1977-03-15 Char-Koosta News

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VOLUME 6 NUMBER 22
FULL MOON OF THE GOOSE FLIGHT
MARCH 15, 1977
Mission Wilderderness Area Topic of District Meeting
The March 15 district meeting in St. Ignatius had supposedly been called to hear concerns about proposed visible clearcuts to control mistletoe. The cuts would be in upcoming sales in the three St. Mary's Units south of St. Ignatius along Pistol Creek Ridge.
At least half the meeting, which ran until about 11:00 p.m., heard complaints that people did not want the face of the Mission Mountains logged in the same manner other reservation sales had been
handled. Most of those speaking did not want any logging along the Mission face.
Of the approximately 200 people there, outside the Council and Foresters, only Leonard Pierce, a logging contractor, spoke out in favor of present BIA practices. He testified that through personal experience penalties are exacted for poor practices. He stated he had violated some of the contract provisions and was caught by the BIA, and was even shut down on three occasions this last winter.
TRIBE MAY CONTRACT IRRIGATION PROJECT
All three Irrigation District Boards for Flathead Irrigation Project are opposing the idea of any contract by the Tribes to run the program which is now under the BIA. The Flathead Irrigation District Water Board has asked Washington, D.C. lawyers to investigate what can be done to stop a tribal takeover. That is what Poison's Flathead Courier reported when Bob McConkey, Flathead District Commissioner, addressed a district meeting. The Board believes the districts are buying the project under federal contract. (Former Councilman, R. Louis Dupuis, refutes this in his letter elsewhere in this issue). When contracted by the Char-Koosta, Project Director George Moon noted that all that has happened so far has been a request by the Tribes for technical assistance. He said that any actual contract proposals to his office "will get full cooperation. --No if, and, but - or sideways!"
The Tribes have requested technical assistance in contracting the project under the Self-Determination Act PL 93-638, since they feel they have never received proper payment for the land used and they also happen to own the water.
While the Council would make no sudden, drastic changes in administration they would apply for funds to update the system, although this probably would not include lining canals or changes in reservoirs.   The application may look at further tapping Flathead River for irrigation.
Area covered by the project is in the neighborhood of 122,000 acres. In spite of the fact it is administered by BIA it is estimated that less than 10% of the people currently served by the project are tribal members.
NEWSPAPER OF THE SALISH, PEND D'ORIELLES AND KOOTENAI TRIBES
OF THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION
Doug Allard, of St. Ignatius, is gathering a petition to create a wilderness area above "A" canal. This includes a more extensive area than is being proposed under a University of Montana wilderness study currently being done for the council, which sets boundaries higher, above most commercial timber.
Allard referred to the meeting as a "snow job" and insisted logging practices would not change.   He calculated that cutting the Missions would earn each member about fifteen cents a day.
On the St. Mary's sales, most people simply had questions on the necessity of clearcut to control mistletoe. Thurman Trosper, a former U.S. Forestry Department employee, said he had no quarrel with proposed timber management of the St. Mary's sales. He did voice concern on wildlife management and the effects of continuous selective cutting areas on big game.
John Dibble, BIA Forester, indicated that on the first two sales, what they thought were critical elk areas were primarily outside the units. There is no present plan to modify cuts to provide cover areas. He said plans have not been formed yet for the St. Mary's East unit where a critical elk winter range is entirely within sale boundaries. The plans aind infor sale boundaries. The plans and information used were prepared prior to the arrival of Bob Klaver, wildlife biologist.   Klaver will have input into the St. Mary's West before it goes up for sale in 1980.
Chairman Harold Mitchell Jr. said the meeting was for information gathering only. He ruled out a call for Council action on a referendum election. Councilman Joe McDonald suggested that circulating a petition would give people a chance to become informed before they vote.
The Char-Koosta will be able to include more on the meeting and related items in the next issue.