Coalition wants to restrict water use

Editor,

I'm convinced one of the concerns for the majority of small town and rural Montanans is their water. Over 70 percent of Montanans live in lightly populated areas. We depend on wells, canals or streams for our water. Many isolated home owners still haul their water to their property.

The issue which finally pulled me into the race for District 5 senator was finding that every representative and senator in the Flathead Valley voted for HB 22 which imposed fees (a hidden tax) on our water rights.

I recently learned about a coalition formed in eastern Montana which has as its purpose the drastic reduction of our water usage. This must be fought by every legislator, with every measure of our strength. The goal of the coalition is to reduce the flow of water we use in our households from an average of 35 gallons per minute to 25 gpm.

They also want to restrict the amount of water we use by three-quarters. The coalition's stated reason for this is to conserve water. Of course, we know this will cause the metering of our wells. The overall result will be less home or business construction and reduction of our property values.

I believe that indisputable water rights are an important part of both our heritage and freedoms. When our water use is threatened through taxation, restricted by governments or metering, it is dead wrong.

I gathered a sampling of signatures from rural property owners located in central and western Montana last winter prior to the passage of HB 22. The object was to demand the legislature pass a bill which protects our water from governments further taxing and/or restricting the amount of water we use. As a senator from Senate District 5, I will deliver the large number of signatures gathered to members of the Legislature prior to the 2007 session. Then I will draft a bill which reflects the demands of the signatures.

Dan Griffin

Ferndale