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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1987)
Vvri. ; 1 .N Congressman LesAuCoin . f y 1 L (Continued from page 1) Needs were identified in a "massive socio-economic survey" conducted on the tribal population, said Mercier. "The results of the survey revealed the deteriorated social and economic conditions of our people as a result of the termination period," he said. The survey data, conducted in 1984, showed that 48 of the tribal households in Marion County, 43 in Polk County, 40 in Yamhill County, and 31 In Tillamook County were below the national poverty level. The survey also showed the unemployment rate of tribal members is 23, or three times the State of Oregon average of 7.7, and that tribal members also had education, health and housing needs, according to Mercier. The income generated from the reservation would be used to create a comprehensive health program, to provide education scholarships, to create economic development projects and provide housing rehabilita tion assistance, said Mercier. "We already know that the termination policy of the 1950's was wrong and Congress has rectified it where ever possible", said Ken Smith, tribal consultant and former Assistant Secretary of the Interior in charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. "We also know that the policy of the U.S. government is to promote and assist tribes to become more self sufficient, so they can become less dependent on the federal dollar. I also know, through my experience, that the tribes with resources become more successful in addressing their cultural and financial needs and moving towards being more self-sufficient than tribes without resources." said Smith. Bill No. 1 (for 15,665 acres) would generate an esti mated $1,042342 in Tribal revenues, while Bill No. 2 (for 5,116 acres) would generate an estimated $332,928 in revenues, said Smith. "If the tribe's needs are $1,200,000, then Bill No. 1 provides 86.9 of the need and BUI No. 2 provides only 27.7 of their needs. There is no question that Bill No. 1 gives the tribe the necessary resources to be able to address their financial needs." said Smith. He also testified that Bill No. 1 would bring substan tially more new revenues into the local economy than Bill No. 2 would. "In job creation alone, the tribe has added 15 new positions since restoration and projects a staff increase of 8.6 new positions annually for the next five years, said Norm Swift, manager of the Willamina Branch of the Oregon Bank. "This would mean 59 staff positions by the year 1993," said Swift "The residual impact of the 59 new tribal positions will mean the creation of 36 new positions elsewhere in the West Valley economy. This would mean almost 100 new full time jobs in the future." said Swift. .... "The tribe has committed one-third of its timber revenues annually to economic development This would mean an average of approximately $400,000 dedicated to economic development each year," Swift said. The dollars would be spent to explore and develop viable business opportunities and to provide technical assistance in small business development to tribal members, said Swift. page3 The export of logs, the OC transfer of designation (under the reservation plan OC lands would be traded for public domain lands) and potential losses of revenues to counties, water rights on the reservation lands, the legal ramifications of sovereign nations, a loss of revenues to local county, state and federal governments because of the tax exempt status on reservations, and the potential for the tribe to establish a manufacturing facility to compete against existing timber companies, were reasons that the Taylor Company could not support the larger proposed reservation, said Bruce Summers. We could favor Bill two because the impacts would be minimal, but "a form of export restriction would be necessary," said Summers. "The concern over log exports is not without founda tion, said Summers.The history of log exports from both State of Oregon lands and from Indian reserva tions in the Northwest show that if no export restric tions are imposed, a significant amount of logs will leave the local area." "The main issue to logging is timber supply, said Bob Luoto, of Luoto Logging based in Carlton. "Without timberland in production, we feel there will be a loss of jobs in the community and our counties and school districts will suffer because of lack of timber receipts," Luoto said. "Luoto Logging employs approximately 70 workers in the tri-county area and that figure would probably drop substantially if the implementation of a 15,000 acre reservation was legislated into law," said Luoto. This would be do to log exports, Luoto said. "Our company depends on government timber for about 80 of Its Umber supply," said John Hampton of Willamina Lumber and Hampton Tree Farms. The closer that a reservation proposal could follow current BLM practices for government dependent mills, the less objection local mills will have, said Hampton. (Continued on page 4) :f l.j v : .. t .... " .. " '" !' ' ' ' J f '-mm,' I i Tffift . -,''- li i i ! Ii ..- f i -iTin'mini . i ii. in. iinrmwmn Miij.MmiiiigiiiiMi Tonight I feel close to my ancestors, and I feel it is fitting that we are meeting here in view of Spirit Mountain like they must have done so many times, gathering together, long ago."' Testimony of Kathryn Harrison
