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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1979)
Spilyay Tymoo July 13,1979 Page 5 WSFPI construction program nearing midway point Brand new machinery lies in waiting around the mill, poised fo r in s ta lla tio n in th e surrounding plants. With a minimum of fanfare, WSFPI is carrying out its $5.5 million renovation, replacing old, worn equipment and streamlin ing manufacturing systems. The most visible change has been the erection of a new plywood plant at the Warm Springs site, utilizing some equipment from the existing Madras plant and adding an automatic lay-up line. Many of the other improvements are not im m ediately ap p aren t but should result in substantial savings by cutting manufactur ing waste. W SFPI m anager Ralph DeMoisy reports that of the 34 items budgeted for renovation, 14 are complete. Most phases of the operation, from log handling to veneer peeling, are undergoing m odernization with hardly a skip in the production beat. The usual June or July shutdowns are; scheduled for two consecutive weeks at the end of August, when a good part of the remaining construction will take place, said DeMoisy. But a number of changes have already been made, he reported. Out in the log yard one new sorting shovel is doing the work of two LeTourneaus and one decking shovel. A water truck and road grader have been added to the forest operations. Engineering in the sawmill is 75% complete and construction 10%. All the major equipment has arrived, including a new carriage, head rig and edger. One structural change will be the opening up of the building to eliminate the bottleneck at the trimmer. Another change will be the installation of a hand-pull green chain in the sawmill to replace the edge so rte r, which has been re s p o n s ib le fo r lu m b e r breakage. In the aged stud mill, renovation is 85% complete. New saw systems have been installed to increase lumber recovery. Yet to be installed is a remanufacturing edger that will cut 2" x 3" and 1 " x 4" pieces in addition to the 2" x 4" studs now being produced. WSFPI was selling cores through the w inter, said DeMoisy, because marketing them was more economical than processing them for studs. Now the lathe in the veneer plant has been modernized to peel cores to 5%” instead of the current 7”. The transfer of the plywood plant from Madras to Warm Springs, about 50%,complete, is being accomplished without an interruption in production, DeMoisy explained. While one of the hot presses is being installed in the new building, the other press in Madras is being operated around the clock. When the Warm Springs press is operational, the second press will be moved down. Plywood production should be streamlined with the new automatic lay-up line, which awaits only electrical wiring. The line will sandwich veneer and apply glue automatically, speeding p ro d u c tio n and r e q u ir in g few er p e o p le . DeMoisy noted that workers are not being laid off as a result of the renovations, but rather that some positions will not be re-filled when they are vacated. By the first of August the plywood plant should be ready fo r “ s h a k e - d o w n ,” said DeMoisy, a start-up period designed to rid the new system of bugs. W SFPI’s major renovation was launched as a result of a nine-month study of mill o p e ra tio n s co n d u c te d by consultants last year. The study recommended that existing systems be updated before expansion is considered. Construction workers aligned the 2500-pound plates on one of two presses being moved to Warm Springs fro m the WSFPI plyw ood plant in Madras. The new plywood plant should be operational by the first o f August for “shake- down. ” Spilyay Tymoo Photo by CDS Smith president Timber council will provide forum for tribes Timbered tribes from Maine to Alaska now have an official association to represent their interests and Warm Springs is playing a key role. The Intertribal Timber Council was born June 28 in Seattle when thirteen tribes agreed on proposed articles of organiza tion and elected a nine-member executive board. Ken Smith, Warm Springs general manager, was chosen to be the first president of the timber council. Smith was instrumental in the council’s formation and during the past two years has encouraged' timbered tribes to gather and share their concerns. Encouraging Communication ■ A m o n g th e c o u n c i l ’s ongoing activities will be to carry on the established tradition,of an annual timber symposium. Previous sympos ia have brought together tribal, g o v ern m en t and p riv a te interests to pool their expertise and explore solutions to timber management problems. Other functions of the timber council will be to monitor legislation affecting Indian timber, advise and work with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in developing the full potential of tribal forest resources, assist tribes in the establishment of tim b e r e n te r p r is e s , a n d encourage the training and d e v e lo p m e n t o f I n d ia n foresters. The timber council may eventually become a lobby group for timbered tribes, said Smith. Also being considered are a newsletter to keep members informed and a staffed office to handle council business. valuable and renewable natural but he would like to see that resources not only provides involvement increase at all incom e and em ploym ent levels. Timber council president opportunities for our people, but also affects our lives in Sm ith is joined by vice m an y o th e r w ays. T he president Keith Little (Navajo), harmony of man, trees and secretary Tom Loder (Coeur other vegetation, soil, water d ’Alene) and treasurer Gary and wildlife which collectively Morishima (Quinault). Other comprise the forest community board members elected to influence our very emotional staggered terms of one and two y e a rs a re : J e r r y L ucas and spiritual well-being. “The Intertribal Timber (Makah), Andy Jack (Colville), Council is hereby established to Lawrence Latham (Hoopa), pursue and prom ote the Gene Bell (Flathead), and conservation and development Danny Gutnerrez (Santa Clara of our timber resources for the Pueblo). The rem ain in g c h a rte r benefit of our people.” Smith sees the council as an members include Spokane, advisory body to timbered Metlakatla Indian Community tribes. “We can’t tell them what of Alaska, and the Penobscot to do,” he said, “but we can a n d P a s s a m a q u o d d y of show them what’s possible.” Maine. Membership is extended to Tribes are “more involved in setting policy and making “any Indian tribe or Native decisions,“ observed Smith, Alaska Corporation with a But for now, Smith and his board will volunteer their time, doing what they can to fa c ilita te c o m m u n ic a tio n among member tribes. “It’s time well spent.” said Smith, “ because we d o n ’t spend enough time on this important resource.” One of the board’s initial concerns will be the location of funding. The council’s only income derives from member ship dues ($100 per year for each member) and the funds supplied by the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the annual symposium. Smith indicated that the board planned to a p p r o a c h th e E c o n o m ic Development Administration as a potential source. Dollars and Conservation f “ W e’re dealing with a resource th a t should be generating more dollars,” said Smith. Many tribes feel that the Bureau of Indian Affairs has been conservative in its harvest allowances, failing to maximize the resource while it slowly loses its value. But the timbered tribes are also committed to | conserving the resource. I In the preamble to the timber council’s articles of organiza tion, the tribes’ concerns are clearly stated. Calling theforest I re s o u rc e s “ v ita l to th e economic and social welfare of many Indian nations and Alaska Native Corporations,” the preamble goes on to say, “The management of these demonstrable . interest in the management of Indian timber resources,” as stated in the articles of organization. Non voting associate membership is also available to anyone “supporting the purposes of the Intertribal Timber Council.” Among the first associate members are Weyerhauser and N avajo F o re st P ro d u c ts Industries. SUBSCRIPTION TO SPILYAY TYMOO SEND SUBSCRIPTION TO Spilyay Tymoo P-O. Box 735 Warm Springs, Oregon 97761 NAME--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADDRESS___________________________________________ ________________ 3 C I T Y _ _____________________ STATE__________________ Z IP _ __________ SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 YEAR $6.00 Enclosed is a Check □ Money Order Amount of $_____________ for_________ Year (s) Subscription. All Tribal Enrolled Members Will Receive The Spilyay Tymoo at No Cost. Spilyay Tymoo is Published Bi-Weekly by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
