January 2015 Tribal Department Contact Information Tribal Administration P.O. Box 700 825 S. Main St. Big Pine, Ca 93513 Office No. 760-938-2003 Fax No. 760-938-2942 Tribal Historic Preservation Office No. 760-938-2003 Fax No. 760-938-2942 Tribal Court Clerk/ ICWA Specialist Office No. 760-938-2003 Fax No. 760-938-2942 Environmental Department Office No. 760-938-2003 Fax No. 760-938-2942 CDD Housing Department Office No. 760-938-2003 Fax No. 760-938-2942 Education Center Office No. 760-938-2530 Fax No. 760-938-3125 BP Paiute Development Corporation Office No. 760-938-2800 Fax No. 760-938-2942 BIG PINE PAIUTE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION NEW BOARD MEMBER AND ANNUAL MEETING At a special election held on November 19, 2014, the Big Pine Tribal Voters elected Mr. Michael Bacoch, Jr. to fill a vacancy on the Board of Directors for the Big Pine Paiute Development Corporation (BPPDC) which will run until January 2015. Mr. Bacoch is a tribal member, father of four boys and is married to his wife Carla and he has lived in the area most of his life. In accepting his role as a Board Member, Mike thanked the voters and promised to bring his knowledge and experience to assist the rest of the Board of Directors on current projects that are going forward. The Board of Directors for the Big Pine Paiute Development Corporation have set their Annual Meeting and Election for the two seats that will be vacant on the Board. This will take place on Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. According to the Articles of Incorporation approved by the Big Pine Tribal Council on December 6th, 2013, under Article V, Section I: Number and election of directors. The members of the governing board of the corporation are styled as directors. The board of directors of the corporation shall consist of five (5) members of the Tribe. Board members must be eighteen (18) or older, and must be residents of Inyo County. The five (5) individuals shall be elected directly by the General Council of the Tribe at the annual meeting of the Corporation as set forth in the By-Laws. The election shall be administered by the General Manager. There shall also be on (1) Ex-Officio member of the Board who is a member of the Tribal Council and appointed by the Tribal Council The one(1) Ex-Officio member shall have no power to vote, nor shall they count for or against a quorum of the meetings on the board. An update of all BPPDC projects will be presented to the members of the General Council at this meeting prior to the meeting. All individuals interested in sitting on the Board need to complete an letter of intent available at the Tribal Office by 4:00 p.m. January 21, 2014. Contact Shannon Romero, BPPDC Chairperson if you have any questions or concerns at (760) 938-2800. From the desk of the Rhonda Willis, Tribal Administrator Manuhu: The Holidays are over and we are ready for a new year. I would like to take this time to wish everyone a happy and positive future for 2015. I have always been taught as a child “Out with the Old in with the New”. There is so much to be Thankful for in our future. We just need to stay positive and focused and move forward. I just want to say Thank you for letting me be a part of it. Here is to a positive New Year. If I can be of help or answer questions, please feel free to give me a call. Housing Manager Housekeeping Salary Range: $20- $25/Hr. DOQ Supervisor: Tribal Administrator/ Housing Commissioners Salary Range: $8- $10/Hr. Supervisor: Tribal Administrator/ Utility Dept. Job Duties: Cleaning the Tribal Office, EnvironmenJob Duties: Implement to Tribe NAHASDA Program tal Office, and the Elders Building working 2 days out eligible activities; conduct contract/grant administra- of the week with a total of 8 hours per week. If you are tion, planning, and implementation of housing prointerested or know someone who might be please fill grams consistent with adopted and approved housing policies and Tribal goals and objectives. Develop and out an application. monitor budget/s and make required reports to Hous- Opened until filled ing Board, Tribal Administration and funding agencies. Qualifications: Good verbal and written communication skills, computer literate, knowledge, and experience in contract administration, budgeting, and interacting with federal housing representatives as well as tribal community. A minimum of three years housing management experience is required. Must have a clean driving record with ability to be insured; must submit to drug testing if asked. For Job Description and Application: Contact the Big Pine Tribal Office at 825 S. Main St. Phone: 760-938-2003 Fax: 760-938-2942 DEADLINE TO APPLY: January 14, 2015 Congratulation Ladies! The NEW 2014/15 Miss Big Pine Paiute Tribe Little Eva Lent and Jr. Miss Big Pine Paiute Tribe Brooklynn Andreas. At the December 19, 2014 Winter Gathering held at the A.S.M.G., the Princess Pageant was held. We had three participants altogether for the Miss Big Pine Paiute Tribe, Little Eva Lent held, Talicia Frankson and Adriana Melchor. A BIG THANK YOU to the other two young ladies for your time and interest in running. Jr. Miss we had two great girls that ran, Brooklynn Andreas who won and Lauren Loy who did an awesome performance at the Winter Gathering and we would like to thank you Lauren and we also enjoyed her Cultural Presentation. Thank you Lauren for time and efforts, we encourage you to run again. 1st Place Best Decorations: Patricia Vance nd 2 Place Best Decorations: Roland Duckey 3rd Place Best Decorations: James Westervelt Danny Pierce’s home had three tonee’s and reindeer on top of them!! Good Native American theme Danny and he received 1st Place for Best Native Theme. Best Native Theme: Daniel Pierce Best Nativity Theme: Mike Bacoch, Jr. Mike Bacoch’s home had a Nativity theme with a star up in the air and lit up real bright, good job Mike and he received 1st Place Best Nativity Theme. Roland Duckey’s home had a variety of everything Christmas! Native, Nativity, and a Merry Christmas décor! Thanks Roland you did a very good job and he took 2nd Place. Thank you to all that participated and we wish everyone the best year ever!!! Stay warm, Patricia Vance’s home had everything involving Christmas and even a pond with ice skaters! Amazing decorations and the lights were awesome!! Thanks Patricia and she received 1st Place for Best Decorated Home. The Housing Committee (Nancy Madina-Chairwoman; Janet Gutierrez-Vice Chair; Jessica Barr-Secretary; Roseanne Moose, Member; Gina Jones-Tribal Council Rep.) and Housing Staff (Danelle, James & Jose) Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event Big Pine Transfer Station Saturday February 7, 2015, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon (also at Bishop Sunland Landfill, Sat. Jan. 3) Items Accepted  Paints/Stains  Solvents  Oil/Oil Filters  Anti-Freeze  Herbicides  Bleach/Cleaners  Pesticides  Old Diesel/Gas  Insecticides  Transmission Fluid Here’s to a healthy Earth in 2015! Disposal sites can accept no more than 20-gallons per visit in no larger than 5-gallon containers. Clear out old stuff for safety. Contact the Tribal Environmental Department for more information or assistance. Burn Permit Reminder! By Levi Mallory, Environmental Technician All Burn Permits issued during 2014 will expire on December 31, 2014. The Big Pine Tribal Council requires all individuals residing on the Reservation to obtain a burn permit prior to any burning and also to comply with orders from the Big Pine Fire Department. You are required to call the burn day info number on the burn permit (760)873-2555 to first find out of it is a permitted burn day. Then call dispatch at (760)8730383 prior to burning and let them know you are planning to do so. Get your new burn permit for 2015 from either the Tribal Offices or the Environmental Department. Please remember burn permits are only valid on Permissive Burn Days. Please read the information about burning before lighting a fire. When burning always be sure to:      Have a maximum pile size 4 feet in diameter.(small) Clear all flammable material and vegetation within 10-feet of the outer edge of pile Keep a water supply close to the burning site. An adult should be in attendance with a shovel until the fire is out. No burning shall be undertaken unless weather conditions (particularly wind) are such that burning can be considered safe. Burning is one method of reducing accumulated waste, but all methods have trade-offs, so please burn in moderation if at all. Smoke from fires fills the air, and it may pose a significant health risk to those nearby or to persons vulnerable to damaging air pollutants. Absolutely NO household trash or garbage can be burned outdoors at residences. Dry, natural vegetation, grown on the property, such as clippings, branches, leaves, and weeds may be burned outdoors in open piles, unless prohibited by local ordinances. Burning can only be done in the morning on permissive burn days. Day by day, Month by month, Year by year, The Valley Continues to Dry Up By Sally Manning, Environmental Director The Tribal community passed by the barren parcel at the corner of Bartell and Highway 395 all year long. We watched as some spindly locust trees sprouted (probably from roots that managed to survive the clearing, blading, burning, and chemicals), and some miserable tumbleweeds covered the ground. LADWP and Inyo County heard the Tribe’s concerns, expressed in letters, presentations, public comments, and on field trips, but never followed through with restoring water to the parcel. As the Bartell parcel languishes, another concern exists to the west of the Reservation, west of School Street. Here, the 8-¼ acre plot of land adjacent to Big Pine Creek formerly owned by Mr. Reid Watson was purchased by LADWP in 2011. The property has water rights, allowing the owner to divert as much as 2,000 acre feet of water per year from Big Pine Creek. Mr. Watson did this to fill ponds for fish and grow food and other plants, including fruit trees. His use of water created habitat for birds and other animals. Now that LADWP is the owner, onsite management practices are not known, and the property is off limits to the general public. What is known is what may be seen from outside the fence and using Google Earth: dying trees and diminished greenery. The Google Earth images here show how the property looked in 2009 two years before it was sold and again in 2013, two years after LADWP purchased it. A green patch is no longer green and trees are dead or dying, especially in the areas in red outline. The 1991 EIR to the Inyo/LA Water Agreement states, “Future groundwater pumping and surface water management practices in the Owens Valley will be governed by the goals and provisions of the Agreement… The Agreement provides that land owned by Los Angeles that was supplied with water or irrigated in the 198182 runoff year or thereafter will continue to be supplied with water or irrigated in the future. It also provides that there will be no significant future reductions in recreational uses and wildlife habitat that have been dependent on water supplied by Los Angeles in the 1981-82 runoff year or thereafter.” From 1905 to the 1930s and beyond, LADWP was notorious for buying productive land, depriving it of water, and desiccating the valley. The Inyo/LA Water Agreement was supposed to end this practice; however, with examples of the Bartell parcel and Reid Watson property, we see LADWP is not honoring the Agreement’s surface water management practices, and we note Inyo County is not insisting they do so. Our surroundings wither and blight prevails. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ Inyo County Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment (REGPA) Comment Deadline Extended By Sally Manning, Environmental Director First, the good news. The first thing Inyo County representatives told us at the December 2 public meeting to projects that harm valued resources or may cause was that the deadline for commenting on the draft adverse impacts. programmatic EIR on the REGPA has been extended But here we have Inyo County presenting its own EIR almost one month to January 14, 2015! which foresees significant unavoidable impacts on Beyond this, it is difficult to say there is good news in many fronts, yet they think they are entitled to prothe draft EIR. Recall that early in 2014, there was ex- ceed with the project. Is this a betrayal of public tensive public opposition to county officials designat- trust? What are they doing? Perhaps the reasoning is ing nearly every flat (valley floor) area – and then that by claiming at this stage that many valuable resome -- in Inyo County as suitable for solar or other sources would be destroyed, altered, or compromised industrial-scale renewable energy development. with Big Solar projects, this programmatic EIR proAs a result, the county dropped some but not all the tects future developers, not those who truly care flat sites, and they omitted designating any areas as about the resources. Inyo County officials will use this suitable for wind energy development. Publicly, they programmatic EIR when a developer arrives on the claimed to take the Owens Valley off the developdoorstep. It conveniently contains a hefty 81 pages ment map, but in actuality, they simply put a veil over of pre-packaged mitigation measures! The develit. Now, as before, Owens Valley remains vulnera- oper will simply be asked to carry out a selection of ble to projects of up to 250 megawatts, which mitigation measures appropriate to the site, and could easily cover five square miles of land surface. they’ll be free to build. The measures appear to consist of things that normally would be done during a In reviewing the draft EIR, I was having difficulty figur- project-level CEQA review: hiring professionals, pering out how the county can justify proceeding with forming resource surveys, analyzing and reporting on the REGPA when their own analysis “concluded that the results, and recommending strategies to avoid or significant and unavoidable impacts could occur minimize impacts. This is a CEQA switcheroo! Rawith respect [to] aesthetics, biological resources, ther than doing all the studies and disclosure before a and cultural resources.” They also admit significant decision is made to allow a specific project, the counimpacts to air quality and noise. ty will allow developers to build as long as they perform these measures, regardless of what they find. A primary purpose of CEQA, the California EnvironDevelopers will do the mitigation before we know the mental Quality Act, is for project proponents to extent of needed mitigation. For developers, it’ll be evaluate and publicly disclose the potential environDessert before Dinner, while we watch without a mental impacts of a project. The lead agency is supvoice. posed to adopt projects that avoid significant adverse impacts, and they can call for changes to proWith any luck, perhaps some of the prognosticators jects in order to achieve this outcome. For the are correct, and the push to develop large-scale solar REGPA, Inyo County is the lead agency and project in in our deserts is diminishing as markets change and proponent. Their guidance comes from existing pubcustomers opt for rooftop as it becomes more affordlic policy, as well as extensive public input. Inyo able and, of course, sensible! County is supposed to work to protect resources and things throughout the region that people value, and they have discretion and the responsibility to say no For the latest Mammoth snowpack estimate, visit www.ladwp.com. Go to “About Us” “Los Angeles Aqueduct “L.A. Aqueduct Conditions Reports” “+ Eastern Sierra Precipitation Conditions” There, you can click and see the latest graph. Snow…A Valuable Resource By Alan Bacock, Water Program Coordinator The Environmental Office collaborated with Big Pine High School’s Outdoor Adventure Class to explore the Owens watershed by snowshoeing from the base of Mammoth Mountain to the Entrance Station of the Devil’s Postpile National Monument near the Minaret Vista on December 15. The weather turned windy and cold on our ascent up to the Mammoth Mountain parking lot and we wondered how far we were going to get, but as we got out of the vans, bundled up, and started on our way the wind calmed down and the snow gently fell at our feet. During our excursion, we learned that snow is tough stuff to hike through and is difficult to live in, but is a necessity for all forms of life to have the ability to survive throughout the year. Since the winter is difficult to live in we discovered how some organisms have found ways to leave the area, while others figure out how to live in the winter by adapting to the harsh conditions for a season. Life in winter is hard, but a winter without snow could threaten the survival of local plants and animals, as well as, impact the lives of millions of people which rely on the water storage for drinking water supplies in Los Angeles and agriculture for food grown in the Central Valley which is transported all over the United States. We may not agree with the practices to drain the Eastern Sierra of its water or poison water for food production in the Central Valley, but we all can agree that snow is a very valuable resource that we should thank Creator for. Is Resiliency the new Sustainability? By Sally Manning, Environmental Director For the past decade we have been hearing a lot about “sustainability.” Sustainability encourages a balance between humans and the natural world such that goods and services may continue to be provided; for example, clean drinking water and healthy soil. When we think about sustainability, we think of reducing pollutants, consuming with care, reducing the waste stream, designing things with reuse or recycling in mind, and considering how our actions and decisions today will affect the future. As we face relatively rapid changes in climate worldwide, a new word, Resilience, may vie for space in the headlines. Some say the new normal may be what we currently think of as emergency or catastrophe. Yikes! If we go beyond sustainability and build resiliency into our actions and decisions, then we anticipate what’s needed to bounce back or recover from situations in the new normal. Look for more on this in 2015! News from the Tribal Historic Preservation Office by Bill Helmer, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Inyo County Board of Supervisors Vote Again to Approve Munro Valley Solar Project Without A Cultural Study on December 9, 2014 On December 9, 2014, the Inyo County Board of Supervisors (BOS) voted to approve an amended Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Munro Valley Solar Project, a four megawatt photovoltaic solar project in Olancha. The BOS still didn't think a Cultural Study for the project area was necessary before project approval. An archaeological survey for the project was conducted in 2013, but with no assessment of its findings. The Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC) decided that a Cultural Study was needed before project approval, according to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). There possibly may be litigation against Inyo County by the State of California if the Attorney General's Office takes the case. It is still hoped that these issues can be resolved without litigation so that cultural resources are protected and that government -to-government consultation is respected. Cultural Resources Task Force Regarding Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Meeting, 12-16-14 The Cultural Resources Task Force continued to work on developing dust mitigation measures which do not impact cultural sites on Owens Lake. The Task Force consists of representatives from local tribes, DWP, Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District, California State Lands, California State Historic Preservation Office, and the Native American Heritage Commission. Tribal recommendations for protecting sites while implementing dust mitigation measures were approved by Chairwoman Jones. An excerpt from the Tribal Recommendations to the Cultural Resources Task Force is the following: Pasiata is at the center of a landscape of immense cultural significance to the ta nüümü living today and in the past throughout Payahüünadü. Our people have lived around the shores of Owens Lake since time immemorial. This landscape as a whole embodies our personal and cultural identities. Each of the four sites that the Tribes have gathered to discuss today, occupy and claim relevance in our hearts; they are as important to the integrity of our cultural landscape as a person’s body parts are to their health and wellbeing. The intent of the Tribes is to protect Pasiata and Payahüünadü for future generations; this includes fulfilling our obligations to provide them with clean air and a cultural foundation that is still evident in resources throughout the area. (122-14). The Cultural Resources Task Force will continue to make recommendations for the protection of cultural resources for the final phases of dust mitigation for the next year. Inyo County’s Renewable Energy General Plan Amendment (REGPA) draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIS) is Available for Review—Comment Period Ends January 14, 2014. The comment period for this proposed General Plan Amendment has been extended to January 14, 2014. I am still reviewing this document along with staff from the Environmental Department. ________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. 2. 3. Pasiata, the traditional name for Owens Lake, means “lake with rivers and streams that flow into it all the time.” Ta nüümü means “local indigenous people.” Payahüünadü, the traditional name for the Owens Valley, means “the land of flowing waters.” Double Rainbow over Sawmill Canyon, November 12, 1014 Pah dow go wu na du (Rainbow). Translation by Emma Symmes, 1936, as told to John Symmes. Oak trees along Cottonwood Creek south of Lone Pine, October 12, 2014 Oak trees in the eastern foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains west of San Jose, December 21, 2014 Weya: acorns, Mattie Bulpitt translation, as told to Sam Harrison, 1936. Hello my name is Karen Mike I am happy to become part of the Big Pine Indian Education Center team as the Title VII Liaison/Family Coordinator. I’ve worked with kids before in previous jobs and can’t wait to work with the students here in Big Pine. INDIAN GAMING REVENUE SHARING TRUST FUND (IGRSTF) DISTRIBUTION DEADLINES (For College, Trade School, Technical School & Certificate Programs) To be eligible for the IGRSTF, all students must be enrolled in at least six (6) credits/units or enrolled in an accredited college, trade/technical school or certificate program. The following documents will be accepted as proof of enrollment: Most recent quarter/semester grades, Program progress reports, and/or official written verification of current enrollment. Submitted documents must show the student’s name, & name of college, trade/technical school or certificate program. Documents must be submitted to the Big Pine Tribal Office, located at 825 South Main Street, Big Pine CA by mail, fax, email or in person. Verification of enrollment in a College, Trade/Technical School and/or Certificate Program must be submitted to the Big Pine Tribal Office by the following deadlines. QUARTERS DEADLINE TO SUBMIT VERIFICATION DOCUMENTS st 1 Quarter (January, February, March) January 31 2nd Quarter April 30 (April, May, June) 3rd Quarter July 31 (July, August, September) 4th Quarter October 31 (October, November, December) IMPORTANT: Failure to submit all necessary verification(s) by the above deadlines will affect your eligibility to receive the IGRSTF distribution(s). Ja n u a r y 2 0 1 5 Sun 4 Mon 5 Tue 6 Wed Fri Sat 1 2 3 8 9 10 14 REGPA Comments due. 15 16 17 21 22 23 24 30 31 7 TERO Meeting 6:00 pm Thu Land Assign. Meeting 6:00 pm Tribal Council Meeting 6:00 pm Recycle 11 12 13 Cultural Meeting 12:00 pm Enrollment Meeting 5:30 pm Recycle 18 19 20 OFFICE CLOSED Housing Meeting 6:00 pm Martin Luther King Day Recycle Tribal Council Meeting 6:00 pm EDC Annual Meeting/ Elections 6:00 pm Wellness Center 25 26 27 28 Utility Meeting 6:00 pm Recycle 29 Big Pine Paiute Tribe of the Owens Valley P.O. Box 700 ● 825 South Main Street Big Pine, Ca 93513 Phone No. 760-938-2003 ● Fax No. 760-938-2942
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