1973-03-01 Char-Koosta News

              Volume 2  Number 21
THE NEW MOON OF THE GOOSE FLIGHT   (March I, I973)
Price  15 cents
Council Acts to Govern on 10%, Payout 50 to 90%
Dixon (Char-Koosta): (Feb 20) The Tribal Administration will work on ten percent of reservation revenues but the remaining 90 percent will probably not be paid out and a package of 13 reform amendments will not go before the voters. That is the way the Tribal Council decided to handle a pair of governmental improvement proposals.
The ten percent administrative budget which did pass during a special council workshop last Tuesday was part of a tight-belted budget proposal by Councilman Fred Whitworth, Arlee. The Whitworth plan aimed at excessive tribal spending through what the Arlee Councilman called "waste and duplication" and trimmed off everything which he felt was not necessary.
But Whitworth's proposal also called for the automatic distribution of the remaining 90 percent to tribal members. The Council rejected this portion of the plan and instead approved a compromise resolution offered by Councilman Pat Lefthand, Elmo. The Left-hand resolution would restrict tribal administration spending to 10 percent of the annual income but opened up the matter of per-capita distribution to
council discretion. Lefthand's measure placed the already existing floor on dividend payments at 50 percent and extablished a 90 percent maximum. Lefthand said this would give the administration "enough fiscal backing to handle emergencies and other non-administrative situations. The Left-hand compromise passed unanimously.
The 13 reform amendments proposed by Councilman Tom "Bearhead" Swaney, St. Ignatius, did not fare so well. The Council had agreed the week before to work the 13 measures in to Whitworth's budget and place the package before the people. But the slate...which would have provided primary elections - an elected chairman and vice Chairman - a full 12 member council - a firm operations plan for the council and administration - and a new of-
Washington: The sale of 81.3 million board feet of Flathead Reservation timber may be hung up in Washington over a ''question" of whether or not tribaKederal projects come under the National Environmental Policy Act (NERA).
The $4,921,339. sale of the Valley logging Unit south of Dixon has yet to be approved by the Department of the Interior. The Evans Products Co. of Missoula was the successful bidder during an oral auction January 12 and the sale was approved by the Tribal Council January 19.
The question on the logging operation is based on a recent 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in Arizona. The ruling found that Indian projects within that district (Which
fice of Tribal Business Administrator - was rejected by a vote of five to three.
Voting against the Swaney amendments were: Whitworth, Jim Ely, Ronan; E.W. Morigeau, Poison; Council Chairman Harold Mitchell, Jr., St. Ignatius; and John Malatare, Arlee. Councilmen Lefthand, Swaney and Vic Stinger, Pablo, voted to retain the reform amendments.
But the fight over tne reform proposals may not be over yet. During the Feb. 20 work
does not include Montana) must comply with the NERA regulations. In the Court of Appeals reversal of a lower court decision in Davis versus Interior Secretary Morton it was ruled the Department of interior could not approve a 99 year lease on the Pueblo Reservation without first filing an environmental impact statement. The department has decided not to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court and the decision is now law in the states under the tenth circuit.
Char-Koosta asked Flathead Agency Superintendent Harold Roberson about a possible connection between the delay on the Valley Unit sale and the Davis decision and was told: "A question has been raised as to whether or not Davis versus
shop, the Council moved to draw up more specific guide lines for referendum petitions. Both Whitworth, who felt the most important part of his budget proposal had been taken out and Swaney indicated they may take their reforms directly to the people.
The new list of regulations for referendum petitions — ordinance 53-A which was approved by the council Feb.23 --outlines the procedure for filing petitions      mn&\ d  c+ on p~g; \Z.)
Morton would be applied to timber sales approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs." Roberson said he did not know whether newly appointed Assistant to the Secretary for Indian Affairs Marvin Franklin had made a decision on the matter yet but noted that Flathead Agency forestry personnel had been sent to Billings for environmental impact statement seminars. Roberson, however, denied there was any connection betweeen the delay on approval of the Valley Unit and the seminars in Billings.
If approved, the Valley unit would be the largest sale in the history of the Flathead Reservation. Some 19,330 acres of the 36,326 acre unit would be logged over a seven year period to remove the 81.3 million board feet;
Valley Sale Heldup On Environmental Question
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