About opposing tribes, not running irrigation
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Editor,
I would like to provide a brief history of what has gone on with the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project over the past few years.
In March 2010, after long negotiations between the BIA, CSKT and FJBC a Cooperative Management Entity was agreed upon to manage the operations and maintenance money of the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project. It was made up of four irrigators appointed by the FJBC and four Native irrigators appointed by CSKT. It was a very effective organization in managing the maintenance and operations of the Irrigation project. That is until 2013 when the membership of the Flathead Joint Board of Control changed. At that point, the decision-making by the CME suffered because of the contentiousness of the irrigator representatives appointed by the FJBC.
In the spring of 2013, The Mission and Jocko Irrigation Districts seceded from the FJBC because of the dysfunction caused by FJBC’s new commissioners. Their secession shut down the existence of the Joint Board, and the BIA took over the management of the operations and maintenance of the Irrigation project.
In an attempt to continue local control of the project that had been provided by the CME, the BIA proposed amendments to the CME that would allow the individual irrigation districts to step in and carry out the duties of the defunct FJBC. The Mission and Jocko Districts agreed to the changes but the Flathead Irrigation District countered with a proposal that was not acceptable to all the other parties involved in the negotiation. Most viewed it as a ridiculous proposal.
The Flathead commissioners (Wayne Blevins and Shane Orien) who made the counter proposal are the same commissioners that refuse to acknowledge that they lost an election that was certified by the Lake County Commissioners. This is a group of renegade elected officials that have an agenda that has nothing to do with the management of water and everything to do with opposition of the CSKT and the CSKT Compact.
The majority of the FJBC have a political agenda that does nothing to promote or serve agriculture producers in this valley.
Mary Stranahan
Arlee
