Tribal Council OKs Natural Resources contracts

Smokes Signals editor

Tribal Council approved two Natural Resources-related items at its Wednesday, Aug. 6, meeting.

The first item involved contracts with the Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentive Program that will fund Tribal efforts to control brush on two properties near Uyxat Powwow Grounds off Hebo Road.

Natural Resources Department Manager Michael Wilson said at the Aug. 5 Legislative Action Committee meeting that the program pays 90 percent of the cost to bring lands back into productive service.

The Tribe will receive $14,838 to pay for the work on the two properties.

In addition, Tribal Council approved the Ellendale Rehab Logging Unit timber sale.

Timber and Roads Manager Jeff Kuust said that the 26-acre property near Dallas is in fee status. The rehabilitation work, which will harvest an estimated 275,000 board feet, will help "get more growth in the future." Kuust said the timber sale will net the Tribe more than $59,000 in income.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Re-appointed Perri McDaniel and Stephanie Wood and appointed Veronica Gaston to the Cultural Trust Board;
• Disbanded the Audit Planning Group from the Tribal Council Planning Groups;
• Corrected one membership roll number assigned in error and corrected the blood quantum of one Tribal member;
• And approved the enrollment of three infants into the Tribe.

Also included in the Aug. 6 Tribal Council packet were authorizations to proceed that nominated Tribal Historian David Lewis for the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum of Directors and allows Spirit Mountain Casino employees to drive Tribal fleet vehicles with permission from the General Manager's Office. Casino employees have to be eligible to drive under current Tribal policies and procedures.

Tribal Council member Jon A. George, Education Department Manager Eirik Thorsgard and Land and Culture Department Manager Jan Looking Wolf Reibach opened the meeting with cultural singing and drumming.

The video of the meeting can be viewed at the Tribal website, www.grandronde.org, under the Videos tab.