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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 28, 2011)
Page 8 December 28, 2011 Spiiy^y Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon 2011 Year in Review — (This is the conclusion o f the 2011 review o f notable events on the reservation.) In Ju n e the N atural R e sources Branch presented its recommended allowable tim ber cut to Tribal Council. N atural Resources recom mended an allowable cut of 31 million board feet per year. This figure represents the harvest level that is sustainable for fu ture generations, according to the Natural Resources Branch. Warm Springs Forest Prod ucts Industries, meanwhile, rec ommended an allowable cut fig ure of 43 million board feet. The mill could not operate with an annual harvest of 31 million board feet, and would have to shut down, WSFPI officials say. Also in June, Tribal Council approved the construction start for the new water system to serve the Sim nasho-Schoolie Flats community. Arsenic in the existing domes tic water supply at Simnasho is above the EPA safety standard. Simnasho residents have been using bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes for the past four years. A permanent solution to the problem req u ired secu rin g $2.05 million in funding. The funding now is in place, said Don Courtney, Utilities director. Meanwhile: Gov. Kitzhaber officially ex pressed his support for a law that would enhance the jurisdic tion of tribal officers. The pro posed law would provide tribal police officers in Oregon with the same powers and protections provided by Oregon law to state and local law enforcement of ficers. Non-Indians could then be cited for committing crimes in Indian country, on the reser vation. And this: In June the Warm Springs Housing Authority announced the closure of nine of ten prob lem findings identified last year by the Northwest Office of Na tive American Programs. Housing officials said they expect the one remaining find ing to be resolved in a matter of weeks. Back in September of 2010, HUD said the agency would adjust some of or all of the tribes’ future Indian hous ing block grants if the findings were not remedied. This news from Finance: Balancing the tribal budget this year and next year could re quire employees to take one unpaid day off per pay period. This would be similar to furlough days implemented by other units of government within the state. The furlough-day proposal has been suggested by tribal staff during the past two budget plan ning cycles. Elsewhere: Officials are investigating the cause of the Upper Dry Creek fire, which burned over 1,300 acres and forced the evacuation o f dozens o f fam ilies from their homes last Thursday. Ac cording to officials, 2011 has been Oregon’s wettest spring in 117 years. Under the right con ditions that means fuel for fires. Elsewhere: StoryCorps is recording in terviews in Warm Springs in July. StoryCorps is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, sharing, and pre serving the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and be liefs. And this news: The Warm Springs canoe team made their Second Annual Canoe Journey in July. The N’Chi Wanapam canoe family left Warm Springs on July 9, and arrived later in the month at Swinomish, Wash. The Paddle to Swinomish 2011 canoe land ing and welcoming ceremonies were held over the course of a week, hosted by Swinomish In dian Community. The Confed erated Tribes of Warm Springs in 2010 rejoined other tribal canoe families when they took part in the Paddle to Makah. The tribes in July were still considering the possibility of de veloping a biomass energy plant on the reservation, although now there are some significant challenges facing the project. Financing, an assurance of suf ficient fuel, and time are the m ain challenges facing this project. August V ____________ J The new Warm Springs li brary is now open on campus, in the Family Resource Build ing. Meanwhile: Native American inmates at the Deer Ridge Correctional Facility announced plans to host a powwow in an outdoor area at the facility. This will be the first powwow hosted by the in mates at Deer Ridge. In other news: Tribal Council this week ap proved a settlement regarding bonds the tribes issued in 2003. The tribes issued the bonds in order to pay for the purchase o f one-third o f the Pelton- Round Butte hydroelectric facili ties. Elsewhere: Tribal Council has given the nod to a recommendation by the tribal legal team to move for ward with the next step in par ticipation to Senate Bill 412. The bill was recently passed by Oregon legislature, providing tribal police with limited au thority off reservations for two years, including power to con tinue pursuing suspects who leave tribal land, and to take action when a crime is commit ted in front of them. Close to 2,400 fire-fighter personnel were on the reserva tion in Septem ber, b attlin g range and wild land blazes that burned across m ore 107,000 acres. A t tim es the flam es ap proached very close to homes, but only one structure, a shed, was lost. More than 300 homes were threatened at different times. Some rural homes, such as in the Sidwalter and Schoolie flat areas, came close to catas trophe. Defensible space around the homes, and the effort of the fire crews, are credited with saving the stru ctu res, said Dan M artin ez, c h ie f o f W arm Springs Fire and Safety. Martinez commended all the fire crews who helped, as well as the com m unity, w hich showed great support for the responders. In other news: An im p o rtan t deadline passed in Septem ber in the C obell vs. Salazar class action lawsuit. All individuals who be lieved they are entitled to par ticipate in the setdement—as a member of the trust adminis tration class, and who are re quired under the terms of the settlement agreement to submit a claim form—were required to mail a properly completed and signed form to the claims ad ministrator postmarked by Sept. 16. Tribal Council and manage ment are in a preliminary stage of considering the possible de velo p m en t o f a m un icip al solid waste gasification facil ity. If the project moves for ward, the facility would be lo cated on the tribal trust prop erty at the Madras industrial park. The tribes would lease the property to the developer-opera- tor of the gasification plant, said Jim Manion, manager of Warm Springs Power and Water Enter prises. In other news: October V________________ J Tribal Council agreed in Oc tober to move forward with a plan to develop a bio-mass en ergy plant on the reservation. Council extended the site license for the com pany, .Oregon Bioenergy LLC, that is planning development of the facility. The bio-mass plant will be located south of the landfill-transfer sta tion, in the Dry Creek area. And this: fish trap: This was the first fish to accomplish the feat, as part of the réintroduction project. And this: A t this m o n th ’s W asco Chieftainship Protocol meet ing, facilitator Charles V. Jack- son presented the people with a recommendation compiled by the fam ilies o f nom inees, George Clements, Alfred Smith Jr., G arland B runoe, D erek Tasympt, Grant Clements Sr. and John Katchia Sr. “No small group or handful of people can make a decision for the entire group of Wascos,” Jackson said. “Even though not all of us come to these meet ings all the time, I think at some point we need to realize that we have to make a decision and move forward. We want to hear your concerns, and whether you have thoughts about this recom mendation, either pro or con.” Tribal Council and the 509-J school district board were talk in g o f the need for a new school in Warm Springs. The idea for a new school serving the reservation has been on the table for about a decade. Fund ing has been the obstacle to get ting the project beyond the dis cussion phase. To build a new K-8 school in Warm Springs would cost an estim ated $18 million, said Rick Molitor, school district superintendent. An idea mentioned at Tribal Council last week is for the school district to come up with half the money, and the tribes to come up with the other half. Tribal Council could put the issue to a vote of the member ship by referendum. The school district would go to its voters for a bond levy. The current Warm Springs Elementary School is decades old, some parts dating back to the 1930s. The location by Highway 26 is also problem atic for safety and other reasons. November V ________ J The Warm Springs TeleCo made great progress toward serving the reservation. New staff were on board, and the new teleco office opened at the industrial park were. Danica Greene and Gabriel Walker joined general manager Jose Mantanane on the staff of the teleco. Walker is the sales and marketing coordinator for the enterprise. Greene is the teleco customer service m an ager. She and Walker are the first teleco employees hired after op erations manager Mantanane, who started in April. After eight public meetings, the Wasco people remain divided on how to proceed with the se lectio n o f the next W asco Chief. Charles V Jackson once again served as the facilitator at this month’s chieftainship meeting, guiding the people through an other draft proposal, signed by four of the six eligible candi d ates— G arland B runoe, George Clem ents Sr., G rant Clements, and John Katchia Sr. As part of the draft proposal, criteria for determining eligible voters may be modified to re quire a m inim um o f 1/16 Wasco blood. Vital Statistics would be utilized to assist in the voting process. No w rite-in votes would be allowed. A spe cial panel of Wasco elders would oversee the process and hear appeals. Also in November: The National Congress of American Indians met in Port land in November. This was the first time in 36 years that NCAI met in Portland, giving many Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs members a chance to attend some of the activities. This month Tribal Council heard an update on various as pects o f the gaming enter prise. The Council met with new Indian Head Casino gen eral m anager Ken Billingsley, and the new ly-hired general m an ager o f K ah -N ee-T a, Carlos Smith. Construction of the casino is progressing as planned, and the gaming board announced that February 4, 2012 w ill be the dedication day for the new ca sino. A grand opening will hap pen later in the month. Tribal Council then toured the build ing with Billingsley, Smith and other staff. Year of progress for teleco Warm Springs Forest Prod uct Industries and the tribal Natural Resources Branch an nounced they may have devel oped a plan to keep the mill operating for at least the next few years. WSFPI and Natural Resource representatives met with Tribal Council this month, and reported they may have come up with a timber harvest plan that would meet the mill’s needs. In other news: This month saw a milestone in the endeavor to bring migrat ing fish back to the rivers above the Pelton-Round Butte dams. On October 9, an adult summer steelhead returned to the Pelton WSTC’s Gabe Walker, Jose Mantanane and Danica Greene at the new offices.