February 15, 1998
Local
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Meeting generates goals for Willamette forests
Rangers interested in employing tribal members
Early this month, district rangers,
forest supervisors, and archaeologists
from Willamette National Forest met
with Tribal Council and tribal pro
gram managers to discuss their joint
interest in the Willamette Valley re
gion. From the Willamette National
Forest side of the table, the people
participating in the discussion are
pledged with the responsibility for
managing the land for the federal
government. On the other side, tribal
participants described their inherent
interest in the land which has been
passed on from generation to genera
tion from their ancestors.
This meeting was the first of a se
ries of meetings planned for the next
few weeks which will set-up a work
ing relationship between Willamette
National Forest and the Tribe through
a formal Memoranda of Agreement.
The agreement will also outline joint
interest and common goals which the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
and the Willamette National Forest
have identified. A number of projects
are expected to develop from these
common goals as the Tribe and for
est managers work to promote a col
laborative relationship.
Summer and seasonal tribal em
ployment with Willamette National
Forest is one area of common inter
est. In a special meeting with staff
from Personnel and the Cultural Re
source Program at the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde, John Allen,
McKenzie District Ranger, expressed
his interest in recruiting Grand Ronde
students for summer job positions.
While men and women ages 18-25
are customarily hired by the Forest
Service in all kinds of summer work,
Allen indicated he was committed to
actively recruiting Grand Ronde
tribal members as a part of this
group.
Lynn Burdett, the Blue River Dis
trict Ranger, said even though sum
mer is still months away, active hir
ing for these positions will begin
within the next few weeks. When ap
plicants apply early they can choose
from a wide range of employment
possibilities. Some potential areas for
summer employment are: fire fight
ing, timber inventory, stream and fish
surveyors, trail maintenance, visitor
information, office receptionist and
many more. While employment op
portunities may still be possible later
in the season, the number of job
choices may be fewer. Burdett en
courages interested tribal members
to apply for these positions as soon
as possible.
In addition to summer student
hires, there are other seasonal em
ployment opportunities in which
tribal members might have an inter
est. Over the next few weeks, fed
eral land managers in conjunction
with Tribal government hope to ex
plore these potential job opportuni
ties as well as other areas of joint in
terest to more fully develop strategies
and processes.
If any tribal members are interested
in more information about the vari
ous job possibilities, how to apply,
or about specific job qualifications,
contact June Olson at 1-800-422-0232,
ext 2249.
f vs.
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Willamette National Forest representatives and June Olson, Tribal Cul
tural Resource Specialist, examine a 1851 map showing the bands of
Kalapuya which ceded the lands that are now within the boundaries of
the Willamette National Forest.
Standing clockwise from left: John Allen, McKenzie District Ranger;
Lynn Burdett, Blue River District Ranger; Roseann Lestencoff, Ameri
can Indian Program Manager; Tony Farque, Sweet Home archaeolo
gist; Phil Raab, McKenzie Recreation Assistant; and June Olson, Cul
tural Resource Specialist for the Tribe.
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District rangers from McKenzie and Blue River National Forests and representatives from the Grand
Ronde Tribe recently met to discuss job opportunities in forestry for tribal members.
PUBLIC NOTICE: EA and FONSI issued for the proposed Big Grouse Combination Logging Unit
The Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)
have been issued for the proposed Big Grouse Combination Logging Unit located in
portions of Section 1 2, and Section 1 , Township 5 South, Range 8 West, and portions
of Section 18, Township 5 South, Range 7 West, Willamette Meridian, within Yamhill
County, Oregon on the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation.
The EA discloses the issues relating to the environmental resources affected by
the Proposed Action and alternatives to the Proposed Action. The EA further dis
closes the analysis of the likely environmental consequences of the Proposed Action
and alternatives to the Proposed Action.
The FONSI discloses the alternative selected by the responsible official and gives
supporting reasons for this selection. The Preferred Alternative, Alternative A, pro
poses a regeneration harvest of 36.8 acres of primarily 1 1 1 year-old conifer and thin
ning 1 59.3 acres of predominately 53 year-old conifer; including the construction of
1.58 miles of permanent, gravel roads, 0.84 mile of temporary, spur roads, and 0.14
mile of road reconstruction. The proposed harvest would account for approximately
3.25 million board feet of timber. The thinning areas would be "thinned from below,"
meaning the smaller, suppressed trees will be taken out to favor the vigorous, domi
nant trees in the stand. On the regeneration harvest area, four wildlife trees per acre
would be left.
The EA and FONSI are available for public review and comment for a period of 1 5
days beginning the first day after publication of this notice. The responsible public
official is: Mr. Stan Speaks, Portland Area Director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Written comments and requests for copies of the EA and FONSI should be ad
dressed to: Mr. Jeff Kuust, Timber and Roads Coordinator, Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde, Natural Resources Division, P.O. Box 70, Willamina, OR 97396. For
further information you can contact Jeff Kuust at (503) 879-2379. Written comments
must include: (1) Your name, address, and telephone number; (2) Title of the docu
ment on which you are commenting; (3) Specific facts or comments along with sup
porting reasons that you believe the Responsible Official should consider. Comments
received will be considered before taking final action.