FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Six Shooter Fire burns to approximately 220 acres overnight

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

BIA Fire Management – 970.563.4751

Lindsay Box, PIO – 970.563.2313

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2020

Six Shooter Fire burns to approximately 220 acres overnight

Ignacio, CO – The Six Shooter Fire was reported on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation at approximately 15:30, June 16, 2020. The fire is located in the Six Shooter Canyon and now estimated at 220 acres. Ground crews made headway on the fire which is now 15% contained.

The Durango Interagency IMT 3 has assumed the fire management role today. Multiple agencies are working to fully suppress the fire, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southern Ute Agency Fire Management, Los Piños Fire Protection District, Durango Fire, Florida Mesa Fire, and modules from the States of Colorado and Oklahoma. Ground resources include fire personnel, hot shot crew, heavy equipment, and utility terrain vehicles. Air resources aided in the initial fire response and remain on standby today.

Smoke is visible from Colorado Highway 550 and County Road 318. Smoke will be visible to the local communities throughout the duration of the fire. Smoke from wildfires can cause health concerns and some individuals are more at risk of complications. To monitor the air quality related to the Six Shooter Fire, please go the Southern Ute Indian Tribe Environmental Programs Division Ambient Monitoring page at: https://www.southernute-nsn.gov/justice-and-regulatory/epd/air-quality/ambient-monitoring/

Lightening from the previous weekend’s storm had been determined to be the cause of the Six Shooter Fire. The Tribe is also working with oil and gas operators in the area to shut-in facilities in the vicinity of the fire in an effort to mitigate any potential impact from those operators to first responder’s ability to contain the fire.

As a reminder, Stage 1 fire restrictions were enacted for Southern Ute Indian Reservation on Monday, May 11, 2020 and will remain in effect until conditions improve.

Stage I Fire Restrictions prohibits acts for the general public, commercial operators and industrial oil and gas operators performing work on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.

STAGE I

General Public:

Prohibited acts:

OPEN BURNING. Burning of trash and/or yard waste is prohibited.

AGRICULTURAL BURNING. Burning of crop land, fields, rangeland, debris burning, slash piles, prescribed burning and weed burning are prohibited.

CAMP FIRES. Building, maintaining or using a warming fire or campfire outside of officially designated or developed camp sites is prohibited. The fire restrictions do not include charcoal fires (in suitable containers) for barbeques or fires for sweat ceremonies, however, such fires are not to be left unattended and are to be fully extinguished after use.

Possession, discharging or use of any type or fireworks is prohibited.

Commercial and Industrial restrictions can be obtained from the BIA Fire Office at 575 County Road 517 or by calling (970) 563-4571.

Anyone violating the provisions of this fire ban may be subject to prosecution outlined in the Southern Ute Indian Criminal Code.

For more information on the Six Shooter Fire, please visit the Southern Ute Indian Tribe website, and follow the Southern Ute Indian Tribe on social media.

To report fires contact:

DURANGO ZONE DISPATCH (970) 385-1324

For more information or to report Fire Restriction Violations contact:

BIA FIRE MANAGEMENT (970) 563-4571 OR SOUTHERN UTE POLICE DEPARTMENT (970) 563-4401

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20200617 – Six Shooter Fire burns to approximately 220 acres overnight

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Six Shooter Fire breaks out on Southern Ute Indian Reservation

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

BIA Fire Management – 970.563.4751

Lindsay Box, PIO – 970.563.2313

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 16, 2020

Six Shooter Fire breaks out on Southern Ute Indian Reservation

Ignacio, CO – The Six Shooter Fire was reported on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation at approximately 15:30, June 16, 2020. (Insert directions) The fire is located in the Six Shooter Canyon and estimated between 75 acres and 0% contained.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Southern Ute Agency Fire Management and Los Pinos Fore Protection District immediately responded. Resources include an air attack, one large airtanker and a single engine airtankers.

Smoke is visible from Colorado Highway 550 and County Road 318. Smoke will be visible to the local communities. For information related to air quality, please go to: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/wood-smoke-and-health

The cause and extent of the fire is unknown at this time and the Tribe is coordinating with local agencies to ensure the safety of the public and to minimize the impact of the fire. The Tribe is also working with oil and gas operators in the area to shut-in facilities in the vicinity of the fire in an effort to mitigate any potential impact from those operators to first responder’s ability to contain the fire.

As a reminder, Stage 1 fire restrictions were enacted for Southern Ute Indian Reservation on Monday, May 11, 2020 and will remain in effect until conditions improve.

Stage I Fire Restrictions prohibits acts for the general public, commercial operators and industrial oil and gas operators performing work on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.

STAGE I

General Public:

Prohibited acts:

OPEN BURNING. Burning of trash and/or yard waste is prohibited.

AGRICULTURAL BURNING. Burning of crop land, fields, rangeland, debris burning, slash piles, prescribed burning and weed burning are prohibited.

CAMP FIRES. Building, maintaining or using a warming fire or campfire outside of officially designated or developed camp sites is prohibited. The fire restrictions do not include charcoal fires (in suitable containers) for barbeques or fires for sweat ceremonies, however, such fires are not to be left unattended and are to be fully extinguished after use.

Possession, discharging or use of any type or fireworks is prohibited.

Commercial and Industrial restrictions can be obtained from the BIA Fire Office at 575 County Road 517 or by calling (970) 563-4571.

Anyone violating the provisions of this fire ban may be subject to prosecution outlined in the Southern Ute Indian Criminal Code.

For more information on the Six Shooter Fire, please visit the Southern Ute Indian Tribe website, and follow the Southern Ute Indian Tribe on social media.

To report fires contact:

DURANGO ZONE DISPATCH (970) 385-1324

For more info or to report Fire Restriction Violations contact:

BIA FIRE MANAGEMENT (970) 563-4571 OR SOUTHERN UTE POLICE DEPARTMENT (970) 563-4401

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Photo Credit | Lindsay J. Box

#SixShooterFire

20200616 – Six Shooter Fire breaks out on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Federal Agencies Narrow Scope of Federally Protected “Waters of the United States” But Tribe Intends to Protect Tribal Waters

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Christine Sage, Chairman – 970.563.0100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2020 – 9:00 A.M.

Federal Agencies Narrow Scope of Federally Protected “Waters of the United States” But Tribe Intends to Protect Tribal Waters

Southern Ute Indian Reservation – Notwithstanding the Tribe’s strong opposition, on January 23, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (collectively the “Agencies”), the agencies responsible for administering the Clean Water Act, finalized a rule to define “waters of the United States” (“Final Rule”). Under the Clean Water Act, there is federal authority to regulate the discharge of pollutants and the placement of fill into “navigable waters.” The Clean Water Act defines “navigable waters” to mean “the waters of the United States.” Whether a particular water body is jurisdictional as a “water of the United States” is a threshold question for determining whether a discharge into that water will require a permit under the Clean Water Act or whether a spill (i.e., an unpermitted discharge) is a violation of the Clean Water Act and subject to an enforcement action by the Agencies. In other words, under the Clean Water Act, the scope of federal regulatory authority is limited to “waters of the United States.”

The Final Rule substantially narrows the scope of waterbodies subject to federal regulation under the Clean Water Act – notably excluding ephemeral features (those that flow only in response to precipitation events) that are prevalent throughout the southwestern United States and on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. The Final Rule also excludes non-adjacent wetlands, groundwater, and many farm and roadside ditches.

For proposed development and work in or near excluded waterbodies on the Reservation, the Final Rule will reduce developers’ federal permitting obligations. In the event of a spill into previously protected but now excluded waterbodies on the Reservation, the Final Rule will reduce owner and operators’ spill reporting obligations and the risk of a federal enforcement action. The Final Rule will also remove some development from the applicability of EPA’s oil spill prevention program and the obligation to prepare a spill prevention, control and countermeasure plan. In other words, the Final Rule leaves water resources on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation less protected.

The Final Rule becomes effective on June 22, 2020.

In response to the Final Rule, the Southern Ute Indian Tribe intends to protect excluded waterbodies on tribal trust land through the exercise of the Tribe’s regulatory authority (e.g., water quality standards) and contracting authority (e.g., land use and environmental protection stipulations in grants of rights-of-way and leases). In the event of a spill into previously protected but now excluded waterbodies on the Reservation, the Final Rule will reduce owner and operators’ spill reporting obligations and the risk of a federal enforcement action and, correspondingly, potentially reduce the owner and operators’ remediation responsibilities. For excluded waters on private property within the Reservation, the Tribe intends to carefully monitor activities impacting or that have the potential to impact those waterbodies. If an activity harms an excluded waterbody on private property and threatens to harm or results in harm to excluded waterbodies on tribal land, the Tribe will consider taking appropriate action to protect water quality. If the State of Colorado plans to implement a state-only program, such as a Clean Water Act Section 404 program, the Tribe plans to ensure that the statutes authorizing such a program and the regulations include language recognizing the limitations on the State’s authority on the Reservation. Finally, the Tribe expects all companies working on the Reservation, regardless of the current regulatory environment on a federal level, to use best management practices and to implement all appropriate measures to prevent adverse impacts to the Reservation’s water resources.

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20200604 – Federal Agencies Narrow Scope of Federally Protected “Waters of the United States” But Tribe Intends to Protect Tribal Waters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southern Ute Reservation Initiates Stage I Fire Restrictions

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Christine Sage, Chairman – 970.563.0100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 8, 2020

SOUTHERN UTE RESERVATION INITIATES STAGE I FIRE RESTRICTIONS

Ignacio, CO – Due to the current high temperatures, dry fuel conditions and occurrence of recent wildland fires, Stage 1 fire restrictions have been implemented for all trust lands throughout the Southern Ute Indian Reservation. Everyone on reservation lands is asked to be very cautious and use common sense with fire this time of year.

Stage I Fire Restrictions prohibits acts for the general public, commercial operators and industrial oil and gas operators performing work on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation.

STAGE I

General Public:

Prohibited acts:

OPEN BURNING. Burning of trash and/or yard waste is prohibited.

AGRICULTURAL BURNING. Burning of crop land, fields, rangeland, debris burning, slash piles, prescribed burning and weed burning are prohibited.

CAMP FIRES. Building, maintaining or using a warming fire or campfire outside of officially designated or developed camp sites is prohibited. The fire restrictions do not include charcoal fires (in suitable containers) for barbeques or fires for sweat ceremonies, however, such fires are not to be left unattended and are to be fully extinguished after use.

Possession, discharging or use of any type or fireworks is prohibited.

Commercial and Industrial restrictions can be obtained from the BIA Fire Office at 575 County Road 517 or by calling (970) 563-4571.

Anyone violating the provisions of this fire ban may be subject to prosecution outlined in the Southern Ute Indian Criminal Code.

The Restrictions will become effective at 06:00 A.M., Monday, May 11, 2020 and will remain in effect until conditions improve.

To report fires contact:

DURANGO ZONE DISPATCH (970) 385-1324

For more info or to report Fire Restriction Violations contact:

BIA FIRE MANAGEMENT (970) 563-4571 OR SOUTHERN UTE POLICE DEPARTMENT (970) 563-4401

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20200508 – Southern Ute Indian Reservation Initiates Stage I Fire Restrictions

Southern Ute Indian Tribal Court REVISED Operations

The Southern Ute Tribal Court has updated their operating functions for the modified services they are currently providing to address Tribal Court matters. The Court’s Administrative Order and Public Notice have been approved by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Incident Management Team (IMT).

The new hours and operations are set to begin Monday, May 11, 2020.

For questions related to the modification of tribal operations, tribal members are encouraged to call the Southern Ute COVID-19 Call Center at 970.563.0214. The Call Center hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.

Administrative Order COVID May 2020

Notice to Public Tribal Court 05072020

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southern Ute Indian Tribe Demands Investigation into Unlawfully Leaked Information for CARES Act Funds

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Christine Sage, Chairman – 970.563.0100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2020 – 1:00 P.M.

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Demands Investigation into Unlawfully Leaked Information for CARES Act Funds

Southern Ute Indian Reservation – On March 27, 2020, the President signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, also known as the CARES Act. This act provided $150 billion for governments, including $8 billion to be allocated among the 574 federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages The funds were to be distributed within 30 days.

On Monday, April 13, 2020, all state, local and tribal governments were instructed to download information in to a secure portal at the Department of Treasury so that they could receive their CARES Act funds. For Tribes and tribal businesses, the information to be provided included tribal membership, lands held in trust and in fee, expenditures, and bank account information in which the funds were to be deposited. The first portion of the funds were to be deposited in to the Tribe’s bank account within approximately 24 hours of filing the certification.

Although the Southern Ute Indian Tribe filed its certification on Wednesday morning, no funds have been received. To make matters worse, on Friday evening we learned that the information provided to the Department of Treasury by every Tribe in the country had been unlawfully released.

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe has taken steps to make sure that its bank account is secure. But more importantly, the unlawful actions by one or more individuals at the federal government to leak this confidential information must be immediately investigated. We call upon the Department of Justice to immediately do so. The history of relations between the United States and tribal nations is replete with broken promises. The unlawful release of information is evidence that those broken promises by the federal government continue to this day.

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20200418 – Southern Ute Indian Tribe demands investigation into unlawfully leaked inforamtion for CARES Act funds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southern Ute Indian Tribe Recommends Face Coverage for Health Safety

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Christine Sage, Chairman – 970.563.0100

Amy Barry, SUIT IMT PIO – 970.563.2281

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2020 – 09:30 A.M.

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Recommends Face Coverage for Health Safety

Southern Ute Indian Reservation – The Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council, in a collaborative response with the San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) to COVID-19 and recommends to individuals to cover your nose and mouth when leaving home for essential travel to the grocery store, doctor, or pharmacy. Individuals could practice extra precaution by using a bandana or homemade facemask coverings. It is important to reserve healthcare grade personal protective equipment (ppe) for the healthcare professionals.

Individuals who need to leave their homes are able to use a face covering over their nose and mouth as a precaution. Symptoms of COVID-19 have a long incubation period and individuals who leave their home for necessary reasons could contact the virus or unknowingly spread COVID-19 to others. “The spread of the virus occurs primarily through droplets from an infected individual, which fabrics can filter. A face covering helps lessen the risk for a healthy individual to breathe in droplets as well as spread from one who may not realize they are sick, or their symptoms are mild,” stated the SJBPH press release New San Juan Basin Public Health Recommendation: Cover Your Face issued on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.

Face coverings convey the seriousness of this pandemic, as well as serving as a reminder to practice safe hygiene including washing your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, restricting touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and sneezing or coughing into your elbow or a tissue then throwing the tissue away.

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe issued a ‘Stay at Home’ Order on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 and encourages the tribal membership to stay home and practice social distancing, through these best practices we can flatten the curve and help stop the spread of COVID-19.

The San Juan Basin Public Health has shared the following tips:

How to safety adhere a face covering

Tie long hair back.
Wash your hands well.
Secure the face covering over your nose and mouth.
DO NOT touch your face or the face covering. If you do, sanitize your hands thoroughly.
Leave the covering on until you can safety remove it.
Remove your face covering immediately if it becomes wet or if you feel you’ve been in contact with someone who is sick.

How to safely remove a face covering

Wash your hands.
Grab the face covering by the area that goes over your ears.
Take the covering off, keeping the outside of it away from your face, and place directly in the washing machine or a site where you will appropriately sanitize.
Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

To find updates from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe on COVID-19, please observe the tribal social media, tribal websites, and by calling the Southern Ute Indian Tribe COVID-19 Call Center at 970.563.0214 which will operate from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., 7 days a week.

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20200401 – Southern Ute Indian Tribe Recommends Face Coverage for Health Safety

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southern Ute Indian Tribe confirms two positive cases of COVID-19

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

Christine Sage, Chairman – 970.563.0100

Amy Barry, SUIT IMT PIO – 970.563.2281

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 29, 2020 – 09:30 A.M.

Southern Ute Indian Tribe confirms two positive cases of COVID-19

Southern Ute Indian Reservation – Two employees of the Southern Ute Indian Tribal government have tested positive for COVID 19. They are in self-quarantine and we wish them the best in their recovery. All appropriate steps are being taken to identify anyone who may have been exposed for notification to self-quarantine and self-monitor for symptoms of the disease. San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (DCPHE) are providing assistance during this investigation. Anyone who is contacted by SJBPH and CDPHE are encouraged to cooperate to assist them in protecting the health and welfare of our Southern Ute tribal membership and government. It is important to know that, by definition of the Centers for Disease Control, you have not been “exposed” unless you have had close contact with a person who has tested positive.

The definition of close contact is:

“being about six (6) feet (approximately two (2) meters) from an infected person or within the room or care area of an infected patient for a prolonged period while not wearing recommended PPE. Close contact also includes instances where there is direct contact with infectious secretions while not wearing recommended PPE. Close contact generally does not include brief interactions, such as walking past a person.”

All previous advisories about how to protect yourself, self-monitor and avoid exposing others to any illness you may have are doubly important now. In addition to all precautions already in effect being maintained the following new procedure will take effect immediately:

Any staff reporting to work at any tribal facility in Ignacio must report to the tents behind the Health Center before proceeding to their work location. Employees will be screened and cleared to work that day by Health Center staff if they have no fever or other symptoms of COVID-19.

The only exception to this rule are law enforcement personnel who will be screened upon arrival at the Justice Center.

Please remain calm and vigilant. Protect yourself and protect others by staying at home if you are ill. We knew this day would come, but we will overcome this in due time.

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20200329 – Southern Ute Indian Tribe confirms two positive cases of COVID-19 (FINAL)

Southern Ute Incident Management Team – Disease Control Level

Southern Ute Indian Tribe Incident Management Team (IMT) Disease Control Level

The Southern Ute Indian Tribe Incident Management Team (IMT) would like to share the Tribe’s Disease Control Level. As of Wednesday, March 25, 2020 the Tribe is under a ‘Stay at Home’ order.

This is one tool the IMT has been using to determine its response and tribal action plan related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Created & Published by Lindsay J. Box

SUIT IMT Disease Control Level

Southern Ute Health Center COVID-19 Testing Tent Procedures

All patients who have any type of respiratory illness will be seen in the tent erected behind the health clinic. THIS IS NOT A DRIVE-THRU FACILITY.

There will be no walk-in appointments. Please call for an appointment at 970.563.4581. Clinic hours are 7:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m.

Photo Credits: Jeremy Wade Shockly | Southern Ute Drum; and Jeremiah B. Valdez

Designed and Produced by Lindsay J. Box

Southern Ute Indian Health Center COVID-19 Testing Tent Procedures