Page 8 March 28,1982
Spilyay Tymoo
WSFPI annual report presented to members
“D espite sluggish markets
during all of 1981, Warm
S p r in g s F o r e s t P r o d u ts
Industries (WSFPI) operated
at a modest profit rate through
S e p te m b e r . By O c to b e r
steadily eroding prices finally
began to take their toll,” so
states the introductory letter in
the WSFPI 1981 annual report.
Tribal members were presented
the report March 1 during a
general council meeting at the
Agency Longhouse.
“At year’s end,” continues
the report, “the Company had
lost $216,454. The loss reflects
an accounting adjustment that
brought the cost of the white fir
inventory down $216,657 in
lin e w ith m arket valu e.
Without the adjustment, the
Company essentially broke
even for the vear.” '
Profits for 1981 were over
$1.5 million less than 1980 and
sales were almost 83% of 1980.
Stumpage, profits and mill
salaries to tribal members and
affiliates combined to provide
benefits of $6,809,986 or 71.1%
of 1981.
In recent years, it has been
the policy of the WSFPI Board
of Directors to pay a dividend
to the Confederated Tribes of
25% of the previous year’s
profits. “ D esp ite negative
results in 1981, the Board of
Directors declared a special
dividend of $387,070, off
setting a downward adjustment
of stumpage prices at year’s
end,” the report declares.
The timber harvest for 1981
was reduced again due to the
economy and early weather
problems. It is expected in
1982, that the full annual
allowable cut will be resumed
according to the current
harvest plan.
“ T h e h o m e -b u ild in g
recessio n has now been
extended beyond three years
and housing starts in 1981 were
the lowest since 1946. If not for
renovation in 1978, says the
report, “we might now be
questioning the wisdom of
staying in business as wood
converters.” Physical improve
ments continue to be made and
personnel have become more
productive. A bsences and
injuries decreases throughout
the year.
“We thank our employees
for their efforts to keep things
going. With their help and
m od ern ized m ill we are
prepared to take advantage of
any m arket im provem ent
whenever and wherever it
occurs,” concluded the letter.
The thirteen page report,
edited and photography by
Cynthia Stowell, is broken
down into five sections: jobs,
logs and logging, lumber and
sutds, veneer and plywood and
chips and power in addition to
the financial statements.
Jobs
As O r eg o n ’s ec o n o m y
related in 1981, countless
numbers visited employment
offices throughout the state.
“About 300 millworkers were
glad to be employed as WSFPI
weathered the recession with
minimal lay-offs.”
In spite of this relative
stability, WSFPI was affected
by th e p o o r e c o n o m ic
conditions o f 1981. The stud
mill was closed in early
December, putting nine men
out of work. Most of those
affected had been reassigned
elsewhere in the enterprise by
year’s end. “It was this kind of
flexibility and cooperation that
h e lp e d W S P F I sta y in
business.”
The report further explained
that when job positions had to
be eliminated for efficiency’s
sake workers willingly worked
where they were needed. Also,
in the last few months of the
year, absenteeism was cut in
half its January level.
In addition to this, routing
i n s p e c t i o n s , e q u ip m e n t
im p ro v em en ts and team
incentives helped reduce lost
time hours due to injuries by
17%, thus lowering claim costs.
Logs and Logging
According to the report, 14
logging contractors worked
cooperatively with WSFPI in
1981 to “provide a flow of logs
that matched the plant’s needs
within the guidelines of the
harvest plan.” Congestion in
the log yards made it necessary
to reduce deliveries for a total
of 7!4 days.
Bald eagle spotted on Island
“Log production for 1981,”
the report continues, “totaled
84,875,170 board feet, 48% of
which was Ponderosa pine,
33% Douglas fir and 19% white
fir and other species. WSFPI
processed 67,425,813 board
feet in 1981.,
Log sales were down in 1981
to 10,270,690 board feet at an
average price of $53.48. “A
surplus o f white fir logs
resu lted from decreased
production at the stud mill and
changing demands at the
veneer plant, and a satisfactory
market for the logs could not be
found until autumn,” says the
report.
Lumber and Studs
Due to the streamlining of
the sawmill, a five to seven
thousand board foot per day
improvement in production
was seen. A sixth dry kiln was
built to serve both the sawmill
and stud mill, increasing drying
capacity by 16-18%. Lumber
s a l e s v o lu m n r e a c h e d
42,322,735 board fecit with
average net sales dropping to
$336.28 per thousand board
feet.
The stud mill struggled
through a poor market and
gro w in g in v en to r ie s and
experienced three week-long
closures at different times
during the year and then closed
indefinitely in early December.
Veneer and Plywood
A new computerized lath
charger installed a the veneer
plant during the summer shut
down helped the lathe peel
veneer more quickly and
accurately. The lathe can now
handle smaller diameter logs
and produce more of the wider,
higher valued vaneer. The
veneer plant worked many nine
and ten-hour shifts during
1981, but those were reduced to
eight hours and the projected
adition of a three-month swing
shift was abandoned due to the
poor market.
The plywood plant began to
produce A and B grade panels
in addition to the regular C /D
grades which brought in new
orders for the higher value
product.
Chips and Power
Chip prices fell during 1981
as the market leveled out, states
the report. With production at
the same level as 1980, chip
sales declined 12.5%. But chips
proved to be a reliable source of
income during a difficult
period.
The addition of substation
capacitors at the powerhouse
increased the number of usable
kilowatt hours for the plant,
thereby reducing the mill’s
pow er b ill. A to ta l o f
20,582,500 kilowatt hours o f
electricity were proved by the
powerhouse in 1981, o f which
WSFPI used 92% and PP & L
purchased the balance.
Reservation population
data compiled
The reservations population,
which constitutes the BIA’s
service p o p u la tio n , is 52
percent o f the 1.4 million total
Indian population counted in
the 1980 census.
U n em p lo y m en t on the
reservations is reported to be 31
percent of the labor force.
The information in the
report is presented by states,
BIA area offices, agencies and
individual reservations.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs
has published an updated
report on American Indian
reservations populations. The
booklet includes estimates on
unemployment. .
Dated December, 1981, the
report shows a population of
734,895 living on or near
Indian reservations, including
fo r m e r r e s e r v a t io n s in
Oklahoma.
Recreation needs
report completed
EAGLE EYE—D r. Tom Creebnon was fortunate enough to have his camera handy when he spotted
this B ald Eagle perched in a tree along die Deschutes River. B ald Eagles can grow to 3 ^ fee t with a
wingspan o f up to 8 feet.
P h o to courtesy o f Tom Creebnon
Two decades ago the Bald
Eagle was seldom seen. The
eagles had a bleak future. But
today with public awareness
and the restricted use o f DDT,
along with eagle refuges and
enforced penalties for shooting
eagles, thenumber has reached
as estimated 13,709 in the lower
48 states.
The Bald Eagle inhabits
forested areas.near large bodies
o f water. They prey mostly on
fish but will also eat carrion
and small mammals, birds and
reptiles. They grow to a length
o f 3 !6 feet with a wingspan of as
much as 8 feet.
The eagle normally builds its
nest of large sticks in tall trees
lining the nest with grasses.
Eagles mate for life and they
will often use the same nest for
years.
They lay one to three eggs
which incubate for about 35
days. The young learn to fly at
about 12 weeks but the
fledglings remain dependent on
the adults while perfecting their
flying and hunting skills.
The eagle reaches sexual
maturity at the age o f five years
at which time the adult acquires
its white head and feathers,
characteristics of the bald
eagle..;,., , .
... ,
After many m onths of
reviewing recreation needs
q u e stio n n a ir e s, the first
recreation needs assessment
has been com pleted and
. presented to Tribal Council for
acceptance. Last year the
recreation com m ittee and
Tribal Council hired the ORB
organization o f Portland to
prepare the report.
The ten-page report lists
what tribal members feel is
necessary to improve and
estab lish excellen t quality
recrea tio n a c tiv itie s and
facilities on the reservation.
Currently, states the report,
the present recreation program
is heavily oriented towards
“ co m p e titiv e sp o rts and
physical fitness while family
oriented activities and arts and
crafts have received little
attention.”
The report continues, stating
that the community center
facility no longer meets the
space-needs demanded by the
various user groups. And
because o f this, Tribal Council
felt it necessary to have the
needs assessment done.
The report is a summary of
needs described by those who
filled out the questionnaires
and it represents a new
direction in managing and
providing recreation facilities
and programs.
“It should be noted,” warns
the report, “that the Tribe
cannot and should not attempt
to meet everyone’s recreation
needs. The plan should be a
balance between what the
people want and what the Tribe
can afford.”
The report is quite long and
the needs are well summarized.
For those who would like to
obtain a copy, contact the
Planning Department and
check with Uren Leonard.
There will be a public meeting
in the latter part of April at the
Longhouse to discuss the
findings of the report.
The summary will be mailed
out. to tribal members two
weeks prior to the public
meeting.
The recreation committee
urges all to attend.
.