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.