Water Compact too confusing to receive commissioners' approval

Letter to the Editor,

It is now official. The Flathead County Commissioners do not support the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Compact as written. Commissioner Cal Scott’s editorial in The Daily Inter Lake on March 7 confirms this statement beyond a shadow of a doubt.  

He is very specific about the vote on the letter taken on Dec. 28 stating: “the letter stated specifically that the commissioners ‘wish to affirm support for a compact process.’ Nowhere in the letter is there mention of a specific compact, as written.”

Secondly, Commissioner Scott further states the following: “But while I approve of the contract process, in general, I cannot support the compact as it is presently written, in part because it is too complex, too long and leaves too many unanswered questions for all of we the people to understand, regarding its implementation in the near term and its consequences for the long term.”

Clearly, Commissioner Scott regards the present Compact as inadequate.  When taken together with Commissioner Holmquist’s known opposition to the present Compact, a majority of our Commissioners do not support it.

I commend Commissioner Scott for setting the record straight. Further, I have heard many rumors that there have been some (including Senator Tutvedt) who have mischaracterized the vote of our county commissioners on December 28th as an affirmation of the Water Compact as presently written. If done, such characterizations are totally inaccurate and, whether done intentionally or by mistake, I ask that all such activities cease and any misinterpretations created by them be actively and immediately rectified.”

— Mark Agather

Kalispell