Oregon attacks ONAC KM Again

It has just now come to our attention that the state of Oregon is yet again attacking ONAC K Sachem Joy Graves, this time putting a $1,900.00 lien against the south valley church sanctuary property!

According to the notice received at the sanctuary moments ago, The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have initiated what they are calling a "Final Action" against Graves and the sanctuary due to issues stemming from the Central Eastern Oregon sanctuary due to the burning of wood in June of 2016, a burn in which Graves nor the church authorized to take place, nor was present to stop.

At the time, a member who was NOT in good standing with the church along with the persons son, whom was Never a member of ONAC nor ONAC KM took it upon themselves to go onto the Central Eastern Oregon property and begin burning wood remnants that were left behind from the building that had recently been demolished.

At that time, the effort was made in the thought the one member was actually benefiting the church as the plan was in motion to get the property cleared for a church sanctuary garden needed to initiate the sacrament grow. The member who at the time again, was NOT in good standing with the church was hoping that accomplishing the goal would help him to get back into good standing with the church. When Sachem Graves received word from the sheriff of the situation and in turn Threatened with the possibility of fines being occurred against she and the land if the burning wasn't stopped, Graves asked and even ultimately Demanded that the sheriff take swift action to get the situation under control.

It was at that time that Sheriff Glen Palmer told Graves that "Because your church is like an Indian Reservation I nor my department are willing to take any action." Graves insisted that he that he remove them immediately from the property, confident that would put an end to the problematic situation. Again Palmer told Graves that he would Not authorize his department to get involved, going so far as to tell Graves that "I'm not going to walk into a lawsuit from your church, we have no jurisdiction there."

When DEQ next contacted Graves, also initiating threats of fines against her, Graves explained the situation to them and that ultimately her hands seemed tied. By that contact, the burning has desisted, which Graves believed would put an end to the issue. The DEQ agent told Graves that though it was their goal to have the burn stopped, which it was at that point, that should they elect to, they could still impose the fine. Now it seems they have decided to do so, which Graves feels is malicious as well as retaliatory vindictiveness on their part to do.

The notice received at the sanctuary today states that their action is a "Final Order", which upsets Graves as she had heard nothing from DEQ since the conversation which had taken place between she and their representative upon which they were told the burn had been stopped, as mentioned above. The woman in DEQ Graves spoke with moments ago acknowledged that their agency was to have Graves formally served before a "Final Order" could be attained. Graves quickly told the woman that she had not received nor heard Anything at all from the DEQ since that phone call back in June 2016. The woman acknowledged that saying that they knew Graves hadn't been notified of nor served notice of their pursuing action, but that ultimately they had gone ahead anyway and attained the final order of judgement against her anyway.

Graves questioned them putting a lien against the south valley property opposed to the property in question or any of the other 2 properties owned adjoined to the land, at which point the lady told Graves that they had the right to put the lien on "Any property you own in the state boundary of Oregon". Apparently they chose to do so on the south valley land, likely because they feel it has more of a financial value according to the state assessor.

Graves asked if there were any recourse that she could initiate in the hopes of stopping their agencies action and was told "The deadline to appeal has past." Graves feels that they are railroading she and the church as suddenly after over a year and a half later, the first communication she receives from them is the "Final Order" giving them the ability to proceed with the lien. "It's funny, although I am literally hundreds of miles away from the state of Oregon, close to 1,000 miles away, that they are pulling this".

Graves points out that though she is so far away from there, how promptly she was notified that their letter to her was delivered and relayed to her, stating that if they had attempted communications with her at that land prior, her awareness would have just as quickly been received. She also points out that according to the DEQ, they Never Once tried contacting her through her legal residence address in Oregon which was not at Either the property in question nor the south valley sanctuary land which is where the notice was received today.

Though the DEQ representative states that the window of contestment is now passed, when Graves asked her to electronically forward the information so she could immediately receive and review it, the very last page of the 12 page email states that upon Graves receiving notice of action, she would have 60 days to address it through the Oregon State Appeals. "If that's the case and I am only just now receiving their notice, wouldn't that mean that I would have 60 days from today to appeal it?" On the last page of that email, it also lists a date of December 6th 2016 as being the initiating time limit in which Graves 60 day time allotment to appeal began, which again Graves states she feels indicates to her that she does in fact have a very small window left in which she should be able to appeal their ruling, but ultimately again DEQ representatives insist that she does not, that her window of contestment has closed.