Compact breaches state sovereignty
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Editor,
The Compact should be a non-partisan issue with the vote based on principle not politics.
It is unthinkable that the state of Montana with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Compact will lay the groundwork for the federal government with the assistances of Indian tribes to breach the sovereignty of western states over the management of water and the protection of private property. Very disturbing is that the CSKT Compact is gaining momentum through the threat (extortion) of 10,000 claims being filed by the CSKT while the authority of the CSKT and the federal government is being hidden in the 1,500 pages of the Compact. Also, the general public is being disarmed by millions of dollars from the CSKT to run a statewide media campaign and make special deals with many of the proponents of the Compact.
Since the legal basis for the off reservation water rights is the Hell Gate Treaty language, there would be no legal basis for the 10,000 claims if the CSKT Compact fails and vice versa. Also, the Montana Constitution states: “All existing rights to the use of any waters for any useful or beneficial purpose are hereby recognized and confirmed” which would include water rights from territorial days when the records were kept locally. The thousands of claims did not work with the Nez Perce Tribe and they will not work with the CSKT. Also, House Bill 427 provides funds, 13 million, to protect these state based water rights from CSKT competing claims through the Office of Public Defender. Although giving up state sovereignty both off and on the Reservation is major. Also, $55 million of Montana taxpayer money is given without financial accountability or transparency. Related to this money, in the Compact there is a statement was in the appendix of the Compact: “In the event that the payments are not needed such as in the event the Flathead Irrigation Project is decommissioned, all invested funds shall be dispersed for the removal and landscape rehabilitation.” It is unthinkable that the beautiful Flathead Irrigation Project would fail and Montana would pay for its removal.
Verdell Jackson
Kalispell
