Administration Community Press Releases Tribal Members Uncategorized The Southern Ute Tribal Court has issued Administrative Order 2020-03, modifying their operating services until further notice. November 13, 2020 / January 24, 2023 by Web Admin The Southern Ute Tribal Court has issued Administrative Order 2020-03, modifying their operating services until further notice. The attached Administrative Order is effective Monday, November 16, 2020. The Southern Ute Tribal Court will only hear cases that directly affect public safety or are mandated to be heard pursuant to the Southern Ute Tribal Code. Please call the Tribal Court’s communication line at (970) 563-0240, for updated information. Please click on the following link for more detailed information regarding this order: Administrative Order 03 COVID.pdf Read more »
Uncategorized Southern Ute Special Election fills vacant Tribal Council seat November 2, 2020 / November 9, 2020 by Lindsay Box FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Christine Sage, Chairman – 970.563.0100 Lindsay J. Box – 970.759.1494 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 2, 2020 – 10:15 A.M. Southern Ute Special Election fills vacant Tribal Council seat Southern Ute Indian Reservation – On Friday, October 30, 2020 the Southern Ute Indian Tribe held the 2020 Special Election and on Monday, November 2, 2020 the Southern Ute Election Board presented the certified results. Vanessa P. Torres secured support with 105 while candidates Marty M. Pinnecoose with 100 votes and Corliss M. Taylor with 89 votes. Torres has dedicated over 11 years to tribal court judicial system in positions as the Wellness Court Case Manager/Senior Probation Officer, Probation Officer, and Southern Ute Tribal Court Clerk. She also worked as the Senior Property Shift Manager at the Sky Ute Casino Resort. “Thank you all who voted for the Special Election. I am deeply grateful and humbled for given an opportunity to be a voice for the people. Let’s continue to work together for a successful future for the Tribe and the membership,” said Torres. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, hunting, fishing, motorcycling, reading, and participating in cultural events. She is married […] Read more »
Community Uncategorized Big Game Validation Requirements September 15, 2020 / November 9, 2020 by tisdirector Read more »
Uncategorized Summary of the Proposed Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Procedures September 1, 2020 / November 9, 2020 by Lindsay Box Summary of the Proposed Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation and Clean Water Act Section 401 Certification Procedures On March 28, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s application to be treated in a similar manner as a state for purposes of the Clean Water Act’s water quality standards and section 401 water quality certification programs. At the direction and with the support of the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council, the Environmental Programs Division (“Division”) has developed water quality standards and Clean Water Act section 401 water quality certification procedures for tribal waters. What follows is a summary of the Division’s proposed water quality standards and Clean Water Act section 401 certification procedures. Proposed Water Quality Standards Water quality standards form a legal basis for controlling pollutants entering tribal waters. Water quality standards describe the desired condition of a water body and the means by which that condition will be protected or achieved. Water bodies can be used for purposes such as recreation (e.g. swimming, fishing, boating), protection of aquatic life, agricultural, public water supply, industrial, navigation, and other purposes. The Division has developed proposed water quality standards to […] Read more »
Uncategorized Southern Ute Indian Montessori Academy School Reopening August 14, 2020 / November 9, 2020 by Lindsay Box August 14, 2020 To: SUIMA parents, guardians, and families From: SUIT Education Department Cc: Executive Office and SUIMA School Board Dear SUIMA families, First, and most importantly, I hope you remain in good health and spirits. Thank you for your understanding and patience while the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council (who also serve as the SUIMA School Board) and SUIMA Administration took the utmost caution to make the most informed decision on the upcoming school year. As a reminder the “Stay at Home” Order remains in effect until further notice as does the public health order requiring the use of face coverage. While the Tribe considers education a necessity, the highest priority is the health of the SUIMA students and staff. In collaboration with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Incident Management Team (IMT) and Tribal Council, we have decided to begin school on August 24, 2020, as scheduled. However, due to the health concerns related to the coronavirus, SUIMA will offer multiple options for students this year. Students will receive instruction through a Hybrid Learning model, which may include On-Campus Learning, Remote-Learning or a combination of both. More details on the elected instruction options and the correlation to the tribal […] Read more »
Uncategorized FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Six Shooter Fire breaks out on Southern Ute Indian Reservation June 16, 2020 / July 2, 2020 by Lindsay Box 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 […] Read more » #SixShooterFire Six Shooter Fire
Uncategorized FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Federal Agencies Narrow Scope of Federally Protected “Waters of the United States” But Tribe Intends to Protect Tribal Waters June 4, 2020 / July 2, 2020 by Lindsay Box 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 […] Read more »
Uncategorized FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Southern Ute Reservation Initiates Stage I Fire Restrictions May 8, 2020 / November 9, 2020 by Lindsay Box 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 […] Read more »
Uncategorized Southern Ute Indian Tribal Court REVISED Operations May 7, 2020 / July 2, 2020 by Lindsay Box 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 Read more »
Health Press Releases Uncategorized Technical Advisory Bulletin for Tribal Title V Owners and Operators (COVID-19) March 27, 2020 March 30, 2020 / January 24, 2023 by Web Admin March 27, 2020 Technical Advisory Bulletin To: All Tribal Title V Owners and Operators: This technical advisory bulletin is being issued to address compliance concerns or non-compliance that could result at Title V permitted facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state, local, and the Southern Ute Indian tribal government have been forced to take drastic actions to limit social contact including stay-at-home orders for non-critical employees and closures of certain businesses. The Tribe’s Air Quality Program (AQP) understands that owners and operators are facing many challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is issuing this guidance to help operators take measures to document these challenges for compliance reporting purposes. To document compliance concerns and issues that are directly resultant from challenges relating to the pandemic, the AQP recommends, at a minimum, that operators keep detailed logs, including the reason for non-compliance and maintain all relevant data to support claims (e.g., correspondence with operations personnel, stack test companies, contractors, etc.). Additionally, AQP recommends keeping in contact with the AQP regarding issues as they arise. For urgent matters and prompt deviation reporting during this time, reports can be submitted to: airquality@southernute-nsn.gov. All other logs and records can […] Read more »
