Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
March 1, 2017
Page 3
Final phase of WSFPI mill liquidation
Work crews are in the
process of dismantling the
Warm Springs Forest Prod-
ucts mill.
The goal is for the work
to be completed by the end
of the month, said Ed
Hostmann, receiver in the
tribal court WSFPI receiv-
ership process. The winter
weather caused a delay in
the removal of mill equip-
ment and buildings.
In the end the mill site
will be reduced to the foun-
dation pads. Some of the
buildings were sold, and are
being removed for reloca-
tion. Some parts are being
scrapped.
Composite Products, lo-
cated by the mill site, will re-
main in its current building,
and now has its own power
and water sources.
At some point an envi-
ronmental study will be
needed at the for mer
WSFPI site, owned by the
tribes, as the mill had been
in operation there for sev-
eral decades.
The tribes owned and
operated the mill for about
50 years, the membership
having voted to purchase
the facility in 1966.
WSFPI was very profit-
able for many years, but a
few years ago began to face
challenges in competing in a
changing lumber market.
Then early last year it be-
came clear the operation was
no longer sustainable with
just on-reservation timber.
So the mill closed, with the
loss of 85 jobs.
Dave McMechan/Spilyay
Work crews are in the process of dismantling the buildings at the mill site, eventually
reducing the structures down to the foundation.
The Confederated Tribes
continue to operate a timber
enterprise, the Warm Springs
Timber Co.
But milling on the reser-
vation is not part of the en-
terprise. So removal of the
mill buildings ends a chapter
that began about 80 years
ago:
It was around the time of
the adoption of the Tribal
Constitution of 1938, fol-
lowing the construction by
the U.S. Army Corps of En-
gineers of the Bonneville
Dam, and the flooding of
the Cascade Rapids.
First reservation mill
The World Forestry Cen-
ter published a brief biogra-
phy of one Ray Wilson,
born in 1883 in Michigan,
whose family was well-estab-
lished in the timber business.
Wilson later lived in the
Northwest with his wife and
two sons. He came here
with the idea of starting his
own lumber business.
The opportunity pre-
sented itself in the late
1930s, after his sons had
graduated from college.
The following is an except
from the account as told by
in the World Forestry Cen-
ter report:
Wilson took great care in
searching out the best deal
and location possible for the
new business, and finally
settled on a large (500 mil-
lion board feet) block of
timber on the Warm Springs
Indian Reservation. Ironi-
cally, he bought the timber
on January 5, 1942, one
month after Pearl Harbor
and by that time both sons
were on active duty in the
U.S. Navy.
In this purchase, Wilson
initiated the first develop-
ment of the extensive tim-
ber on the Warm Springs
Indian Reservation, and he
had a contract with the In-
dians to fulfill. It would
have been difficult enough
with his sons helping him—
and suddenly he had to cre-
ate the Warm Springs Lum-
ber Company alone.
Youth Council, veterans hear from Sen. Wyden
Senator Ron Wyden
held a town hall in Madras
last week at the high school
Performing Arts Center.
Several hundred people
were in attendance, includ-
ing a full section of Ma-
dras High School students.
Student participation in-
cluded representatives of
the Warm Springs Youth
Council. Question topics
included:
The Affordable Care
Act, representation for
Native Americans, immi-
gration issues, the spotted
frog, LGBT rights, public
lands, Russian influence,
and public safety needs for
this summer’s solar eclipse.
Sen. Wyden concluded
by saying the meeting was
one of the very best: “We
have just seen representa-
tive democracy in action,”
he said. “I don’t think
there was a bad question in
the house. No one insulted
Text and photos by Sue Matters/KWSO
Participating in Sen. Wyden’s town hall were veterans
(above), and the Youth Council (left).
Those participants in-
cluded the high school stu-
dents, farmers, veterans,
the mother of an LGBT
youth, citizens with specific
concerns, as well as general
concerns about the future
anyone else in the audience.
Questions came from a
wide variety of participants
with a cross section of
views.”
of America.
Oregon Senator Jeff
Merkley will be in Madras on
Saturday, March 18 at 9:30
a.m. to hold a town meeting,
also at the Performing Arts
Center.
He had to build a power
plant, housing, sawmills—
everything from scratch.
Because of the War, it was
impossible to buy turbines
for power or new sawmill
machinery, so he bought a
mill at West Fork, Washing-
ton, on the Colville Indian
Reservation. He operated it
during the summer of 1942,
then moved it to War m
Springs, and sawed the first
log in late summer, 1943.
The mill operated steadily
after 1943, and when the
War was over, Wilson was
able at long last to imple-
ment his original plan, teach-
ing his sons to manage and
operate the mill.
In 1950 his son Robert
took it over entirely and the
Warm Springs Lumber Com-
pany stayed in the family until
it was sold to Sam Johnson
of Redmond in 1965. It was
sold to Johnson with the un-
derstanding that the mill
would be resold, over a pe-
riod of years, to the Warm
Springs Indian Tribe….
Wilson had tremendous
talent in scouting out new ar-
eas of possible business in
lumber. In 1954, he formed
a joint venture with Phil
Dahl, Sam Johnson and
Harold Barclay at Madras.
They built the first ply-
wood plant east of the Cas-
cades. It began operation in
1956 under the name
Jefferson Plywood Com-
pany. It was sold to Sam
Johnson in 1965, at the same
time as the sale of the Warm
Springs Lumber Company....
Timber Co.
in first full
year of
operation
The Warm Springs Tim-
ber Co. is finishing up with
the sales that had been origi-
nally planned for 2016. As
the enterprise did not have
a full year of operation last
year, some of the sales were
set over to the current year.
The enterprise, operating
out of the former Warm
Springs Forest Products In-
dustries office, should then
be on schedule to begin the
2017 sales, said Cal
Mukumoto, manager of the
Timber Co.
The Timber Co. operates
through an agreement with
the Branch of Natural Re-
sources Forestry Depart-
ment, as approved late last
year by Tribal Council.
The enterprise will exist in
current for m at least
through 2017; Tribal Coun-
cil later this year will consider
how to proceed after that.
The timber resource, as a
trust asset, is the source of
funds for the Senior Pension,
and was factored in during
the 2017 budget process.
Hiring Mr. Mukumoto as
manager of the timber en-
terprise, through this year,
was a decision based on the
best interest of the tribal fi-
nances. This arrangement
avoids the need for a con-
sultant contract and fees that
would otherwise cost the
tribes, said Michele Stacona,
Secretary-Treasurer.
Senior Day Committee
seeking contributions
The Twenty-Seventh
Annual Honor Senior
Day is coming up in May.
The idea for this day
originated nearly three
decades ago, with a small
group of local tribal el-
ders who wanted an event
especially for the elders.
Through the years this
has grown into a major
community event, with
average attendance from
700 to 1,200 elders and
locals who attend the
daylong activities and
meals.
The event showcases
the local area, such as
Kah-Nee-Ta, the Mu-
seum at Warm Springs,
Indian Head Casino, and
enterprises like Compos-
ite Products, the Telecom,
Ventures and Power &
Water.
A shuttle service is
provided all points of in-
terest, as courtesy during
the day.
The Honor Senior
Day Committee is re-
questing door prizes and
gift items, or any type of
donation. Any contribu-
tion is greatly appreci-
ated.
For additional infor-
mation contact the Senior
Program at 541-553-
3313, or 553-3520.
Sincerely,
The Honor Senior
Day Committee.