FJBC moves forward with water rights draft agreement

FLATHEAD RESERVATION — Last week, the Flathead Joint Board of Control’s water rights subcommittee voted unanimously to recommend to the FJBC that it release a proposed draft agreement between the FJBC, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the United States regarding project water rights to the public for comment.

Chairman Walt Schock called a special FJBC meeting for Thursday, May 31 at 9 a.m. at the office in St. Ignatius for the purpose of explaining the draft agreement, among the FJBC commissioners.

If the FJBC decides to proceed with the agreement, the draft agreement will be released to the public on June 1, 2012, starting a 30-day public comment period. At the end of that time, the FJBC will hold another meeting for the purpose of discussing the comments and deciding how to proceed.

There may be an informational public meeting held in mid-June to answer questions people may have about the proposed agreement, but the FJBC is requesting that all comments on the proposed agreement be made in written form. The documents will be posted on the Montana DNRC website at: http://www.dnrc.mt.gov/rwrcc/Compacts/CSKT/Default.asp [1] and the CSKT website at http://www.cskt.org/tr/docs/nrd [2] Hard copies will also be available at the FJBC office in St. Ignatius. We request that you call ahead (406-745-2090) for copies and office hours.