INFORMATIONAL MEETING ON MT. TOLMAN MINING REFERDUM—A meeting to discuss the pros and cons on the proposed Mt. Tolman project was held on Friday, Feb. 24, at the Omak Longhouse, St. Mary’s Mission. Similar meetings were also held on the Colville Indian Reservation’s other three Districts...and three meetings off the Reservation were held at Auburn, Toppenish, and Airway Heights, WA. Colville Tribal Member Kanie St. Paul was the Moderator at these meetings. Sitting at the table is Tribal Member Don Aubertin. In 1976 Don was originally hired by the BIA to be the Mining Director and later on he worked for the Tribe. Don worked on the AMAX Incorporated Mining lease, and the Council and AMAX finally agreed to the terms of the lease on Dec. 12, 1980, and on Jan. 26, 1981, the Business Council passed a Resolution to approve the lease. Don worked on the “Mt. Tolman Project Consideration” document that was mailed out to Tribal Members.

GAVE AN OPPOSING VIEW ON MT. TOLMAN—Bonnie Gestring, started working for EARTHWORKS in 2001, and her office is at Missoula, MT. EARTHWORKS is involved in bringing different groups together to protect the communities and the earth’s resources that are threatened by mining. And with Bonnie was Stuart M. Levit, who works for the “Center for Science in Public Participation” at Bozeman, MT. His business card saids: “Technical Support for Grassroots Public Interest Groups”. The majority of the Tribal Members who attended these meetings appeared to be against the proposed Mt. Tolman Project. The vote on the 2006 Mining Referendum will be held on Saturday, Mar. 18, and the total number of eligible voters is 6,684.

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U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris visits CIPV on Feb. 18

FIRST MEMBER OF U.S. CONGRESS TO TOUR CIPV—When official word was received that U.S. House of Representative Cathy McMorris was going to visit CIPV, the sign by the Main Security Gate said: “Welcome Congress Woman McMorris”.


CUT OUT BAD PART OF VENEER—Billy Gunn explains to Rep. McMorris that a strip of veneer that contains a bad part that the bad part is cut out and use is made of the good part to make a 4’x8' strip. Billy is the Sales Manager for CIPV and was in charge of the tour and he was assisted by Brett Black (behind Billy’s right shoulder), the Director of Wood Products for Colville Indian Precision Pine.

TOUR GROUP—After the tour was over, a group picture was taken and the members of the tour group were: (L to R) Ted Piccolo, Small Business Resource; Brett Black, Keller District Council Person Jeanne Jerred, Billy Gunn, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris, Attorney Brian Gunn, Omak District Council Person Margie Condon Hutchinson, Omak District Councilman Mike Marchand, and Mike Poulson, who is Rep. McMorris’ Agriculture and Natural Resource Policy Director.

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