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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2003)
Smoke Signals ancerns, Questions About Eco-Restoration MAY 15, 2003 side and to the Port of Vancouver on the Washington side. Support for this project is lined up on both sides of the river, from Olympia and Salem to Washington, D.C. Steadfast but overwhelmed opposi tion from Tribes, fishing industry rep resentatives, environmentalists and even one of Oregon's ports has at tacked the plan on scientific and eco nomic grounds, though less so on the question of culture. In the late 1980s, a few ports on the river proposed that the Corps of En gineers study navigation on the river, with an eye toward the current dredg ing effort. The study found room for improvement in the river's depth, and in 1994, Congress directed the Corps to undertake a five-year feasibility study. In 1999, the federal Fish and Wild life Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service approved the project and Congress authorized it. In Au gust, 2000, NMFS withdrew its ap proval and in quick succession, both Oregon and Washington states denied water quality certifications to the project. The reversals prompted one opponent to hail the demise of the project, but NMFS rewrote the en dorsement the following year and the project moved forward. Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) a non-profit group of experts sponsored by dozens of the interested parties established compromises that solve some federal concerns and put the project potentially on the road to solving the remaining federal and state concerns, which is where the project stands today. What's left to do? After 14 years of feasibility studies, public meetings, draft opinions, final reports and supplemental final re- - nmt ports, relatively few approvals remain before the process will move forward: Oregon must re-appropriate $27.5 B Six affected ports along the river must sign a Project Cooperation Agree ment with the Corps. This agreement ffl&m& mmnftityp, (jftmKwrxwi quifc mm mmm. am mm million, (the same as the already ap propriated Washington state contribution). commits the port sponsors to a 10-percent surcharge over 30 years or $11 million annually, and 35 percent of the cost for ecosystem restoration features, or almost $6 million. Oregon and Washington states must issue water quality certifications indi cating that the project will not harm the waterway. These are expected in June. Oregon must certify for federal as sessment that the project is consistent with local planning policies, specifi cally for Clatsop County. And finally, Congress must allocate its 65 percent or $92.5 million piece of the nearly $150 million project. If ap proved in the 2004 federal budget, work could begin early next year. Nominations for Tribal Council Top May General Council Meeting Sixteen candidates in the running this year for three open spots. O I ' r"'-. Tribal member and Election Board member Nancy Coleman opened the floor of the May General Coun cil meeting for Tribal Council nominations. By Ron Karten The May General Council meet ing was held on Sunday, May 4, at the Tribal Community Center in Grand Ronde. Here are the highlights: Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle Kennedy called the meeting to or der. Tribal member Nancy Coleman offered the invocation. Nancy Coleman also presided over nominations for three open seats in Tribal Council. All three council members whose terms are up were nomi nated for another term, and all will run. Tribal mem ber Eugene Hudson nomi nated current Tribal Chair woman Cheryl Kennedy. Tribal member Ed Haller nominated cur rent Tribal Coun cil member Jan D. Reibach, and Tribal Council member Valerie Sheker Robertson nominated cur rent Tribal Council member Ed Pearsall to another term. Last year, Pearsall nominated Sheker Robertson in her successful effort to be elected to Tribal Council. Other nominations are as follows. All those who were nominated ac cepted the nomination and upon certification by the Elections Com mittee will run for the council. Tribal member Ellen Fischer nomi nated Wesley West, Lenny Logan nominated Joyce Kirk, Dan Pro vost nominated Margaret Provost, Bryan Langley nominated Tim Holmes, Arlene Beck nominated her son, Jack Giffen, Jr., Ida Pater son nominated Lynn "Bear" Robertson, Beryl Contreras nomi nated Perri McDaniel, Bonnie Tom nominated Bob Mercier, Donna Casey nominated Todd Shandy, Mike Wilson nominated Betty Bly, Steve Holmes nominated Loren Holmes, Marion Mercier nominated Chris Mercier and Carmen Mercier nominated Mark Mercier. Congratulations to $50 door prize winners: Tribal members Matt Parazoo, Georgine Gray and Dorothy Leno; and to $100 winner: Tribal member Tammy Stillman. Tribal Council member Ed Larsen announced that the Veterans' Memorial dedica tion will be Saturday, May 31, from 11:00 a.m. 2:30 p.m, and will include enter tainer Lee Greenwood. Tribal Engineer Eric Scott announced a Public Meeting, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Governance Center to dis cuss pedestrian improve ments on Grand Ronde Road. No general Tribal Council meetings will be held through the summer. Elections will be held September 6, and the next Gen eral Council meeting is scheduled for 11 a.m. September 7 in the Tribal Community Center. m EI EI EI EI EI 0 EI EI EI EI EI EI EI EI EI Wesley West Joyce Klrk Margaret Provost Tim Holmes 1 Jack Glffcn, Jr. t Lynn "DearTtbbertson Cheryle Konnody Perrl McDaniel Dob Mcrclcr , , , Todd Ohandy . Ed Poarsall i Dotty Dly , . . Loren Holmes Chris Mercier j Ml JanD.Rslbach Mark Marclor m o. . -Q
