OPA

Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall stated today that the revised budget estimate for fiscal year 1962 which President Kennedy submitted to the Congress is a great step forward in the Administration's programs in conserving and developing our Nation's natural and human resources.

"The request for additional appropriation of $40,668,000 over the amount submitted by the previous administration", he said, “will launch a vigorous resources program.”

"No longer", he continued, "can we afford to delay progress in developing our basic wealth in water, land, forests, and minerals. The very well-being of each of us depends upon their timely and wise utilization."

The additional request of $40,668,000 will bring the total budget of the Department to $806,360,000 for fiscal year 1962, which begins this coming July 1.

The increased appropriations are being requested for most of the constituent bureaus of the Department as follows:

Public Land Management

Bureau of Land Management ............ $2,958,000

Bureau of Indian Affairs ................. 21,136,000

National Park Service .............. 11,000,000

Office of Territories .............. -565,000

Total, Public Land Management $34,529,000

Mineral Resources

Bureau of Mines ............. $1,000,000

Fish and Wildlife

Bureau of Commercial Fisheries ..........$2,500,000

Water and Power

Bonneville Power Administration ............$2,314,000

Administration

Office of the Secretary .......325,000

Total Increase .................40,668,000

The increases in appropriations are an initial step in meeting the challenging needs in resource development. "The investments made through use of these funds will be returned many-fold" the Secretary said.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

The increase of $2,958,000 for 1962 will permit acceleration of the Bureau's programs in furtherance of the objectives for conservation, protection and development of the public lands and their resources which were stated in President Kennedy's Message to the Congress on Natural Resources.

The increase in management funds includes $1,000,000 to accelerate the installation of soil-conserving and water-saving works and practices to reduce erosion and improve forage capacity; and to proceed with the revegetation of rangelands on which the forage capacity has been badly depleted or destroyed. The acceleration of the range resource inventory and adjudication of grazing privileges among competing applicants requires $316,000 in additional funds and will result in more orderly use of range resources and greater stability of the Western livestock industry. Forest management protection and development on public domain lands and on Oregon and California Grant lands will be expanded with the increase of $564,000 provided for these purposes. Additional funds in the amount of $300,000 will be used to expand lands and minerals classification and field examination work to begin development of a comprehensive resource inventory and to implement improved resource management based on that inventory. The amount of $200,000 will be used to expand the fire preparedness and prevention activities of the Bureau in order to provide greater protection to the valuable surface resources of the public lands, Cadastral survey of public land areas, especially where such surveys are essential to other resource management programs, also is increased by $200,000. Finally, $78,000 is included to rehabilitate and improve the maintenance of existing buildings and facilities of the Bureau.

The $300,000 in construction funds will be used to accelerate the construction of access roads and buildings necessary to the resource program. Of this amount, $225,000 will be used for the construction of additional access roads to saleable stands of timber on public domain lands, for use in other resource management activities, including fire protection and to provide recreational access to public lands. The amount of $75,000 will be used for design and construction of buildings needed in the management programs of the Bureau.

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS

The additional $20,000,000 of construction funds for fiscal year 1962 requested by the Bureau of Indian Affairs represents the initial step in a program to construct school facilities for the approximately 5,000 Indian children presently out of school because of the lack of school facilities. The funds will provide for the construction of education facilities at 26 locations and will provide 1,990 additional classroom seats and the replacement of 1,310 classroom seats. These locations are primarily on the Navajo Reservation in the States of Arizona and New Mexico, and in Alaska and Mississippi.

The $1,000,000 requested for Repair and Maintenance of Buildings and Utilities will be used to correct unsafe and unsanitary conditions in many of the 8,300 individual buildings and utility systems at 100 locations throughout the United States.

The $136,000 requested for Operation, Repair, and Maintenance of Indian Irrigation Systems will be used to assist those Indians of the Gila River Indian Reservation in Arizona and the Yakima Reservation in Washington, who are financially unable to pay their irrigation operation and maintenance assessment.

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The increase in Park Service programs is $11,000,000. An additional $1,000,000 will give impetus to the cooperative program of planning for development of public parks and recreation areas in all parts of the country and at all levels of government--metropolitan, county, State, and Federal. The Nation's future vitality is to a great extent dependent upon the availability of parks and open spaces for healthful outdoor recreation. However, suitable areas for this purpose are rapidly being lost to other uses, particularly in and around cities and large centers of population where the need is greatest. The results of such a long-range program will help to stabilize the economics of depressed regions where, in many cases, recreation is the most valuable remaining untapped resource.

An additional $4,000,000 will provide for a more orderly and economical approach to the program of acquiring privately owned lands within the boundaries of existing National Park Service areas and of lands required for establishment of newly authorized areas. Of this amount, $2,000,000 would be used to acquire lands in the newly authorized Minute Man National Historical Park, Massachusetts, $500,000 would be used to acquire lands in Civil War areas, and the remaining $1,500,000 would be used to acquire lands at various other areas administered by the Service. This sum, together with the $2,200,000 included in the budget submitted to Congress on January 16, 1961, will provide a total of $6,200,000. It will permit the National Park Service to take a more vigorous approach in the all-important program of acquiring those lands of highest priority which are needed for Mission 66 developments or to preclude adverse uses which would be contrary to the fundamental purposes of the areas.

The additional amount requested for park developments in the 1962 fiscal year-- $4,000,000 for buildings, utilities, and miscellaneous facilities and $2,000,000 for roads and trails--will permit a good start on beach erosion control and stabilization at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina; construction of a training center for ranger personnel at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona; and a beginning of developments in three New York City areas--Castle Clinton National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial, and Statue of Liberty National Monument. The program for the New York City areas is to be financed on a matching basis from donated and appropriated funds. The matching funds are being raised by groups cooperating with the New York City National Shrines Advisory Board. It is the aim of these groups to complete developments prior to the time of the World's Fair opening in New York City in 1964. In addition to the foregoing, building and utility projects will be instituted in various other parks located in or near depressed areas.

The additional roads and trails moneys in the amount of $2,000,000 are programmed far a parking area at Newfound Gap, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee; for completion (except for final paving) of the new entrance road for Dinosaur National Monument, Utah and Colorado, which begins at Artesia, Colorado, on U. S. Route 40; and for augmenting road projects at Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, and Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado.

OFFICE OF TERRITORIES

The reduction of $565,000 for 1962 in the estimate results from a like increase in 1961 which will allow for accelerating construction of school buildings and the jet airport at American Samoa. The school buildings will also be used to house the South Pacific Conference to be held at American Samoa in July 1962.

BUREAU OF MINES

As the first step in expanding the materials research program, an increase of $1,000,000 is being requested. The urgency of an accelerated materials program attaches primarily to our scientific position in a highly competitive international situation. Our weaknesses on the scientific front have been, and will be, promptly exploited by other nations. The need to improve our situation in this area is imperative rather than merely desirable.

The program will accelerate development of new substances, new ways to employ conventional materials, particularly the metals, and the discovery of practical means of producing materials with special or unusual properties. It will supply new concepts which the designer may confidently employ for both defense and peaceful purposes. Perhaps of major significance, the program will promote the establishment of new industry and determine how satisfactorily the segments of our economy that rest on the effective employment of our resources will survive and expand.

BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

The increase of $1,500,000 for basic research by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries is necessary for continuation of an intensified salmon research program, The United states may lose a substantial portion of its North Pacific salmon fisheries in 1963 unless these resources are brought under a complete scientific conservation regime. This concept is the substance of the International Convention for the High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean, which is subject to renegotiation in 1963.

The increase of $1,000,000 will allow for basic marine biological research as a part of the national program for oceanography. This is responsive to the President's interest expressed in his State of the Union message to the Congress as well as his statement on natural resources. Significant additional knowledge of the marine biological processes is essential for defense and resource development.

BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION

The additional estimate of $2,314,000 will allow the Bonneville Power Administration to move forward in meeting the Secretary's power policy announced on February 14, 1961. To furnish sufficient low-cost power to rural, domestic, and industrial customers, it will be necessary to build additional transmission facilities and provide for a sound power marketing program. The additional facilities to be constructed in 1962, upon completion, will put presently available power resources to effective use, which at the present time are wasting to the sea.

The proposed facilities include two 230-kv lines to the Oregon coastal area to provide adequate service primarily to Bonneville's preference customers in the Tillamook and Reedsport areas. Present service to these areas is provided mostly over 115-kv lines which are overloading and cannot provide for increased economic development of the areas or to meet normal load increases. The 1962 requirements for these two lines are $654,000 and total costs will be $8,240,000 when completed by the fall of 1964; $380,000 is requested for a 345-kv line and substation facilities between The Dalles area to the Portland area which will have a total cost of $13,000, 000. The line is needed by the fall of 1964 to reinforce the system in the Portland and Willamette Valley of the Federal grid. Later this line will be extended to the John Day Dam when it comes on the line in 1967.

A 345-kv line between the Seattle area north to the Canadian border will be started to provide a means of transmitting a part of Canada's entitlement from cooperative development of the Columbia Basin. This line is also needed to provide increased capacity into Canada where there is a market for sale of surplus secondary energy. Total cost of the facility is $10,000,000 and 1962 requirements are $425,000.

An amount of $1,000,000 is requested for construction of a 115-kv line from Lebanon, Oregon to the Green Peter Dam site. Initially the line will provide capacity for construction power and later will be used to market the power to be generated when the dam is completed. Total cost of this line is $1,165,000 and is scheduled for energization in the summer of 1962.

In the Operation and Maintenance request of Bonneville, there is a net reduction of $145,000. A recent agreement with the Washington Water Power Company eliminates the need for $370,000 originally programmed to pay the cost of wheeling power over the company's facilities to BPA preference customers. The company will accept payment in the form of surplus secondary energy. An increase of $225,000 is requested in the power marketing activity to provide for a small increase in staff and to hire consulting services so that economic and marketing information can be brought up to date with a view to increasing revenues through additional sale of power.

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

The increase of $325,000 is being submitted to provide the Secretary and other Secretarial officers with professional staff assistants. There is a pressing need for adequate staff assistance in the development of long-range natural resource programs, for coordination of programs within the Department, and with other Government agencies, and for meeting day-to-day problems.

The increase would also provide for two assistants to the Secretary; one for coordination of scientific research programs, and the other as a liaison officer on Congressional matters.

The Department of the Interior today announced its opposition to legislation now pending in Congress (S. 381) which would provide for Federal subsidies to States to finance the costs of law enforcement on Indian reservations.

Assistant Secretary John A. Carver, Jr., pointed out, that since 1940 eleven States have taken action under authorizing Congressional legislation to assume criminal or civil jurisdiction or both over some or all of the Indian reservations within their borders. These actions were taken, he added, with Indian approval or without strenuous Indian opposition and without thought of Federal subsidy. At present, however, it appears that certain State legislatures are being influenced to adopt similar legislation by the prospect or possibility that Federal subsidies will be provided to finance law enforcement costs on the Indian reservations.

"We think," Mr. Carver said, "that this situation is unfortunate from several points of view. First, it presupposes that the Federal Government will subsidize all activities of a State or local government in this field--which is not necessarily true. Second, the prospect of Federal subsidies under legislation such as S. 381 might well influence some States to assume jurisdiction in Indian areas prematurely and at a time when such action would not be in the best interests of the Indians or of local law enforcement agencies. Third, the bill could also have the effect of setting aside the Indian people as a special racial group entitled to extraordinary financial treatment because of their racial status."

Mr. Carver also pointed out that the costs of S. 381 to the Federal Government 'may be much greater than originally contemplated since there is nothing in its provisions to prevent the States which have already taken jurisdiction over Indian reservations from applying for and receiving the Federal subsidy payments.

Ten States now have jurisdiction over some or all of the Indian reservations within their borders. These are California, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. Similar action was taken by the North Dakota legislature several years ago but this was subsequently invalidated by a court decision.

In other States a combination of Federal and tribal jurisdiction prevails on Indian reservation lands.

Award of a $1,138,400 contract for the construction of two 300-pupil dormitories on the campus of the Flandreau Indian School, Flandreau, South Dakota, was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

Each of the dormitories will be two stories high and will be constructed of insulated brick and concrete block masonry. Each will have an insulated built-up roof, reinforced concrete beams, floors and roof deck, and aluminum windows. The two together will have a total gross floor area of approximately 97,000 square feet.

When complete, the two structures will house the entire Flandreau School enrollment of approximately 600 students and will replace the existing dormitories which have been condemned as structurally unsound. The contract also includes some outside utility connections and site improvement work.

The successful bidder was Henkel Construction Co., of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Eleven higher bids, ranging from $1,186,566 to $1,598,077, were received.

The Department of the Interior today announced completion of plans developed by Indians on seven rancherias in California for distributing group property among themselves and taking it out of Federal trust supervision, under a 1958 law. The Indians accepted the plans at referendums at each rancheria.

The rancherias are Strawberry Valley consisting of one townsite lot in Yuba County, Cache Creek comprising 160 acres in Lake County, Buena Vista with 67.5 acres in Amador County, Ruffeys with 441 acres in Siskiyou County, Mark West with 35.13 acres in Sonoma County, Paskenta with 260 acres in Tellama County and Table Bluff with 20 acres in Humbolt County. These are the first seven of 41 rancherias covered by the 1958 law all of which may eventually be affected by similar property distribution plans.

The lands of the Paskenta Rancheria were sold by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the Glencoe Forest Products Company of Sacramento for $13,000 and the proceeds were distributed to two Indian beneficiaries. In all other six cases the lands comprising the rancherias were transferred in fee simple title to Indians named in the distribution plans.

There were three distributees at Ruffeys (including one for whom a conservator was named, at his own request, by the Superior Court of Siskiyou County), three at Cache Creek, two at Buena Vista, eighteen at Table Bluff and one each at Mark West and Strawberry Valley.

With the completion of these distribution plans and removal of the property from Federal trust supervision, the Department announced that the 53 Indian members of the seven rancherias are, under the 1958 law, no longer entitled to special services performed by the United States for Indians because of their status as Indians. All Federal statutes which affect Indians because of their status as Indians no longer apply to them. And the laws of the several States now apply to them as they do to other citizens or persons within their jurisdiction.

Under the 1958 law property received by the Indians through the distribution plans is not subject to taxation at the time of distribution. After distribution, however, it becomes subject to the same taxes that apply to property generally.

The Department of the Interior today announced the award of a $976,677.84 contract for construction of 18 miles of roadway on Navajo Route 1, starting approximately 38 miles west of Shiprock, New Mexico, and running westerly to Walker Creek, Arizona.

This section is part of the presently unimproved portion of Navajo Route 1 located south of the famous Four Corners Area of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. It will form a link in the Indian Bureau's extensive road program now underway on the Navajo Reservation, connecting at the east with a project recently completed and extending the paved highway westward into Arizona from the Junction with U.S. Highway 666 to a total of approximately 56 miles.

As sections of Route 1 are completed, it is anticipated that increasingly heavy traffic will use this important connecting route from southwestern Colorado, through the Navajo country to the Grand Canyon and West Coast. The rapidly developing Four Corners oilfield lies to the northwest and considerable traffic is expected as the field expands into northern Arizona.

Schmidt Construction Co. of Arvada, Colorado, was the successful bidder. Seven other bids were received, ranging to a high of $1,195,300.

The Department of the Interior today announced the selection of Robert D. Holtz, Indian Bureau area director at Minneapolis since 1955, to head the Bureau's area office at Portland, Oregon, effective May 1. He replaces Don C. Foster who retires April 14 after 26 years with the Bureau and seven years as area director at Portland.

In his new post Holtz will supervise all Indian Bureau operations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. His successor at Minneapolis has not yet been named.

Holtz first came with the Bureau in 1931 as a forest ranger at the Klamath Agency in Oregon and later served in the same capacity at the Zuni Agency in New Mexico, and as forest supervisor at the Papago Agency, Sells, Ariz.

In 1939 he rose to the position of superintendent at the former Truxton Canyon Agency, Valentine, Ariz., and subsequently was superintendent of the Mescalero Agency, Mescalero, N. Mex., and the Fort Apache Agency, Whiteriver, Ariz. In 1951 he became area forester in the area office at Phoenix, Ariz. and after three years in this position was transferred to the Gallup, N. Mex. area office as assistant director for resources. In 1955 he transferred to the same position at Minneapolis and later that year was designated as area director.

A native of Iowa, Holtz received his bachelor of science degree in forestry from Iowa State College at Ames in 1930, and took post graduate work at Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oreg.

Transfer of Charles S. Spencer, superintendent of the Flathead Indian Agency in Montana, to head the Fort Hall Agency in Idaho, effective May 15, 1961 was announced today by the Department of the Interior. He replaces Frell M. Owl who has been superintendent at Fort Hall since 1954 and is now joining the branch of tribal programs in the Bureau's central office at Washington, D. C.

A successor to Spencer at the Flathead Agency has not yet been selected.

Spencer has been with the Bureau since 1931 when he was appointed farm agent at Crow Agency, Mont. He spent four ye8rs there. Then he worked for seven years as extension agent at Western Shoshone Agency, Owyhee, Nev., and for ten years as soil conservationist at Wind River Agency, Fort Washakie, Wyo. He was named superintendent at Standing Rock Agency, Fort Yates, S. Dak., in 1952 and transferred to Blackfeet Agency in Montana in 1954 and to Flathead three years later. He is a native of Victor, Idaho, and was graduated from the University of Idaho with a B. S. degree in agriculture in 1929.

Award of a $69,451.06 contract for construction of additional irrigation works that will bring water to about 750 acres now unirrigated on the Pine River Project of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Colorado was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The contract provides chiefly for the construction of approximately 4.5 miles of ditch and appurtenant structures with a capacity of approximately 15 cubic feet per second. By opening up irrigation farming on the additional acreage, the new construction will give eight Indian families located in the area better opportunities than they have previously enjoyed to make an adequate living.

McGechie Construction Company of Cortez, Colorado, was the successful bidder for the contract. Five higher bids, ranging from $72,669.31 to $101,549.90, were received.

Award of five contracts totaling $878,597 for road and bridge construction on three Indian reservations in South Dakota was announced today by the Department of the Interior.

The contracts are for road and bridge construction work on the Standing Rock, Cheyenne River, and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations.

The largest contract--for $341,076-·-was awarded to Rand Construction Company, Inc., Rapid City, South Dakota for grading, draining, crushed gravel surfacing, and construction of one bridge on 19.2 miles of Cheyenne River Reservation Road Route No, 8 extending easterly and northeasterly from State Highway 63. The project will provide an all-weather road to serve Indian farms and ranches. Nine other bids ranging to $389,372 were received for construction of this project.

Another road contract was awarded to Hall Construction Company Westport, South Dakota on a bid of $49,886, the lowest of six bids received ranging to a high of $62,237.

This contract covers grading) draining, and surfacing of 6.2 miles of road in the eastern section of the Cheyenne River Reservation which will serve as an access road to the main reservation road extending from U, S. Highway 212 to Promise.

A third contract on the Cheyenne River Reservation is for grading, draining, crushed gravel surfacing, and construction of one bridge on 9.5 miles of road extending easterly from State Highway 63 on the north side of the Moreau River Valley. It will complete construction of an all-weather road from Whitehorse west to State Highway 63 near Greengrass and serve farm and ranch homes in the Moreau River Valley for school bus transportation and farm-to-market travel, and will further the development of Indian ranching enterprises in that section of the reservation. Dewey County has agreed to accept maintenance responsibility for this road upon completion of its improvement as covered by this contract. Eleven bids were received ranging from $177,391 to $215,639. The successful bidder was the Rand firm of Rapid City, which also won the Standing Rock Reservation contract for grading, draining, crushed gravel surfacing, and construction of three bridges on 11.1 miles of road from U. S. Highway 12 through Mahto to a road junction near Wakpala. The winning bid of $184,586 was the lowest of six bids received ranging to a high of $209,813. The road serving the Mahto and Wakpala communities will be improved to provide for all-weather school bus and farm to market travel needs. The local government has agreed to take over the road upon completion of its improvement and assume maintenance responsibility.

A $125,656 contract for grading and draining of 8.2 miles of road running southeasterly from Kyle towards Allen on the Pine Ridge Reservation was awarded to R. S. Krage Company, Sioux City, Iowa. Eight other bids were received for this project ranging to a high of $174,416. The project will provide road improvement needed for farm-to-market travel and school bus transportation for more than 60 Indian children. The contract provides for improvement of the first section of the main reservation road route between the Kyle and Allen communities.

The road contracts are not located in areas applicable for small business preference to the successful bidder nor are they located in areas designated for distressed or labor area preference. All bidders on the work under these contracts qualify as small businesses.

The Department of the Interior today announced award of a $693,122 contract for 16 miles of road construction on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona.

Upon completion, the project will provide an all-weather route from State primary road systems to Round Rock and Lukachukai which will serve the needs of the communities in the Chinle Valley area of the reservation.

The successful bidder was Daniels Construction Company of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Six other bids were submitted, ranging to a high of $1,057,960.20.