Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (June 28, 2001)
Spilyay Tymoo, Wrro Springs, Oregon iLne2B,2001 Conditional use areas beneficiai Designation gives lands protections Tribal Council recently adopted the Integrated Resources Manage ment Plan for the Forested Area (1RMP I) as a permanent planning guide on the Warm Springs Reser vation. The newly adopted plan updates the original version that was scheduled to expire at the end of the year, and continues to focus on a balanced approach towards natural resources management. 1 A number ;of meetings were held to gather comments from'tribal members when the plan was being revised. Committees were also in volved in the process. The planning team received a great deal of input and tried to incorporate as many suggestions as possible into the re vised 1RMP. The planning team has prepared a series of articles highlighting key elements and revisions to 1RMP. The topic of the article appearing in this edition of the Spilyay Tymoo is con ditional use areas. It is the third ar ticle in the IRMP series. Conditional use areas were origi nally designated by Tribal Council with the passage of Resolution 3912 on Oct. 17, 1973. Council action was taken after reviewing a report produced by a special committee chaired by A.W. Galbraith. The committee was asked to conduct a study of Warm Springs forested lands and make recommendations regarding management priorities. The committee recommended all forested lands be designated under one of three classifications: 1) exclu sive non-dommercial use, 2) condi tional use' forest, or 3) commercial forest. The commercial forest would be used to obtain the annual allow able cut and the exclusive non-commercial use areas would be excluded frprtt,.tirnef(hai;ves ditipnal use, areas were designated based on a number of factors, includ ing topography and access, forest growth capacity, soil type, water quality and other outstanding re source values. Many conditional use areas are located on steep slopes, have below average timber growth poten tial, or possess other characteristics that make logging difficult or expen . sive. With the adoption of IRMP, con ditional use areas are managed un der specific goals, objectives and standards. Timber stands within conditional use areas are not in cluded in the annual allowable cut calculations, but timber harvest is permitted with Tribal Council ap proval. There are two goals associated with conditional use areas located on forested lands within the reservation boundaries. The first goal is to pro tect or enhance each area's unique resource features, resource- uses and cultural values, allowing natural pro cesses and systems to function. The second is to maintain each condi tional use area in a primitive state. Restrictions on management such as those listed above have had posi tive results for fish, wildlife and other natural resources. When IRMP was being revised, a review of conditional use areas revealed a num ber of encouraging trends. "The combination of remote, unroaded country and diverse habi tats provide sanctuaries for deer and elk," according to a recent report prepared by the Fish and Wildlife Department. "The apparent key to high game use in these areas is the lack of easy access by humans." Other studies indicate there is a direct correlation between road den sity and use by game animals. Road densities greater than 2 miles per section (one square mile) have a pro found negative effect on deer and elk, and their use of a given area. An IRMP standard limits road densities in conditional use areas to no more than 1 mile per section. Another stipulates there will be no net in crease in roads. Salmon, steelhead and trout populations also benefit from the status afforded to conditional use areas. Cool, clean water and good T Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center Customer Survey Results - ' -- - - . - J " tmi.- Top photo by Mike Van Meter, bottom photo from Department of Natural Resources Conditional use areas like the Whitewater River watershed (above) create conditions helpful to wild fish. 1 ' . - .-;:....-. habitat are vitally important to the well being of these fish and recendy completed stream surveys reveal that stream habitats measured in condi tional use areas are among the best in the region. "Water temperatures average 6 to 8 degrees cooler in conditional use area streams than in streams in other management zones at the same el evations on the reservation," states the Fish and Wildlife report. "Vir tually all the reservation's anadro mous (sea going species that spawn in freshwater) fish migrate through and benefit from the high quality habitats and water conditions that conditional use areas provide." Other fish and wildlife species, and other resources benefit from a lack of management activities in con ditional use areas, but the areas were not established for the sole purpose of excluding people. The areas are open to hunting, fishing, cultural plant food gathering, horseback riding, hiking and many other forms of cultural activity or recreation. The primitive or near-primitive state of these areas otters unique oppor tunities and allow s visitors to expe rience nature in its purest form. Conditional use areas contain un spoiled and breathtaking views of the Cascade Mountains, sanctuaries for rare species such as the bald eagle, stately groves of old-growth timber, and coundess other natural wonders. There are also opportunities for eco nomic gain. Management activities such as timber harvests are not excluded from conditional use areas, but ac- Besides the threat of fire, there are other concerns relating to forest health issues that may affect future management of conditional use ar eas. Overcrowded stands and those heavily impacted by disease or in sect attack may be vulnerable to large-scale mortality. The Natural Resources and Forestry staffs are re viewing current conditions to see if tions of this type do require Tribal ,spme form of timber harvest might Council direction. In recent years the Council approved salvage of beetle-killed timber on Hehe Butte that was visible from the longhouse. They also approved a timber salvage operation on the south end of the reservation following the Jefferson Fire and another in the Mutton Mountains following the Simnasho Fire. All of these sales involved har vests within condition use areas. Impacts were minimized because resource managers and loggers worked closely together throughout the planning process and during the implementation phase of the projects. The cooperative approach re duced potential impacts and also generated revenue for the Confeder ated Tribes be warranted on a site-specific basis. When the revised IRMP I for the Forested Area was presented to Tribal Council it included four rec ommendations that resulted in a net increase of 10 acres to the land base under conditional use status. The adopted recommendations trans ferred 23 acres adjacent to lower Parker Creek and 489 acres in and around Volde Meadows from com mercial forest to conditional use. The plan also transferred 65 acres on the southeast slope of Bald Peter and 436 acres west of Volde Meadow from conditional use to commercial forest. There are approximately 100,225 acres on the reservation currently designated as conditional use. This includes both forested and non-forested lands. 1'rom tht Health and Wtlltitss Ctnter On April 11, 2001, the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center held an Open House which was very well attended. It is estimated that over 400 people visited the facility during this event, and 313 of those folks responded to our customer survey. This survey was designed to gather information about how we're doing, opportunities to improve the services, and the direction that the community would like to see us take. A hearty thank you to all of you who took the time to com plete the survey! We will be spending the next year working on exacdy what you've asked us to improve. Because we re ceived so many comments (9 pages total!), we will just in clude the measured responses here. Here are the questions we asked and the community's responses: 1. Since the opening of the Health and Wtllntss Center in 1993, have we offered you: (Please circle yes or no for A-F below) Yes No No Answer A. Easier access to appointments? 85 14 1 B. Better quality professional services? 73 25 2 C. A more caring staff? 81 18 1 D. Evening appointments? , 85 14 1 E. A broader range of services? 81 17 2 F. Improved emergency services? 76 21 3 2. As a result of the Health and Wellness Center opening in 1993, do you feel that the health status of the Warm Springs community has: (Please circle one) G. Improved H. Remained about the same I. Worsened J. No opinion K. No answer 57 22 5 7 9 3. Have you personally benefited from the increased ser vices offered through the Health and Wellness Center (Please circle one) , Yes (79) No (19) No Answer (2) 4. Do you feel that the community of Warm Springs is better off today with the new Health and Wellness Center than it would be with the old health facility? (Please circle one) Yes (89) No (10) No Answer (1) 5. Would you participate in disease prevention programs (e.g., exercise programs, screening physicals, health education sessions, etc.) if they were offered as part of your health ser vices? (Please circle one) Yes (79) No (16) No Answer (5) 6. Do you know how to register a patient complaint? (Please circle one) Yes (38) No (56) No Answer (6) Based on the responses above, we would like to take this opportunity to improve one thing immediately. It seems that we need to better communicate with our customers regarding how to register a patient complaint.. To register a patient com plaint, simply call 553-1196 or come to the clinic and ask for either Michele Gemelas (Quality Improvement Coordinator) or Russ Alger (Service Unit Director). These folks will gather the necessary information about your situation, discuss it with the staff members who may have been involved in your care and often will provide you with an immediate response. Sometimes your concerns require a bit more investigation, however, and in accordance with our policy, we will get a response to you within 10 working days. Situations involving care provided outside this clinic should be taken to either the Managed Care Program or the provider who referred you out. There are other ways that you can let us know how we are doing, and we encourage you to use them. First, put a sugges tion in our Suggestion Box, located outside the Managed Care office. This is for any suggestion concerning health care. Sec ond, make an appointment to visit with Michele Gemelas, Quality Improvement Coordinator, or leave her a note. Some of you have done this and various changes in the clinic have been made because of things that our customers have brought to our attention. Please don't stop! Finally, thank you to all of you for being patient with us at the Warm Springs Health and Wellness Center as we con tinue to work toward excellence. We are constandy striving to educate our professional staff by encouraging staff devel opment time and creating educational opportunities for them, and we hope that it shows in the work we do for you. You have stuck by us through many changes, and because there is always room for improvement there will be more to come. We appreciate your continued patience.