UPDATE NOTES

The year is winding down, but the struggle to keep our public forest lands "public" is just getting up steam! To date, "The Alliance" has held two public meetings, which were well attended. We have put together a pretty comprehensive set of guidelines according to what our supporters have focused on as problem areas.

We are doing well, the tribes are beginning to feel the pressure of public opinion. They have been responding to our questions regarding access, management techniques and of course money to manage the forest should they receive ownership…of course the answers to those questions are pretty much "canned" answers, they tell us what they think we want to hear. There is no evidence however of any kind of written or enforceable assurance of such promises…we’ve heard that song and dance before. BUT, one way or another, it makes no difference whatsoever what they promise or say they will agree to, the main line is this "KEEP OUR PUBLIC LANDS PUBLIC," NO DEALS, NO WAY!!!!

The Alliance is planning more meetings and activities in the New Year. Sometime after January, we will hope to get some of our state legislators and officials to attend a meeting and hear some of your comments and questions in person. No dates set yet, but most likely it will be early in February.

We had some very good news recently, on December 9^th, an appeal from the tribes to re-hear the decision in July of 2003 which set aside the Pannert decision, which gave the tribes superior water rights, was refused. No further hearings at that level will be heard.

Why is this good news? The tribes now have no more water rights than do our farmers or any other water user, and further claims for water by the tribes will have be set by the Oregon adjudication process, just like the rest of us folks have to settle claims on water. It should be noted here that the tribes do have "In Stream Water Rights," that means that they are entitled to use the water in the streams for Hunting, Fishing and gathering, this does not include irrigation water.

That is good news for the people who are in opposition to the idea of the tribes getting 690,000 + acres of the Winema and Fremont National forest for a Reservation. The playing field has been somewhat leveled, now it appears that the tribes cannot promise water rights they don’t have in exchange for land.

Well, the news is good, Christmas and New Years are on the horizon, and next year we will turn up the heat with your help.

Merry Christmas and Happy new Year to all!!

Lynn (Snorin’ Bear) Bayona