Smoke signals., June 01, 2000, Page 3, Image 3

JUNE 1, 2000
3
Willamette Restoration Initiative
Continued from front page
sectors of people who live and work
in the basin," said Feehan. "The
mission was to get together and fig
ure out critical strategies for accom
plishing changes that need to hap
pen so we can have restoration of the
Willamette River and save the
salmon and steelhead population
that rely on the Willamette."
Feehan believes that if the recom
mendations of the board are fol
lowed, there could be a substantial
impact on the basin's health and pro
ductivity. "I think the recommendations
made include some very good, very
important even critical actions
that are needed to affect substantial
changes in the basin," said Feehan
of the plan. "There is something re
ally powerful about having construc
tion interests, agriculture interests,
environmental groups, Department
of Environmental Quality personnel,
state personnel and the Tribes all
working and saying 'we are going to
stand together and say these things
need to be done for the basin and
they need to be done sooner rather
than later.'
"It's not a blanket cure, but at least
all the players are involved. That is
a pretty big step," said Feehan.
Risser headed up the board and
said he is proud of the work that was
done and passed on to the Governor
and the Legislature. Risser said the
point of the board's recommenda
tions would be to restore the health
of the Willamette River Basin and
keep it healthy.
"We will take the information gath
ered here and weave it into a very
integrated approach to the steward
ship of the Willamette River Basin,"
said Risser. "I think this is a very
big step we are taking."
Kitzhaber agreed with Feehan and
I think that the strategy
that emerges has to be bold.
It has to be dynamic.
It has to make us stretch a
little bit. It has to make us
a little bit uncomfortable
because there is some things
we have to do here and that
means changing the way we
think. Hopefully the strategy
pushes us a little bit.
Governor Kitzhaber
Risser on the importance of the
board's recommendations.
"I think this is an extraordinarily
important document," said Kitz
haber. "In order to meet the objec
tive, our common objective of a
healthy, functioning Willamette Ba
sin ecosystem and a vital, thriving
Willamette Basin economy, the strat
egy that emerges has got to include
a couple of things. This has to have
a vision that goes well beyond the
restoration of a single species or meet
ing a single state or federal standard.
It has got to be a vision that looks at
the health of the entire watershed
as a whole and in a way that not only
meets current needs, but a way that
meets the needs of future generations
as well. And, there has to be a way
for people in the Willamette Basin to
actively participate in the restoration
process. First with their ideas and
comments and secondly through in
dividual actions and their individual
commitments.
"This is the kind of thing that we
are not going to solve by a law or a
regulation," said Kitzhaber. "We are
going to solve it when hundreds of
thousands of people in the basin un
derstand it, own it and personally
s A : m
! 4-1
D
CO
S
i
Dr. Paul G. Risser, the president of
Oregon State University and Chair of
the Willamette Restoration Initiative
Board of Directors, presented the
Board's initial recommendations to
Governor Kitzhaber.
invest in it. I think that we also need
a way, through this public partici
pation process that we are launch
ing, to fill in some of the gaps in this
report.
"Finally, I think that the strategy
that emerges has to be bold," said
Kitzhaber. "It has to be dynamic. It
has to make us stretch a little bit. It
has to make us a little bit uncomfort
able because there is some things we
have to do here and that means
changing the way we think. Hope
fully, the strategy pushes us a little
bit."
Kitzhaber concluded by guaran
teeing a team approach to the resto
ration efforts.
"I can guarantee you that this has
the full support of our state agen
cies," said Kitzhaber. "We will work
together with the legislature to pol-.
ish this up and make it something
we can all be proud of. I'm excited
about moving into this next phase."
Governor signs
proclamation
Continued from front page
"Like any good tool, it gets better
the more you use it," said Kitzhaber.
"I will also say that it is very clear to
me, and fortunately becoming more
apparent to a lot more people, that
the people of the sovereign Tribes in
the State of Oregon are increasingly
important players in areas of local,
regional and national significance."
The Governor said the important
work of his administration would not
get done if not for the spirit of coop
eration that currently exists be
tween state government and Tribal
government.
Kitzhaber then read from the proc
lamation. "Whereas as Tribes and Bands of
Indians have lived in this area for
centuries before the arrival of set
tlers, who have become Oregonians;
and Whereas these Indians were
stewards of the natural and cultural
resources for all those centuries, and
their descendants continue to be
stewards of these resources to this
day; and Whereas Indians will al
ways be the cornerstone of Oregon's
rich culture and heritage; and
Whereas Oregon Tribal govern
ments and Indian communities of
fer important examples of leadership
in education, health care, economic
development, the arts and reverence
for the natural environment and
contributes to Oregon's current and
future diversity and prosperity, and
now therefore, I, John A. Kitzhaber,
Governor of the State of Oregon
hereby declare that the week of May
14-20, 2000 be American Indian
Week in Oregon in recognition of
those who have enriched our lives
with traditional wisdom and leader
ship, and encourage all Oregonians
to join in this act today."
The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon is now ac- ..-
. u. u.-i n u - ms irn u c u One ot 'the biggest changes for me was
cepting applications for the third Mark O. Hatfield Congressional Fellowship. Each v being more creative in the way I think. If
year, a Hatfield Fellow is selected from Native American applicants to serve as an "V"3 there are things you want to get done back
intern for a member of Oregon's Congressional delegation. li'- : there then one of the things you have to do
The Fellowship honors Mark Hatfield for his accomplishments as a U.S. Senator f. . ;. is be creative in the way you think. You
and Governor of Oregon and for his mentorship of many members of his staff who i C j -,j can't always use the most obvious way to
3 ,. , , tl , y get things done. You have to learn the level
became leaders in their own communities. The Fellowship also honors the memory of involvement needed and you have to do
of former Hatfield aide Susan Long. your research and maybe I'm a little more
"I was honored to host the second Hatfield Fellow in my Washington, D.C. office. " - patient now. What I brought back here with
The Mark Hatfield Congressional Fellowship provides young people of Pacific North- me was the knowledge that the Senator and his staff want to
T .. .. ., -. k, Actn : fu;. , know more about what issues effect Indian Country, why they
westAmencanInd.anTnbestheopportun.tytohelpmakead.fference.nthe. per- are important -that will help us in the long run."
sonal lives as well as contribute to the quality of life within their communities,' said -Pete Wakeland, 1st Hatfield Fellow
Senator Gordon Smith.
"The Hatfield Fellowship will seed Indian Country with capable, motivated individu- "The fellowship has been beneficial to me.
als who know their way around Washington, D.C. and produce long-term benefits , A Sen. Smith's office has given me so many
for all the Tribes and the Pacific Northwest' said Len Bergstein, a member of the ; jA projects to work on and learn from. The most
Spirit Mountain Community Fund Board of Trustees which oversees the internship. J 1 important thing it has given me is not the
Applicantsmustbeenrolledadultmembersoffede.llyrecognizedTribesinO, ) 'J Sss
egon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington, with preference given to the nine federally I - f x r andnow the senator's office works. I'm also
recognized Oregon Tribes. R '"" getting the guidance from the senator's
Highlights of the Fellowship include: LJ asastheaippngtipm
The Hatfield Fellow will be rotated every year among the House and Senate v . J . ; the Grand Ronde Tribe. I m learning so much.
, . . . I majored in political science for four years, but I think I ve
members of the Oregon delegation. learned more here in the past three or four months than I could
Each Hatfield Fellow will serve for ten months and will receive a stipend, mov- nave ever taken away from school. It's a great, great
ing and travel expenses, and participation in a special American Political Science fellowship. I can't say enough. "
Association Orientation. -DirelleCalica, 2nd Hatfield Fellow