Smoke Signals 3
APRIL 15, 2011
Membership) Meffedl odd TiroM Dsunidls
We're coming back' Lands
Manager Jan Reibach says
of recent Tribal purchases
in the Grand Ronde area
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signalt editor
The history of the Confederated
Tribes can be told through the
land.
Before the 1850s, the Tribes
"owned" most of western Oregon.
Then Tribal members were forced
on to a 69,100-acre reservation giv
en to them by presidential order.
By the time the Tribe was Termi
nated in 1954, land holdings had
dwindled to only
the Tribal ceme
tery about five
acres.
"All we had was
the Tribal cem
etery," Tribal
member and Trib
al Lands Man
ager Jan Michael
Reibach said at the
April 3 General Council meeting
held near Washington Square Mall
in Tigard. "It was the only land they
couldn't sell."
In 1988, five years after Resto
ration, the federal government
returned 9,811 acres of the original
reservation to the Tribe and the
Tribe has been slowly purchas
ing former reservation land since
then.
Currently, the Tribe has added
more than 2,700 acres of land to its
real estate portfolio.
"Now, we're coming back,"
Reibach said as he discussed two
recent purchases in the Grand
Ronde area.
In February, the Tribe closed on
purchasing the Rink properties, a
combined 139 acres that Reibach
called a "very strategic purchase"
because it connects Tribal lands
together in Grand Ronde.
In addition, the Rink properties
provide the Tribe with income since
a tenant is renting a house on one
tax lot and the Tribe can license hay
harvesting on about 100 acres to
Currently, the
Tribe has added
more than 2, 700
acres of land to
its real estate
portfolio.
the northeast of Grand Meadows.
Reibach said the Tribe, through
its longstanding effort to buy prop
erty at fair market value, pur
chased the Rink properties for less
than $5,000 per acre, which was
almost $1 million less than the
original asking price.
And more recently, the Tribe
purchased almost two acres imme
diately north of the Tribal cemetery
in March for $50,001, $1 more than
the starting auction bid price.
"That was a good deal," Reibach
said, especially because of the
property's proximity to the Tribal
cemetery.
Reibach, who has worked in Trib
al Realty for almost 15 years, said
the Tribe continues
to take a conser
vative approach in
purchasing prop
erty and is looking
at purchases that
can aid economic
diversification.
He stressed that
good land acquisi
tions do not happen
overnight, often requiring many,
many hours of staff and Tribal
Council member time to ensure
wise investment of Tribal dollars.
Reibach said that the Tribal
Lands Department is currently
overseeing 49 projects, as well as
working on creating an online Trib
al lands database and developing
a real estate investment criteria,
among other projects.
Most of the department's func
tions relate to property manage
ment and federal realty. "We work
very closely with Tribal Staff Attor
ney Jennifer Biesack. Her expertise
in real estate deserves credit for
the success of the Tribe's realty
projects," he said.
Tribal member and Commercial
Real Estate Manager Ann Lewis
briefed the Tribal membership on
the Tribe's commercial real estate
holdings.
She said the 62,000-square-foot
Cherry City Center in south Salem
continues to be a "really profitable"
investment for the Tribe.
The Tribe owns a new 20,000-
square-foot Portland office
off Barbur Boulevard on
slightly more than 1 acre.
Lewis said the Tribe pur
chased the building and
land for much less than
it was appraised at and
will soon be marketing
the second floor space for
potential tenants.
She said the Tribe's stake
in Chemawa Station in
Keizer is being re-assessed
for it highest and best use.
Chemawa Station is a joint
effort with the Confeder
ated Tribes ofSiletz.
And Lewis said the Tribe
recently sold its interest in
Russellville Commons, a
283-unit apartment com
plex in Portland. She said
the Tribe received more
than three times its ini
tial 1998 investment in
return.
Lewis added that she is
working on a real estate in
vestment criteria to ensure
that future investments
"best fulfill the needs of
the Tribe," particularly in
respect to economic diver
sification. Tribal member Eric
Bernando asked if Tribal
Lands staff were investi-
gating purchase of prop
erty for a permanent Eugene-area
office,
Lewis said she is looking at prop
erties in the area, but is awaiting a
needs assessment from new Eugene
office Coordinator Perri McDaniel,
as well as completion and adop
tion of the real estate investment
criteria.
Bernando also asked if the Tribe
will be purchasing the land on
which Spirit Mountain is located.
Reibach said the Tribe looks at
local land that is offered at fair
market value, but there are no cur
rent discussions occurring between
the Tribe and Hampton Lumber
regarding Spirit Mountain.
Tribal member Bryan Mercier
asked how much money the Tribe
allocates annually to land acquisi-
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Tribal Chairwoman Cheryle A. Kennedy shows a basket that was given to her as a birthday present during the General
Council meeting held at the Embassy Suites Hotel Portland - Washington Square in Tigard on Sunday, April 3. In the
background, Tribal Secretary Kathleen Tom looks on.
Photos by Michelle Alalmo
Tribal member and Tribal Lands Manager Jan
Michael Reibach gives the Tribal membership an
update on the land that the Tribe currently owns
during the General Council meeting held at the
Embassy Suites Hotel Portland - Washington
Square in Tigard on Sunday, April 3.
tion.
"There are no limits," Reibach
said, adding that if a good property
at a fair price comes on the market
that Tribal Council agrees to buy,
Finance helps find the money to
make the purchase.
"Now is an optimal time to be
buying property with prices at an
all-time low," Mercier said as he
encouraged Tribal Council to fund
land acquisitions more.
McDaniel and Debi Bernando,
both Tribal members, also en
couraged the Tribe to investigate
whether recently purchased Tribal
lands can be used to support Tribal
self-sufficiency more than just leas
ing the land to grow hay.
Bernando suggested investigat
ing the growing of hazelnuts on
the properties while McDaniel sup
ported the purchase of and building
of green buildings.
Before Reibach's presentation,
Tribal Royalty members Amelia
Mooney, Amaryssa Mooney, Madi
son Aaron and Makenzie Aaron
performed "The Lord's Prayer."
Tribal members also sang "Happy
Birthday" to Tribal Chairwoman
Cheryle A. Kennedy, who turned
63.
The next General Council meet
ing will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday,
May 1, in the Tribal Community
Center. It will be followed by a
Community Input meeting at 1
p.m. in the Tribal gymnasium to
accept Tribal member comment
on Tribal services and economic
development.
Tribal Elders Kathryn Harrison
and Richard Ray and Tribal Royal
ty member Amelia Mooney won the
$50 door prizes and Tribal Royalty
member Amaryssa Mooney won the
$100 door prize. B