8 JUNE 1, 2003
Smoke Signals
Tribe's Natural Resources Department Will Protect The Reservation With Gates
Seven gates for seven roads will go up this year to protect Reservation forests during Level 4 Fire Hazard days.
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Tribal member Daniel Haug on the Rez.
By Ron Karten
It won't happen often, but starting this sum
mer, when a Level 4 fire hazard is registered for
Reservation forests, the roads in will be shut
down for the duration of the hazard.
"We've got $180 million plus worth of timber,"
said Natural Resources Manager Pete
Wakeland. "We're putting a lot of our timber
resource at risk if we're not closing down during
high fire danger."
"From zero to one" is the number of times dur
ing any given season that a Level 4 fire hazard
is recorded for the Reservation, said Wakeland,
and each event "can last a week to a couple of
weeks."
During that time, neighbors can park their
cars at the gates and bike or hike in to their fa
vorite water hole, or just hike around, said
Wakeland. "We're trying to limit the things that
might create a spark out there. A vehicle on a
road with gravel backfiring and you've got a
spark."
Wakeland could only recall two incidents of
fire on Reservation forests. Once, in the early
1990s, lightning hit a tree, and thanks to the
quick work of Natural Resources staff that ran
out to take care of the fire and limit it to that
one tree, no other harm was done. More re
cently, a piece of equipment started on fire
among the logging units. Two acres burned in
c the process of putting out that fire.
"In general, we've had increasing fire dan-
gers over the last 5-8 years," said Wakeland.
Weather and fuels build-up account for it. Even
-Q in the Reservation's actively managed forests,
anytime there is logging, there is "an accumu-
0.
lation of slash. Until you burn it or pile it, you've
got some fire danger," he said.
Fabricated and installed, the seven gates will
cost $35,000. Completion of the project is ex
pected by July.
"The main thing I want people to know," said
Wakeland, "is yes, it's a change. It's a first-time
thing. But not to over-react to this. It will be a
very limited amount of time that there won't be
any access to the Rez." B
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Willamina
Skate Park
By Peta Tinda
Willamina and Grand Ronde area kids
have new a place to skateboard, roller
blade or ride scooters now that the first
ever skate boarding park in Willamina has
opened. Skate boarding has become one of the
most popular sports in America today, but there
are still relatively few places for kids to skate
board. In an effort to address this need locally,
the residents of local communities held
fundraisers and bake sales to raise money for the
park. With the help of donations by Grand Ronde
and Willamina area citizens, as well as several
major individual donors, the city was able to put
in an 80 foot by 60 foot square foot concrete slab
at Oaken Hills Memorial Park in Willamina.
In addition, there are quarter pipes, launches,
wedges, spines and grind rails for the kids to
use.
The park is equipped with ramps and quarter
pipes that are made of durable composite mate
rials. The ramps are also designed to be modu
lar so that the kids can move them around. Ramp
Rider, a Minnesota based company, manufac
tured the pieces, all of which are under a ten-
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Sweet Move Tribal member Gary Guzman gets some air at the Oaken Hills memorial skate park
in Willamina, built with funds raised by the local community.
year warranty.
"It's been a community effort," said Willamina
City Manager Ken McCune. "For the first few
years it was just interested parents and kids who
held bake sales. Then people got behind the
fundraising and there were major donations
both from private individuals and from the Con
federated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Hanson Con
struction, the City of Willamina, and the Tony
Hawk Foundation." The Tony Hawk Founda
tion is a charitable nonprofit organization set
up by professional skateboarder Tony Hawk to
help communities set up skate parks.
Much of the credit for organizing the
fundraisers goes to local moms Christy Scholten,
Teresa Hibdon and Tribal Council member
Valerie Sheker-Robertson.
In previous years, local kids would have to go
elsewhere to skate or skate out in the streets or
sidewalks, which is illegal within the city limits.
It also exposed them to hazardous traffic.
"It was really a safety issue," said McCune.
"And now that issue has been addressed."
The kids have used the park since it first opened
in November of last year.
In the future the city hopes to add more pieces,
possibly even a full size half pipe, to the park.
"The best part about it is now the kids and
teenagers have a safe place to gather," said
McCune. "Everyone is welcome to use the park."