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Eagle’s NestPublished Quarterly by the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society Volume 17 Late Summer 2005

From

the

Sauk-Suiattle Tribe

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Chronic Wasting Disease

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Chief Seattle Award

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Salish-Kootenai TWGGrant

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UAB-HAZ MAT TrainingUpdate

In this Issue

2005NationalNAFWS

Conference

Submitted by: Chris Danielson, Sauk-

Suiattle Indian Tribe

The Sauk-Suiattle IndianTribe was awarded a TribalWildlife Grant (TWG) from theU.S. Fish Wildlife Service(USFWS), for the project periodof May 17, 2004 to July 31, 2007 inthe amount $172,724.00. Thematching component provided

by the Tribe and other projectpartners complemented thisfunding for a project total of$221,875.00. The TWG fundingcompliments and facilitatesongoing collaborative efforts toresearch potential causes ofmountain goat populationdeclines within the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe’s (SSIT’s)

usual and accustomed huntingareas (U & A). The grantfunding was awarded specifi-cally to support baselineresearch (i.e. habitat modelingand population estimation),while building the Tribe’scapacity to deal with naturalresource issues important toTribe, despite a relatively smalltribal land ownership.

Since 2002, SSIT has workedwith project partners onmountain goat research andrecovery efforts. Under theumbrella of the North CascadesMountain Goat TechnicalOversight Committee, theentities represented includethe Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe,U.S. Forest Service, NationalPark Service, WashingtonDepartment of Fish andWildlife, Western WashingtonUniversity, and the University ofWashington.

Primary research effortscurrently underway include: 1)developing a statisticallyrigorous GIS model of habitatselection model, 2) assessingand accounting for the biasassociated with aerialpopulation surveys, 3) conduct-ing population modelingexercises to understand thepotential effects/contribution ofhunter harvest on population

(See p. 4 - mountain goat)

SAUK-SUIATTLE TRIBESTUDIES MOUNTAIN GOATPOPULATION DECLINES

Daniel Parker, of the U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service,received the Native AmericanFish & Wildlife Society’s - ChiefSealth Award at the annualNational Native American Fish& Wildlife Society meeting heldthis year in Choctaw, Mississippi.

The Native American Fish& Wildlife Society awards theprestigious Chief Sealth Award(named after the famous ChiefSeattle) annually to a biologist

who has had a positve impacton Tribal wildlife and fisheriesresources. Parker is abiological technician for theU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’sArizona Fishery ResourcesOffice where he has beenemployed for more than 30years. A member of the WhiteMountain Apache Tribe, Parkerhas worked with his own tribeon natural resource issues aswell as more than 20 tribes

across Arizona and theSouthwest.From a press release, U.S. Fish & WildlifeService, July 2005.

2005 CHIEF SEALTH AWARD RECEIVED BY USFWS EMPLOYEE

North Cascades Mountaingoats have declined inpopulation numbers. TheSauk-Suiattle Tribe receiveda Tribal Wildlife Grant tostudy causes for theirdecreased numbers.

Daniel Parker, White MountainApache, Sealth Award recipient hasworked 31 years with the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service and has been amember of the NAFWS for six years

(- See next column -)

2

NAFWS BOARD OFDIRECTORS

ALASKA REGIONALASKA REGIONALASKA REGIONALASKA REGIONALASKA REGIONJennifer Hooper(907)[email protected]

Angela Wade(907) [email protected]

NORTHEAST REGIONNORTHEAST REGIONNORTHEAST REGIONNORTHEAST REGIONNORTHEAST REGIONMike Bear(207) [email protected]

Tim Gould(207) [email protected]

SOUTHWEST REGIONSOUTHWEST REGIONSOUTHWEST REGIONSOUTHWEST REGIONSOUTHWEST REGIONMarilyn Ethelbah(480)[email protected]

Sam Diswood(505) [email protected]

SOUTHEAST REGIONSOUTHEAST REGIONSOUTHEAST REGIONSOUTHEAST REGIONSOUTHEAST REGIONTeresa Harris, Vice Pres.(803)[email protected]

Mark Patrick(601)663-7900

GREAGREAGREAGREAGREAT LAKES REGIONT LAKES REGIONT LAKES REGIONT LAKES REGIONT LAKES REGIONDon Reiter, SecSecSecSecSec./T./T./T./T./Trrrrreasureasureasureasureasurererererer(715) [email protected]

Corey Strong(218)[email protected]

PACIFIC REGIONPACIFIC REGIONPACIFIC REGIONPACIFIC REGIONPACIFIC REGIONJoe Jay Pinkham III, PresidentPresidentPresidentPresidentPresident(509) [email protected]

Ted Lamebull(541) [email protected]

GREAGREAGREAGREAGREAT PLAINS REGIONT PLAINS REGIONT PLAINS REGIONT PLAINS REGIONT PLAINS REGIONRon Skates(406)[email protected]

Todd Hall, VVVVVice-Price-Price-Price-Price-Presidentesidentesidentesidentesident(701) [email protected]

NAFWS OFFICES:NAFWS (new address)8333 Greenwood Blvd.,Ste. 260Denver, Colorado 80221-4483(303) 466-1725,FAX: (303) 466-5414Web Page: http://www.nafws.org

Alaska NAFWS

NAFWS STAFFIra New Breast,Executive Director

Ron D. Rodgers,Deputy Dir./Accounting

Karen LynchTechnical Editor

Sally Carufel-WilliamsMembership/Education/Assistant to the Board

Gloria OrtegaGrants Administrative Assistant

Karen E. StickmanEPA Project Coordinator, AK

Shawna Trumblee MoserEPA Assistant Coordinator, AK

Laurie MontourChronic Wasting Disease (CWD)Project Coordinator

Emerson Bull ChiefCWD - Montana/Wyoming

Corey LuceroCWD - New Mexico/Arizona

Ryman LeBeauCWD - North/South Dakotas

Carl PocanCWD - Minnesota/Wisconsin

131 W. 6th Ave., Ste. 3-4Anchorage, Alaska 99501(907) 222-6005FAX: (907) 222-6082Web Page: http://alaska.nafws.org

Agdaagux Tribal Council/Akiachak Native Community/AkiakNative Community/Akutan Traditional Council/AlakanukTraditional Council/Alderville Indian Band/Allakaket VillageCouncil/Arapaho Business Council/Asa'carsamiut TribalCouncil/Atmautluak Traditional Council/Barona Band ofMission Indians/Bay Mills Indian Community/Beaver TribalCouncil/Big Sandy Rancheria/Birch Creek Village Council/Blackfeet Tribe/Bois Forte Reservation/Bridgeport IndianReservation/Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma/Catawba IndianNation/Chalkystik Village Council/Chemehuevi Indian Tribe/Cherokee Nation/Chevak Traditional Council/Cheyenne &Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma/Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe/Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy Reservation/Chippewaof Nawash Band/Chistochina Village Council/ChitimachaTribe of Louisiana/Citizen Potawatomi Nation/Clarks PointVillage Council/Coeur d'Alene Tribe/Colorado River IndianTribes/Colville Confederated Tribes/Comanche Tribe/Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and SiuslawIndians/Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes/ConfederatedTribes of the Goshute Reservation/Confederated Tribes ofGrande Ronde/Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians/Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation/Crow CreekSioux Tribe/Eastern Band of Cherokees/Eastern Pequot/EkwokVillage Council/Elk Valley Rancheria/Ely Tribe/EvansvilleTribal Council/False Pass Tribal Council/Fond du Lac Band ofLake Superior Chippewa/Fort Belknap Community Council/Fort Independence Paiute Tribe/Fort McDowell MohaveApache/Fort Mojave Indian Tribe/Fort Sill Chiricahua WarmSprings Apache/Fort Peck Assiniboine Sioux Tribe/GrandTraverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa/Hannahville IndianCommunity/Hoopa Valley Tribal Council/Hopi Tribe/HoplandBand of Pomo Indians/Houlton Band of Maliseets/Husila TribalCouncil/Hydaburg Cooperative Association/Iowa Tribe ofKansas & Nebraska/Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma/IqurmiutTraditional Council/Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe/JicarillaApache Tribe/Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians/Karuk Tribe/ KawNation of Oklahoma/Kenaitze Indian Tribe/Ketchikan IndianCorporation/Keweenaw Bay Indian Community/KickapooNation of Kansas/Klamath Tribe/Klawock CooperativeAssociation/Kodiak Tribal Council/Kotlik Traditional Council/Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewas/Lac duFlambeau Chippewa/Lac Vieux Desert Chippewa Tribe/LeechLake Chippewa Tribe/Little River Band of Ottawa Indians/Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians/Louden VillageCouncil /Manokotak Village Council/Manzanita Band ofMission Indians/Marshall Traditional Council/MashantucketPequot Tribe/McGrath Native Village Council/MenomineeIndian Tribe/Mentasta Tribal Council/Mescalero Apache/Miccosukee Tribe/Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians/ModocTribe of Oklahoma/Morongo Band of Mission Indians/NambePueblo /Nanwalek IRA Council/Narragansett Tribe/NativeVillage of Atka/Native Village of Barrow/Native Village ofDeering/Native Village of Eklutna/Native Village of Elim/Native Village of Eyak/Native Village of Fort Yukon/NativeVillage of Goodnews Bay Traditional Council/Native Village ofKotzebue/Native Village of Kwinhagak/Native Village ofMekoryuk/Native Village of Shaktoolik/Native Village ofShishmaref/Native Village of St. Michael/Native Village ofWales/Native Village of White Mountain/Navajo Nation/Nenana Native Council/Nez Perce Tribe/Nightmute TraditionalCouncil/Ninilchik Traditional Council/North Fork MonoRancheria/Northern Cheyenne Tribe/Nottawaseppi Huron Bandof Potawatomi/Nulato Tribal Council/Oglala Sioux Tribe/Ojibway 1850 Treaty Council/Oneida Indian Nation/OneidaTribe of Indians/Organized Village of Kwethluk/Osage Nation/Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma/Passamaquoddy Tribe/Pedro BayVillage Council/Penobscot Indian Nation/Picayune Rancheriaof Chukchansi Indians/Pilot Point Traditional Council/PilotStation Traditional Council/Poarch Band of Creek Indians/Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians/Ponca Tribe of Nebraska/Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe/Prairie Band of PotawatomiNation/Pueblo of Acoma/Pueblo of Cochiti/Pueblo of Isleta/Pueblo of Jemez/Pueblo of Laguna/Pueblo of Pojaoque/Puebloof San Ildefonso/Pueblo of Santa Ana/Pueblo of Santa Clara/Pueblo of Taos/Pueblo of Tesuque/Pueblo of Zia/Pueblo of Zuni/Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe/Qawalangin Tribe of UnAlaska/Quapaw Tribe/Qugan Tayagungin Tribe/Quileute Tribe/RainyRiver Band/Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewas/RedLake Band of Chippewa Indians/Redwood Valley Little RiverBand of Pomo Indians/Salt River Pima-Maricopa IndianCommunity/San Carlos Apache Tribe/San Pasqual Band ofIndians/Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska/Santo Domingo Tribe/Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa Band/Scotts Valley Band of PomoIndians/Seminole Tribe/Seneca-Cayuga Tribe/Shoalwater Bay/Shoshone-Bannock Tribes/Shoshone-Paiute Tribe of Duck Valley/Shuswap Nation/Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe/Sitka Tribe ofAlaska/Six Nations of Canada/Soboba Band of MissionIndians/Southern Ute Tribe/Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe/SpokaneTribe/Squaxin Island Tribe/St. Croix Tribal Council/St. RegisMohawk Tribe/Standing Rock Sioux Tribe/Swinomish TribalCommunity/Stevens Village Council/Stillaguamish Tribe/Summit Lake Paiute Tribe/Swinomish Tribal Council/TananaTribal Council/Three Affiliated Tribes/Tlingit & Haida CentralCouncil/Tohono O’odham Nation/Tribal Government of St. Paul/Tsawwassen Indian Band/Tuolummne Me-Wuk Tribal Council/Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians/Ugaskik TraditionalVillage/Unga Tribal Council/Upper Sioux Community/UteIndian Tribe/Ute Mountain Ute Tribe/Walker River Paiute Tribe/Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head/White Earth Reservation ofMinnesota/White Mountain Apache Tribe/Wichita &Affiliated Tribes/Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska/Yakutat TlingitTribe/Yankton Sioux Tribe/Yavapai- Apache Nation/Ysleta DelSur Pueblo/Yupiit of Adreafski/Yurok Tribe

224 MEMBER TRIBES ○

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Thank you to thefollowing people forcontributing to our

publication:

Chris Danielson, Sauk-Suiattle Tribe

Brett Gullett,Confederated Salish-

Kootenai Tribe

Daniel Parker, U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service

Ron Skates, USFWS

Laurie Montour, NAFWS

Patrick Durham, U.S. Fish& Wildlife Service

Alan Veasey & BrookeMartin, University of

Alabama

Mark Patrick, MississippiBand of Choctaw

Pete Kruger, SquaxinIsland Natural Resources

Tim Vosburgh, Chippewa-Cree Natural Resources

Is a communication toolto inform and facilitate theexchange of NAFWS news andinformation nationally, includ-ing Canada. We seek rel-evant information from ourmembers and others who areinterested. However, at timeswe do have limitations, soplease understand if weshould select another vehiclefor your valued information.

FROM THE EAGLE’S NEST

3

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’SMESSAGEby: Ira New Breast, NAFWS

Hello Everyone,

For the 2005 year to date,the Society has enjoyed severalconferences and welcomesnew Board Directors along theway. There have been anumber of trainings madeavailable and programs haveexperienced renewed funding.

At this writing, the NationalEnvironmental AwarenessSummer Youth Practicum(SYP) is on its way. Thecounselor staff is arriving andthe first SYP students areexpected. Sally Carufel-Williams is of course busilytying loose ends before the startof the practicum to make thisyear’s event another success.

The Great Plains Regionheld their regional conferencein Rapid City, South Dakota onFebruary 22-24, 2005. Thesessions and other events wentwell. Ron Skates was re-electedas one of the two Great PlainsBoard of Directors, and JulieThorstenson was elected as thealternate. Next year’s event istargeted for the month ofFebruary 2006 in Bismarck,North Dakota.

The Alaska Region held itsregional conference inAnchorage, Alaska on March16- 17, 2005. Angela Wade fromthe Chickaloon Village was re-elected to the Board and CraigFleener with the Council OfAthabascan Tribal Governmentswas selected as an alternate.The Alaska region anticipatesto hold their next conferencein Fairbanks, Alaska in themonth of March 2006. Theconference enjoyed manyparticipants from the area aswell as members from theinterior of Alaska. The Society’sTribal Water Quality TrainingProgram conducted its trainingto coincide with the confer-ence.

Of course as many know,the Society National Confer-ence was hosted by theMississippi Band of ChoctawIndians at the Pearl RiverResort and Casino in ChoctawMississippi. At the Board ofDirectors meeting whichprecedes the conference, anew board director from theGreat lakes Region, CoreyStrong from the Bois ForteIndian Reservation wasinducted to the Board. Coreyreplaces Faith Mc Gruther ofSault Ste. Marie, Michigan. NewBoard Directors, MarilynEthelbah of the White MountainApache Tribe from theSouthwest and Mark Patrick ofthe Mississippi Band ofChoctaw Indians from theSoutheast await confirmation atthe Fall Tele-conference Boardmeeting. Marilyn will fill thechair of Joe Graham of LagunaPueblo, and Mark will take onthe post from Greg Tubby ofMississippi Choctaw.

By publication of this issueof the ‘Nest’, the SouthwestRegion should have conductedtheir conference at WhiteMountain Apache, Hon-DahResort & Casino and Confer-ence Center at Pinetop,Arizona. Conference dateswere August 1-4, 2005. Hon-DahResort resides in a beautifullocation, the region’s agenda isfull of good sessions and events.I expect that the conferenceenjoyed a great success.

The Northeast Region hasscheduled to hold theirregional conference inCharlestown, Rhode Island thisyear. It will be hosted by theNarragansett IndianTribe. Thescheduled dates will beSeptember 12-14, 2005. So closeto so much lobsters and othergood sea food, I’m confidentthat all of the planned activitieswill be a winner event.

The Great Lakes Regionwill hold their regionalconference on September 19-22, 2005. The Red Lake Band ofChippewa Indians will host theevent at the Seven Clans HotelWater Park and Casino atThree River Falls, Minnisota.The conference will focus onfish population and habitatrestoration, wildlife manage-ment and environmentalprotection.

The Pacific Region will behosted by the Colville Tribe.The conference will be held atthe Okanogan Inn, in OmakWashington, October 16-20, 2005.Sessions will surround fisherymanagement, and previewmany of the region’s wildlifegrants and BPA projects.

Please visit our website orcall to receive a copy ofcurrent agendas and to takeadvantage of the manyinformative sessions andpresentations being offered atall the region conferences.

The CWD (Chronic WastingDisease) project is still movingalong at a fast pace. More than500 tribal individuals have gonethrough the CWD training, andmore than190 tribes have beenvisited. Most of these contactshave occurred in the endemicdisease area. The projectanticipates renewed fundingand will look to play an activerole in this year’s 2005 fallhunting season. To date, twotribes, the Mescalero Apache ofNew Mexico and the OneidaTribe of New York areexperiencing CWD positivecervids near their borders.Research and development hasidentified and characterizedmany parameters of the

epidemiology, still much morehas to be accomplished to dealwith this wildlife disease. TheSociety CWD project willmaintain its services nationallyfor the upcoming year.

The Alaska Tribal WaterQuality Training program had ableak period when fundinglooked dubious, but funds didcome forth due to the hardwork of our Alaska staff. Theproject will look forward to onemore year of training for F.Y2006.

The Great Plains hosted aConservation Law Enforcementtraining in Bozeman June 6-10,2005. Attendees came from fiveof our Society regions, 40 in all.Hats-off to the training instruc-tors who came from the USFWSLaw Enforcement branchoffices Region 6, NCTC(National Conservation TrainingCenter) Instructors, MontanaState Conservation officers andU.S. Department of Justice TrialLawyers Wildlife and MarineResources section. Of course,our own Ron Skates was thearchitect of the event.

Conservation Law Enforce-ment sessions are plannedduring the Southwest Regionalconference and later in theyear, or early next year 2006,another 40-hour training will beavailable. Keep posted on theweb or contact Ron Skates.

Lastly for this edition, I’dlike to thank Faith Mc Grutherfor her service with the SocietyBoard of Directors. Faith hasserved for more than 10 yearsand has expressed that servicewith dedication, commitmentand honor. She has beenpivotal in the Society and hasserved her region tirelesslymaking operations there floweasily year-to-year. We lookforward to seeing Faith at theregional conferences andhopefully will get to visit withher at the nationals. Thank youFaith, your presence on theBoard will be dearly missed.

Take care, and good luck inyour coming hunting season.

IRA

4

The Southeast regionalheld a business meeting onMay 24, 2005 at the Nationalconference. At that time wehad not planned to haveRegional conference this year.But we are looking in to thepossibility of holding a fallconference. We will notify theregion as soon as we know theplace and dates.

During of elections, MarkPatrick of Mississippi Band ofChoctaw Indians was electedRegional Director. Mark was agreat help in the planning and

also during the NationalConference.

Greg Tubby decided to stepdown as Director instead ofwaiting until the next Nationalconference. Mark Patrick willbe installed at the next Boardmeeting.

Submitted by Teresa Harris-Auten

SOUTHEAST REGION UPDATE

Chief of Penobscot Nation named as Chairman of the NationalTribal Environmental Council (NTEC).

Penobscot Nation Chief Jim Sappier was unanimously electedas Chairman of the National Tribal Environmental Council at theannual NTEC Conference recently held in Oneida Wisconsin. ChiefSappier helped create the organization in 1991 during an earlier termas Chief of the Penobscot Tribe. The organization was created to helpprotect and preserve Native American Homelands. NTEC's member-ship currently consists of 182 Tribes.

NORTHEAST REGION NEWS

declines, and 4) procuringfunding for other cause-effectanalyses projects.

PROJECT BUDGETPROJECT BUDGETPROJECT BUDGETPROJECT BUDGETPROJECT BUDGETAND EXPENDITURESAND EXPENDITURESAND EXPENDITURESAND EXPENDITURESAND EXPENDITURES

A project expenditureledger, prepared on May 9, 2005indicates that project expendi-tures to date are $39,714. Thelargest portion of projectexpenses to date is contractwork by WDFW (collarpurchase, capture, and flighttime) and WWU (GPS collarbias correction work andhabitat model development).Combined, these contractexpenditures total $27,677.Other expenditures includeSSIT salaries and fringe($1,017), supplies ($146), minorequipment ($1,172), mileage/fuel ($142), professionalservices ($4,350), dues andsubscriptions ($295), andindirect ($4,855).

In year two of this grantMay 17, 2005-May 17, 2006), it isanticipated that the WDFWand WWU contracts will beexhausted. As other grantsources supporting SSIT staff onthis project dwindle, TWGfunding for SSIT salaries andfringe will be drawn downsignificantly in year 2.

TIMELINE TIMELINE TIMELINE TIMELINE TIMELINE ANDANDANDANDANDPROJECT OUTLOOKPROJECT OUTLOOKPROJECT OUTLOOKPROJECT OUTLOOKPROJECT OUTLOOK

SSIT staff looks at thesecond year of implementingthis project with greatexcitement. We will be fullystaffed and mostly trained goinginto the field season. We havebeen successful in procuringadditional (albeit small) grantfunding for specific “cause-effect” projects that compli-ment the habitat modelingwork as it enters the finalstages. While continuing tocollect important baseline datafor the aerial survey efficiencyevaluation, activities in yeartwo of this grant will includecollating and assessinghistorical goat population anddistribution data and worktoward developing specificmanagement actions and aplan for implementing themwith our project partners. Thereis also lots of work to be donein the way of improving ouroutreach efforts within thetribal community, and improv-ing the level of understanding,guidance, and input for thewildlife work the environmen-tal department is pursuing ontheir behalf.

by: Laurie Montour, NAFWS CWD Project

The NAFWS-CWD staffwere present to learn about thelatest discoveries, furtherevidence confirming theories,and new approaches to detect,minimize and ultimatelyeradicate Chronic WastingDisease (CWD) in wild andcaptive herds of deer and elk.We also had the opportunity toshowcase our successes andlessons learned from ourexperiences.

Keeping us company wereNarcisse Rousseau fromCheyenne River Sioux Tribe inSouth Dakota and their

THE 2ND INTERNATIONALCHRONIC WASTINGDISEASE SYMPOSIUM

biologist, Joanne Murray; alongwith Jim Pardilla fromPenobscot Nation in Maine,with their tribal wildlifebiologist Kristen Dilworth.Because the Cheyenne RiverSioux have a CWD Programthey are particularly careful ofintroduction since they alsohave a captive elk herd. TheNational Wildlife Health Centreconsiders their CWD Surveil-lance Strategy “the best inIndian Country”. Theygraciously allowed NAFWS toprovide copies of that strategyas a sample to other tribeswhen we conduct trainingaround the country. The

Penobscots are where NAFWSwas about a year and a halfago: APHIS funding provided,yet with need to learn skills tocollect deer and moosesamples for testing. Maine isknown for moose. Less than ayear ago, testing on a moose incaptivity provided evidence ofthe previously unheard of: thedisease jumping from theoriginal elk in the 1960’s, todeer, and now to moose. Forwhatever reason, diseases maybecome used to being incertain animals, but theytransfer with much difficulty toanother species, so are knownas species barriers. Forexample, dogs do not get thecommon cold that affectshumans every winter --- thatspecies barrier has not yetbeen crossed from humans todogs, although rabies is anexample of another diseasethat can transfer from animalssuch as dogs to humans.

This opportunity allowedfor Native American partici-pants to share our common

experiences and to try findingways of resolving what seems tobe one of the biggest chal-lenges: getting cervid headsfrom our own hunters.

Unlike states which canlegally compel hunters toprovide heads for testing, orwith state-run hunter checkpoint stations, first access todonations by Native hunterswho may use them, it seemsthat our tribal techniciansspend a lot of time and effortwooing and encouraginghunters to provide heads. Thatone additional effort on thepart of a weary hunter may bethe reason for numeroussamples or a mere handful.

Some tribes are able toafford monetary incentives,although this does not alwayswork either. In one case, atribal incentive programyielded half a dozen samplesfrom as many tribal communi-ties during a whole huntingseason.

(see p. 6 - CWD - )

(-See next column --)

(mountain goats - from p. 1 -)

(See next column -)

5

Submitted by: Ron Skates, USFWS.

Bozeman, MT

The Tribal ConservationLaw Enforcement training wasconducted this year on June 6-10, 2005 in Bozeman, Montana.This training was a joint effortsponsored by the NativeAmerican Fish and WildlifeSociety and the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service. Since thetraining began in 1997, we haveconducted 15 training sessionsin four different regions of theSociety. Over the course of thatperiod, training has beenprovided to 574 ConservationOfficers, representing morethan 150 tribes.

This year, 39 conservationofficers from 24 different tribesencompassing 5 regions of theSociety, attended the populartraining. As always we havemore requests then we areable to take. The focus this yearwas on preparing a case forcourtroom testimony. Thecourse covered techniquesassociated with interviewingand interrogation. Participantsinterviewed actual informants

(role played by high schooldrama students) to seekinformation and begin thedevelopment of their case.Since it would have beenimpossible for each participantto do every one of these tasksthe group was divided into fourteams and each teamdesignated individuals toconduct certain aspects of thecase while the rest observed.

From that information, theyidentified where the crimescene was located. They weregiven the responsibility offinding the site and conductingthe investigation of the area,complete with photographs andthe collection of items at thesite for further forensicsanalysis. They were also giveninstruction on how to properlyprepare a report, whichincluded search warrantpreparation, raid planning, andtake downs. It was interestingto watch the teams take ontheir responsibility and thecompetition to be the best wasapparent. Many of theparticipants put in long hoursinto the night putting their casetogether, which was evaluatedby the instructors on the last

day. The best team was given aspecial law enforcementengraved folding knife.

On Friday, the group hadthe opportunity to listen andinteract with Robert Anderson,Trail Attorney with the U.S.Department of Justiceconcerning the propertechniques of giving profes-sional courtroom testimony.The moral of the story was tobe precise and terse withanswers. Talking more thannecessary is not productive,and can often lose a case foryou.

At closing, certificates andawards were presented and allseemed to walk away withsomething, including thefriendships and camaraderiethat were developed amongthe group.

A course evaluation wasgiven to each of the partici-pants to solicit feedback aboutthe training. Each one of themfilled out the evaluation andaccording to the group, this wasone of the best trainings yet. Itis evident that we know what isneeded and we will try toaccommodate their remarks toimprove future trainings.

A big thank you goes out toall the people who made thistraining possible. Special thankyou to all the instructors whogave great presentations andtook time out of there busyschedules to participate. Andlastly, thanks to the Tribes forsupporting their representativesthat were able to attend.

Those that attended were:Wilbur Calf Robe; Greg Gilham;

LAW ENFORCEMENTTRAINING WELLATTENDED

Group photo of the 39 tribal law enforcement officers that participated in thetraining held in Bozeman, Montana in June.

Ron Skates (right), and Ira New Breast (left), present Robert St. Clair withthe Top Gun award he earned at the NAFWS national shoot competition.

Ron Skates and Dominci Domenici hand out certificates to class participants forcompleting the training.

(See p. 6 - LE training -)

6

through the body. The prionsmake it down the throatentering the retropharyngeallymph nodes, then down to thegastrointestinal tract wheresome of it is excreted, andsome enters the spinal cord.The spinal cord ends at theobex, which is the entry way tothe brain. As an aside, theNAFWS - CWD project collectsthe lymph nodes and the obexto test for CWD --- to be doublysure. Some states take only onetissue sample.

We Like Wolves

In an about-face fromhuman-induced herd reductionto stop the spread of disease –in an approach that can besummed up as “Kill ‘em all”, oneof the oldest and certainlymore natural approaches toherd reduction is wolf controlwolf controlwolf controlwolf controlwolf control.

Wolves, the ancestors ofour biologically diversecanines, do not seem toacquire CWD. A wolf packneeds large amounts of meatfor survival – a half-ton elkwould serve the purpose well.In addition, wolves can:

• Selectively removethose CWD suspects – the sickand vulnerable animals;

• Stabilize or reducedeer population densities indeer-thick regions, therebyreducing the spread of thedisease; and

• Remove infectedcarcasses from the environ-ment.

The work completed so farby the National Parks Service,Colorado Division of Wildlife,and Colorado State Universityto determine the success ofwolves in reducing CWD showsmuch promise.

Disposal of carcass

So we learn that one of ourdonated elk samples comesback positive. The hunter hadalready practiced safebutchering utilizing: safe gloves;bone out meat; avoid brain,spinal cord and nerve tissueincluding lymph nodesscattered throughout the bodyto minimize any potentialhuman health risk --- not thatthere are any documented atthis time.

Some states having CWD inwild populations already havearrangements to destroycontaminated material throughchemical digestion andincineration. The CWD hotspotin southern Wisconsin hasgenerated over a millionpounds of deer carcass wastein its three years of testing.Although the final product isde-natured, or neutralized,public perception hasprevented the disposal of the

final product to some landfills.One of the NAFWS goals thisyear is to formalize carcassdisposal sites in the event aCWD+ carcass comes from oneof the tribes participating in thisproject.

Arbitrary Highlights from

64 Sessions

The conference was well-rounded. Information wasshared about the disease at themicroscopic level all the wayto its impacts on whole herds ofdeer and elk. Then the humandimensions, official and non-official. There were manydiscussions about the humanhealth implications. Whilethere is still no evidence ofcontacting the disease fromeating meat or handling theparts of the animal with thehighest likelihood of finding thedisease, identifying the riskfactors to humans andminimizing exposure to thosecritical parts is still the safestway to avoid any risk that maybe discovered in the future.

Transmission of CWD

There is no antidote to stopthe disease once an animalacquires it -- the animal dies.The incubation period prior tothe classic outward physicalsymptoms include: droopy earsand head, drooling, blank look,rough coat and starvationwhich ranges at least 1½ to 2years before death. However,there is new evidence ofcertain elk having a gene thatsuggests incubation time of the

( - CWD - Cont. from p. 4- )

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The 23rd annual NationalConference of the NativeAmerican Fish & WildlifeSociety was hosted by theSoutheast Region of the NAFWSand co-hosted by the MississippiBand of Choctaw Indians. Itwas held at the Silver StarCasino in May 2005.

Attendance this yearreached 172 tribal and non-tribal natural resourcemanagers, fish and wildlifetechnicians, conservation lawenforcement officers, tribalgovernment representatives,and government agencies.

The conference theme,

“Partnerships: Discovering theNew; Renewing the Old”brought focus and a centraltopic for presenters.

The conference theme ofPartnerships was acknowl-edged by Delbert Wapass, ViceChief of the Federation ofSaskatchewan Indian Nationswhich represents 74 FirstNations in Saskatchewan,Canada. He said the U.S. andCanada need to work togetherin partnerships to seekopportunities on behalf offamilies and communitieswhile maintaing a connectionto the land and natural

resources.The Federation of

Saskatchewan Indian Nationsworks to honour the Spirit andintent of the Treaties as well asto promote, protect andimplement the Treaties made

with the First Nations morethan a century ago.

Conference attendeeswere welcomed by theExecutive Assistant of the Chief

( -see p. 7 - national conference-)

CHOCTAWS HOST NATIONALCONFERENCE

Opening ceremony of the conference. While the CaneyDrum Group sings, tribal law enforcement officers waitto begin the opening session of the conference.

Kevin Vaile, Robert E. Carolin;Mike Kennedy; Jack Slidesoff;Mark Patrick; Jason Aspa;Daniel Martinez; Sylvan B.Covers Up; Cody Wilhelm; ScottCrozier; Terry Mooney; EverettErdahl; Dale Goodreau;Michael McCreary; KevinWillis; Sheldon Fletcher; JayJandreau; Francis Big Crow;Travis Brave Bird, Jr.; MontyMatlock; Kelton Kersey; AlDuran; Travis Vigil; TimothyStevens; Jerald Thompson, Sr.,Belinda Paxton; Dominic Bau;Robert Espinosa; Rawlin Friday,Sr., Dennis O’Neal; Ben Snyder,Jr., Robert St. Clair; WesternThayer; Ben Warren III, PrestonWashakie; Paul St. Pierre; andLarry Olson.

(- LE training, Cont. from p. 5 -)

7

of the Mississippi Band ofChoctaw Indians, GilbertThompson. The openingkeynote address was given bySam Hamilton, SoutheastRegion, U.S. Fish & WildlifeService who highlighted one ofthe partnerships they have withthe Mississippi Band ofChoctaws at the NoxubeeRefuge. (see Hamilton’skeynote address on p. 9 in thisnewsletter).

A session by Doug Harris,Historic Preservation Officer,Narragansett Tribal HistoricPreservation Program discussedthe importance andresponsiblity of tribes to protecttheir traditional culturalpractices and ceremonies,posing the question, “What willwe pass on to our greatgrandchildren as to who weare”?

Daniel Parker, the 2005recipient of the Chief Seattleaward, and a member of theWhite Mountain Apache Tribesaid it was good hearing thistopic about cultural preserva-tion given by Doug Harris, “It isso important to keep ourcultural ways intact and to me,that really makes sense. It wasgood to hear.”

This year’s traditional feastfeatured barbecued meat thatconservation officers brought infrom the hog hunt, chicken,hominy, beans and fry bread.

Other events included theannual conservation lawofficers shoot competition inwhich five regional shoot teamsparticipated. The Great LakesRegion shoot team scored 8359winning the competition. Theteam members are: Bill Bailey,Bill Schofield, Terry Carrick,Corey Strong, and TerryMetoxen. The Great Plains teamwon second place with anoverall score of 8348. And theSouthwest team took thirdplace with an overall score of8256. The Top Gun award thisyear was Robert St. Claire, agame warden at the ShoshoneTribe of Wyoming.

Conference sessions were:Government-to-GovernmentRelations; Wildlife Managementon the Yakama IndianReservation; Conservation ofFreshwater Mussels & Water

Quality; TWG & TLIP Update;Wildlife Habitat Projects atAcoma Pueblo; SturgeonRestoration at Lac du Flam-beau; Restoration of Raymond“Snooty” Couture Fish Hatchery& Rearing Ponds, Rocky BoysWildlife EnhancementProgram; Coho Reintroductioninto Columbia Basin; APHISprograms; Chronic WastingDisease; Tribal HatcheryOperations, EnvironmentalIssues, Urbanization & ErosionProblems, Choctaw TribalForestry; Intertribal NurseryCouncil; Traditional HuntingCamps of the Southeast NativePeople; and Partnerships.

The annual banquet andauction was held and theChoctaw Tribe showed-off theirsuccess in sports with a videowhich showcased the highschool girls basketball teamthat has won in state tourna-ments.

A field trip and tour of thereservation, enterprises, andtribal offices was conducted.And an additional tourincluded the Nanih WayiaMound that was erected atleast 1,000 years ago and “islikely the mother moundreferred to in Choctaw legends.”Mounds were usually erectedin the center of a “fortifiedvillage.”

One of the highlights of theconference was the hog huntsponsored by the ChoctawWildlife and Parks Department.At least 12-15 conservation lawofficers participated in severalhunts that took place through-out the conference. (See storyon page 8).

Next year, the NortheastRegion hosts the 2006 NationalNAFWS conference to be heldin Bar Harbor, Maine.

( - national conf. - cont. from p. 6 -) A local drumgroup fromChoctaw, MScalled CaneyCreek Drumgroup sangduring theopeningceremony ofthe confer-ence.

Southeast Region Board directors Mark Patrick (left) andTeresa Harris-Auten, pose here with Gilbert Thompson(right), Executive Assistant to the Chief of the MississippiBand of Choctaws.

A Canadiandelegation came toChoctaw for theconference. “In thefuture, we’d like tohost this nationalconference,” theysaid. (L - R): DelbertWapass, Federationof SaskatchwanIndian Nations(FSIN); Glen Pratt,Chief, GeorgeGordan First Nation;and AlfredQuewezance of theFSIN.

During the traditional feast, members ofthe Choctaw reservation perfomedtraditional dances for the members of theNAFWS.

Exhibitors, LotekWireless from Ontario,Canada talk withconference attendees.

8

These group of hunters were one of several groups that went out on the huntingtrips during the conference. Of these seven hunters, only four are identifiablebeginning in the middle, or fourth person from the left, Bill Bailey, Terry Carrick,Thomas Doolittle, and Tim Vosburgh.

Dale Brown (left, Spokane conservation officer and Mark Patrick,Mississippi Band of Choctaw Wildlife and Parks department,after the hunt display their catch of the day.

by Karen Lynch, Native American Fish &

Wildlife Society

At five a.m. on the morningof May 22, at Choctaw, Missis-sippi, and an anxious, curious,adventurous group of huntersawait in front of the GoldenMoon casino/hotel to go on awild hog hunt. For these hunters,it would be a first-time ever typeof hunt.

To sponsor a wild hog huntwas an idea that the MississippiBand of Choctaw Wildlife andParks Department came up with,as hosts of the 2005 NationalConference of the NativeAmerican Fish & WildlifeSociety, co-sponsored by theMississippi Band of Choctawssaid tribal game warden, MarkPatrick, who served as a guidefor the hunts.

“For most of these tribalhunters representing regions ofthe U.S., this was a uniqueexperience. Especially, for thosenot used to our swampenvironment of water, bogs,snakes and alligators,” saidPatrick smiling, “I guess this iswhat made these huntsinteresting and exciting.”

He added, “Now, if I were togo to their tribal land and huntin the Northwest, Great Lakes, orGreat Plains, I’m sure I wouldencounter a whole differentexperience too.”

Avid hunter, Pete Kruger,from Squaxin Island Tribe inWashington praised hunt guides,Mark Patrick and Greg Tubbyfrom the Choctaw Wildlife and

Parks Department who were“not only great to work with, butthey knew the area well andprovided us with a safe huntingexperience.”

Also a veteran big gamehunter from the Northwest, DellBrown, a Spokane Tribalconservation officer said notknowing anything about huntingin that area and those types ofconditions was very new to him.“For one, I wasn’t even planingto go but at last minute waspersuaded. I really didn’t knowwhat to expect. In a way, it wascrazy,” he added.

“I didn’t know what toexpect either,” said Ron Skates,U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serviceemployee and Cheyenne RiverSioux tribal member, who alsohunts for big game in Montana,“except that it was a verydifferent and quite adventurousexperience.

“First of all, I’ve neverhunted in that type of habitat. Itwas very warm and muggy. Theexcitement was a constantawareness of seeing snakes orcrocodiles. In that ghostly-likeatmosphere, it was weirdbecause we could only hearsounds, and its our guess that itwas a hog moving around in thetimber.”

As this group headedtowards the murky waters of thenearby Pearl River to thelocation where the hunt was totake place, they unload andbegin walking, some on foot andothers with the ATV rideprovided by the guides.

Kruger, who chose to staynear the ATV, said he was hopingnot to encounter any snakes. Hecontinued, “Well --- we did see abig one, a Water moccasin, oneof the guys shot it. There was alsoa young alligator nearby.

“As I waited, bird soundswere everywhere — hawks,owls or other birds was all that Icould hear, it was just beginningto get light. Then before I knewit, I heard gun shots.”

Consequently, Dell Brownhad been nearby and said with alaugh, “I heard oink, oink, oink,and a group of hogs werestanding near a pond. “As I shotone of them with a .357 S & Wmagnum, it flipped on its sidewhile kicking and squealing. Itslegs went straight up in the airand I shot it again. This time inthe neck and again in the leg.After shooting it, the sow wasalso screaming.”

By that time, another hunter,Tom Doolittle, Bad River NaturalResources Department, musthave heard the gun shots andhurried over. “He took a shot at itwith his 30-06 rifle and killed it,”added Brown.

The small hog probablyweighed less than 50 lbs. It wasskinned and cleaned, then sentto the cooler and prepared forthe traditional feast later on thatevening said Kruger. “All thistook place within less than onehour, I would say—the hunt.”

Several hunting trips weremade throughout the week ofthis conference. Each group hada different experience. Someexperienced seeing no hogs andothers shot at hogs but missed orthey escaped.

Tim Vosburgh, a wildlifebiologist at the Chippewa-CreeTribe was one of participantsthat went each day on the hunts.

“It was on the third day that Iharvested a small hog using alarge caliber rifle that wasborrowed. Like all the otherguys, I too did not know muchabout wild hogs before thesehunts at Choctaw. I wassurprised at the large amount ofsign such as tracks, wallows, scat,etc., which I observed being outthere.”

“These hogs are not a nativespecies to our lands,” saidPatrick, “they actually competewith deer for acorns, then theytake-over resulting in deer notbeing able to find food. Theirdominant nature makes them adifficult animal to hunt. Withinthe past 35 years or so, they havebecome a nuisance. They notonly populate fast but intrudeonto residential areas andbackyards causing damage.”

Vosburgh added thatalthough they are disruptive to aforest ecosystem, and as abiologist, “I think the opportunityexists for the Choctaw Tribe toconduct population assessmentsthrough using mark resightingtechniques or radio telemetryefforts.”

According to MississippiState University AgricultureDepartment, the key tomanaging established, wild hogpopulations is aggressivehunting to keep populations incheck. The most effectivehunting method involves trainedhunting dogs.

As a hunter for years inMississippi, Mark Patrick agreed.“Because their patterns arehard to follow, unlike deer or elk,we have to use dogs in our hunts.We specifically use a Curr dogwhich easily tracks them. Whatthey do is pick up their trail andrun’em and run’em. It’s more

HOG HUNT ATTRACTS THEADVENTUROUS

(See p. 15 - hog hunt -)

9

Editor’s Note: Sam Hamilton, Region 4Director of the Southeast Region of the U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) gave akeynote address during the 2005 NationalConference of the Native American Fish &Wildlife Society meeting in Choctaw,Mississippi on May 23. His address follows:

Members of the NativeAmerican Fish & WildlifeSociety, it is an honor to be hereto address this importantgathering and to welcome eachone of you to my home state ofMississippi. First, it is always apleasure for me to speak withfellow fish and wildlifemanagers who share mycommitment to naturalresources and have committedthemselves to careers conserv-ing fish, wildlife and habitats. Wegather here today as colleagueswho together will look for waysto ensure a strong future forAmerica’s natural resourceheritage.

Beyond that, as a native ofMississippi, I am proud that youwill have the opportunity toenjoy the state’s amazing fishand wildlife resources andnatural beauty. This stateinspired me to pursue a careerin biology and wildlife manage-ment and gave me the firstopportunity to test out thatcommittment. I began my careerwith the USFWS, Youth Conserva-tion Corps at Noxubee NationalWildlife Refuge just up the road.Today, Noxubee stands as a fineexample of Service fieldstations that enjoy a verycollaborative relationship withneighboring Tribes, in this case,the Mississippi Band of Choctaw.The USFWS has come a verylong way since my student daysin recognizing the sovereignty ofTribes and in reaching out toTribes as partners.

Today, Noxubee Refuge andthe Mississippi Band of Choctawserve as a prime example of theclose working relationships andtrue partnerships that arepossible between the USFWSand Tribes. This thrivingrelationship is focused on youth,our nation’s future, and includesnatural resource education andstewardship opportunities for

more than 50 young peopleeach year.

As you know, the USFWSadopted a Native AmericanPolicy in 1994, which lays outsome core principles for ourstaff to incorporate into theirwork. We have done much toimplement these principles,particularly in the last threeyears. Today, I’d like to talk withyou about some of the areas inwhich we have made greatstrides.

There are 565 Federallyrecognized tribes at present, 227of them in Alaska alone. Tribesmanage more than 100 millionacres of land, 40 millioon inAlaska, compared to 96 millionacres that comprise theNational Wildlife Refuge Systemmanaged by the USFWS.Ironically, despite Tribes owningand having responsibility formore land than the nation’sRefuge System, Tribes havehistorically been excluded frommany state and Federalprograms, including thosefocused on fish and wildlifemanagement.

I am thankful for all of oursakes that this is changing. Withthe implementation of twoFederal grant programs forTribes, which we’ll discuss in amoment, the Service isbeginning to understand the vastresources, capabilities andneeds in Indian Country and themany opportunities forpartnership between us.

The irony of your exclusionfrom many Federal programs,however, has been that thereremain on Indian reservationsvast tracts of pristine, undevel-oped land, which are a boon towildlife. It is not an accidentthat the last active family of oneof the most endangeredmammals in the world, theblack-footed ferret, found itsrefuge on an Indian reservation,at Ft. Belknap, Montana.

The importance of theexistence of large tracts ofundisturbed lands, such as arefound in Indian Country and inNational Wildlife Refuges, to thesurvival of wildlife species inAmerica was brought home to

us this month with the rediscov-ery of the Ivory-billed Wood-pecker at 65,000-acre CacheRiver National Wildlife Refugein Arkansas.

As biologists and wildlifemanagers, we know that theongoing development of land forvarious human uses has had ahuge price for many fish andwildlife resources in America,among them, this largestwoodpecker in the UnitedStates.

I have to tell you that for theService, as the agency respon-sible forimplementingthe Endan-gered SpeciesAct, therediscovery ofthe Ivory-billedwoodpeckerafter a 60-yearabsence ofeven oneconfirmedsighting and apresumption ofextinction hasrocked ourworld. I’m notanticipatingthat anythingmore excitingthan this willhappen in thecourse of my career.

The Southeast Region of theUSFWS is going to play aleadership role in the multi-partner effort to recover thebird. We’ve just launched awebsite, www.fws.gov/ivorybill/for anyone who wants to followthe progress of recoveryplanning and implementation,and we welcome yourinvolvement.

But beneath all theexcitement, this rediscovery hasa symbolic meaning that goes tothe heart of all that we do andall that we are as conservation-ists. This find reminds us that weshould never give up hope.

No matter how large thetask of protecting or recoveringa species may seem, no matterhow few the resources we haveto work with, just at the point wewant to throw-in the towel,believing that what we are doingisn’t amounting to anything -- justat that moment, somethingamazing and unexpected canhappen. Like a fellow who lovesbirds kayaking down the CacheRiver and looking up to see thelong-lost Ivory-billed Wood-pecker right before his eyes.

This is the miracle of thenatural world that sustains uswhen all other hope fails. Thepersistence of these wildlife in

spite of everything that wehumans have done to wipe themoff the face of the earth is alesson to us as conservationistsabout the importance of hangingin there, of continuing to believethat what we do matters. Wesimply cannot give up hope,because what we are fighting for,abundant fish, wildlife, andhabitats for our children andgrandchildren to use and enjoy,is simply too important.

That thought we need tocling to when we are dealingwith our daily realities, so many

of which seemto focus aroundmoney,specifically, theneed for it andthe lack of it.

FUNDINGFUNDINGFUNDINGFUNDINGFUNDINGI have to say

that I’m reallyproud that oneof the key wayswe’ve improvedin our ability topartner withTribes is in thearea of funding.As you know, weare now in ourthird yearadministeringtwo grant

programs --- the Tribal Land-owner Incentive Program andTribal Wildlife Grants Program.

In the first two years, wefunded 132 projects, makingmore than $24 million availableto Tribes. For the FY05 proposalscurrently under reivew, Congresshas made just over $8 millionavailable for these twoprograms. While this is lessfunding than in the two previousyears, I think it is important to putthe cuts into context of what ishappening to Federal budgetsacross the board at the presenttime.

I will tell you that thesedecreases are in line with thetargeted budget cuts that manyof our fish and wildlife conserva-tion programs are facing.Having said that, let me also addthat I know how much thismoney means to you in carryingout your conservation mission,which in most governments andorganizations is a chronicallyunder-funded activity.

As we are now beginning toclose out some of the grantsfrom the first two years, we areseeing the many benefits ofthese programs for Tribes.

For example, this funding ismaking it possible for manyTribes to inventory the natural

AFTER TWO YEARS, WEARE SEEING BENEFITS TOTRIBESTWG AND TLIP GRANTS ARE MAKING ITPOSSIBLE FOR TRIBES TO PLAN ANDRESEARCH FOR CONSERVING NATURALRESOURCES

( See page 14- benefits)

10

USFWS UPDATEby Patrick Durham, Native American Liaison, Washington, D.C.

I was happy to see so manyof you at the national confer-ence this year at the MississippiChoctaw Reservation. It was apleasure to introduce you all tothe new Liaison in theSoutheast Region, Kyla Hastie.Another recent bit of news, ourLiaison in Alaska, TonyDeGange, will be moving on toa new position as the Chief ofthe Biology and GeographyDisciplines for the AlaskaScience Center of the U.S.Geological Survey.

The 2005 selections for theTribal Wildlife Grant (TWG)and Tribal LandownerIncentive Programs (TLIP) arecurrently being approved and Iexpect to see the publicannouncement made verysoon. At the national confer-ence I promised to provide asummary of how the selectionprocess works which is nowposted at http://www.fws.gov/grants/tribal.html. With thehighly competitive nature ofthese grant programs and thediversity of tribal resources, ithas been difficult to create asystem that works. If you areinterested in how our processworks, please visit the site.

Trend has become obviousas we move forward with thesegrant programs. The tribes thathave established their own fishand wildlife core programs arebetter able to utilize the fundsto accomplish on-the-groundresults. That is to say, when staffand base line data are alreadyestablished, competitive grantssuch as TWG and TLIP, servebest as a compliment to thoseprograms to initiate specialprojects.

It is next to impossible for afish and wildlife program tooperate while depending oncompetitive grants for its basefunding. For a tribal program tobe the best possible steward ofits resources, it needs apermanent funding source sothat; 1. institutional memory canbe established, 2. permanentstaff may be employed and

developed and, 3. long-termconservation goals may beachieved.

One of the greatestimpediments that Indian tribesface in gaining support for theirfish and wildlife managementconcerns is that there is nocoordinated national represen-tation of tribal governments inthis area. For Congress andFederal Executive agencies tomake meaningful nationalpolicy and legislative changesin the interest of tribal fish andwildlife resources, a trueaccounting of the resources,needs, concerns, costs andbenefits is a necessity.

‘One of thegreatest

impediments thatIndian tribes face

in gainingsupport for theirfish and wildlife

managementconcerns is that

there is nocoordinated

nationalrepresentation of

tribalgovernments in

this area.’

It is incumbent upon triballeaders to organize their ownagenda. State fish and wildlifeagencies have been monumen-tally successful in organizingthe International Association ofFish and Wildlife Agencies(IAFWA) and Indian tribesshould follow this lead. Pleasetake a few minutes to look attheir web site at http://www.iafwa.org/.

An Association of TribalFish and Wildlife Agencies(ATFWA) would provide avenue for Indian tribes tomeaningfully enter into thenational arena of fish andwildlife management policyand law. The brief history andobjectives of IAFWA (see inset)demonstrates the power andinfluence of a unified voice.For Indian tribes to fully realizetheir fish and wildlife manage-ment goals, a similar organiza-tional structure might be thebest next step.

What I mean by this is thatthere are tremendousresources on tribal lands;habitat, threatened endangeredplants and animals, invasives,environmental problems,staffing needs, jurisdictionalnuances, cultural resourcesand so on. There are all kindsof reasons to address theseissues... political, legislative and,environmental to name a few,but we are not successfullyreporting them or demonstrat-ing the benefits of pursuingtribal partnerships.

An organization like anATFWA could coordinatenational tribal agendas toaddress some of your greatestconcerns through proposedlegislation, policy developmentand serving as a publicinformation resource. Myobjective here is not to tell youwhat to do but to help in everyway possible to get what youwant done.

Here’s something toconsider. If I were tasked withputting something like thistogether, I might put together astart-up strategy that convenedan interim Executive Commit-tee to:

• Develop a concept paperfor distribution to all tribal fishand wildlife agencies(including organizations) that

(1) provides information aboutthe importance of establishingATFWA, (2) proposes infrastruc-ture and, (3) invites administra-tors to meet;

• This information could beefficiently disseminatedthrough established meetings,media and networks by a smallteam of volunteers.

An initial meeting mightattempt to:

• Articulate the purposesof ATFWA.

• Establish parameters formembership and associatemembership.

• Develop a strategy forgaining the support andmembership of tribal leader-ship

• Identify potentialpartners.

• Establish protocol foraccepting organizationalagenda items through resolu-tion.

• Establish initial outreachstrategies for disseminatingATFWA agenda items.

• Establish an initialorganizational structureincluding necessary staff and/or volunteers, funding needs,funding opportunities, meetingstructure, etc.

• Retire the interimExecutive Committee.

• Elect a new ExecutiveCommittee.

• Propose follow up.

People from all back-grounds I have talked to aboutthis idea seem to think that itmakes good sense. For ATFWAto be successful though, theinitiative has to come from you- the tribes. If you want to moveforward with the concept (ordisagree), please shoot me ane-mail [email protected] and Iwill start helping people to gettogether. I am proud of all ofyour accomplishments and amhopeful that you can continueto realize the great potentialfor tribal governments to shine.

Pat

11

BY: Brett Gullett, CS & K Tribal Wildlife

Management Program

On January 27, 2004, InteriorSecretary Gale Nortonannounced that the Confeder-ated Salish & Kootenai Tribeswill receive a grant for $212,050to develop a ConservationProgram for Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse.

The Confederated Salish &Kootenai Tribes’ successfulgrant is funded by the new U. S.Fish & Wildlife Service TribalWildlife Grant Program (TWG).These funds facilitate theConfederated Salish & KootenaiTribes to assess the currenthabitat and develop futurerestoration and reintroductionefforts.

What is the Sharp-tailed Grouse

The Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse, is an importantspecies to the Salish, PendO’reille and Kootenai people,and has suffered a tremendouspopulation decline over the pastcentury. This, as a result ofconversion of native prairieovergrazing, weed infestation,and unregulated hunting whichhave played a role in thepopulation declines on theFlathead Indian Reservation.

After early survey effortsand landowner contacts, the lastverified observations on theFlathead Indian Reservationoccurred west of Ronan, MT in1980. The species is all butextirpated from Montana; todayless than two-dozen wild birdsapparently remain in the state.

For the Salish, Pend O’reilleand Kootenai people, theColumbian Sharp-tailed Grouse(sq’wo or prairie chicken) wasonce important for subsistencepurpose and as a spiritual being.The Tribes have patterned oneof their dances after the danceof grouse and Pete Beaverhead,Pend d’Oreille elder, stated in1975 “…when the Indians herewar danced, they would do thisPrairie Chicken dance. You knowthere was a lot of prairiechickens around here. I did notthink they would becomeextinct.”

Columbian Sharp-TailedGrouse rely on a mosaic of

habitats throughout the yearwith population parametersvarying in response to winterand breeding habitat quality.Optimum habitat in the mixed-grass prairie of Montana is amosaic of upland grassland andriparian hardwood drawscomprised of deciduous plantslike: chokecherry, red-osierdogwood, and aspen. Sharp-tailed grouse are a true lekspecies: The males defend smallterritories on traditional“dancing grounds” where they

try to attract females usingdistinctive displays. Malesstomp on the ground with theirtail erect, wings lowered andneck outstretched andproducing a drumming sound.

Purpose for the Tribal WildlifeGrant

This grant marks thebeginning of a long road torecovery of Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse on the FlatheadIndian Reservation. The firststep was to assess currenthabitat to determine if anyappropriate habitat remains.

MethodologyThis assessment used

sophisticated airbornehyperspectral remote sensingtechnologies to discriminate

habitats that Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse depend upon.Satellite images will capturediffering light reflections ofmultiple groups of vegetation.These images will be used ingeographic information system(GIS) to analyze the amount andspatial arrangement of themultiple vegetation types.Information regarding spatialextent and quality of thathabitat will be fed directly into acomprehensive reintroductionplan.

Grasslands systems weremarked using multi-temporal(an image from each spring,summer, fall, and winter) 15mASTER satellite imagery. Toprevent errors in classificationof the more linear shrub andriparian systems, a 1m IKONOS

satellite imagery was used toidentify the shrub and ripariancoverage. These multiplesources were combined andground-truthed with vegetationdata collected across the studyarea to create a vegetationlayer. Visual obstructionreadings (VOR), measurementsof the amount of hiding capacityfor nesting habitat, werecollected at multiple siteswithin the study area. TheseVOR readings were coupledwith a radar image to create alayer demonstrating vegetationcover. These data sources wereused as inputs into existingHabitat Suitability Index modelsto determine the amount andquality of habitat that isavailable on Flathead IndianReservation.

CS & K TRIBESREINTRODUCE COLUMBIANSHARP-TAILED GROUSE

(See p. 15 - grouse-)

By Bill Donovan, The Navajo Times

For years, Navajo govern-ment officials have discussedholding a special hunt on thereservation just for kids whonever been on a hunt.

Mike Halona, formerdirector of animal control,brought it up and Eddie Benally,a wildlife enforcement officialin the Fish & Wildlife Depart-ment, picked up the idea.

But the timing was neverquite right - until this year.

This fall, for the first time,the tribe is sponsoring a huntjust for youths aged 12-16 whohave never hunted before andwho don’t have the resourcesto go on their own.

The hunt, scheduled Sept.30 - Oct 2, offers up to 20participants the chance toexperience an event that old-timers say was once part ofevery Navajo boy’s childhood.

Benally said the youth huntoffers a perfect opportunity forany boy - or girl - to see what itis like to track wildlife, campout in the woods and eat foodcooked over an open fire.

Benally said he gotinterested in the idea of ayouth hunt a couple of yearsago when he was doing asheep survey in the SheepSprings, N.M., area. A youngNavajo boy came up to himand asked if he knew anyonewho would take him on ahunting trip.

“He said he really wantedto go on a hunt but he had noone in his family who wouldtake him,” Benally said, addingthat he would like to find thatboy now to invite him along onthe upcoming hunt.

Those who are selectedwill go through a 20-hour huntereducation program and will besupplied with a rifle and all ofthe equipment they need forthe expedition.

The group will go to theCarrizo Mountains area in thenorthern part of the reservationand hunt deer for two days.

Each of the 20 participants(See page 13 - hunt )

Preliminary Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse habitat model for the LowerFlathead River Study Area: suitable habitat (dark area); potential habitat(dark grey area); unsuitable habitat (light grey); forested areas and water arenot visible on this black and white map.

NAVAJOOFFERSYOUTHHUNT

12

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September 12 - 14, 2005 -September 12 - 14, 2005 -September 12 - 14, 2005 -September 12 - 14, 2005 -September 12 - 14, 2005 -Northeast Region NAFWSNortheast Region NAFWSNortheast Region NAFWSNortheast Region NAFWSNortheast Region NAFWSconference,conference,conference,conference,conference, Charlestown,Rhode Island, hosted by theNarragansett Indian Tribe. Formore information:www.narragansett-tribe.org, orcall, (401) 364-1100, ext. 205.

September 30 - October 6,September 30 - October 6,September 30 - October 6,September 30 - October 6,September 30 - October 6,2005 - 8th 2005 - 8th 2005 - 8th 2005 - 8th 2005 - 8th WWWWWorororororld ld ld ld ld WWWWWilderilderilderilderildernessnessnessnessnessCongCongCongCongCongrrrrress ess ess ess ess WWWWWilderilderilderilderildernessnessnessnessness,,,,,WWWWWildlands and Pildlands and Pildlands and Pildlands and Pildlands and People:eople:eople:eople:eople: AAAAAPPPPPararararartnertnertnertnertnership fship fship fship fship for the Planet,or the Planet,or the Planet,or the Planet,or the Planet,Anchorage, Alaska. Join over1000 delegates from manynations -- from all perspectivesand professions, Native andnon-native communities -- atthe world’s longest-running,public, international environ-mental forum, and take actionon: climate change, forests,science, traditional knowl- traditional knowl- traditional knowl- traditional knowl- traditional knowl-edgeedgeedgeedgeedge, wild salmon tourism,marine sactuaries, publicsector agencies, private sectormodels, native lands &wilderness council, naturalresource use & management,conservation, photography,music, writing, dance, and more.visit: www.8wwc.org.

September 11-15, 2005 -September 11-15, 2005 -September 11-15, 2005 -September 11-15, 2005 -September 11-15, 2005 -135th Annual Meeting of the135th Annual Meeting of the135th Annual Meeting of the135th Annual Meeting of the135th Annual Meeting of theAmerAmerAmerAmerAmerican Fican Fican Fican Fican Fisherisherisherisherisheries Societyies Societyies Societyies Societyies Society,,,,,Anchorage, Alaska. Contact:Betsy Fritz, [email protected].

September 19 - 22, 2005 -September 19 - 22, 2005 -September 19 - 22, 2005 -September 19 - 22, 2005 -September 19 - 22, 2005 -Great Lakes Region NAFWSGreat Lakes Region NAFWSGreat Lakes Region NAFWSGreat Lakes Region NAFWSGreat Lakes Region NAFWSConfConfConfConfConferererererenceenceenceenceence, Three River Falls,Minnesota. To be hosted withthe Red Lake Band ofChippewa Indians and will beheld at the Seven Clans HotelWater Park and Casino. Formore information, Don Reiter,(715) 799-5116,[email protected], Corey Strongat (218) 757-3261, ext. 50,[email protected].

September 25 - 27, 2005 -September 25 - 27, 2005 -September 25 - 27, 2005 -September 25 - 27, 2005 -September 25 - 27, 2005 -FFFFFederederederederederaaaaation of Saskation of Saskation of Saskation of Saskation of SaskatctctctctchehehehehewwwwwanananananIndian Nations (FSIN) LandsIndian Nations (FSIN) LandsIndian Nations (FSIN) LandsIndian Nations (FSIN) LandsIndian Nations (FSIN) Landsand Resources Conference,and Resources Conference,and Resources Conference,and Resources Conference,and Resources Conference,Saskatoon, Canada. Confer-ence theme, “Only a Matter of

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(see page 14)

Radiological/Nuclear

Awareness Course

Added to Program

What is radiation and whyam I concerned about it?Radiation is the transfer ofenergy through space andmatter. There are many naturaland man-made sources ofradiation. Potassium-40, carbon-14, uranium-235, uranium-238,and tritium are naturally

occurring radioactive isotopesfound in the environment. Man-made sources of radiationinclude tobacco products,medical radiation sources,smoke detectors, welding rods,and x-ray machines forbaggage inspection. A majorsource of radiation is fromnuclear reactors. Certain dosesof radiation can be harmful tohuman health and can alsocause contamination of theenvironment. Whether from anunfortunate accident or froman intentional terrorist attack,an emergency event involvingradiation could be dangerousand harmful to responders.

The Radiological/NuclearAwareness Course is an 8-hourOffice of Domestic Prepared-ness (ODP) course. The coursewill be offered to first respond-

ers who may encounterradiological or nuclearhazards, whether due to anaccident or a terrorist attack.This course will help respond-ers to recognize such an event,avoid exposure to the hazards,and take appropriate defensiveactions in response. CLEARtrainers are ODP certified toteach this course and partici-pants will receive certificationthrough ODP. Trainees who maybe interested in this courseinclude fire and rescuepersonnel, police officers,public works employees, andother workers who may be firston the scene following anincident involving radioactivematerials.

The Radiological/NuclearAwareness course can fill animportant need for some tribes.For example, shipments oftransuranic radioactive wastefrom sites all over the U.S. aretransported to the WasteIsolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)located in Southeastern NewMexico. According to the U.S.Department of Energy, thetransportation routes for thetransuranic waste shipmentstravel through ten NativeAmerican reservations. Acompany called ESRACorporation conducted asurvey of environmentalrepresentatives of reservationsand pueblos in New Mexicoand reported that 70% of therespondents do not feel that

NAFWS/UAB HAZMATTRAINING ADDS NEWPROGRAM

by: Brooke Martin, UAB

Hello from the University ofAlabama at Birmingham. Ihope that your summer is goingwell and that everyone made itback home safely from theNAFWS 2005 National Confer-ence in Choctaw, Mississippi.UAB enjoyed participating inthe conference. I was fortunateto have the opportunity to meetother NAFWS members and tolearn from the presentationsand gatherings held throughoutthe conference. Here at UABwe have good news to reportregarding our funding from theNational Institute of Environ-mental Health Sciences(NIEHS).

In this article I will reporton our training grant status, aswell as a new course CLEAR isadding to the training program,and how you can takeadvantage of the trainingopportunities.

UAB/NAFWS Training

Grant Status

We have receivednotification of a proposedaward from NIEHS and we fullyexpect the NAFWS/UABpartnership to continue trainingtribal members and employees.The new grant should allowUAB to continue trainingthroughout the next five yearsbeginning September 1st, 2005.Everyone here at CLEAR isexcited about our futuretraining opportunities and wishto send thanks to those thatprovided letters of support. Allcourses that we currently offerwill continue to be available aswell as a new course titledRadiological/Nuclear Aware-ness.

(See next page - UAB Training - )

A semi-truck is shown transporting transuranic nuclear waste to the WasteIsolation Pilot Plant in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

13

(- UAB Training - Cont. from p. 12 - )their tribes are adequatelyprepared to deal with theimplementation of the WIPP.The availability of training inRadiological/NuclearAwareness can help Tribesprepare for the possibility of atransportation or otherincident along the WIPPcorridor.

Getting Involved in the

Training

In early fall of 2005, weplan to begin schedulingtraining courses for the firstgrant year which runs fromSeptember 1st, 2005 – August

31st, 2006. The Society will sendout updated brochures thatinclude a full list and descrip-tion of all of the courses weoffer and will try to contactpeople around the country whowish to host our courses. We tryto schedule all of our trainingfor the year in the beginning ofthe grant year so if you areinterested in a course thencontact us this fall. In the meantime, if you would like to get onthe list to host a future course,contact Gloria Ortega with theNAFWS at 303-466-1725. If youhave any questions about thetraining, contact Alan Veaseywith UAB at 205-976-8617 [email protected].

Article by: Heather Bell, Senior Fisheries

Biologist and D.J. Monette, Native American

Liaison, USFWS, Region 5, Hadley,

Massachusetts

The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService in coordination withthe National Marine FisheriesService has completed itsevaluation of the petition to listthe American eel as eitherthreatened or endangeredunder the Endangered SpeciesAct and determined thatsubstantial biological informa-tion exists to warrant a more in-depth examination of its status.This finding was published onJuly 16th in the Federal Register.

The only freshwater eel inthe Western hemisphere,American eels begin their livesin the mid-Atlantic SargassoSea. About a year later, theymigrate to freshwater riversand lakes and coastal areaswherethey live

for 7 to 30 years. They rangefrom Greenland south along theNorth American coast to Brazil,and in the U.S. the eel livesinland to the Great Lakes andin the Mississippi Riverdrainage. At maturity, eelsreturn to the Sargasso Sea tospawn and die. Because theeel spends a portion of its lifein the marine environment anda portion of its life in freshwa-ter, it falls under the responsi-bilities of both agencies, so theywork together on the issue. Formore information about theAmerican eel and the finding,please visit the Fish andWildlife Service’s Web site athttp://northeast.fws.gov/ameel/

The agencies are nowbeginning a range-wide statusreview of the species, and oncethe review is complete, theServices will if listing thespecies is appropriate. Theagencies are requesting

informationfrom various

sources on population trends,and threats that are potentiallyaffecting the species, such ashabitat loss, commercial fishing,and others.

The agencies are aware ofthe importance of theAmerican eel to many NativeAmerican Tribes and arerequesting the assistance of thetribes in understanding changesto the American eel population,particularly in the followingareas:

• Information regardinghistoric and current eel runs.

• Noted changes in eelsizes or weights.

• Past and currentsubsistence harvest methodsand levels.

• Conservation effortsundertaken specifically for thisspecies or from which thespecies has benefited.

• Other data collected orresearch conducted on thisspecies or its habitat.

If you have information onthe above topics, the agenciesask that you send it to Martin

Miller, Chief, Division ofEndangered Species, Region 5,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,300 Westgate Center Drive,Hadley, MA 01035-9589; byfacsimile to 413-253-8428; or byelectronic mail [email protected] bySeptember 6th. Please be sureto add a subject line thatidentifies the letter as Tribalcomments on the American eelstatus review.

The agencies alsoencourage you to contact theU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceNative American Liaisons inRegion 2 (John Antonio), 3(John Leonard), 4 (KylaHastie) ,5 (D.J. Monette), or 6(David Redhorse) offices withquestions on the status review.

WILDLIFE AGENCIES TOINITIATE STATUS REVIEWOF THE AMERICAN EEL

will be accompanied at alltimes by a mentor from theFish and Wildlife Department.

Benally said the agencyexpects more than 20 childrenmay want to get in on theevent, so applicants are beingasked to write an essayexplaining why they want tohunt and why they did nothave an opportunity in thepast.

They will also be asked totalk about their interest inhunting and other forms ofoutdoor recreation.

Application forms can bepicked up at the NavajoNation Fish & Wildlifeheadquarters in Window Rock,Arizona.

Those who can’t pick one

up in person can call (928) 871-6450 to make arrangements toget a form sent to them. Thedeadline to apply is Aug. 26.

Benally said the event hasattracted interest frompotential sponsors outside theNavajo Nation, includingcompanies and organizationswilling to donate supplies.

“The interesting thing isthat we tried to get other tribaldepartments involved but nonewould agree to help,” he said.“So all of our support is comingfrom outside the tribe.”Editor’s Note: Eddie Benally is the 2003Native American Fish & Wildlife Society’sConservation Officer of the Year.

(- hunt- Cont. from p. 11 -)

14

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resources on their lands,information that is critical forplanning, but which many Tribesjust didn’t have. In fact, the lackof knowledge about what’s outthere is a challenge forconservation biologists acrossthe nation and the world,according to Science magazine.

These grant funds are alsohelping with research that isalso critical to conservingnatural resources on Triballands. For the first time, manytribes are able to find some ofthis critical work, and theService is glad to be a part inhelping make that happen.

In the coming year, we willbegin to package togetherinformation on the successfuloutcomes of each of thesegrants so we can work with youto communicate thosesuccesses to the public and tomember of Congress to ensurefuture support for this program.

COMMUNICACOMMUNICACOMMUNICACOMMUNICACOMMUNICATIONTIONTIONTIONTIONCommunication is one of

the core principles of theUSFWS’s Native American Policythat we continue to stressinternally. Across the UnitedStates, we have establishedregional Native Americanliaisons whose jobs are tocommunicate and work closelywith Tribes.

The USFWS’s Tribal liaisonsare your direct line into theheart of our organization, yourstrongest advocates, and thepeople who can guide youthrough the Federalgovernment’s complicatedbureaucracy. They are selectedfor their positions based on theircommitment to helping Tribes

accomplish their conservationgoals. They will link you in toUSFWS programs and expertisethat are available to supportyour work. Liaisons know howto work the system, and they aresolidly in your corner, so Iencourage you to continue yourstrong relationships withregional liaisons.

TECHNICALTECHNICALTECHNICALTECHNICALTECHNICALASSISTASSISTASSISTASSISTASSISTANCE ANCE ANCE ANCE ANCE ANDANDANDANDANDPPPPPARARARARARTNERSHIPTNERSHIPTNERSHIPTNERSHIPTNERSHIP

As you all know, we have along history of working togetherin conservation. One of ourearliest partnerships dates to1872, when the McCloud Wintutribe, at the northern end ofSacramento Valley, played a keyrole in establishing the nation’sfirst Pacific Coast salmonhatchery, along the McCloudRiver. The USFWS recognizedmuch earlier than many othergovernment agencies ourshared interests and commonbonds.

Today, we are workingtogether all over the country tomanage fish stocks. In fact, youwill hear a presentation by ourAssistant Regional Director forFisheries, Linda Kelsey,tomorrow on an exciting newpartnership initiative called theSoutheast Aquatic ResourcePartnership that we hope toinvolve southeastern Tribes in asfull partners.

While our fisheries-relatedpartnerships are still some ofour strogest partnerships, wehave broadened the relation-ships so that now all of ourprograms partner with Tribes.For example, our Ecological

Services offices offer technicalassistance to Tribes on a rangeof issues, from water flows andwater quality issues to endan-gered species conservation.And our Migratory Birdsprogram has worked with tribeson NAWCA (North AmericanWetlands Conservation Act)grants, particularly in the GreatLakes area.

Today partnerships aremore important than ever. TheSecretary of the Interior oftencites the 4-C’s --- Conservation,communication, cooperation allin the name of conservation.The Administration puts a highvalue on cooperative conserva-tion.

SELF DETERMINSELF DETERMINSELF DETERMINSELF DETERMINSELF DETERMINAAAAATIONTIONTIONTIONTIONNo discussion of partner-

ships between the Service andIndian Country would becomplete without mentioningAnnual Funding Agreements.We now have in place AnnualFunding Agreements at BisonRange NWR and Yukon Flats.We’re proud of the agreements,and the Service looks forward topositive working relationships atboth places.

TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING TRAINING ANDANDANDANDANDEDUCAEDUCAEDUCAEDUCAEDUCATIONTIONTIONTIONTION

Earlier I mentioned thefocus on youth at NoxubeeRefuge. Nationwide, the USFWSputs special emphasis on NativeAmerican youth by supportingthe Societey’s youth practicums.The USFWS’s larger goal insupporting these practicums isself-serving: we hope eventuallyto recruit Native Americanstudents into natural resources

Time: An EnvironmentalApproach to SustainingMother Earth”. For moreinformation, contact: ChrisMorin at (306) 956-6945, ext.270, (306) 665-1215.

Sept. 25-29, 2005 -Sept. 25-29, 2005 -Sept. 25-29, 2005 -Sept. 25-29, 2005 -Sept. 25-29, 2005 -Wildlife Society 12th AnnualWildlife Society 12th AnnualWildlife Society 12th AnnualWildlife Society 12th AnnualWildlife Society 12th AnnualConfConfConfConfConferererererence:ence:ence:ence:ence: Madison, Madison, Madison, Madison, Madison, WIWIWIWIWISessions will cover: diseases inwildlife populations; advancesin reptile and amphibianconservation; managingWestern national parks forecological integrity; birds inchanging grassland land-scapes--ecological andmanagement implications;wildlife habituation; and graywolf recovery in the westernGreat Lakes region. Contact:Thomas M. Franklin, ActingExecutive Director, theWildlife Society, 5410Grosvenor Lane, Ste. 200,Bethesda, MD 20814-2144

Phone: 301-897-9770Fax: 301-530-2471E-mail: [email protected]: http://

www.wildlife.org/conference/

October 1-4,October 1-4,October 1-4,October 1-4,October 1-4, 2005 - F 2005 - F 2005 - F 2005 - F 2005 - FourourourourourthththththInterInterInterInterInternananananational tional tional tional tional WWWWWolf Confolf Confolf Confolf Confolf Confererererer-----enceenceenceenceence, Colorado Springs, CO.“Frontiers of Wolf Recovery:The Southwestern U.S. and theWorld”, is the conferencetheme. For more information:www.wolf.org

October 16 - 20, 2005 -October 16 - 20, 2005 -October 16 - 20, 2005 -October 16 - 20, 2005 -October 16 - 20, 2005 -PPPPPacifacifacifacifacific Reic Reic Reic Reic Regggggion Nion Nion Nion Nion NAFWSAFWSAFWSAFWSAFWSConference,Conference,Conference,Conference,Conference, to be hosted bythe Colville Tribe. Theconference will be held at theOkanogan Inn, Omak,Washington. For moreinformation: Joe Jay PinkhamIII at (509) 865-6262, or TedLamebull at (541) 386-6363.

(- benefits - Cont. from p. 9 -)

(see next column) ( See p. 15 - benefits - )(see next column)

( see p. 15 - grants - )

Interior Secretary GaleNorton today announced onAugust 11, 2005, the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service is awardingnearly $8.1 million to help 45federally recognized Indiantribes manage, conserve andprotect fish and wildliferesources on tribal lands in 18states.

The Service is awarding thegrants under two programs: theTribal Landowner IncentiveProgram and Tribal WildlifeGrant Program. The TribalLandowner Incentive Programsupports federally recognizedIndian tribes to protect, restore,

$18 MILLION IN GRANTSTO TRIBES

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

and manage habitat for speciesat-risk, including federally listedendangered or threatenedspecies, as well as proposed orcandidate species on triballands. The Service is providingabout $2.1 million to help fund17 Tribal Landowner Incentiveprojects.

About $6 million will helpfund 28 projects under the TribalWildlife Grant program. Thesegrants are awarded to federallyrecognized Indian tribes tobenefit fish, wildlife and theirhabitat including species that

15

Information regardingspatial extent and quality of thathabitat will be fed directly into acomprehensive reintroductionplan. A preliminary evaluationresulted in the identification oflands with suitable and potentialhabitats. Suitable habitatsconsisted of high VOR readingsin grass, shrub and sage, whileexcluding non-native vegetation.Potential habitats have VORreadings just less thanColumbian Sharp-tailed Grouse.Potential habitats are namedbecause most of these areas willonly need a change in manage-ment and/or restoration tobecome suitable habitats.Suitable habitats were located invarious upper elevations uponridges near forest margins. Whilethere are few large blocks ofsuitable habitat that can supporta population, there is much morepotential habitat. The combina-tion of suitable and potentialhabitat yields large areas forrestoration and future reintro-duction plans.

How Results Will be UsedThe results from this

assessment will give startingpoints for future restorationplans and goals. While residualcover is the main feature thatneeds to be improved on themajority of potential habitats, theamount of woody shrubs forwinter cover and forage islacking across the entire studyarea. These two features willprovide more nesting cover anddecrease the travel distancesfrom winter and summer ranges.The reintroduction plan willorganize, prioritize, and guidethe reintroduction process,establish objective criteria bywhich to measure progress, anddetail specific actions neededprior to reintroduction

Reintroduction PlanReintroduction programs

are an intricate undertaking, andrequire a long-term commitmentby the involved entities. It isimperative that the probability ofsuccess be maximized in orderto reap dividends from such aninvestment.

Successful reintroduction ofColumbian Sharp-Tailed Grouseis thought to be intimately linkedto the availability of adequatewintering and breeding habitatsand should not be attempted ifhabitat is lacking. ColumbianSharp-Tailed Grouse have beenreintroduced to Washington,Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada with

mixed results. Fortunately, theConfederated Salish & KootenaiTribes have extensive experi-ence in reintroductions with ahighly successful PeregrineFalcon and Trumpeter Swanbreeding and reintroductionprogram. Dale Becker, TribalWildlife Management ProgramManager, stated “This projectwill hopefully be another step inthe Tribes’ efforts to restoredegraded ecosystems and thenative species of wildlife thatutilized them.”

For more informationregarding this project or others:please contact the Confeder-ated Salish & Kootenai TribalWildlife Management Program.

Dale Becker or BrettGullett ,Wildlife Biologist,Confederated Salish & KootenaiTribes

P.O. Box 278Pablo, MT 59855406-675-2700Images of Columbian Sharp-

Tailed Grouse can be found atthe following Internet sites :

http://wildlife.state.co.us/species_profiles/SharptailedGrouse/index.asp

http://www.gis.usu.edu/~lema/grouse/finlrpt.html

http://www.gpn.8m.net/Articles/C_Sharptails.html

http://www.bcgrasslands.org/conservation/species/stg/factsheet.htm

management careers.I can’t tell you how

important I think it is for us to begrooming the next generation offish and wildlife biologists andwildlife managers. This is a topicthat we in the Service havediscussed at length as the resultof the impending retirement ofso many “baby-boomers,” whowill take with them vast amountsof knowledge and experience.We need to focus on preparingthose who will follow, givingthem the benefit of what we’velearned, including what we’velearned from all the mistakeswe’ve made.

So we applaud the efforts ofthe Society in its summer youthpracticums, and we want to help.We don’t always have funding tooffer, but we have people, andwe want to make themavailable to you.

We also have a long historyof working together on LawEnforcement training. Overtime, we estimate that theUSFWS has provided training tomore than 500 tribal officers. Welook forward to continuing thismutually beneficial program.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONCONCLUSIONIn conclusion, I’d like to say

that the relationship betweenthe Society and the USFWS is anatural. As I read the Society’smission statement, it is nearlyverbatim with our own --- toconserve, enhance and protectfish and wildlife resources andtheir habitats. Fish and wildlifedon’t know geographicboundaries -- they don’t knowwhere the reservation or theNational Wildlife Refuge startand end. If we apply some“animal sense” to the situation,then, it is both logical andpractical that we would worktogether on our shared mission.

What we will achievetogether, will be greater thanwhat we can achieve individu-ally, of that I am certain. As ChiefSeattle said, “When the Earth issick, the animals will begin todisappear, when that happens,The Warriors of the Rainbow willcome to save them.” As fellowWarriors of the Rainbow, let’swork together to heal the Earth,rediscover what has disap-peared, and in the process, saveourselves. Thank you.

( - grouse, Cont. from p. 11 -)

(See next column -)

(- grants - cont. from p. 14 - )

are not hunted or fished."We are empowering Tribes

to do what the federal govern-ment cannot do alone forimperiled species on triballands," said Secretary of theDepartment of Interior GaleNorton. "These programs help uspreserve tribal lands and theirnatural resources to conserveour shared wildlife heritage."

Since 2003, the Service hasput $23 million to work for tribalconservation efforts throughboth the Tribal LandownerIncentive Program and theTribal Wildlife Grant Program.

"From the Orca inlet inAlaska to the cypress swamps inFlorida, Indians and Indiantribes are helping us achieveour mission," said acting FWSdirector Matt Hogan. "Thanks tothese two special grantprograms, we are strengtheningour partnerships to promotespecies conservation andprotect healthy ecosystems forfuture generations."

The 562 federally recog-nized Indians and Indian tribeshave a controlling interest inmore than 52 million acres oftribal trust lands and anadditional 40 million acres heldby Alaska native corporations.Much of this land is relativelyundisturbed, providing asignificant amount of rare andimportant fish and wildlifehabitat.From a press release, U.S. Fish & WildlifeService, August 11, 2005.

challenging to hunt like this.More so, if coming across a largehog, we’ll let the dogs go afterthem.”

If aggressive hunting keepsthe populations in check, saidVosburgh, “then perhaps somegood baseline information onthe status of the populationcould be used. Of course, astructured harvest programwould help too with themanagement of these hogs onthe Choctaw reservation.”

If anything, this hunt createdadventure and excitement,along with something new. “Iwould go again,” said DellBrown, “and although I wasafraid a croc would grab me, Iwould do it again, this time usinga bow.”

“For all these guys, it wastheir first time to hunt like thisand it was great just witnessingtheir excitement,” said Patrick.“They were all willing to get upearly and ready to go by 5:00a.m. I’m glad that we had theopportunity to offer this

experience to the members ofthe NAFWS.”

“I thank the MississippiBand of Choctaw IndianWildlife and Parks departmentfor their generosity andhospitality for providing us witha very rewarding experience,”said Vosburgh. “I extend mygratitude to them.”

“Yes, it was fun. It was one ofthe best trips I ever had,” saidDell Brown.

On this particular day, thesix hunters were: Mark Patrick,Mississippi Band of ChoctawWildlife and Parks; Dell Brown,Spokane Tribe Conservationdepartment; Ron Skates, U.S.Fish & Wildlife Service; PeteKruger, Squaxin Island NaturalResources department; TomDoolittle, Bad River TribalNatural Resources; and TimVosburgh,Chippewa Cree TribalNatural Resources.Editor’s Note: The wild hog populations inMississippi were established for hundreds ofyears and believed to be brought in bySpanish explorer, Hernando DeSoto.

(Benefits - cont. from p.14 -)

(- hog hunt, Cont. from p. 8 - )

16

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