Spilyay Tymoo
AUGUST 26,1983 PAGE 3
To log or not to log
by Marsha Shewczyk
Sometimes there are more
important things.
The Fish and W ildlife
Committee in Warm Springs
feels that way. Upon hearing of
the proposal to log these two
areas a statement was issued. It
reads:
“We, the Fish and Wildlife
Committee, have deliberated
the proposed Shitike and
Beaver Creek Canyon sales.
We, as a Committee and as
Indian people, are charged with
Stewardship of wild creatures-
fish-water and the habitat
necessary to support these
values. We feel these other
resources will be damaged for
the long term as a result of these
proposed sales.”
The Warm Springs natural
resources department adds to
these feelings, stating that
logging of either Beaver Creek
or Shitike Creek Canyon
would damage fish, wildlife
and water resources.
For years, this spotted owl
pair made their nest in the same
tree. Although many of its kind
have disappeared, this pair
have survived.
The old stands of timber
surroundings their snag home
provides food and protection
for the pair as they rear their
young.
“An Environmental Impact
S ta te m e n t s h o u ld be
prepared before the Beaver
Canyon Timber Sale is
approved.”
This year it’s different. Their
permanent nesting site is gone.
Their forest is gone.
In another section of the
forest a hunter searches for
game where it once was
abundant, a fisherman ponders
the reason for the low numbers
of salmon and steelhead and a
child tries to visualize what the
forest looked like before all the
brown patches of earth shown
in the green carpet of trees.
A major source of income to
the people of Warm Springs is
the logging industry. It brings
money to the community for
development and it brings to
individuals shared profits
distributed yearly.
Millions of board feet of
timber harvested annually
account for the wealth of
Warm Springs. And a Forest
Management Plan, with an
annual allowable cut, ensures
an income to the Tribe.
The T rib e, u n d er the
guidance of the Bureau of
In d ia n A ffa irs F o r e s tr y
Department^ determines where
the cuts will be made. Approval
is ultimately given by the
p e o p le th r o u g h T r ib a l
Council.
Most commonly members
see logging trucks passing by
on the way to the mill but few
see where the logs come from.
Should logging begin in the
Shitike Creek Canyon and
Beaver Creek Canyon it will
become more obvious to
community members where the
“An Environmental Impact
S ta te m e n t s h o u ld be
prepared before the Shitike
Canyon and Shitike Butte
Timber Sales are approved.”
For Beaver Creek they state:
h a rsh sites w ould lim it
reforestation; water tempera
ture may increase to cause a
decrease in fish production;
water flow patterns might
Spilyay Tvmoo photo by Stuwcxvk
change leading to greater
The forest bordering Peter's Pasture is scheduled for logging in erosion; a displacement of
1984. Objections to the cutting are being voiced by community wildlife may result with a
change of species composition;
members interested in preserving the old stand forest.
utilizing the area; and finally,
“the economic return to the
many tribal members as to tribes from this sale will be very
logs come from.
whether or not that was a wise minimal when compared to the
decision.
possible dam age to fish,
wildlife and water resources.”
“The economic return to the
These are areas of old stand
Tribes from the this sale
timber,
abundant wildlife, clear
(Beaver Creek) will be very streams and cultural heritage.
For the Shitike Creek
minimal compared to the These are places where a drive Canyon the natural resources
possible damage to fish, or walk through the woods is d e p a rtm e n t sta te s; w ater
w ild life and w ater re still uninterrupted by barren quality of Shitike Creek
spots and no sign of activity is downstream of sale units will
sources.”
noticed except a few birds be detrimentally affected; the
singing and an occasional deer fisheries resource may suffer
running across the road.
substantial losses; the proposed
Although, these areas were
Sometimes a monetary value timber sales would have a long
approved for logging there now cannot be put on a thing of term detrimental impact on
arise questions in the minds of beauty and a place of recluse. wildlife using the canyon; the
Extended fishing dates
s t a t e s ’ r e g u la tio n s w ere
Continued from page 1
the tribes had authority to necessary for conservation and
catch more coho, Chinook jacks rebuilding of the fish runs.
and steelhead. However, he Johnson contended that some
added, “The fishermen still are of the tribes’ calculations were
“clearly wrong.”
not happy.”
After making his ruling,
Arnett and Timothy R.
W eaver, representing the Craig observed that the parties
Yakimas, argued th at, the had been unable during the
states’ regulations would result past year to carry out his
in a defict of approximately suggestion that they negotiate a
7,000 fish to the tribes, new fish management plan to
compared to a defict of replace the five-year plan that
approximately 3,300 fish under began in 1977.
Wednesday he ordered the
the tribe’s proposal.
They contended that both states and the tribe to negotiate
the states’ spawning escape a new plan with appropriate
ment projection of 31,300 for adjustments and submit it to
bright fall chinook and the him by November 1, or, if they
tribes’ projection of a 29,700- cannot agree, to subm it
fish escap em en t “ w ould invidivual proposals to him by
maintain anti preserve the November 10.
resource.”
Jo h n so n and A ssistant
O regon A ttorney G eneral This article is reprinted from
Mary J. Seits argued that the the Oregonian.
aesthetic and recreational
values of the stream as it flow
through the Warm Springs
community would be greatly
diminished; the temperature
of Shitike creek could increase;
and again, “The economic
return to the Tribes from this
sale will be minimal. To risk
inflicting irrepairable damage
to Shitike Creek and its
associated resources for such a
small profit is questionable.”
“The economic return to the
Tribes from this sale will be
minimal. To risk inflicting
irrep airab le damage to
S h itike Creek and its
associated resources for
such a small profit is
questionable.”
The way to save this old
stand forest according to
Warm Spring watermaster
Deepak Sehgal is to return it to
conditional use. Forestry
manager Bob Harnard agrees
th a t a c o n d itio n a l use
designation will take it out of
the Forest Management Plan.
Two things can happen,
then. The annual allowable cut
can be reduced or logging in
1984 will take place elsewhere.
It is up to the tribal members
what is to happen. The
Forestry department merely
acts as “consultants” in the
matter of harvesting trees and
managing the forfest explains
Jim Akerson.
As a final effort to protect
these canyons the Natural
R esources d e p a rtm e n t is
asking for an Environmental
Impact Statement. With these
the effect of logging Shitike
Creek Canyon and Beaver
C re e k C a n y o n c a n be
accurately estimated.
Tribal members must state
th e ir feelings co n cern in g
management of their land,
taking into consideration the
future and keeping values in
balance.
Annual report mailed
Over 2,900 copies of the
Tribe’s latest annual report
were mailed August 22 to tribal
members and others who
conduct business with the
Tribes.
The front cover of the eight-
page report carries a full-color
p h o to of M t. Je ffe rso n
photo of Mt. Jefferson from
Whitewater. The interior pages
were printed in two-colors—a
dark steel-blue and black. The
report was produced entirely
in-house except for printing.
This was a first-time effort by
the staff of Spilyay Tymoo, the
Planning departm ent and
a d m in is tr a tiv e s e c re ta ry
M ax in e C le m e n ts, w ho
coordinated all the materials
far Sandra Rangila, who
assisted in writing.
Included in the mail-out to
tribal members only was a 25-
pae financial statement which
in c lu d e d a le tte r fro m
s e c r e ta r y /tre a s u r e r R alph
M innick. M innick noted
project completions such as the
hydro project, Deschute Water
System, tribal garage and the
re m o d e lin g o f s e v e ra l
community buildings.
Stated Minnick, “As a
whole, the year 1982 was a busy
one, fullof building, complet
ing and planning. It cannot be
looked a t as our m ost
successful year financially.
However, the many areas of
progress mark it as a very
successful year fo r the
organization.”
Crash claims one
A single vehicle accident
claimed the life of Warm
S p rin g s re sid e n t M artina
Heath, age 23. The accident
occurred on August 21 at
approximately 4:30 p.m. on
highway 8 at milepost 7.1. The
vehicle identified as a pickup
left the highway and landed in
the Warm Springs River near
Rattlesnake Springs.
Three people were in the
pickup at the time of the
a c c id e n t. D e ta ils of the
accident have not been released
by the Warm Springs Police
department and the accident is
under _ investigation by the
Tribal Police department and
the Bureau of Indian Affairs
investigator, according to
Jerome Main, BI A investiga
tor.
The two other people in the
pickup were Benson Heath, age
36; and Brent Graybael, age 22,
both from Warm Springs.
According to information
released by the police the
accident was reported by
telephone by one of the
individualsWho had been in the
vehicle. The accident was
reported at about 5:15 a.m. The
person reportedly had to walk
some distance to get to a phone.