Tribes address concerns about dam
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POLSON – Rumors have a funny way of getting around, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have heard a few since they took over the formerly-named Kerr Dam, so they invited Montana state representatives, senators and committee members along with every major news source within 100 miles to the CSKT Headquarters in Pablo on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in an effort to spread truth.
“When the tribe is taking something over, there are a lot of questions,” Energy Keepers, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Brian Lipscomb said adding that he hopes to fill in the blanks concerning those questions.
Energy Keepers Incorporated is the name of the tribe’s corporation tasked with managing the dam. EKI and CSKT invited the visitors to tour the dam and sit down for an informational talk. EKI employs many local people and is organized by a governing board that works with the tribe. EKI Board of Directors Vice Chairman Dan Decker explained the dam’s status as a corporation.
A clause in the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act under section 17 allows tribes to create corporations without being subject to federal income tax in an effort to bring in revenue because they don’t have the ability to generate their own income for operations through taxes.
“The tribe has been doing business by creating tribally-owned corporations for some time,” Decker said. “This is about the business of providing power for the northwest. This business benefits everyone (with) more money in our local economy.”
During the tour, many people asked if anything will change at the dam that averages 1,100,000 megawatt-hours of electricity each year with a concrete arch reaching 381 feet that Lipscomb calls the “Niagara of the West.”
“We are not operating or selling (electricity) any differently than it was before,” he said. “The only difference is that the value stays local.”
Although, structural changes are being planned.
“We are doing an assessment right now,” he said. “We will plan an upgrade that depends on the assessment.”
And so far, he thinks the bridge accessing the powerhouse needs some work.
“It’s like when you buy a house,” he said. “Things always need (fixing).”
Brad Johnson, State of Montana Public Service Commission Chairman, traveled to the meeting from Helena to learn about the new owners at the dam along with seven others that included state senators and representatives.
Johnson asked about security issues.
“As an elected official, security is increasingly on our minds,” he said, saying that he asks about security of every major utility. He said after the tour that “it looks like it’s going to be business as usual” at the dam.
Lipscomb said the dam is often closed to the public to ensure security with many other safety measures put in place.
“We shut the gates at sunset,” he said. “And it’s closed seasonally.”
The dam provides power for the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project used for farming, livestock and other uses. It was asked if the tribe plans to continue providing electricity for that project at a subsidized rate. Lipscomb said that although the tribe is not required to provide the lower rate, they plan to continue to do so “if the Compact goes through.”
The name of the dam was also a topic of discussion. It was named Kerr Dam 80 years ago after it was built. The tribe had planned to call it the Salish Kootenai Dam, but tribal elders said that the name left out the Pend d’Oreille tribe, so the name is now officially the Se’lisÌŒ Ksanka QlÌ“ispe’ Dam.
Lipscomb explained that the first word means Salish and is pronounced like the word Salish. The second word is for the Kootenai and is pronounced like it sounds. The final word is Pend d’Oreille and sounds a bit like Kalispell with a long “a” at the end instead of the “ell”.
“There will be a learning curve for people to learn how to say it,” he said. “It’s just one more attempt on (revitalizing) our language.”
Before the tour, CSKT Tribal Chairman Vernon Finley talked about the history of the dam at the tribal headquarters, explaining that operating the dam was about more than money. He added that when the dam was built the tribe wanted to protect the land and now it’s the tribe’s job to continue to protect the land and to utilize the resource that was developed at the site.
“Our purpose is to care for the energy,” he said.
Lipscomb added that he welcomes questions from the public. More information can be found at www.energykeepersinc.com.
