Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 27, 2003)
Spilyay Tyvnoo, Warm Timber: members comment on variety (Continued from page 1) Landscape prescriptions leave a variable number of trees spread over an area of 40-150 acres. Marking will be conducted by the Presale staff or by con tractors. Some of the marking guidelines will require buffering against blowdown, especially along block edges next to open ings. The most common logging method will be ground skidding. Cable yarding will be confined to slopes in excess of 35 de grees. There will not be any he licopter logging direcdy associ ated with this sale. The 2005 sale area was se lected based on criteria found in the forest management plan. The plan calls for only one en try per area during the 10-year planning period. The allowable cut is calcu lated based on the forest's sus tained yield. It also takes into account a number of manage ment directives, including stream buffers and conditional use restrictions. The continuous forest inventory plots are remeasured every 10 years to check the allowable cut for sustainability. One tribal member who at tended the scoping meetings wanted to know if there is old growth timber adjacent to High way 26 and the staff noted there are scattered, older trees among younger ones and in patches. There are also stands of old growth spread across the north west corner of the reservation. Some stands have a major com ponent of old-growth and some contain scattered old-growth in the overstory. Old-growth will be preserved for the future by leaving large, old trees within the boundaries of selected harvest blocks. There are typically a number of questions regarding forest insectsarid disease at 'scoping - meetings and sessions held for the 2005 sale were no exception. Impacts from a variety of in sects and several diseases occur on the forest and the impacts usually vary from one area to another. There is a lot of dwarf mistletoe associated with the 2005 sale at lower elevations and laminated root disease is present at higher elevations. Bark beetles are attacking and killing lodgcpole pine in the higher elevations and scattered Hometown Drugs q S i' I I ! J ill Corner Springs, Oregon insect attacks are occurring in the ponderosa pine stands. In sect attacks are based on the health and species composition of the stand. It should be noted that insects and diseases are part of the for est ecosystem and will help to strike an ecological balance if they are kept in check. Timber sale benefits tribes Some tribal members ad dressed comments on the 2005 sale to Warm Springs Forest Products Industries (WSFPI). A mill representative told them the primary beneficiary of all tim ber sales is the Confederated Tribes. Unfortunately, prices have been low recendy because of depressed lumber markets and export economies. The mill lost money four of the last five years due to weak timber mar kets, but the staff is working on a strategic plan to make the mill profitable, so they are hoping to be in business for a long time. In answer to another specific question, the mill is processing ponderosa pine, but it will not be selling lumber directly to Iraq. People wanted to know about small trees (less than 3 inches in diameter by 12 feet in length) and the mill representative said there are markets for them. The mill can even utilize limbs when hog fuel markets are good. WSFPI is considering a new mill to process 4-7 inches logs. In terms of financing for capi tal improvements such as this, it may take several years to pay for a major improvement, while smaller projects can be paid off in one year. On the subject of winter log ging, the mill representative said benefits include reduced inven tory costs, even cash flow, low ered road maintenance costs, and the fact, that some units are . best logged over a, snowpack. Two diverse questions ad dressed to the mill were an swered during scoping meetings as follows: 1) The possibility of process ing logs for log homes is a deci sion based on market conditions. 2) The possibility of growing hybrid poplars has been consid ered, but many questions remain unanswered. Water an important issue Issues related to water are very important to tribal mem hi. FA ? ej mm in Pendleton Blankets New Toys Photo Processing Yankee Candles of Fifth and D in Madras bers. One comment received during scoping meetings had to do with no-cut buffers along reservation creeks and how the buffer widths are determined. The answer is a variety of fac tors determine buffer sizes in cluding quantity of water, spe cies present, previous classifica tions, riparian plant distribution, high water mark, and profes sional interpretation. Another tribal member asked if springs could be developed and it was noted there are opportunities for spring development. On the topic of logging in headwater areas the hydrologist said, logging in the high country is sensitive and care is taken to minimize impacts. Tribal mem bers were reassured to hear that in terms of overall use most wa ter around and on the reserva tion is reserved for in-stream purposes. Two comments were ad dressed specifically to fish issues. On the subject of fish migra tions in the Deschutes, the PIDT fish biologist said all stake holders involved in hydroelec tric relicensing negotiations are currently working for the pas sage of fish over the Pelton Round Butte project. In address ing lamprey he said there is cur rently a study being conducted by Jennifer Graham, a fisheries biologist for the Confederated Tribes, which is looking at the distribution and abundance of lamprey (eels) on the reserva tion. Wildlife is always a popular subject with tribal members and many comments center around this topic. Endangered species were mentioned at recent scoping meetings and the wild life biologist explained there are currently two species federally listed as "threatened" that reside on the reservation (northern spotted owl and bald eagle). ' Resident bald eagles have de clined due to poaching, but known nesting territories have been protected from commer cial timber harvests through IRMP standards. The spotted owl population has experienced a significant decline of approxi mately 50 percent over the past decade due to several factors such as habitat loss and frag mentation caused by logging. The reservation bear popu lation is healthy and thriving, yet only three bears were reported harvested in 2002. There has November 27, 2003 of issues been an increase in the number of tags issued to tribal members over the past several years but hunter success is extremely low due to a lack of interest. Some tribal members are concerned about cougars (mountain lions) and these ani mals are not inventoried on the reservation. The wildlife staff radio-collared two female cou gars in 1996 and monitored the animal's movements over the next three years (1996-99). What often determines the abundance of this predator is availability of prey, as well as the quantity of suitable habitat. Re ported sightings of cougar in community areas may be indi rectly related to the recent de cline in deer numbers (causing cougars to find other prey spe cies) rather than an increase in the cougar population. Bighorns produce lambs Tribal members were pleased to learn the bighorn sheep rein troduced in the Mutton Moun tains have been successful thus far. The sheep did experience some mortality during their first year back on the reservation, but those losses were offset by the birth of five lambs the fol lowing spring. In 2003 between five and seven lambs joined the herd. Antelope numbers, on the other hand, have not increased over the past 12 years due pri marily to poaching. Another concern expressed at scoping meetings stemmed from nationwide reports of West Nile virus. Oregon is one of the last western states that has not experienced a case of the virus in humans, wildlife or domestic animals. It is undoubt edly on its way, but it is unknown to what extent this exotic virus will infect deer or other native wildlife. (This story will conclude in the next edition of the paper.). Palm Harbor Homes Welcomes the Warm Springs Comm unity 71 TT7" f jh : j; : : .p 5 Oi I '' fm p' ' i: ' I '! 1 1 ' m gv Oave McMachanSpilyay Jodel Johnson manages the Jo's Coffee Corral. The shop, located next to the Texaco station, is now serving soup and pizza. Call ahead and have your order ready to go, 553-1 320. Eating healthy for the holidays Statistics show that a person's typical Christmas day intake of food can reach nearly five thou sand calories. The bulk of the calories consumed are fat. According to the Oregon State University Extension ser vice, turkey isn't the problem. It may be the leanest dish on the table at less than three and a half ounces per serving when skinned. What really adds up the calories are appetizers, side dishes and desserts. Consider making a change by offering family and guests raw vegetables with salsa instead of chips and dip or crackers with cheese. How about those can died sweet potatoes with butter and marshmallows? Substitute plain sweet potatoes, butternut or acorn squash sweetened with a drizzling of maple syrup. Forget the creamed veg etables. Prepare a combination of whole pearl onions and steamed .l'.'U Financing available Warm Springs Tribal Credit Featuring Many homes to choose from Furniture packages Wood stoves Home security systems Spa's and much more h( CDqpDoi? lllUOOnago Palm Harbor Homes 1357 North Highway 97 Redmond, Oregon Phone 541-504-1402, or 888 - 504 - Page 9 brussel sprouts or steamed green beans and broccoli with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese instead of butter. Most kids thing they need mashed potatoes and gravy for a holiday meal. First think about using a low-fat gravy. Most pan drippings used to make gravy consist of fat and brown solids. To make low-fat gravy from pan drippings, just remove the bird from the cooking pan then drain all juices into a container. Let the drippings sit until the fat rises. Simply skim the fat from the juices and make your favor ite gravy recipe. Consider a low-fat version of turkey stuffing by removing the butter in most recipes and use vegetable stock or wine to hold the dressing together. If you have any questions about how to make your holiday meals more healthy, contact the local Oregon State University Exten sion office at 553-3238., 1402