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Interior announces intention to re-establish relationship with tribes
Posted on Dec. 29
WASHINGTON - Three officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday their intention to re-establish a working relationship between the agency and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes regarding management and operation of the National Bison Range.
Under the agreement announced by Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett, FWS Director Dale Hall and Associate Deputy Interior Secretary Jim Cason the FWS would continue to manage the range as a national wildlife refuge. The tribes would undertake field and maintenance work, animal care and related duties on the range completely encompassed within the Flathead Reservation.
In 2005 FWS entered into an annual funding agreement with the tribes to perform certain non-managerial functions on the range during Fiscal Year 2006.
But on Dec. 11 FWS pulled the controversial agreement, saying the tribes had failed to live up to their responsibilities and had created an unacceptable workplace environment.
Tribal officials said they were caught off guard by the move and denied allegations made in a letter from FWS Regional Director Mitch King that also said the agency was terminating negotiations for future AFAs.
That announcement seemingly ended months of negotiations between the entities over future range management.
The intention to create a new relationship announced Friday envisions an AFA for FY2007 containing substantially the same terms as the 2006 agreement. An earlier process to phase-in full tribal management of the refuge would be suspended at this time.
“We must seek to build the foundations for future management in a way that fulfills all of the department’s obligations - to the refuge, to tribes, and to the American public,” Scarlett said Friday.
According to a press release from FWS Scarlett, Hall and Cason additionally have agreed:
- to draft a National Bison Range operations plan that will clearly spell out the mission, goals, objectives and tasks envisioned for the range for the next five years;
- that senior Interior officials, including Hall and Cason, will travel to the range to discuss management issues and concerns with FWS employees and the tribes’ employees;
- to continue acting on Equal Employment Opportunity complaints that have been filed and seek appropriate personal relief for legitimate grievances;
- to retain an ombudsman to work at the range to assist the senior Interior officials in identifying and effectively resolving any problems or conflicts related to the management and operation of the range;
- to undertake the drafting of a decision document that would critically examine all long-term options for the most effective management of the range.
Cason is the department official who performs the duties of the assistant secretary for Indian affairs until a new assistant secretary is confirmed.
Posted on Dec. 29
WASHINGTON - Three officials of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday their intention to re-establish a working relationship between the agency and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes regarding management and operation of the National Bison Range.
Under the agreement announced by Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett, FWS Director Dale Hall and Associate Deputy Interior Secretary Jim Cason the FWS would continue to manage the range as a national wildlife refuge. The tribes would undertake field and maintenance work, animal care and related duties on the range completely encompassed within the Flathead Reservation.
In 2005 FWS entered into an annual funding agreement with the tribes to perform certain non-managerial functions on the range during Fiscal Year 2006.
But on Dec. 11 FWS pulled the controversial agreement, saying the tribes had failed to live up to their responsibilities and had created an unacceptable workplace environment.
Tribal officials said they were caught off guard by the move and denied allegations made in a letter from FWS Regional Director Mitch King that also said the agency was terminating negotiations for future AFAs.
That announcement seemingly ended months of negotiations between the entities over future range management.
The intention to create a new relationship announced Friday envisions an AFA for FY2007 containing substantially the same terms as the 2006 agreement. An earlier process to phase-in full tribal management of the refuge would be suspended at this time.
“We must seek to build the foundations for future management in a way that fulfills all of the department’s obligations - to the refuge, to tribes, and to the American public,” Scarlett said Friday.
According to a press release from FWS Scarlett, Hall and Cason additionally have agreed:
- to draft a National Bison Range operations plan that will clearly spell out the mission, goals, objectives and tasks envisioned for the range for the next five years;
- that senior Interior officials, including Hall and Cason, will travel to the range to discuss management issues and concerns with FWS employees and the tribes’ employees;
- to continue acting on Equal Employment Opportunity complaints that have been filed and seek appropriate personal relief for legitimate grievances;
- to retain an ombudsman to work at the range to assist the senior Interior officials in identifying and effectively resolving any problems or conflicts related to the management and operation of the range;
- to undertake the drafting of a decision document that would critically examine all long-term options for the most effective management of the range.
Cason is the department official who performs the duties of the assistant secretary for Indian affairs until a new assistant secretary is confirmed.
