Siletz news /, November 01, 2009, Page 8, Image 8

THINGS - The helicopter hovers over downed trees (left) as the pilot decides which ones to pick up (center) then flies away
with the trees in tow (right).
Addition of Trees Enhances Fish Habitat on Cedar Creek
By Diane Rodriquez
The sound of the helicopter - soft
and distant at first then building to a loud
roar — was unmistakable as the chopper
approached a stand of trees in the west­
ern part of the Siletz Tribe's Reed Creek
property near Lincoln City.
In surprisingly quick succession, the
helicopter hovered over the trees, lowered
a cable with a giant claw attached to the
end of it, plucked two or three downed
trees from a pile and flew off with them
dangling under it.
Chunks of dirt from the trees’ root­
wads blew off as the helicopter headed
for Cedar Creek to place the trees at 43
sites along a seven-mile stretch that will
enhance the habitat of salmon, steelhead
and other fish.
For several days in early October,
pilots from Columbia Helicopter flew be­
tween Cedar Creek and two spots to pick
up trees - 304 trees with intact rootwads
from a “blow down" that occurred during
previous winter storms and 126 whole
trees from U.S. Forest Service land in the
Siuslaw National Forest.
Other partners for the project includ­
ed the Oregon Watershed Enhancement
Board, which funded the project with a
$364,780 grant, and the Oregon Depart­
ment of Fish and Wildlife.
The funding covers the placement of
the trees and three years of monitoring
afterward to see how the fish respond to
the changes to their habitat.
The U.S. Forest Service also was in­
volved in similar activities in several areas
in Western Oregon in October, including
Harvey Creek in the Lower Umpqua drain­
age; Upper Knowles Creek in the Siuslaw
River drainage; Prindle Creek and Upper
Buck Creek in the Alsea River drainage;
Sampson Creek and Drift Creek near Lin­
coln City; and Little Nestucca and South
Fork Little Nestucca near Pacific City.
477 Self-Sufficiency Program Receives $63,514 in Recovery Act Funds
51^’
f7 Adm'nis'ralive &
>‘yin the
of TANF funds carried over
Monitoring Specialist
from one fiscal year to the next.
I he 477 Self-Sufficiency Program
Both states and Tribes could qualify
recently received funds under the presi­ for funds in three different categories:
dent’s American Recovery and Reinvest­
ment Act. The "Recovery Act" established
The average monthly caseload and
an Emergency Contingency Fund for state
expenditures in the quarter are higher
and Tribal TANF programs.
than corresponding quarters for either
The Emergency Fund is intended
a base year in 2007 or 2008 (which­
to build upon and renew the principals
ever is less).
2.
of work and responsibility that underlie
The expenditures for non-recurrent
successful welfare reform initiatives. Like
short-term benefits in the quarter are
other provisions of the Recovery Act. the
higher than such expenditures for such
Emergency Fund provides resources to
benefits in corresponding quarters of
states, territories and Tribes to support
the Emergency Fund base year.
work and families during this difficult 3. The expenditures for subsidized em­
economic period.
ployment in the quarter are higher
This legislation provided up to $5 bil­
than such expenditures in the cor­
lion to assist states, territories and Tribes
responding quarter of the Emergency
in fiscal year (FY) 2009 and 2010 that
Fund base year.
have an increase in assistance caseloads or
certain types of expenditures. The Recov­
Our program qualified for funds un­
ery Act also made additional changes to der category one. We were able so show
TANF by extending supplemental grants
that our caseload and expenditures in FY
through FY 2010 and expanding flexibil- 2009 were greater than our base year in
8
Siletz News
•
November 2009
FY 2007. The Emergency Fund allowed
Tribes to apply for 80 percent of the total
increase of expenditures per category.
Our program didn't qualify for funds
under categories two or three.
The 477 program is unique because
it allows us to take funds from different
federal/state agencies and combine them
into one budget. The Emergency Fund
was created only to assist those families
on a TANF program.
We were not able to break out the
funds spent on TANF clients and our other
clients to qualify for the other two cat­
egories. Our program will look internally
to resolve this issue just in case funds
become available in the future.
At this time, we plan to use these
funds for cash assistance payments to
our current TANF clients, but they may
be used for the four purposes of TANF.
The reporting requirements are quite ex­
tensive, but we are pleased to be able to
better provide for our clients with these
additional funds.
The Self-Sufficiency Procram
The Self-Sufficiency Program also
was awarded $ 1.380 early this summer to
assist our Summer Youth Program. That
program has now ended and those funds
have been expended.
The president guaranteed that Re­
covery Act funds will be transparent and
spent separately from other funds. The
Self-Sufficiency Program is doing just
that. Our funds have been awarded, but
not yet received. We hope to have them
by the time you read this.
The Siletz Tribal 477 Self-Sufficiency
Program offers a variety of services to all
American Indians enrolled with a feder­
ally recognized Tribe who live within
the 11 -county service area. Our program
only offers cash assistance (TANF, GA)
services to those who are Siletz Tribal
families or Siletz Tribal single adults.
If you have any questions about the
services we offer, you can contact me or
any Tribal service specialist. We can be
reached at 800-922-1399, ext. 1247, or
541-444-8247.
Photos by Diane Rodriquez
NM