Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
March 4, 2015
Vol. 40, No. 5
March – Wiyalppt – Winter - Anm
P.O. Box 870
Warm Springs, OR 97761
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Warm Springs, OR 97761
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Council approves TERO plan
Boundary from
Bend to The Dalles
Tribal Council last week adopted
the Tribal Employment Rights Or-
dinance, or TERO.
This is an important job creation
program that applies on the reser-
vation, and within a 60-mile radius
of the reservation boundary.
The on-reservation aspect ap-
plies to construction projects in-
cluding work done by the tribal
enterprises.
The TERO officer will work with
the contractors and subcontractors,
ensuring tribal member access to the
employment opportunities.
Another aspect of TERO ap-
plies to the area around the reser-
vation. Warm Springs Ventures in-
terim executive director Don
Sampson has been working with the
Oregon Department of Transpor-
tation on a memorandum of under-
standing.
ODOT receives federal transpor-
tation funding, and tribal members
should have fair access to construc-
tion work made possible by this
funding, Sampson said. The 60-mile
radius would bring in areas from
Bend toward The Dalles.
“TERO allows tribal businesses
and individuals a preference in hir-
ing,” Sampson said. “That is a huge
opportunity that we’ve been miss-
ing.”
The Tribal Council was unani-
mous in its support for this program.
The Umatilla and Grand Ronde
have TERO programs. “It’s some-
thing we should have done a decade
ago,” Councilman Carlos Smith said.
The Warm Springs TERO radius
will be the biggest in the state, and
one of the biggest in the U.S.,
Sampson said.
With the ordinance in place, the
next step is to create a five-mem-
ber TERO commission, and hire a
TERO director. The director posi-
tion could be funded for two years
through a grant Sampson said.
The TERO program will involve
training the local workforce in the
kinds of jobs that will become avail-
able. Warm Springs Vocational Re-
habilitation, and the Community
Action Team will be partners in this
aspect of the program, Sampson
said.
Carbon project in market phase
The carbon sequestration
project—with its potential for over
$5 million in revenue—is moving to
its next phase.
This phase will involve the mar-
keting of the carbon credits, with
revenue possible by the end of this
year. The Brand of Natural Re-
sources meanwhile continues work
on the inventory aspect of the
project.
The tribes are considering the
marketing of carbon credits for
24,050 acres of higher-elevation
timber land. This is conditional use
land that is not part of the
harvestable timber base on the res-
ervation.
The Tribal Council last week
unanimously approved a request
from Ventures to fund the carbon
marketing phase. Ventures’ Geo
Visions and Natural Resources have
been working on the carbon seques-
tration project for a few years now.
Ventures is planning information
meetings on this project, as there are
points that need to be clarified, said
Ventures interim executive director
Don Sampson.
First, the tribes are not making
an irrevocable commitment of res-
ervation natural resources, Sampson
said.
Council members said they hear
from members that the “100-year
commitment” is a concern with car-
bon sequestration.
As a standard, the marketing of
the carbon credits involves a 100-
year management plan for the acre-
age involved.
But the market provides ways to
discontinue the program, if some
future Council wishes to do so, said
Pi-Ta Pitt, Warm Springs Power and
Water Enterprises operations assis-
tant, and Ventures board vice chair.
Some revenue from the program
can be set aside for this specific
purpose, he said.
And the Confederated Tribes are
taking a very conservation approach
to the carbon sequestration market,
Sampson said. The acreage involved
is modest, and is already identified
in the Integrated Resources Man-
agement Plan for the type of for-
estry management needed for by
carbon sequestration.
The current management of the
land is an expenditure for the tribes.
The carbon sequestration project
will fund the management, creating
some jobs, and bring in additional
significant revenue to the tribes,
estimated conservatively at $5.5
million.
See CARBON on page 7
Alyssa Macy/Spilyay
Brigette Scott, Sara Scott Morning Owl and JoAnn Smith at Lincoln’s Birthday Powwow (results
on page 5).
Alyssa Macy/Spilyay
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs co-hosted the
Twentieth Annual Eagle Watch at Overlook Park at the
Cove. Tribal dancers performed as part of the afternoon
events (more on page 12).
Team exploring
issues, potential
surrounding cannabis
A Warm Springs team will confer
with the Department of Justice
regarding changes in cannabis laws.
Medical marijuana is allowed in
many states, including Oregon;
while more states, including Oregon,
are legalizing the possession of the
drug for recreational purposes.
The state jurisdiction does not
apply on the reservation. But the
federal Department of Justice is a
partner with the tribes in law
enforcement on the reservation.
U.S. Attorneys should confer with
tribes regarding the enforcement of
marijuana laws on reservations,
according to a DOJ directive from
late last year.
Tribal Council last week
approved a team to confer on the
matter. The team includes three
Council members, Ventures board
members, the public safety director,
a community health worker, and
tribal
member
at-large
representative.
The directive from Tribal Council
is to confer with the U.S. Attorney’s
office regarding cannabis laws. No
change in the tribal approach to
cannabis is being considered at this
time. Any change would require
community support and action by
Tribal Council.
There are two aspects to the
issue: law enforcement, and
potential economic opportunity.
At least one tribe sees the
changing marijuana laws as a
business opportunity. The Pomo
Nation of California has contracted
with two companies to grow
thousands of marijuana plants at a
99-acre ranch. The tribe plans to
build a $10 million indoor
cultivation facility, funded by the
business partners.
Hemp is a cannabis plant that has
no THC or recreational use. The
plant can be refined into products
such as hemp oil, wax, resin, rope,
cloth, pulp, paper and fuel.
The Ventures board and
management discussed these issues
with Tribal Council last week,
requesting that Council appoint the
team to confer with the U.S.
Attorney’s Office.
Now is a good time to begin the
discussion, as tribal officials are
familiar with the current U.S.
Attorney’s Office, said Pi-Ta Pitt,
Ventures board member.
The team will report back to
Tribal Council with whatever they
learn from the discussion, he said.