Tribal Council approves Natural Resource Management Plan

By Danielle Harrison

Smoke Signals editor

Tribal Council approved the Natural Resource Management Plan during its Wednesday, Dec. 13, meeting.

The plan focuses on the management of 10,000-acre Grand Ronde Reservation during the next 10 years.

Planning began in 2021 and included an information gathering process with Tribal members, Tribal Council and various committees. The plan takes effect Jan. 1 and continues through 2033.

Natural Resources Department Manager Colby Drake briefed the membership on the Natural Resource Management Plan during the General Council meeting Sunday, Dec. 3. He said the 10-year plan acknowledges Tribal ecological knowledge and builds in the flexibility for adaptive management.

“I want to thank the Natural Resources Department for this plan,” Tribal Council member Jon A. George said at the Tuesday, Dec. 12, Legislative Action Committee meeting. “I love the idea of old-growth (trees) set-aside because these are becoming so rare.”

In other action, Tribal Council:

• Approved an agreement between the Tribe’s Natural Resources Department and Dallas, Texas-based Aspira for the use of an online booking system for reservations at Big Buck Campground;
• Approved enrolling two infants, eight non-infants and re-enrolling one non-infant because they meet the enrollment requirements under the Tribal Constitution and Enrollment Ordinance:
• And approved an agreement with Portland-based Sonosky, Chambers, Sachse, Endreson & Perry, LLP to represent the Tribe on a contingent fee basis in investigating and potentially litigating against potential defendants, including 3M and DuPont, for the manufacture and sale of polyfluoroalkyl substances. These long-lasting chemicals, commonly known as PFAS, break down very slowly over time and may harm people, water systems, land, animals and agriculture.

Additionally, council approved an authorization to proceed, which authorized Tribal Natural Resource Specialist Anna Ramthun to apply for the $298,495 federal Landscape Scale Restoration Program grant.

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