Trust negotiated agreement over courts
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Editor,
Jan Rogers is the registered agent for the newly formed group created for the purpose of killing the CSKT compact. Last week she wrote a letter asking why some people did not support the compact and accusing me of getting special deals from the tribes for supporting the compact.
Their plea for money states, “Your financial support is necessary to defeat this effort to control, if not own the land and waters of western Montana.” This kind of information, perpetuated by this group, goes to the heart of why some do not support the compact.
If special treatment means that our water rights along with everyone else’s will go through the state adjudication process without the tribe making a senior claim on all water on the reservation she is right. We, along with every person on and off the reservation will get special treatment. All domestic, stock, municipal and industrial water will get special treatment.
The compact negotiations are concluding. State based water users rights are protected as are historic irrigations uses.
Why are people against the compact? Why do they trust the courts and promote litigation? That is a mystery to me considering the courts determined the tribes controlled the south half of Flathead Lake in the 70s and the courts determined the tribes had time immemorial rights to in-stream flows that trumped irrigation water on the reservation in the 80s.
The opposition continues to make accusations of special back door deals for compact supporters. There are none. I would rather trust a negotiated agreement that protects both tribal and non tribal water rights than toss my rights in the ring for a court to decide.
Susan Lake
Ronan
