1971-08-01 Char-Koosta News

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Permit No. l Dixon, Mont. 59831
Published by the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Volume 1, Number 2 August, 1971
Flathead Agency Dixon, Montana
R. Dupuis, C. Woodcock are Indian M.P.R. specialists
A National Indian Manpower Specialist Incorporation has been established by the Indian Manpower Trainees. Members of this selected group have resolved to form a NIMSIC. Manpower Trainee is a program under an HEW Manpower Development and Training act grant established in cooperation with Arizona State Deparart-ment of Vocational Education. The program's objectives are to train selected Manpower Specialists in techniques and methods of program development and utilization and provide technical assistance to Manpower Specialists and programs.
The primary purpose of the
NIMSI is to help privide assistance in development of educational and training programs to help unemployed and under-employed American Indians and Alaskan natives to fully participate in productive employment without loss of cultural identity. The NIMSI will be able to give technical assistance to program planners and writers of all state and local agencies involved in the field of employment or education. Clarence Woodcock and Russel Dupuis are members of this incorporation through their involvement in Manpower training.
Fred Malroy Acting Forest Manager
The frightful looking "disaster" areas in the lodge pole pine stands along the NFK Valley Creek Road, the Mill Creek, and Basso Truck Trails are more atractive after the initial shock wears off and you consider exactly what they are. They probably look like a bulldozer broke loose and took out a peronsal grudge on species of lodgepole pine. That's not quite true.
The Flathead Reservation contains some 48,000 acres of over-stocked sapling and pole-size stands of lodgepole pine. These stands are characterized by stem counts of 1,500 to 20,000 trees per acre, and producing neligible growth. Most of these stands are poor in vigor and are prime candidates for insect and disease attacks. At present the only means of economically thinning these stands, so that growth and vigor will be improved, is dozer thinning. (Chain saw thinning would cost up to $100.00 per acre.) Only about 15 percent of the total lodgepole area on the reservation appears suitable for dozer thinning.
A typical example, the North Ford Valley road dozer thinning project was initiated in
1970 at a cost of $19.45 per acre. The initial stocking was reduced from 5,000 trees per acre to approximately 400-500 trees per acre. Thinning was accomplished by leaving a two to three feet wide strip of trees at 14 feet intervals. The average age of this stand was 45 years. The thinned stand should reach commercial size within 30 years, whereas if left unthinned the stand would probably never reach commercial size.
This concept of treatment has been used on the Colville National Forest in Washington for at least eight years and is a proven silvicultural tool. The increased fire hazard is temporary — about three years. Several members of the Tribal Council and the BIA Forestry Staff toured the Coleville area this spring. The reservation dozer thinnings compare very favorably with the Forest Service project.
Releasing these stands and balancing stem count with the productivity of the site will materially accelerate timber growth and help sustain the annual timber production and income. Large areas of readily accessible untreated stands remain and will continue to be available for post and pole cutting.
THE SIGHT-SEEING and fishing trips on the Flathead River net fish such as these caught by Charlie Prigmore. Prigmore is President of the Alabama Consevancy, which is a program to promote environment in the state of Alabama and he is also a professor at the University of Alabama. Prigmore was up here on a wilderness ride into the Bob Marshall Wilderness. He noticed the television ad and arranged for a trip down the river. Prigmore was overly delighted with the river and fishing and felt that the float trips were going to be very successful and felt that the river had a lot to offer for tourists.
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Float trip offers plenty
By Ann Lowe
This past July I took two river trips, one on the Missouri and one on the Fathead. In some ways they are hard to compare because the Missouri trip was a four-day trip on an 8' by 30' raft while the Flathead trip was one day in an aluminum boat.
In my opinion the Flathead trip oliers more tor the money than the Missouri one, and I'd like to cite a few points on which the opinion is based.
First, cost. People who do not have time and money for the Missouri Cruise (four days and $160) can usually spare one day and $20 for the Flathead Cruise. More tourists come into this area than the Ft. Benton area and it would seem many would take a boat trip while here if they know one is available. A boat trip is something almost anyone can take, while many people, due to age or physical disabilities, cannot ride or hike in the mountains.
Second, scenery. The Missouri offers more spectacular scenery, but the Flathead compares very favorably in variety, beauty and interest.
Third, the river. The Flathead is clear and pretty. As everyone knows, the Missouri is simply mud too thin to plow.
Fourth, fishing. The Flathead offers very good fishing. No one seems to have much luck fishing on the Missouri, and I understand any fish caught there are inedible.
Fifth, birds. People on the Missouri Cruise were very thrilled by broods of wild goslings and by eagle sightings. The Flathead offers these sights and many more. The river miles between Buffalo Bridge and Sloan's Bridge are in the midst of the "birdiest" place I've ever seen in Montana. Bridwatchers are increasing and places for them to go are decreasing. If the Flathead continues to be such a bird haven, word will get around and attract these people here.
Sixth, rock-hounging. It would seem that people interested in exploring river bluffs to look for
rocks, etc. would have just as much fun along the Flathead as the Missouri.
Seventh, wilderness. While the Missouri Cruise is advertised as a wilderness cruise, the Flathead one, which never gives a sight of habitation or farming, appears to be much more in the wilderness.
fcignth, history. The Fiathead of course, can not possibly have the appeal to history buffs that the Missouri does with its old fort sites, battlefields, Lewis and Clark camps, etc. But I think a "spiel" could be worked up for the Flathead cruise that would be very interesting. For instance, the story of Pablo and his buffalo is a fascinating piece of history presumably few tourists know. There are undoubtedly many good stories in connection with early days and characters
Neighborhood Youth Corps enrollees
NYC enrollees began work on the Summer Program on June 14, with work stations at Elmo, Poison, Ronan, Hot Springs, Dixon, St. Ignatius, Charlo and Arlee.
These young people are doing such jobs as clerical, custodial, secreterial, and yard man-tenance as well as working as aides with the Head Start programs throughout the area.
Summer counselor for the program is Nick J. Herak and the supervisors presently are Alvin W. McCrea and Tom Haynes. The program is under the direction of Alvin E. Sloan, NYC director and Russell L. Dupuis assistant.
Some of the worksites where enrollees are working are the various high schools, offices of the schools, the selective service office, ASCS office, BIA, Public Health, Bison Range, hospitals, cemeteries, Pow Wow grounds, bath house, city maintenance and the Ranger program.
in the area. Just a few an-cedotes, jokes and folklore (not necessarily true) would add spice to the trip.
The cruise I took on the Missouri was started six years ago, rather by accident, when some Denver people wanted to hire someone to take them down the river. I do not know how mucn advertising the Cruise Company has done — I happened to hear about it in casual conversation. In the past two years they seem to have formed some connection with the Four Winds Travel Agency in New York City. This expanded their business to the point that they had to build a new raft last winter. The cruise I was on had only 13 guests, but the next one had 26 — all sent by Four Winds. And Four Winds had scheduled several more trip for this summer.
The Missouri Cruise has obviously been an economic boost to Ft. Benton. After all, who would stay in Ft. Benton? It is not on a main highway. Even tourists cutting by between highways would not stop in Ft. Benton with Great Falls only 40 miles down the road. The cruise bring tourists in. The owner of the quaint old Grand Union Hotel has fixed it up in the style of the 1880's, and people just love it. During the summer months, it is almost impossible to get a room in that hotel without reservations, and the owner is having to fix up an annex. The Cruise is not boosting just the Cruise Co. and hotel and motel owners, it is bringing more business to the grocery stores, drug stores (you should see the camera film alone they sell), filling stations and restaurants. This provides more summer employment for Ft. Benton young people than would otherwise be available in that town.
A LIVING FOSSIL
The Coelacanth was thought to be a fossil fish that died out 60,000,000 years ago until one was caught off the coast of South Africa in 1938.