Smoke signals., January 15, 2003, Page 6, Image 6

Smoke Signals
Tribal Council Report Hears About The Summers Collection Held In London
Pete Wakeland gives Natural Resources Division report.
6 JANUARY 15, 2003
By Ron Karten
The January General Council
meeting was held on Sunday,
January 5, at the Tribal Commu
nity Center in Grand Ronde. Here
are the highlights:
Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle
Kennedy called the meeting to or
der; Tribal Council member Jan
Reibach offered the invocation.
Kennedy reported on the trip to
London, December 3-8, to view the
Summers Collection the largest,
most significant and rare collection
of local cultural items from Grand
Ronde and the Grand Ronde
people. Kennedy was joined by
Tribal Council member June Sell
Sherer, and Cultural Resources di
vision members Lindy Trolan and
Kim Mueller.
The Summers Collection, now
held at the British Museum in Lon
don, includes about 500 items, "160
directly from our people," said
Kennedy. "We were the first Grand
Ronde people to hold and handle
these items in 150 years."
The items included rattles, bas
kets, pipes and beaded items that
Kennedy reported were "amazingly
made - very beautiful and well-preserved."
The trip served to "begin a dia
logue to get the collection returned
to Grand Ronde," said Kennedy.
"The negotiations went well" and
the process is underway to have the
collection returned "for viewing" at
the Portland Art Museum "within
two years," she said.
"It would take an act of Parlia
ment for the collection's permanent
return," said Kennedy.
Natural Resources Manager Pete
Wakeland provided a program re
port describing the division's 10
year plan, recently approved by
Tribal Council. (See related story)
Wakeland also reported on four tim
ber sales last year Katsuk Thin,
Dirty Straps, Corner Creek and Coy
ote Thin amounting to 7 million
board feet and $3.5 million in rev
enue for the Confederated Tribes.
The division's environmental re
port, said Wakeland, is in the pro
cess of being approved by the Bu
reau of Indian Affairs.
In July, last year, the division
welcomed Orvie Danzuka, a Warm
Springs Tribal member, who came
on as a new forester. He helped do
the thinning and bud-capping of
trees on 135 acres.
Fire devastated 7 million acres
across the west, said Wakeland, and
the Tribe will be in for more big fire
seasons in the years ahead. Last
year, the Tribes received $270,000
in reimbursements for firefighting.
Staffer Kelly Doerksen led a team
of 14 youth crew and two youth
crew leaders in building 3-12 miles
of new trail and improving 1-34
miles of existing trail. In addition,
they cleaned and packaged 200
Pacific lamprey for last year's
salmon distribution.
The division pulled in $270,000
in grants for stream restoration.
The division also was busy with
three major culvert replacements,
a water intake project for the ca
sino, and road construction.
Robert Mercier, Chairman of the
Timber Committee, introduced Vice
Chairman Leon "Chips" Tom, Sec
retary Karen Larsen, and members
Merle Holmes, Eugene LaBonte,
Gene LaBonte, Tom Leno, Darrel
Mercier and Tribal council Liaison
Reyn Leno.
Lonnie Leno, chairman of the
Fish & Wildlife Committee, intro
duced Vice Chairman Dale Lan
gley, Secretary Sara Thompson,
and members Tim Holmes, Rick
McKnight, Matt Thomas and
Tribal Council Liaison Reyn Leno.
Tribal Council member Val Grout
gave "thanks for the prayers, flow
ers, and food, in the passing our
mom. Thanks to all of her
grandkids, who sat by her 24-hours
a day. And to all Tribal members
who gave us the strength to go on."
Door prize winners included $50
winners: Tribal members Robert
Nagel, Verna Larsen, and Louise
Coulson; and the $100 winner was
Mike Wilson. B
Natural Resources' 10-Year-Plan Revealed; Sustainable Cuts,
Recreational Opportunities and Improved Habitat Top the List
i
"
By Ron Karten
Natural Resources Man
ager Pete Wakeland said
that he is a "put your head
down and get it done kind
of person." He was de
scribing his approach to the
process of assembling the
division's 10-year-plan,
started in 2000 and ap
proved December 18 by
Tribal Council.
In the next ten years, the
Natural Resources Division
has targeted an average
harvest of 6. 1 million board
feet. Trees are harvestable
on almost 7,000 of the
Tribe's 10,000 acres.
A little more than 3,000
acres are occupied by roads
(currently, there are 81
miles of roads and the new
plan anticipates another 10
miles will be built during
the coming decade), stream
buffers, unstable areas, elk
meadows, recreation areas,
and cultural trail buffers.
A little more than 1,000 acres are in the Coast
Creek drainage area, and harvested under a
separate plan. So, 5,724 acres comprise the tim
ber base for the 70-year rotation under the just
adopted harvest plan.
Translating that into the assignment for staff
members of the Natural Resources Division, he
said, "We've got a lot of thinning to do over the
next ten years."
While the state allows clear cuts of 120 acres,
the Tribes' clear cuts will be limited to 30-35 acre
sections this year and still meet the division's
objective for lumber output.
Even when the division clear cuts an area, it
still leaves 4-8 trees per acre to meet the needs
of wildlife. Before a clear cut, an acre might
t
1
V
t-- . v - , ' '
I " i f . , '
Lhv . ,i - t i '
I . v - ,
V T'- - ,
a 1 .,..... i .1 , " L '.i (Mi' .iff
f- v.
I i
J L
Confederated Tribes of 1
Potential R
ing opportunities and a few hiking trails also
are planned.
Among the trails, the division intends to re
construct some historic trade trails, and tie them
into existing Mt. Hebo equestrian trails. An
overnight campground is planned, and an ar
chery range is in progress."
hold 100 or more trees. Tribal clear cuts also
leave buffers up to 300 feet along streams.
"We're a conservative forester," said
Wakeland. "If we're not taking care of the
streams, we're not doing it right."
The industrial rotation age in the industry is
40 years. Target for the Tribe in the latest 10-year-plan
targets rotation at 70 years per tree.
This plan will provide 6.1 million board feet,
conservatively valued at $2.8 million a year.
Ten percent of the cut funds the Natural Re
sources Division.
At the same time, the division is "actively look
ing at providing recreational opportunities on
the reservation." Under the current plan, most
of these opportunities will be for hunters, al
though some improvements may increase fish-
The division also will work on stream restora
tion and habitat improvement. Deer and elk
herds on the reservation will enjoy better forage
and habitat as a result.
Surveys of Threatened and Endangered spe
cies including the northern spotted owl,
marbled murrelet and certain native fish popu
lations will continue. Fish habitat improve
ment has been both ongoing and successful.
The division also coordinates the Tribes' in
volvement in Superfund sites when the Tribes
have an interest.
Natural Resources consults with the Cultural
Resources Division on a variety of issues - from
trails and minerals to plants and animals. One
effort will explore ways to make culturally sig
nificant plants more readily available to Tribal
members.
The Tribe works with the Oregon Department
of Forestry and other agencies to suppress fires
with timber contracts and other strategies, in
cluding fuels management. With big fire sea
sons expected "for years to come," Wakeland re
ported that last year, Tribal fire crews had 8-10
assignments with the engines out all summer,
and sustained no injuries or accidents. B