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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2002)
Smoke Signals 3 Tribe's Natural Resources Division Reports to General Council at January Meeting FEBRUARY 1, 2002 By Brent Merrill The January General Council meeting was held on Sunday, January 6 at the Tribal Commu nity Center in Grand Ronde. Here are the highlights: Natural Resources Report The Tribe's Natural Resources Di vision gave the program report for January. Natural Resources Direc tor Cliff Adams (who has since taken the position of General Man ager for the Tribe) talked to mem bership about the program's activi ties in natural resources' manage ment, silviculture and resource pro tection. Adams said that program's refor estation efforts included bud cap ping 58 acres of land and placing vexar tubes (to protect the trees) on 13 acres. He said that pre-commer-cial thinning activities included 167 acres on the Reservation and 94 acres on the Scappoose property. Adams said that several members of the Natural Resources staff were involved with firefighting efforts during the summer of 2001. Staff members joined firefighting crews to help put out blazes in Oregon, Washington and Montana. Accord ing to Adams, the Bureau of Indian Affairs reimbursement fees to the Tribe were $106,000 and engine reimbursement was $31,000. Natural Resources staff also worked on a huckleberry project with the Sweet Home Ranger Dis trict to increase sunlight to the for est floor by thinning and pruning young trees. Adams reported that Natural Re sources staff members completed biological assessments on threat ened and endangered plants, for the new childcare facility, the new education facility, the new housing project and all 2001 timber sales. He said that several more biologi cal assessments were planned for 2002. Staff members replaced six culverts that will improve nine miles of instream fish passages and also improve the overall water quality in those areas. According to Adams, an elk study is planned for this year in an effort to better understand how elk use the Reservation and a smolt trap has been installed in Agency Creek to monitor and study fish migration. Tribal member and Natural Re sources Environmental Specialist Kathleen Feehan reported to mem bership on the Environmental Re sources program. Feehan said the Tribe's water quality program is de veloping an understanding of Tribal streams and the aquatic resources they support. Feehan said that the Tribe was represented in four Superfund site investigations in 2001 to determine if the Tribe's resources had been damaged. She also said that the Natural Resources staff partici pated in the development of the item? V' V ' 'J - . Tribe's 10-year resources man agement plan. Timber and Roads Coordina tor Jeff Kuust reported that the Natural Re sources Division administered the harvest of 9,718,675 board feet of timber in 2001. Tribal mem ber and Lands Coordinator Michael Wilson reported to the membership on land acquisition and fee to trust lands. Wilson informed member ship on the Tribe's recent acquisi tion of the Melcher, King and Davidson properties. Wilson said the land stewardship project with the Forest Service is progressing on lands adjacent to the Reservation. In conclusion, Adams honored Tribal Elder and Forest Patrol Of ficer for his continued excellence in the field. Door Prizes Dorothy Leno won two Bob Newhart concert tickets. Kevin McKnight, Pat Allen and Bob Nagel each won a $50 door prize and Nagel donated his winnings to the Veteran's Memorial Ad Hoc Com mittee. Sylvia Fuller won the $100 door prize. New Culture Committee t . ,' A i New Culvert The Tribe's Natural Resources staff participated in the re placement of six culverts on the Reser vation that will improve nine miles of in stream fish passages and also improve the water quality in those areas. The new members of the Tribe's Cultural Committee were an nounced at the meeting. The com mittee consists of Pat Allen, Joe Brisbois, Annabelle "Peachie" Hamm, Jessie Brann, Janet Phillips, Mary Norwest Davis, Leon "Chips" Tom and Don Day. Next Meeting The next General Council meet ing will be held on Sunday, Febru ary 3, in Grand Ronde at the Tribal Community Center. The meeting time has now been changed to 11:00 a.m. from the previous time of 11:30 a.m. Education Construction New View The Tribe's new education facility continues to take shape as construc tion crews have worked throughout the win ter to get the buildings up. A forklift (right) cruises across the floor of the gymnasium and auditorium delivering a load of cinder blocks to masons working on the outer wall. In the background to the left is the nearly completed youth center; in the middle is the pre-school and Head Start program building. The Education administration of fices and the Higher Education program offices are to the right. . .- 4 . . :. , -A My. , ,-X . x - , , - 1 f ' t'. -4.. v r it 1 r 4. ,, , ft. 1 If f; -4-1- m4 aft ' 1 fr' Builders Masons James Nugent and Tim Deschler place a corner block on the outer wall of the new gymnasium building. T The Hard To Reach Spot Foreman Mike Clayburn of Nugent Masonry puts grout into the corner of the outer wall of the new gymnasium. f , Kyis, &-'Q,? 2: v:y,!)B ; L j,IS 1 1- ' .X I
