According to Capital Press, an agricultural newspaper,
even the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association is OK with the
bill, and it quotes lobbyist Jim Walsh as saying, “We would
much rather have not had any bill. But we got everybody to
agree on this, and this keeps our small community rodeos
alive, and they can have their event.” Horses can be roped
but not intentionally tripped.
Still in the Senate is SB 6, which would increase pun-
ishment for animal neglect and increase fi nes and jail time
for people who have more than 10 animals or are repeat of-
fenders. It would also require animal rescues to get licenses,
maintain certain records and be inspected.
Also awaiting a Senate vote is a bill that represents a
landmark agreement between conservationists, the state and
ranchers. HB 3452 allows ranchers to kill a wolf without a
permit if it is caught in the act of eating or biting livestock
or a working dog. If a rancher has tried to deter a wolf us-
ing things like noise and fl agging, but the wolf “chronically”
preys on livestock then it also can be shot. The bill passed
out of the Senate Rules Committee with a “do pass” recom-
mendation on June 18. — Camilla Mortensen
of central Oregon, which have the largest tribal timber hold-
ings in the state, say they are proud of a 10-year study of
their land use by IFMAT.
The third such report, drafted for 20 tribes nationwide,
shows Indian forestry needs another $100 million of annual
federal funding to be adequately maintained. A decade ago
that was only $40 million. The widening gap violates the fed-
Successes in Native American forestry, despite huge fi -
eral government’s trust obligation to tribal lands under the
nancial challenges, are proving a model for future steward-
Tribal Forest Protection Act. “The issue needs to be directed
ship, according to the Indian Forestry Management Assess-
to the House Appropriations Committee,” says Smith, a for-
ment Team (IFMAT).
mer Bureau of Indian Affairs staffer in Washington, D.C.
“The tribes have been here for thousands of years,” says
“The level of con-
George Smith, execu-
gressional interest in this
tive director of Oregon’s
report is greater than it’s
Coquille Tribe. “They
ever been,” Smith adds.
have a direct connection
Yet until that mountain
to the land and the long-
is moved, foresters will
term consequences of its
have to stay creative to
management.”
keep their operations
That may be why the
J A S O N R O B I S O N , C O Q U I L L E T R I B E E N V I R O N M E N TA L D I R E C TO R
and communities viable.
coastal Coquille Nation
When timber prices
and Warm Springs tribe
TRIBES BUILD
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
WITH FEW RESOURCES
‘Not only are we meeting our
ecological goals, we’re also meeting
our socioeconomic and cultural
objectives.’
eugeneweekly.com • June 27, 2013
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