TREE TALK
by Gary Martin“Forest Gumption”
How’s it going this month! A new year, very cool! Sometimes a photo will get me going and sometimes a word will help. Sunshine on Owhi Lake always helps and the word is “resolution”. Mr. Roget gave me some similar words; determination, strength, perseverance, fortitude, devotion, energy and an extra good one, “gumption”. Good words to carry with us all year long. Good movie to watch too. Wishing you all a healthy, resolute New Year!
Students have “gumption”. A determined student, devoted to natural resources may want to check out the “NCCE”. The National Center for Cooperative Education (NCCE) is located at Haskell University in Kansas. The purpose of the NCCE is to better serve American Indian and Alaska Native students that are interested in pursuing careers in Natural Resources. Career opportunities exist with various Tribes, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the U.S. Forest Service. The NCCE offers tuition assistance, summer jobs and employment opportunity after graduation. There is an application process and timeframe. For further information you can contact NCCE at: Natural Resources Liaison Office, Haskell Indian Nations University, 155 Indian Avenue, Box 5018, Lawrence, KS 66046. For more info, contact http://www.nass.haskell.edu/NASS/NASS.html. A phone number is (785) 749-8414.
Native American / Alaskan students, studying Natural Resources, may also want to devote some energy towards the Truman D. Picard Scholarship. It has an application deadline of March 31, 2006. The Intertribal Timber Council, Education Committee, has a phone number of (503) 282-4296. We have copies of the announcement at our Omak/Nespelem Forestry office (634-2566). Another local resource for scholarships is the Colville Tribal Education Assistance Program. They have a phone of 634-2778 and they’re on the Tribes’ web site.
Our loggers and forestry teams are persevering in the forest. The weather has been pretty tough, but we’re still getting around on active timber sales. Much of the winter is also devoted to planning ahead for upcoming projects and catching up on paperwork. That’s all I have to say about that. Talk with you again next month! J
Fish & Wildlife Outreach Program 2006
In the classroom opportunities
Throughout the year I’ve been invited to the school to talk or do presentations, and in 2006 I have made plans to go to the schools with tanning deer hides, making drums, salmon hook mold making, and other events. Elders are involved to help teach the kids traditions and stories.
So how much does this all cost? Just a little bit of your time to fill out the paper work to get your kids enrolled, so spend a minute to let us share the outdoors with your children.
Aaron Carden
Fish & Wildlife 2005
Hunting Tag Drawing will be
February 21st at 1:00 PM.
ETD TO HOST public meeting on hazardous substance site register
In cooperation with our contractor, TerraGraphics, the Environmental Trust Department (ETD) of the Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) will host a public meeting on Tuesday 1/24/2005 at 11:30 am in the BIA Conference Room at the CCT Administrative Building on the Nespelem Agency Campus. Lunch will be provided. Purpose of the public meeting is to publish a record (the Site Register) of all sites within the Colville Indian Reservation where response actions have occurred in 2005 or are anticipated to occur in 2006. Documentation in the Public Record regarding these sites will be available to the public during the meeting. ETD will also introduce Tribal members and the general public to CCT’s Public Records System – ETD’s repository for site-specific information regarding releases or suspected releases of hazardous substances within the CIR.
The ETD facilitates a comprehensive program to deal with releases of hazardous waste to the environment. The enabling legislation of ETD’s program is the Tribes’ Hazardous Substances Control Act (“HSCA”). In addition to assessment, oversight, and enforcement activities the program includes public participation, maintenance of public records and the creation of a repository of hazardous waste information. ETD’s hazardous substance release response program is grant funded by EPA through the 128(a) CERCLA Tribal Response Program. Annual publication of the Site Register is mandatory for all 128(a) grant recipients.
In 2005 ETD conducted Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA) at six sites within CIR: Inchelium Wood Treatment Plant (IWTP), Crofoot Residence, Columbia Lace Site, Chief Joseph Orchard, Fish and Wildlife (CTL) Facility, and the Nespelem Landfill. In 2006 a Phase I ESA is anticipated at the Mt Tolman Fire Center. Also in 2006 ETD-led assessments of closure and redevelopment potential are anticipated at IWTP, and the Nespelem, Desautel, Keller, and Inchelium landfills. Phase I ESAs are designed to gather historical information about property use specific to past and current environmental problems such as underground storage tanks, hazardous waste spills, uncontrolled dumping, etc. in order to identify potential threats to human health or the environment. A Phase I ESA typically uses only existing information, personal interviews, and non-intrusive on-site inspection to determine potential for significant contamination on a property.
In 2005 ETD conducted Phase II ESA investigation of the IWTP, the Pines Café, heating oil UST removals at Nespelem Campus, and the Nespelem, Desautel, Keller, and Inchelium landfills. Phase II investigation at Colville Indian Power and Veneer (CIPV) was conducted in 2005 by CTEC. Semiquantitative sampling and analyses of waste rock piles at ten abandoned mine sites on CIR was completed in 2005 using field-based (XRF) technology. In 2006 Phase II investigation is anticipated at the Crofoot Residence, Columbia Lace Site, Chief Joseph Orchard, and the Fish and Wildlife (CTL) Facility. Phase II ESAs typically focus on environmental sampling and analysis of water, soil, or sediment as indicated by findings of the preceding Phase I investigation.
In 2005 ETD conducted an urgent response cleanup action at the uncontrolled dump adjacent to Chief Joseph Orchard. Based on archived records ETD closed out historical cleanup actions associated with removal of underground storage tanks (UST) at Colville Tribal Logging and the Old HRD Facility. ETD anticipates closeout of historical UST removal at the Trading Post in 2006. Archived data from sampling at the historical IWTP landfarm at Seylor Valley will enable closeout in 2006. Presentation to the public and comment on the cleanup plan for CIPV is anticipated in 2006. The first phase of cleanup activity at CIPV is also anticipated to occur in 2006.
Notices will be posted for approximately one week prior to the meeting. ETD anticipates active public participation and comment. Background information on the Tribes’ 128(a) Response Program and selected sites are available at our website www.tgenviro.com/colville. For more information please call Kathy Moses at 509-634-2413 or send an email to: Kathy.moses@colvilletribes.com
Colville Reservation Conservation District
The Intertribal Agriculture Council partnered with the Indian Nations Conservation Alliance recently held their annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The December conference marked the second anniversary of the Colville Reservation Conservation District. There are 26 conservation districts on Indian land in 11 states. With the support of the CCT Business council the CRCD was able to send two delegates, Michael Watts, Omak and Luanne Finley, Inchelium, to represent local concerns at the national meeting.
Tribal conservation districts share a commitment to conserve, maintain and improve natural resources and the environment on reservation lands. The Natural Resources Conservation Service works cooperatively with districts to reach their goals.
The CRCD is beginning the process of a seven generation plan. The plan is to consider a common vision of how reservation lands should exist seven generations from now and the steps necessary to realize the vision. Current conditions will be evaluated and a plan of action will be described as to how to reach each vision.
The protection of lands from invasive weeds is addressed nationally through the new farm bill. Funding has been initiated to be delivered to reservation lands through tribal conservation districts.
The CRCD will meet at the NRCS office on February 16, 2006 at 10 a.m.
