page 4
January, 1990
Siletz News II
("Logging," continued from page 1)
Five Tribal Council members appear to have lis
tened. Pat Morrell, though she could not recall the vote
in question, said that Tribal Council “usually goes along
with recommendations from committees.”
The Tribe’s Timber Committee, according to unap
proved minutes of its March 30,1988 meeting, discussed
the Lower Gorge timber sale and the “30,418 board feet
of unutilized logs,” fixing the volume of unutilized logs
at 1.3% of the total “2,367,530 board feet removed and
paid for.” The Committee found the 1.3% nearly three
times the “standard for an acceptable logging job.”
Timber Committee minutes further stated that, “the
owner of the logging company wants to walk the unit to
see if agrees” with tribal estimates of unutilized logs.
Tribal records indicate that over three-quarters of the
timber left was in pieces at least 12 feet long. “If so, he
[the logger] would probably re-yard the unit this
summer...because he wants to maintain his reputation of
doing a good logging job.”
Timber Committee records fail to state whether an
official recommendation was passed to Tribal Council.
But both Lane and Simmons are members of the Timber
Committee, a fact that leaves open the possibility that
their “advice” to Tribal Council was taken as the recom
mendation of the Timber Committee.
Delores Pigsley, Tribal Council Chair, when con
tacted about the Council’s action, stated that she remem
bered the idea to waive the $5,000 bill coming from
B.I. A. officials and Ted Werth, former Executive Direc
tor of STEDCO.
Nelsen Witt, Superintendent of the BIA’s Siletz
Agency, denies that he gave any advice or made any
recommendation to cancel the bill-of-collection. “I ’m
not a forester. A recommendation like that would have
come from our Forestry Department.”
Varner said he made no such recommendation. “I
don’t recall any sort o f dialogue between the B.I. A. and
the Tribal Council that involves this cancellation.”
Werth said that his understanding of the matter was
that Caffall Brothers, the contractor, was holding the
$5,316.94 in retainage until the subcontractor, A.C.
Brown and Co., decided either to relog the area or suffer
the loss. “That was their choice,” Werth said. “Either
bring the logs out, or pay the bill-of-collection.”
Werth did recall writing a letter suggesting that future
contracts adopt a more lenient standard but said he “was
surprised when Tribal Council decided to waive the bill-
of-collection” on the Lower Gorge Timber Sale. El
Clinic Site Selected
The Tribe has hopes that a parcel of land just east
of the Siletz City Hall will become home to the planned
tribal health clinic. The City o f Siletz owns the land.
According to General Manager, Phil Rilatos, negotia
tions are going well to have the clinic constructed on the
site.
The start-up date for construction is still up in the
air. “But the projected completion is probably Novem
ber or December, 1990,” Rilatos said.
The health clinic, which will be “totally tribally
run and operated,” got a boost in 1989 when the ILS.
Congress passed a special appropriations bill that ear
marked $470,000 for equipment and start-up costs of the
Siletz Clinic. The Tribe had previously been awarded a
$250,000 Community Development block grant from
H.U.D. to help fund the clinic,-
O
General Council Meeting
February 3,1990
Siletz Tribal Community Center
1:00 P.M.
Agenda
Call to Order
Invocation
RoU Call
Approval of Agenda
Approval of Minutes
Tribal Members Concerns
Committee Reports
Chairman's Report
Chemawa School Presentation
Guest--Chemawa Student Council
Gerald Gray, Superindent
Announcements
Adjournment