Money allegedly paid to promote CSKT compact

An outspoken property rights advocate has persuaded the Flathead County Commissioners to hold a public hearing on the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes draft water compact.

In making his case, Russ Crowder, chairman of the American Dream Montana, said Sen. Bruce Tutvedt, R-Kalispell, of soliciting and taking $22,000 from the tribes to promote the water compact.

Crowder, who is “absolutely” opposed to the compact, said new information has come to light since the commissioners voted last December to support a compact.

Commissioners Gary Krueger and Cal Scott voted in favor of sending a letter to the Montana Legislature’s Water Policy Interim Committee. Commissioner Pam Holmquist opposed the letter, which stated that the commissioners supported a water compact process but not necessarily the compact as it was proposed last year.

The commissioners will hold the public hearing on Wednesday, Oct. 22, beginning at 9 a.m. The commissioners will take public comments and discuss the proposed water rights compact, and they may vote to affirm or rescind their previous letter of support.

Crowder asked the commissioners to set aside a two-hour block of time to take comments. He also wants the commissioners to determine if they want to support passage of the proposed compact by the legislature. He believes new information he has to share could persuade the commissioners to change their position.

“One of the things I plan on bringing is information on a recent meeting of the tribe in which one of the biggest [water compact] supporters, Bruce Tutvedt, went to the tribe, solicited and received $22,000 to promote the water compact,” Crowder said.

According to minutes of the June tribal meeting, the tribes approved a $22,000 payment to the Republicans for Responsible Government political action committee “to help get Republican support on the ballot for the water compact.”

Tutvedt, who is affiliated with the PAC, told the tribes during the meeting that he is “solidly one of the largest irrigators in Flathead County, so I have skin in the game just like you do.”

He also told tribal leaders he believes the tribes have negotiated a fair agreement.

“And if my guys win, we’re going to bring the compact in early in the [legislative] session and just put it through,” Tutvedt told the tribes. “We have a plan in place on how to fix that 60-vote problem in the House.”

Crowder said he has other significant new information about the water compact “up his sleeve” that he will reveal to the commissioners on Oct. 22.

“We’re going to get a lot of new information out there for the public,” he said. “This is going to be a major issue in the next Legislature. For this to stand a chance, it will have to have the support of Flathead County.”

The proposed compact seeks to quantify CSKT water rights and spend millions of dollars to improve Flathead Indian Irrigation Project infrastructure. Opponents are concerned the compact may impair landowners’ water rights and usage.

Commissioner Krueger has drafted a letter to Gov. Steve Bullock which he will ask the other commissioners to sign. The letter asserts the importance of water in Flathead County and asks for consideration of a number of priorities as the water compact is negotiated.

“Our current residential, commercial and municipal water rights should be recognized and protected from call in the future,” Krueger’s letter states. “Negotiations for the compact should ensure adequate water is available for future growth in Western Montana.”

The letter also talks about ensuring that Flathead County is not prohibited from growth by a failure to acquire water from basins such as the Hungry Horse Reservoir.