A16
REGION
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
Nez Perce issue new rules for Precious Lands
Restricts lead in
ammunition and
fi shing tackle
By Ellen Morris Bishop
Wallowa County Chieftain
With black bear sea-
son on the horizon, hunters
should be aware that non-
lead-based ammunition is
now required on the Nez
Perce Precious Lands.
The Nez Perce Tribal
Executive Committee has
adopted several new rules
for public use of its 16,268-
acre Precious Lands Wild-
life Area, Héte’wits Wétes,
in
Wallowa
County’s
far-northeastern corner. The
property has long been open
for “reasonable public use”
as guided by a set of public
use rules outlining approved
activities. Those rules were
updated on September, 11,
2018, and are in effect now.
The new rules include
requiring use of non-lead-
based ammunition and fi sh-
ing tackle. The Northwest
Power and Conservation
Council (NWPCC) coop-
erates with the Nez Perce
Tribe in conserving habitat,
and restoring the land here.
“They asked us to restrict
the use of tackle and ammu-
nition that contains lead,”
Precious Lands, Héte’wits
Wétes Manager Angela Son-
denaa said. “Lead has unin-
Angel Sondenaa
The terrain of the Nez Perce Tribe’s 16,268-acre Precious Lands Wildlife Area (Héte’wits Wétes) in the northeastern corner
of Wallowa County is rugged. New rules include restricted use of ammunition and fi shing tackle that contain lead to avoid
unintended mortality of avian scavangers and diving birds.
tended, and often lethal con-
sequences for non-target
wildlife species, especially
avian scavengers.” Lead-
based tackle can also affect
diving birds, including cor-
morants, and osprey that fre-
quent the lower portions of
Joseph Creek.
Don’t bring any pack-
goats along to carry your
gear. They are banned as
well. Horses, mules and lla-
mas, are still welcome. Bar-
ring pack goats, no matter
how cute and easy on the
land they might be, makes
sense at Precious Lands,
Héte’wits Wétes. “We have
bighorn sheep here,” Son-
denaa said. “Goats, like
domestic sheep, can carry
the Pasteurella pneumonia
pathogen that is lethal to the
bighorns.”
The new rules also pro-
hibit gathering of plant
resources for commercial
purposes, i.e., wildcrafting,
along with cutting live trees
or fi rewood to sell or take
home. The practice of com-
mercial wildcrafting—for-
aging for wild plant materials
to make medicines, edi-
bles and other products for
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The Precious Lands Sonde-
naa noted. But it’s another
of those issues that the Nez
Perce and NWPCC want
to prevent before over-har-
vesting damages the popu-
lations and habitats of native
plants. “These are emerg-
ing issues,” said Sondenaa.
“We are trying to get ahead
of things so we don’t have
problems in the future.”
Most of the previous
rules for Héte’wits Wétes
remain in effect. They
include requirements to
remove litter and waste, fol-
low all applicable state hunt-
ing regulations, and camp
for a maximum of seven
days in one place, and 14
days total on the property.
Additionally, all access must
be non-motorized--by foot,
bicycle or stock. “We want
people to enjoy this beau-
tiful place, but use it with
care, in ways that preserve it
for future generations,” Son-
denaa said.
Maps of the lands and
posts of the revised regula-
tions are posted on kiosks at
major entry points on USFS
Road 4655, and off County
Road 614 off Rye Ridge
Road. For a copy of the
revised regulations, maps,
or questions, contact Angela
Sondenaa, Precious Lands
Project Leader at 208-843-
7372 or angelas@nezperce.
org
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