PagelO
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
August 8, 2002
Succesful
month for
GeoVisions
The newest tribal enterprise,
GeoVisions has earned more revenue
than fust projected. GeoVisions, spe
cializing in digital mapping, earned
$100,000 more in recent monthly rev
enue than initially expected.
This announcement came last
week from the office of Warm Springs
Ventures, the tribal corporation that
provided funding for GeoVisions.
The GeoVisions enterprise was
formed early this year. The enterprise
is a part of the Confederated Tribes'
Geographic Information System, or
GlS office, a department of the Natu
ral Resources Branch.
Almost immediately after becom
ing operational, GeoVisions was as
signed to two fires in the region.
GeoVisions currently operates a one-of-a-kind
mobile command center
primarily designed for on-scene map
ping as it relates to fire management.
GeoVisions provided mapping ser
vices at the scene of the Eyerly Vice,
and has also been assigned to the
Black Butte Fire. These two incidents
have brought the larger than expected
revenue generation for GeoVisions.
Salmon event
JH
Howlak Tichum
Wanda Victoria Charley
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Wanda Victoria "Wanaxani" Char
ley, age 45, passed on due to an ex
tended illness on July 3. Ms. Charley
was born December 23, 1956 to par
ents Jane M. (Whitefoot) and Wesley
"Riggs" Charley at Redmond. She
was an enrolled member of the Con
federated Tribes.
Charley lived most of her life on
the reservation, attending school at
Warm Springs Elementar and Madras
High School, where she graduated in
1974. She was employed throughout
the years in Children's Protective Ser
vice, the Warm Springs Forest Prod
ucts Industries and as a cook. Her
hobbies were bead working, cooking,
shopping at the mall, and fishing (she
loved to can and dry salmon).
Preceding her in death are her
mother, Jane, brother Joe Frank
Charley and her grandparents Carrie
(John) and Robert Charley and Lillie
(Yoke) and Elias Whitefoot.
Survivors include father Wesley
"Riggs", daughter Shamona Charley,
bothers Keith (Joyce) Charley Sr.,
Robert (Nikki) Charley Sr., Dewayne
Charley of Portland, sisters Merda
Charley, Bonny Charley, Lillie
(Ronald Sr.) Suppah, Leslie (Lawrence
Jr.) Squiemphen all of Warm Springs
and aunts Gladys Thompson and
Joyce Quinn.
School: already in budget
Dave McMechanSpilyay
Charles Wolfe was among the dancers at the weekend salmon event in
Portland, Wy-kan-ush-pum.
(Continued from page 1)
Part of the hold up could also be
"the instability of the economy and
revenue shortfalls of the tribe and the
state. Both sides are being very con
servative in how they map out the
next twenty years." said Quaid.
"However we as a tribe have already
built the school into our budget for
the year 2002-2003 and the next 20
years." assures Quaid.
The school will still be located
south of the Early Childhood Educa
tion Center on a hill that overlooks
the center.
Quaid explains, "The site is beau
tiful, safe, residential and ties in per
fectly with the other educational
buildings. It is cost effective because
the infrastructure, such as water and
sewage, already exists. This leaves
more finances for the actual build
ing. The school will accommodate ap
proximately 600 students and can be
used for community events. Tribal
members adopted the school referen
dum in June 2001.
Fish: EPA study thought to be largest of its kind
(Continued from page 1)
A hazard level is figured by an
analysis of how much of a chemical
can be safely eaten with how much
is actually being eaten. A safe hazard
level is one.
The study acknowledges that very
few fish were tested.
"The statistics released are just a
snapshot of a certain point in time.
The fish were only tested over a time
period of one to two years, and it
doesn't necessarily mean the con
tamination levels are consistent with
today's levels or other years," said
Hudson. .
Thought to be the largest of its
kind, the EPA study was designed to
address the effects of pollution on the
Native Americans diet.
It covered over 40 million acres of
land, including samples taken from
the Columbia River, Deschutes River,
Hood River, Fifteen Mile Creek,
Snake River, Umatilla River,
Clearwater River and more. Loca
tions for fish testing were chosen ac
cording to tribal recommendations
regarding where they typically har
vest fish. Many samples were taken
from the Zone 6 Fishery on the main
stem of the Columbia River, a popu
lar fishing place for the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs.
Fish samples were tested for 131
contaminants, of which 92 were
found.
"But," said Hudson, "it is impor
tant to realize not everyone of these
contaminants is cancer-causing or dis
ease-causing. For example, zinc was
found in high levels in coho salmon.
Zinc has litde known ill health effects
on humans."
The study raised significant ques
tions about fish of the Columbia
River, and of other areas allocated to
tribes by their treaties. The study also
suggests a risk exists to the broader
public, but less so because there is less
consumption. The four tribal groups
were surveyed at eating up to 48 fish
meals a month and at rates six to 11
times higher than the national aver
age. (
Harold Blackwolf of Warm
Springs said, "I eat fish three to four
times a week. It's like a snack for us,
instead of grabbing a bag of chips, we
grab some salmon."
Hudson said, "Contaminants need
to be prioritized according to the
worst, then a cleanup remedy needs
to be designed."
He said, "There is need for con
cern, and the tribes need to take ap
propriate actions. The next step is try
ing to make a connection between fish
consumption and tribal health prob
lems. Meanwhile, contamination ar
eas need to be isolated and cleaned up.
There are a number of unknowns this
study has brought to light."
The study emphasizes fish prepa
ration can decrease risk, and recom
mends removing fat and skin before
cooking, and allowing fat and oil to
drain while cooking. These
techiniques should help reduce expo
sures to PCBs, DDTs, dioxins, furans
and other organics which accumulate
in the fatty tissues of fish. The irony
"is that the fat is one of the primary
reasons the tribes eat fish," said Patty
O'Toole, Confederated Tribes fish
biologist.
The EPA recognizes that, despite
contaminants, fish are a good source
of protein, low in satruated fats, and
contain oils that may prevent coro
nary heart disease.
"The fish we eat is like medicine
for us," said Blackwolf. "The salmon
was the first food to speak up and help
the Indians. It has been a staple my
whole life." ,,v.
Tribes involved in the EPA study
are expected to initiate task forces to
address developing fish issues brought
to light by the study.
Timber sale: Tribal member comments touch on number of areas
(Continued from page 7)
A sort yard would not be profit
able at this time.
During the Pathfinder scoping
meetings tribal members asked
whether or not trees would be planted
after the timber sale is completed.
The long-range plan for reforestation
is to plant seedlings and have them
growing so they will have a competi
tive edge over brush species such as
snowbrush and manzanita. If the
seedlings are not competing favorably,
a second option is to spray the brush.
Some successful attempts have been
made at pulling brush, but the older,
more established plants are difficult
to pull up. It is also a very expensive
procedure.
The Forest Development section
administers tree planting contracts.
Depending on the site, typical plant
ing species include Douglas fir, pon
derosa pine, western white pine, west
ern larch, and noble fir. The time it
takes to grow trees varies from site to
site, based largely on site productiv
ity. There arc harsh conditions associ
ated with some sites on the cast side,
but all regeneration harvest units
(typically areas with fewer than 30
residual trees per acre) are reforested.
The crews doing tree planting arc
monitored each day they are in the
field. If plots fail they must be re
planted. Plantations have not been
harvested to this point, but there arc
plans to thin an old Forest Service
plantation on the S-568 road during
the 2003 Timber Sale.
Permits to harvest forest products
arc handled in a variety of ways. The
harvest of beargrass is authorized
through Tribal Council. The forest
manager distributes permits for cone
gathering and Timber Committee is
sues permits for gathering boughs. In
the past, bough cutters were too ag
gressive and their harvest methods
resulted in sun-scalded bark, which
eventually killed the tree. Bough cut
ting, as practiced today, does less harm
to trees in the younger plantations.
Tribal members often ask about
old-growth trees at the scoping meet
ings. One timber-related management
objective is to conserve existing old
growth trees through the metering of
harvests and by providing conditions
favorable for future old-growth
stands.
There are also provisions for grow
ing old-growth trees in the long-term
productivity islands. Trees within this
management zone are allowed to
reach 250 years of age before final
harvests are implemented. Only a
portion of the long-term productiv
ity island can be final harvested at one
time, so there will be old-growth trees
within these management zones.
I lowever, old-growth reserves are not
a tribal objective at this time.
Fire is another subject likely to
draw comments from the tribal pub
lic. To protect the forest from fires,
managers try to thin young stands,
especially in the low elevations where
wildfire return intervals arc frequent.
After thinning occurs crews try to
clean up the slash. Fuels management
is a key in limiting losses to other re
sources such as water, wildlife and
timber. Prescribed fire is another
management tool that helps to reduce
fuel loads and the threat of cata
strophic wildfire.
Non-timber resources that arc
managed during timber sales include,
but arc not limited to, water, wildlife,
firewood and cultural plants. At the
present time much work is being
done to conserve existing huckle
berry bushes, while still allowing for
the harvest of timber. One way this
Some people have ex
pressed concern over recent
health problems affecting
mule deer at Crooked
River Ranch, Culver and
O'Neil Junction.
can be-accomplished is by logging
over snowpacks, which reduces im
pacts to existing bushes. Some eco
logical conditions needed for sus
tained berry production are climate
and cross-pollination from bees. To
address one issue raised during the
scoping process, PIDT members will
meet with committee representatives
and designate areas suitable for primi
tive campsites that could be used by
huckleberry pickers.
During the meetings held to gather
tribal member comments there was
concern expressed over whether or
not it is still safe to eat fish. It is
known that salmon of the Columbia
River Basin do have certain levels of
contaminates (PCBs, lead, mercury,
and various pesticide residues) in their
flesh.
Most (if not all) of these contami
nates are accumulated off the reserva
tion during the open ocean part of
the fish's lifccyde. Studies have indi
cated there may be some long-term
risks for humans who consume large
quantities of Columbia River salmon.
IRMP standards and best manage
ment practices arc meant to protect
fish on the reservation. Riparian ar
eas are buffered by 100 foot no-cut
zones on each side of class I streams,
60 feet on each side of class II streams,
and 30 feet on each side of class III
streams.
IRMP also prohibits oil, grease, an
tifreeze or any other toxic substance
from being changed, stored or dis
posed of within 200 feet of a stream,
spring, seep or bog. These standards
are meant to protect aquatic resources,
including fish, throughout the reser
vation. They are also meant to ensure
that fish residing on the reservation
are healthy and fit for human con
sumption. See related story on page 1.
There were many excellent com
ments from tribal members regarding
wildlife, including one suggestion to
leave vegetation along roads for big
game cover, and another to harvest
trees in mosaic patterns.
Protecting big game trails and clos
ing roads on a permanent or seasonal
basis are also necessary measures that
help to maintain the big-game popu
lations at harvestable levels.
IRMP provides basic guidelines for
wildlife management, while more
specific measures are implemented at
the project level, as would be the case
with the Pathfinder Timber Sale.
The technical staff relies on the
Natural Resources data base and in
put from tribal members to ensure
that crucial game trails and travel cor
ridors arc buffered from excessive dis
turbance. Some people have expressed con
cern over recent health problems af
fecting mule deer at Crooked River
Ranch, Culver and O'Neil Junction.
The outbreak of Adeno hemoragic
disease (ADH) has recently subsided
in those areas, but has spread to the
Sisters area, following a natural mi
gration pathway for mule deer. At the
present time there have been no re
ported cases of ADH on the reserva
tion. I lowever, all sick deer or any sus
pected to be infected, should be re
ported to the Natural Resources
Branch.
Even though the California big
horn sheep released last January are
not located in the project area, they
were a topic of discussion at the Path
finder scoping meetings. Most of the
sheep survived the trauma of being
transplanted and are adapting to their
new home in the Mutton Mountains.
Fish and Wildlife employees recendy
sited fifteen of the 20 transplanted
sheep. Five newborn lambs were also
observed. If left alone these sheep
could expand into a sizeable herd.
One question noted during the
scoping process was directed towards
the status of koonch in the Mutton
Mountains. Because of past timber
management practices and stand re
placement wildfires, koonch in the
Mutton Mountain area is currently
dormant and in a state of recovery.
Another person wanted to know
about the status of the spruce bud
worm. In this case the response is a
bit more encouraging.
The western spruce budworm has
not been a problem on the reserva
tion for several years, in part because
forest health problems are dealt with
as they arise.
Other comments from tribal
members that were noted
1. Sometimes tribal member input
is not taken seriously because
RMIDT is buffered from the public
by the PIDT. RMIDT should sit in
on these meetings so they'll know
how serious we arc.
2. We have a hard time getting
PIDT members to the scoping meet
ings. 3. The reason people don't come
to the meetings is because they don't
believe anyone is listening.
4. We get pushed into producing
timber for the mill.
5. Tribal Council is never at these
meetings.
6. Protect root digging areas near
Coyote Creek.