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MoomawUpdate
By Cherie Moomaw

Report to the Membership,
We will be beginning soon on the renovation of the Omak Community Center. Funds have been made available for the clean up of the center from the HUD program. I would like to thank everyone that was involved in getting this project moving forward. Working together we can accomplish more for the membership. We do need the input of the community, of what they would like to have in the center once we get the community center cleaned.

The Fish and Wildlife program is going to be asking for your input on the hunting seasons. Please attend or mail them your written comments. This is a chance for you to be heard and a say in how our wildlife is managed. There will be notices posted on times and places of these meetings.

Mining of Mt. Tolman has been voted down by the membership. The final count was No—1254/Yes—847. I was glad that this many of the membership voted on such an important issue.

The Federal government has passed an energy bill that will be a help to tribes wanting to develop their own alternative energy programs. We are establishing an Energy Department so that we can aggressively develop alternative energy here on the reservation for ourselves and to be able to sell green energy to the larger cities. We are also looking into growing Bio-fuels here on the reservation.

This Federal administration is cutting dollars to tribes in almost every area they can. The only place that there is encouragement is in Homeland Security $’s and Alternative Energy $’s. We have to be ready and go after these dollars. We were able to apprehend one of three airplanes that landed on the reservation that were delivering drugs apparently from outside the United States.

My travel for Jan-Feb-Mar was 3 trips to Spokane (negotiating license fees for casino employees, Membership Mining Meeting/alternative energy conference and a CTEC board meeting). One trip to Portland (ATNI conference) and one trip to WSU Moscow, Ida. (Bio-fuels production) for a total of $2,521.15.

If you have any questions or concern on these issues of others please call, I will make every effort to return your call. 1-888-881-7684 toll free or 1-509-634-2215. E-mail cherie.moomaw@colvilletribes.com
Cherie Moomaw

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