News Stories Wed., Feb. 14, 2018

The Agency Longhouse in Warm springs, which has been closed since January 29^th, will remain closed through March, Tribal Management announced on Tuesday. On Monday, the Tribal Council was updated on additional testing done in the building by the Warm Springs Housing Authority. Samples taken thought the facility indicated methamphetamine contamination in multiple areas including the kitchen, pantry near the freezer and highest in the kitchen bathroom. The results indicated that contamination has likely occurred over an extended period of time. The extended closure will allow for sufficient time to clean up the longhouse which could include complete removal or replacement of wallboard, floor coverings or counters and will require the removal of all porous material, such as the bench cushions. The clean-up costs will be significant, a memo to community members states that the costs will have a detrimental impact on Tribal funds for public buildings. Another community meeting will be held on Thursday, February 22, at 5:30 PM at the Community Center Social Hall to discuss additional testing results.

The 2017-2018 hunting season has come to an end for off-reservation and on-reservation subsistence hunting. The Wildlife Department is reminding hunters who have not yet done so, to submit hunter harvest data. All tribal members who were issued tags for the 2017 tribal member subsistence hunts need to report as soon as possible. Per Tribal Council Resolution, “Failure to report results in loss of hunting/fishing privileges for the 2018 fishing and hunting seasons.”  Harvest and hunting information is important for the department in determining wildlife population sizes, herd compositions and hunting pressure. The information also helps determine where there are and are not animals, which helps focus habitat restoration efforts on the Reservation. For off-reservation harvest, these results help the department and tribal staff in developing future off-reservation area hunts and management goals within the state game management units.

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Oregon’s Legislature took a step toward enshrining the right to health care in the state Constitution, which would be unprecedented in the United States but raises funding questions. The House of Representatives’ endorsement sends the bill to the state Senate, whose approval would put the so-called Hope Amendment on the ballot for Oregon voters in the November election. Funding questions remain unanswered.