to it in 1980, an interim forest management plan was developed to guide timber harvest and other management considerations on those lands. That plan, and those developed sub sequent to it, set the rotation age at 80 years. This was based on the assumption that larger trees would always be more valuable and desirable than smaller trees. While this was certainly the case in the 1980s, many things have changed since then. Curtailment of the harvest of large trees on federal forestlands because of spotted owls and marbled murrelets in the early 1990s caused many mills that could handle large logs to close. This left only a few large-log mills and many small-log mills. The market emphasis (and the higher prices) shifted to smaller logs. Currently, many mills will not bid on the tribe’s timber because it’s too big for them. Only two mills capable of handling the tribe's larger logs are in operation to day within a reasonable hauling distance. If either one or both were to go out of business, the tribe’s ability to sell its logs would be put in serious jeopardy. So the question was asked by Tribal Forestry staff and Tribal Council, “Why grow trees to a size larger than we are likely to be able to sell in the future?” Lowering the rotation age to 60 years will mean that the tribe will grow trees that will be marketable to the small-log mills, but still will be at the larger end of 4 • Siletz News • what they can handle. This should bring more competition and better prices in the future for the tribe's timber. There also is another side benefit. Since under a sustained yield harvest schedule the number of timbered acres harvested each year is determined by di viding the total number of acres by the rotation age. lowering the rotation age allows an increase in the annual acreage harvested each year and therefore an in crease in annual revenue. There also was one more reason to consider a shorter rotation age. Approxi mately 60 percent of the timber lands that were returned to the tribe in 1980 con sisted of 130-year-old timber. The rest was a mixture of mostly 10- to 40-year-old trees, with very little timber age 50 to 120. Since the Tribal Council wanted to be assured of annual revenue from the timber harvest, they opted for a harvest sched ule that metered out harvest of the older timber until the younger timber grew to a harvestable size. That original size was set at 80 years old (the rotation age). Under this scenario, the older, larger timber would last until approximately 2022. But Tribal Forestry staff and Tribal Council were concerned that there might not be any markets left in 2022 to sell the older trees to. Lowering the rotation age to 60 years and increasing the annual harvest acreage allows the harvest of the larger timber to be completed approximately five years earlier. Hopefully, this will be sufficient to guarantee annual timber revenue income for the tribe until the younger tim ber grows to a harvestable size. The Tribal Council’s decision to lower the timber rotation age to 60 years is an important step toward maintaining the tribe’s ability to receive income from the harvest of its timberlands in perpetuity. Changes in future market conditions still will need to be watched carefully, how ever, to be sure that this ability is retained. If you have any questions about the management and harvest of tribal timber, contact Tribal Natural Resources Man ager Mike Kennedy at 541-444-8232 or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1232. September 2005 Angie Potter, Tina Wooten, and Emma Russell make necklaces inside the community center during Culture Camp. September USDA Distribution Dates by Joyce Retherford Salem Siletz Monday, Sept. 5 Tuesday, Sept. 6 Wednesday, Sept. 7 Thursday, Sept. 8 Friday, Sept. 9 Monday, Sept. 12 HOLIDAY 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. HOLIDAY 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. It’s time for summer youth employ ees. Thank you to Mona Fisher for once again placing some good, strong young men to help in the warehouse. Thanks Spencer Hatch and Kenneth Bradley for all your help this summer. You both will be an asset to anyone who hires you in the future! 1 also need to thank Kraig Mitchell for delivering the truckloads of food to the Salem warehouse for us. You don't know how much I appreciate it. Alan Werder, TWEX in the Siletz and Salem warehouses, and Cody Cole in Sa lem - you are both awesome and I could never do this without you. Monday, Sept. 19 1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 20 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21 9 a.m.-5 p.m. My gosh, the fresh produce has been great. We ordered 140 pounds of corn on the cob and it was out the door so fast. I will try ordering more so everyone can get it. The peaches also were a big hit. It’s a learning experience and I have learned my lesson - order more! See you next month! Happy meals! Elder Council Meeting There will be no meeting in Sep- tember because of Run to the Rogue. The next Elders Council Meeting will be Oct. 8,2005, at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Upcoming Activities The elders have several activities coming up in September. Elders can sign up for these trips by calling An gela Ramirez, Elders Program coordi nator, at 1 -800-922-1399, ext. 1225, or 541-444-8225. Run to the Rogue, Sept. 8-10 Jet Boat Trip, Sept. 11-12 Maori/Siletz Cultural Exchange Day, Sept. 25 Willamette Museum Tour, Sept. 27 Portland Rose Garden and Japa nese Garden tour; date TBA Siletz Meal Site Mondays and Wednesdays, Noon - 1 p.m. Call Karen. Meal-Site manager, after I0 a.m. on the meal-site day at 541-444-9547 if you need to change your meal for the day. Call Angela at 541-444-8225 or 1 -800-922-1399, ext. 1225, to sign up for meals or change your meal deliveries on days when it’s not a meal-site day.
