Tribal Council approves Yoda logging unit

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council agreed with the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department in telling the membership “May the forest be with you” in approving the Yoda logging unit during its Wednesday, Jan. 27, meeting.

The logging unit, named after the wise, diminutive green Jedi master from the “Star Wars” movie franchise, drew comment from Vice Chair Chris Mercier.

Senior Forester Andrew Puerini said that Forester Lucas Hunt saw the face of Yoda in a map of the myriad cutting blocks that comprise the logging unit.

“And he’s a ‘Star Wars’ fan,” Puerini said about Hunt during the Tuesday, Jan. 26, Legislative Action Committee meeting.

Mercier, who also professes to be a “Star Wars” fan, also couldn’t help but mention that Hunt’s first name is Lucas, the last name of “Star Wars” creator George Lucas.

All kidding and science fiction movie references aside, Puerini said the Yoda logging unit will feature 10 cutting blocks totaling 127.6 acres with an estimated yield of 6,403 million board feet, which is about 90 percent of the Tribe’s planned timber cut for 2021. The estimated net revenue from the unit is slightly less than $2.45 million.

The Tribe’s Timber Committee approved the Yoda logging unit during its Jan. 20 meeting.

The briefing on the Yoda logging unit also featured two new Natural Resources employees. Colby Drake, who was Silviculture and Fire Protection manager, is now serving as interim manager of the department after the Jan. 15 retirement of Michael Wilson and Michael Karnosh is the new Timber Resource Program manager after having previously served the Tribe as Ceded Lands manager.

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved the agenda for the Sunday, Feb. 7, General Council meeting, which will feature a program report from the Grand Ronde Health & Wellness Center. The February meeting, which is usually held in Clackamas, will be held once again using the Zoom teleconferencing application because of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Approved an application for $100,000 in Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund grant monies that will be used to further fund a proposed public transit route between Dallas and Grand Ronde and create a local Grand Ronde circulator route between those trips;
• And approved the enrollment of two infants into the Tribe because they meet the requirements outlined in the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance.

To view the entire meeting, visit the Tribal government’s website at www.grandronde.org and click on the Government tab and then Videos.