Spilyay Tymoo
Coyote News, est. 1976
May 25, 2016
Vol. 41, No. 11
May – Xawit’an – Spring - Wawaxam
Carbon project on line for this fall
The tribes’ carbon sequestration
project is making steady progress,
with September being the target for
marketing and selling the credits.
Payment to the tribes could be
expected about 30 days after the
sale is finalized, said Don Sampson,
Warm Springs Ventures chief ex-
ecutive officer.
Warm Springs is the first tribe
to use reservation forest land for
the marketing of carbon seques-
tration credits. Other tribes have
used non-reservation land for this
purpose.
Revenue from the War m
Springs project could be in the
range of $9 million. After costs,
such as for forest management, the
net revenue to the tribes is esti-
mated at $5.5 million, Mr. Sampson
said.
This is a one-time payment for
the acreage, which will be managed
to maximize carbon sequestration
through forest growth. This is con-
ditional use land, not involving tim-
ber for harvest. The duration of
the agreement is 100 years.
Mr. Sampson and tribal attor-
ney Ellen Grover updated the
Tribal Council on the project last
week.
The idea for carbon sequestra-
tion on the reservation first came
up about four years ago, when a
study indicated the reservation has
a high potential for a successful
project.
At Tribal Council direction,
GeoVisions-Ventures and the
Branch of Natural Resources
made a study and inventory of the
resource, and the carbon seques-
tration market.
The decision was to include
24,050 acres of tribal land in the
sequestration area. Part of this
burned last year, leaving the acre-
age at about 22,200 acres.
California law sets a cap on the
amount of carbon emissions that
a company can produce during the
year.
A company can be fined for ex-
ceeding the maximum emission
amount. The companies, oil re-
fineries, for instance, can also
purchase carbon sequestration
credits. The credits then allow
the company legally to exceed
the emission maximum.
The credits represent the
amount of carbon that would
have been released into the at-
mosphere were it not for a par-
ticular management practice.
The tribal forest manage-
ment plan for the 2,200 acres
coincides with the practices
called for by the carbon se-
questration credit program.
This was an important factor
in why the Tribal Council ap-
proved the project.
The Art of Puppet Animation
The puppet’s movements are photographed one
frame at a time, and with the finished product
the animation comes to life.
The workshop was hosted by the museum and
LAIKI Studio. The studio has produced
animated movies such as Caroline,
ParaNorman and The Boxtrolls. The instructor
said the movies can take up to two years to
create.
Tribal court process to settle WSFPI business
Tribal Council and staff are
working on a plan to sell logs from
the reservation forest. These are a
valuable tribal trust asset.
The logs were initially intended
for sale to Warm Springs Forest
Products Industries.
Since the enterprise is in receiv-
ership, the plan now is to sell them
on the open market to the highest
bidder.
The logs and lumber at the mill
will also be sold. The ownership of
some of these assets is in dispute.
What may happen is that the log
and lumber assets at the mill will be
sold, as time will be of the essence.
The money received from the
sale would then be held until the
dispute as to ownership is resolved.
The process of settling the
WSFPI finances is a tribal court re-
ceivership. The logs that are cur-
rently in the woods are not part of
the receivership, as these are tribal
property.
This may be the first tribal en-
terprise in the U.S. to be subject to
a tribal court receivership process.
The receiver is Edward Hostmann,
and Edward Hostmann Inc.
The receivership was filed in
tribal court on May 2. A judge pro
temp, Judge Haslinger from
Deschutes County, is overseeing the
legal process.
The receiver reports on a
monthly basis to the judge.
As Mr. Hostmann explained, the
receiver has authority on his own
to take certain practical steps to-
ward settling matters. Other actions
require the judge’s prior approval.
Meanwhile, some of the dis-
placed mill workers have found em-
ployment through the Branch of
Natural Resources, the War m
Springs TERO office, and with
other employers. A small crew re-
mains at the mill site, providing nec-
essary maintenance and also serv-
ing as security.
The Credit enterprise has been
working with the displaced employ-
ees who have loans and monthly
payments, said Lori Fuentes, Credit
director. A payroll deduction is no
ECR WSS
Postal Patron
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PRSRT STD
Warm Springs, OR 97761
Adoption
election
June 13
The Confederated Tribes will
conduct an adoption election on
Monday, June 13.
There are 160 adoptee candi-
dates who are eligible to become
members of the Confederated
Tribes.
Each candidate is being voted on
individually. There is a 50-percent
voter turnout requirement for this
to be a valid election.
If there is a valid election, each
individual receiving a majority of
‘yes’ votes will be adopted into the
Confederated Tribes. Voting on
June 13 will be at the Warm Springs
Community Center from the hours
8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
If you will not be able to vote
in person, you can contact the Vi-
tal Statistics for an absentee bal-
lot. You can reach them at the
administration building, or at 541-
553-3252.
The adoption election is being
held pursuant to Warm Springs
Tribal Council resolution no. 12,158,
passed by the Twenty-Sixth Tribal
Council on April 25.
You can read the resolution, and
see a copy of the adoption election
candidates at kwso.org
Council
hears
enterprise
reports
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Alosha Wainanwit Sohappy works with an
animation puppet and LAIKI Studio instructor
at the Museum at Warm Springs.
Alosha and other students learned through
hands-on experience the art of stop motion
puppet animation.
The puppets are manipulated and
photographed with a camera connected to a
computer.
PO Box 489
Warm Springs, OR 97761
longer taken, she said.
Composite Products chief
executive officer Jake Coochise
last week gave a Composite up-
date at Tribal Council.
With the mill operation shut
down, he said, an issue may came
up regarding power and water
service at Composite Products.
Composite will have a clearer
picture of what may need to be
done, when the tribes determine
what exactly will happen to the
mill facility.
The WSFPI receiver is
scheduled to make his first re-
port to the judge in June, at which
point more information will be
available.
The new Tribal Council met last
week with the tribal enterprise
boards and management. Council
meets on a regular basis with the
enterprises. The sessions last week
were also part of the orientation for
new Council members.
Council Chair man Austin
Greene said the enterprise represen-
tatives should plan on meeting soon
with the membership for updates,
and for questions and answers.
Indian Head Casino general man-
ager Jeff Carstensen gave an up-
date on the casino, including the
truck stop project.
The truck stop is in the design
phase, with BBT Architects of
Bend. On the site, at the Madras
Industrial Park, a first task will be
the removal of the existing build-
ing.
The structure, once used by For-
est Products, is not suitable for oc-
cupancy and will be demolished.
Mr. Carstensen mentioned the
casino Summer Concerts are start-
ing on June 3 (see page 12 for de-
tails).
See ENTERPRISES on 5