Thunderstorms Prompt Worries of New Fire Starts CU-Boulder Teaches
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Employees The Village Ignacio, CO 81137 JUNE 29, 2012 let loose on People raise Bulk Permit No. 1 Vol. XLIV No. 12 Appreciation funds for Day Red Cross Official newspaper of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe For subscription or advertising information, call 970-563-0118 PAGE 9 PAGE 16 $29 one year | $49 two years INSIDE THIS ISSUE 25¢ Culture 3 Health 4 Education 5 Sports 11 Voices 13 Classified ads 15 WINNER OF 13 SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS AWARDS IN 2012 GROWTH FUND Tribe seeks to mitigate environmental hazards of coalbed methane By Ace Stryker trapped in coal deep un- THE SOUTHERN UTE DRUM derground travels upward into the soil and air near the For more than a decade, surface. Seeps are bad for the Southern Ute Indian various reasons: Methane is Tribe has been coming clean explosive, it’s a greenhouse on the potential environ- gas, and it kills vegetation mental effects of oil and gas where it reaches roots, dis- development in the San Juan placing oxygen. It’s also Basin and hoping others sometimes accompanied by would follow its example. hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas. Representatives of the Significantly, methane tribe’s Growth Fund led a seeping to the surface is also tour on Saturday, June 23 a lost resource, Siesser said. of aspects of the Fruitland Coal fires, by contrast, Formation underlying the are still underground phe- Southern Ute Indian Res- nomena that take place ervation to members of when coal near the surface Robert L. Ortiz/SU Drum the Four Corners Geologi- ignites — through a light- Like a village under siege, the State Line Fire as seen from Bondad Hill consumed 350 acres approximately five miles north cal Society. Of interest to ning strike, spontaneous of the New Mexico state line. The fire was 80 percent contained as of Wednesday, June 27. The Type 3 team will transition the geologists were meth- combustion, or some other the fire to a Type 4 incident commander and a smaller crew, with one 20-person crew and two engines remaining on scene ane seeps, which the tribe means — and can burn for to complete containment. The estimated cost of the fire is $381,000. believes may be partially decades or longer. They attributed to drilling, and increase the risk for sur- SUMMER FIRE WATCH underground phenomena face fires, create unstable known as coal fires. ground, and burn methane, Geologist Kyle Siesser again leading to a loss of Thunderstorms prompt worries of and engineer Bill Flint of tribal resources. the Growth Fund’s Depart- new fire starts ment of Energy also dis- METHANE SEEPAGE cussed ongoing mitigation By Keyana Valdez efforts to protect tribal land Documents exist from THE SOUTHERN UTE DRUM and resources. the late 1800s suggesting that methane seeps were al- On the 10-year anniver- THE FRUITLAND ready occurring in the area, sary of the infamous Mis- OUTCROP Siesser said. But reports sionary Ridge Fire, wildfires of methane seeps began to are again torching growing The Fruitland Formation, increase in the mid-1980s, areas of southwest Colorado a 75-million-year-old geo- coinciding with increased under hot, dry conditions. logic formation underlying gas production, according A brief but intense thunder- southwest Colorado and to the U.S. Bureau of Land storm on the evening of Tues- northwest New Mexico, Management. day, June 26 brought some provides the majority of La “The tribe feels that much-needed moisture to the Plata County’s gas produc- down-dip production of Southern Ute Indian Reserva- tion. Its coal layers contain coal-bed methane has exac- tion and surrounding area, but some of the richest known erbated naturally occurring with it several new fire starts. deposits of methane in the seeps along the Fruitland The Lightner Creek Fire, United States. Outcrop,” Siesser said. “The reported at about 1 p.m. the But the area where the [Southern Ute Indian] Tribal following day near Duran- formation slopes upward Council has supported the go, grew quickly and was and is exposed to the surface mitigation measures and the estimated at 80 acres as of along its northern rim — ongoing studying that we’ve Jeremy Wade Shockley/SU Drum Thursday, June 28, burning which approaches Durango done along the outcrop.” Kenney Wehn of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs works with firefighters from the Chugachmiut Yukon on private property and the from the southwest, turns The reasoning goes like Fire Crew on Monday, June 18 to clear a hand line in Garcia Canyon northwest of Pagosa Junction. Perins Peak State Wildlife east below Lemon and Val- this: To get methane from Area. Sixty residents along sible by road. ment officer with the U.S. followed by dry and hot con- lecito reservoirs, and returns most wells, the first step is to county roads 207 and 208 A small blaze near Lake Bureau of Indian Affairs’ ditions over the weekend. into New Mexico near the drill and extract water, reduc- were issued pre-evacuation Nighthorse also started at just Southern Ute Agency — Its forecast predicted sunny Piedra River — is called the ing the pressure underground notices. For updates on that after 5 a.m. and burned about though crews were finding weather with temperatures outcrop, and problems tend and allowing the gas to move fire, call 970-385-8700. 2 acres. Firefighters success- success in containing them as in the low 90s through the to arise in places along it. more freely. But when that The Escarpment Fire, near fully contained it before it of the following morning. middle of next week, offering “Methane seepage and coal happens, the gas that isn’t Mesa Verde National Park reached any structures. The National Weather little relief in the short term. fires present threats to the en- caught by the well follows its on the Ute Mountain Ute In- Lightning sparked at least Service issued a hazardous Meanwhile, firefighters’ vironment and the health and natural inclination to move dian Reservation, had grown 15 new fires on the reserva- weather outlook on Wednes- efforts to contain existing safety of people living in the upward through the rock, to about 75 acres. Firefight- tion, mostly in the HD Moun- day, June 27 forecasting blazes have met with mixed area,” Siesser said. eventually finding its way to ers were working to contain tains near Spring Creek, said more thunderstorms with results. Methane seeps occur the outcrop. it, though it was not acces- Rich Gustafson, fire manage- gusty winds and little rain, Fires page 7 where gas that’s typically Hazards page 8 HANDS-ON EDUCATION CU-Boulder teaches Southern Southern Ute grads honored Ute students to build computers By Ace Stryker THE SOUTHERN UTE DRUM The Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Education Depart- ment teamed up with the University of Colorado Boulder’s Indigenous Alli- ance Program on June 20-21 to teach Southern Ute stu- dents to build computers. Led by CU Ph.D. student Calvin Pohawpatchoko Jr., six students spent two days assembling their own ma- Jeremy Wade Shockley/SU Drum chines from components in- Southern Ute tribal member Sergio Howe assembles a Robert L. Ortiz/SU Drum computer with his peers during the Education Department’s cluding motherboards, pro- Southern Ute tribal member Michelle Olguin was one of three speakers at the Education Computer Build event on Wednesday, June 20. cessors and power supplies. Department’s annual Education Banquet at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Durango on At the end of the program, year provides Native Amer- ing and mathematics. The Saturday, June 23. Olguin, the student speaker, discussed her gratitude for what the each student took home their ican middle and high school students also load the latest tribe has given her as she earned her master’s degree in social work from the University own machine. students in Colorado an op- operating system and office of Denver. She also thanked past, current and future leaders of the tribe for their interest in education and culture. The Indigenous Alliance portunity to learn about sci- software. For more Education Banquet photos, see page 6. Computer Build, in its third ence, technology, engineer- Computers page 5 Update June 29, 2012 waini (2) NEWS IN BRIEF MANY MOONS AGO IGNACIO sion makes available bison meat to enrolled Southern Ute tribal members free of charge. ITS CARNIVAL TIME! Tribal bison are grass-fed at low herd den- Come check out the Sky Ute Casino Resort’s sity and are free of artificial hormones and Carnival this weekend! Friday, June 29 other synthetic chemicals. Bison meat is from 5 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, June 30 from naturally low in cholesterol and an excel- noon to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, July 1 from lent, healthy alternative to beef. If you are noon to 10 p.m. Purchase your unlimited an enrolled Southern Ute tribal member wristband at the carnival box office in the interested in obtaining bison meat for per- south parking lot, good any one day, for $20. sonal use, call the Division of Wildlife at 970-563-0130. Quantities and cuts of meat TERO, ENVIRONMENTAL MOVING available may be limited. TO NEW BUILDING The Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Tribal BAYFIELD Employment Rights Office and Environmen- tal Programs Division will be moving from FIRECRACKER 5K RUN SLATED the Annex Building during the last week of FOR 4TH OF JULY June to the new Justice & Regulatory Build- Bayfield’s Fourth of July Celebration ing located behind the Tribal Court. These will start at Joe Stephenson Park at 8 a.m. divisions are part of the tribe’s Justice & Registration forms are available at Your Regulatory Department.