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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2022)
Editor’s note: The Chairman’s Report will resume in a future issue of Siletz News. Sams sworn in as National Park Service director, first Native to lead agency WASHINGTON – Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III was ceremonially sworn in as director of the National Park Service (NPS) by Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on Dec. 16. Sams is the first Tribal citizen to lead the agency, which has been without a Senate-confirmed leader for nearly five years. “Everyone should have access to the outdoors no matter where they live, how much money they have or what their background is. Chuck Sams understands the importance of connecting people to nature and I am thrilled to work with him as the Interior Department works to make our national park system acces- sible to all Americans,” said Haaland. “Under his leadership, the National Park Service will continue to protect our public lands for generations to come and make critical investments in the vast infrastructure that sustains our public lands and national parks.” “I am honored to serve as director of the National Park Service and thank President Biden and Secretary Haaland for entrusting in me the care of one of America’s greatest gifts – our National Park System. I am also incredibly proud to work with the dedicated employees of the National Park Service. I have no doubt that together, we’ll be able to expand access to the outdoors, protect America’s public lands and upgrade our nation’s infra- structure system through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Sams. In his capacity overseeing NPS, Sams will help implement the Great American Outdoors Act and the Bipar- tisan Infrastructure Law. In addition to historic funding for climate resiliency initiatives and legacy pollution cleanup, the infrastructure law provides for a five- year reauthorization of the Federal Lands Transportation Program, which will help invest in repairing and upgrading NPS roads, bridges, trails and transit systems. The law also invests in projects that will help fund bridge replacements and resiliency, repair ferry boats and terminal facilities, and maintain wildlife cross- ings that keep people and surrounding wildlife safe. Sams has worked in state and Tribal governments and the nonprofit natural resource and conservation management fields for more than 25 years. He most recently served as a council member to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, appointed by Gov. Kate Brown. He has held a variety of roles with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, most recently as its executive director. He has also had roles as the president/CEO of the Indian Country Conservancy, executive director for the Umatilla Tribal Community Foundation, national director of the Tribal & Native Lands Program for the Trust for Public Land, executive director for the Colum- bia Slough Watershed Council, executive director for the Community Energy Project Siletz News is free to enrolled Siletz Tribal members. For all others, a $12 annual subscription fee applies. Please make checks payable to CTSI and mail to Siletz News. Name: _______________________________________________________ Address: ____________ _________________________________________ Phone: _______________________________________________________ Change of address: Tribal members – contact the Enrollment Department at 541-444-8258; 800-922-1399, ext. 1258; or enrollment@ctsi.nsn.us. All oth- ers – call the newspaper office. Deadline for the February issue is Jan. 10. Send information to: Submission of articles and photos is encouraged. Siletz News P.O. Box 549 Siletz, OR 97380-0549 Please see the Passages Policy on page 20 when submit- ting items for Passages. 541-444-8291 or 800-922-1399, ext. 1291 Fax: 541-444-2307 Email: pias@ctsi.nsn.us 2 • Siletz News • January 2022 Member of the Native American Journalists Association and president/CEO for the Earth Conser- vation Corps. Sams holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Concordia University-Portland and a Mas- ter of Legal Studies in Indigenous peoples law from the University of Oklahoma. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Chuck is an enrolled member, Cayuse and Walla Walla, of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, where he lives with his wife and their four children. Elders Council Meeting The Elders Council will hold a virtual Zoom meeting on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, at 1 p.m. If you are interested in participating in the virtual meeting from your phone, computer or smart phone, please contact the Elders Program at 541-444-8233 by Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022.
