OPA

Bureau of Indian Affairs, (BIA) Law Enforcement Officers have begun an extensive campaign against the supply and use of narcotics, drugs and marijuana on Indian reservations throughout the United States.

Ross Swimmer, Interior's Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs has given top priority to improving law and order on reservations. He feels it is a fundamental key to economic development for the Indian tribes.

"Many Indian reservations. which in past years were relatively free from drug activity, are now experiencing frequent problems" Swimmer said "Illegal drug activities on the reservation tear at the very fiber of the Indian communities, destroying traditional Indian values and creating lawlessness. I intend to commit resources necessary to help rid the reservations of this illegal activity," he added.

He asked that all tribal leaders support this campaign.

The BIA program, part of the Presidents war against drugs, includes the eradication of marijuana illegally cultivated on Federal and Indian lands. The BIA is cooperating in this operation with various Federal, State, local and tribal law enforcement organizations to locate and destroy marijuana fields, Some of which have been found hidden in deep forest areas and under camouflaged shelters.

One such effort is in Northern California where a specially trained interagency task force headed by the BIA is locating and destroying hundreds of high quality marijuana plants each day.

The BIA's Northern California effort will concentrate on marijuana eradication on reservations and Rancherias in the area. Although the state and county programs have conducted eradication operations in past years in the Hoopa Valley, they have not been able to dedicate sufficient resources specifically to reservations. This year's BIA operation will insure that major efforts are devoted to federal and Indian lands in the area.

The United states Government, through the BIA, has trust responsibilities for approximately 53 million acres of reservation land in more than 20 states, most of it west of the Mississippi River.

Secretary of the Interior Don Hodel today pledged OOI support and active participation in President Reagan's war on drugs.

"The land managing agencies of the Interior Department long have waged a battle of eradicating marijuana growing on Federal lands. Now, as a result of the impetus given the war on drugs by the President, we have added incentive to continue our efforts. We are going to fight this battle until it is won, because we are going to return our national parks and public lands to the American people."

"Americans take great pride in their parks, wildlife refuges, and public lands. The public's awareness of the threats by drug abuse to values we cherish has been accentuated by last night's appeal by the President and Mrs. Reagan Those of us responsible for the maintenance of our lands are going to make sure this public trust is upheld

Hodel noted that his Department spent almost $17 million last year in "widespread and successful" efforts to rid public lands of marijuana and to carry out other anti-drug efforts.

A summary of the most recent significant activities undertaken by the various agencies of the Interior Department is attached.

SUMMARY OF DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT -- More than 14,000 marijuana plants have been found and destroyed on public lands so far in 1986 as a result of 53 raids in California, Colorado, and Oregon. This effort continues a 1985 program that resulted in the destruction of more than 50,000 marijuana plants growing on public lands. BLM is a full partner in the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting (CAMP), a coordinated Federal, State, and local effort to eliminate marijuana growing in California.

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS -- More than 7,000 high grade mar1Juana plants have been located and destroyed by BIA police teams in cooperation with Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. Working in the States of North Carolina, California, South Dakota, and Oregon, BIA police destroyed harvest-ready marijuana plants, some of which were 15 feet high and would have produced 10 pounds of marijuana each. The Bureau is working with the Indian Health Service to develop anti-drug programs for Indian schools.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE -- National Park Rangers and Police have arrested those growing marijuana on park lands, those trying to smuggle drugs into the country across a national seashore, and those selling or using drugs in parks and recreation areas. For example, Park Rangers in Biscayne National Park in Florida have recovered four tons of marijuana and almost a ton of cocaine in five incidents in the park. The drugs had a street value of $800 million. Park Police helicopter patrols have discovered and destroyed marijuana growing in parks within Washington, D.C.

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY -- USGS scientists working with Federal and State officials, developed geographic criteria for finding the public lands most likely to he used for growing marijuana. These criteria -- such as access to transportation, water availability, topography -- were plotted in several areas, including Ozark National Forest in Arkansas and national forests in Northern California, and correlated with land cover data and aerial photography to pinpoint the most likely marijuana growing sites.

BUREAU OF MINES -- The Bureau of Mines has provided the U.S. Customs Service with the helium necessary to deploy large balloons along the Mexican border. The balloons provide a floating platform for 1,000 pounds of sophisticated radar equipment used to detect the low-flying aircraft often used by drug smugglers.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photos, transparencies, and video footage on marijuana eradication activities are available from the Bureau of Land Management, 202/343-9435.

Under Secretary of the Interior Ann McLaughlin announced today that the Administration has accepted the agreement for funding the Animas-La Plata Project.

"While the agreement that has been reached contains several elements that are quite different from those we requested at the opening of negotiations, I believe that we have reached the best agreement possible with the states of Colorado and New Mexico and the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Tribes," McLaughlin said. "Considerable concessions were granted on all sides during the formulation of this agreement.

"'We continue to be impressed with the ·strong coalition that has been formed locally and in Congress on behalf of the project. Without their constant support, this agreement would not have been possible."

During the negotiations, the estimated costs to the federal government of building the project were reduced from $518 million to $359.4 million. This includes $80 million to $359.4 million. This includes $80 million in cash from local sponsors to fund project construction and tribal development funds.

Key sections of the agreement call for the non-federal project sponsors to assume responsibility for building the Southern Ute Reservoir, elements of the "Dry Side" diversion unit, and facilities for irrigation of 24,600 acres of full-service farmlands, when such facilities were economically feasible. The agreement also provides for straight-line repayment of project costs associated with irrigation over a 30-year period. The cost sharing agreement is a necessary step in final settlement of outstanding Indian water claims.

"Final implementation of the settlement and the cost sharing agreement will depend on several actions of Congress. For example, authorization of the proposed tribal development fund will be necessary," McLaughlin said. Federal officials began negotiations with representatives from the states of Colorado and New Mexico and the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Tribes after an earlier cost sharing offer composed by those states and the Tribes failed to win approval by the Department of the Interior. The Continuing Resolution f or Fiscal Year 1986 contained $1 million to begin work on the Anima s-La Plata Project. Expenditure of those funds was contingent on the acceptance of a cost sharing agreement from the project beneficiaries.

The Animas-La Plata Project is located in Montezuma and La Plata Counties in southwestern Colorado and San Juan County in northwestern New Mexico. The multipurpose project will provide municipal and industrial water supplies to cities and industries in the area as well as supplemental and full-service irrigation water supplies to local farmers.

Interior Secretary Donald Hodel approved June 5 a proposal to move the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Northern California agency from Hoopa to Redding, 80 miles east. As part of the move new sub-agencies will be created at Klamath, near the mouth of the Klamath River, and at Willow Creek, approximately 11 miles of south of Hoopa.

The principal reasons for the move, a BIA spokesman said, are to improve accessibility of the staff to the tribal groups served and to reduce costs. Redding is a highway hub providing access to all parts of the northern California area served by the agency. There is also bus, rail and air transportation to Redding. The BIA expects the move to save more than $1 million over a five-year period.

The agency now serves 16 tribal groups and the new location would permit the assignment of seven additional groups in Modoc and Lassen counties to the agency. These seven groups are presently part of the Central California agency.

The agency's present allotment of 65 positions would be reduced by two in the change. The new organization will include 32 employees at Redding; 23 at Willow Creek and eight at Klamath.

The BIA's area director in Sacramento has been instructed to begin implementation of the move. It is expected to take several months to complete.

Interior Assistant Secretary Ross Swimmer has announced the appointment of Joe M. Parker, a Chickasaw Indian, as director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) Muskogee, Oklahoma area. The appointment was effective May 25.

Since 1976, Parker has been superintendent of the BIA' s Tahlequah, Oklahoma agency, one of seven agencies under the Muskogee area office.

A former Internal Revenue agent, Parker has a strong background in financial affairs and fiscal management. He was the Muskogee area accounting officer 1974-76. He was with the Internal Revenue Service thirteen years from 1960 to 1973. He also had a year's experience as a bookkeeper with the Great Western Oil and Gas Company.

Parker graduated from East Central State University in Oklahoma in 1960 and became a Licensed Public Accountant in 1977.

Born in Stonewall, Oklahoma in 1933, he served in the U.S. Navy 1952-56. He has completed numerous management training programs offered by the Department of the Interior and other agencies.

The BIA has a total of 12 area (regional) offices, most of them working with tribal groups in several states. The Muskogee area is geographically small, covering only the eastern half of Oklahoma. Tile area director is the line officer in charge of BIA programs and activities in the area.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA} and the Indian Health Service (IHS) have signed an agreement to join forces to combat drug abuse and other serious health problems among the nation's 1.4 million Native Americans Interior Assistant Secretary Ross Swimmer, who heads the BIA, joined IHS Director Everett Rhoades in Washington to sign the memorandum of agreement and discuss the ongoing relationship between their offices. IHS is an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.

"The BIA provides a variety of important social and economic services to Indian people while the IRS offers quality physical and mental health care," Swimmer said. "It is essential that we work together to help young Indians deal with some of the problems reservation life presents."

Although they were brought together by a need to combat rampant substance abuse among Indian youth, the two agencies also will coordinate efforts in the areas of nutrition, teenage suicide, child abuse and neglect, teenage pregnancy, fetal alcohol syndrome, parental effectiveness, special education the needs of elderly, injury control and immunization. In addition, health promotion curricula will be developed and community leaders trained to deal with these problems.

"Alcohol and drug abuse is the most serious social and health problem facing Indian people today," Swimmer said. "Our statistics show that the majority of BIA and tribal arrests involve alcohol and drug abuse. Many of those arrested are juveniles."

A BIA alcohol and drug abuse study indicated that 50 percent of its schools have substance abuse problems. Five BIA schools found that 75 percent of their students used alcohol or drugs, and six other schools said student use was as high as 50 percent.

"This coordination between two major federal agencies will enable us to provide better services to Indian people," said Dr. Henrietta Whiteman, the BIA's deputy to the assistant secretary in charge of Indian education. Whiteman and Hazel Elbert, deputy to the assistant secretary for tribal services, will manage the BIA's portion of the project.

Under the agreement, the BIA will work with Indian tribal governments and organizations to implement local action plans aimed at promoting health and preventing disease.

The BIA will develop materials and training programs that can help teachers, community health representatives, tribal judges and law enforcement officials in their work with troubled adolescents. The bureau also plans to study the extent and costs of social problems among young Indians; identify youths in need of immunization; create a preventative alcohol and drug abuse program in kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools; and encourage parental and tribal participation in identifying social and health problems.

The IHS agreed to determine the extent and costs of Indian health problems among youth. The agency also will develop comprehensive Indian youth alcohol and drug abuse treatment services, provide immunization services, assess the status of nutrition awareness training for health, education and legal professionals, develop curricula for a health promotion and disease prevention program, utilize its own maternal child health program to educate teenagers about child birth and develop local action plans.

The BIA and the IHS agreed to meet regularly to review activities and progress that result from their agreement.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ross Swimmer today awarded contracts to three firms that will act as model business development centers to create jobs for Indian tribes and individuals.

The three corporations, selected from 21 applicants, are the United Indian Development Association (UIDA) of El Monte, California; The Rensselaerville Institute of Rensselaerville, New York, and the Fairbanks Native Association (FNA) of Fairbanks, Alaska

Swimmer said, "Indian leaders have told me business development is their number one need. The creation of these centers is an effort to fulfill that need and is a positive step toward economic development in Indian Country. These firms are committed to producing real jobs, businesses and revenues."

Each firm was awarded $250,000 to generate jobs in Indian Country by attracting industry to the reservations and helping entrepreneurs start and run new businesses. The contractors, each experienced with Indian economic development, will assist business in planning, financing, accounting, marketing and management assistance from start-up until the business is successfully established.

The firms are proposing to create 1,081 jobs in Indian Country over a three-year period. The one-year contracts are renewable for up to three years if the firms meet the job creation numbers called for in their contracts.

"We've been through a multitude of studies that have told us what the problems are in Indian Country," Swimmer said. "We tend to deal too much with the problem side and not enough with getting the job done. We know the problems are there. The emphasis of these centers will be to create jobs."

About half of the nation's 1.4 million Indians live on reservations. Their land holdings total more than 53 million acres where1 unemployment runs as high as 70 percent on some reservations. One-quarter of the Indian workforce is seeking employment and 27 percent of the total population lives below the poverty line. The Rensselaerville Institute, headed by president Harold S. Williams, is a non-profit development corporation that has been creating jobs and building housing and community infrastructure since 1972. Its staff of consultants will support local entrepreneurs as well as import prospective businessmen to the reservations.

UIDA, a 16-year-old non-profit corporation under the leadership of president Steven L.A. Stallings, will establish a regional center in El Monte CA., and eventually in Denver and Seattle. These centers will help begin or expand at least five Indian businesses and create jobs for Indian workers.

Nearly 350 Indian businesses have started or expanded as a result of UIDA. The consulting group has raised more than $7 million in capital for Indian businesses and created nearly 2,000 jobs. The Fairbanks Native Association, founded in 1967 and headed by a seven-member board of directors, is the only contract that will focus on a single state - Alaska. FNA plans to establish a separate development center that will become self-supporting within three years. During its 26-year history, FHA has established or expanded businesses in tourism, logging and other industries. It has landed major loan packages for clients and set up a Small Business Assistance Center. Tribes or businesses interested in contacting the new business development centers should write to the following addresses: Rensselaerville Institute, Pond Hill Road, Rensselaerville, HY 12147; United Indian Development Association, 9650 Flair Drive, Suite 303, El Monte, CA. 91731; Fairbanks Native Association, 310 1st Avenue, Fairbanks, AK. 99701.

The Mellon Bank of Pittsburgh has been awarded a contract for financial trust services to strengthen interna1 management and administration of more than $1.7 billion of Indian trust funds.

A tri-party agreement will be executed by the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), trustee of the Indian monies; the Treasury Department's Financial Management Service (FKS); and Mellon Bank.

"This contract is a giant step toward returning confidence in our accountability and services to Indian tribes and individual Indians and Alaska Natives in the management of their trust funds," said Ross Swimmer, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs and head of the BIA. "It is also a serious attempt to correct the operational deficiencies and provide the quality of service expected of a prudent trustee.''

FMS, which handled the contract award, was "pleased to provide contract management support to improve the financial management of BIA trust funds," Commissioner W. E. Douglas said.

Swimmer said awarding of the contract sets in motion a course of action which will directly address the material weaknesses in the trust accounting system, the inefficiencies of redundant multiple systems, and the lack of earning capacity due to inefficient cash management of funds. Among the services to be provided by Mellon are: collecting and depositing cash receipts; investment advising; executing buy and sell orders from BIA; maintaining custody of held securities; maintaining detailed accounts for both tribes and individuals, accounting for all transactions, and reporting all financial activities to the BIA or Treasury. The benefits to be derived include: enhanced investment performance, improved accounting and timely reporting of account information to tribes and individuals.

All activities and decisions required by law of the Government as trustee will continue to be performed by the Government, including control of investment decisions. As a result of improved access to financial information, tribes and individuals will be able to better plan for the use of their funds held in trust by BIA.

The need to improve the management of BIA's trust fund operation came to light through numerous audits and reports concerning the funds as far back as 1982. Two years ago BIA obtained an independent evaluation of its operation by a nationally known accounting firm. In response to a request for information published by the Bureau last year, a wide range of materials was received on private sector capabilities to assist in the management of Indian trust funds.

Mellon will be providing financial trust services to assist the BIA in managing the $1.7 billion fund that includes Indian tribal trust funds, individual Indian monies, contributed funds, Alaska Native escrow funds, irrigation and power project funds and the Papago Cooperative fund. Currently there are more than 251,000 participating tribal and individual Indian accounts. The funds represent awards to Indians as compensation for land claims or other legal settlements. The funds also include income from trust lands - oil, gas and other mineral revenues, timber sales, grazing and agricultural leases. The implementation into the contractor's system will be phased-in over a 12-to 18-month period.

“In addition to the benefits which will be experienced by the tribes, FMS estimates that decreasing the 'float' on these funds will result in interest savings of over $1 million annually to the treasury." Commissioner Douglas said.

Other banks submitting bids were Citizens and Southern National Bank, Atlanta; First National Bank of Chicago; Republic Bank of Dallas; and two California institutions, Bank of America and First Interstate Bank of California.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Ross Swimmer today signed the Fort Peck Tribal Water Code, a model agreement for the administration of Indian water rights and the first code to be approved since 1975.

The code resulted from a 1985 compact between the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation and the State of Montana. The Fort Peck tribes own a portion of the Missouri River in northeastern Montana.

"The Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes along with the state of Montana are to be commended for their cooperation which has led to today's signing of the Fort Peck Tribal Water Code," Swimmer said. "This code is a model for administering tribal water rights and is a mess to Indian Country that state and tribal Governments can work together on resolving matters of common concern."

"This is a landmark in state-tribal relations," according to Interior under Secretary Ann McLaughlin. "This is a very essential step in bringing an important water rights settlement to reality."

Today's action implements the Fort Peck-Montana Compact, which was approved last year and is the state's first agreement with a tribal Government concerning Indian water rights. The approval of the water code is an exception to a 1975 moratorium Interior placed on approval of such codes.

"Since water knows no political boundaries, cooperation between state and tribal Government is essential to ensure effective and comprehensive water management. The Fort-Peck Montana compact highlights the benefits of intergovernmental cooperation," Swimmer said.

The purposes of the code are to (1) provide for the orderly resolution of disputes between persons authorized to use the tribal water right; (2) to regulate and administer all diversions and use of water under the tribal water right within the reservation except for diversions or uses received from the Fort Peck Irrigation Project; and (3) to implement the Fort Peck-Montana Compact.

The code creates a Water Resources Control Commission and an appointed water administrator. It also provides for obtaining water permits, transferring water rights, and prioritizing water uses.

Most western tribes lack formal water codes that regulate and administer the water they own through various executive orders and treaties with the federal government. Swimmer said the Fort Peck water code is a model for those tribes to consider.

Interior's Assistant Secretary Ross Swimmer today announced the appointments of C. L. Henson as Superintendent of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Colorado River Agency in Parker, Arizona; and George E. Keller as Superintendent of the Truxton Canon Agency in Valentine, Arizona.

Henson, a native of Tahlequah, Oklahoma and an enrolled member of the Cherokee Tribe, has been Superintendent of the Truxton Canon Agency since 1982. He replaces Patrick Hayes who has been assigned to the BIA Phoenix area office. Henson joined the Bureau in 1963 as a voucher examiner in Phoenix. In addition to various jobs at agency offices in Arizona, he has served as administrative officer in BIA area offices in Albuquerque and Sacramento. From 1979 to 1982 he served in Juneau, Alaska, first as Housing Development Officer and then as Tribal Operations Officer.

Keller is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Tribe and joined the BIA in 1963 as a teacher in the Flandreau Indian School in Flandreau, S.D. He served in several education positions in BIA before becoming Superintendent at the Rosebud Agency in 1976. After leaving that position in 1981, he served for nine months as a training program officer at BIA's Office of Technical Training before being named Superintendent at the San Carlos Agency in August of 1982 where he has served since that time.

Keller has a B.S. degree in Biology from Chadron State Teachers College and in 1968 received a K.ED degree in School Administration from South Dakota State University. Henson and Keller will report to their new duty stations on October 27.