A town-hall meeting to discuss ongoing Water Rights Compact negotiations between the state, the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes and the federal government will be held June 21 in Ronan.

Organizer Terry Backs said the meeting is being held by a group of concerned citizens as an alternative to the monthly meetings held by a committee charged with negotiations because those meetings are usually held in the morning.

“We thought it would be a good idea to offer a different venue, an evening venue, so that people who work would have an opportunity to learn” about the negotiations, Backs said.

The negotiating committee has been meeting for years, but negotiations have taken a more serious turn since the 2009 Legislature directed the committee to come back with a proposed compact for legislative approval next year.

“Because the negotiations appear to be in the home stretch, and the parties are working toward a goal of presenting the agreement to the state Legislature in 2013, this meeting is the perfect opportunity to give local residents an up-to-date status of negotiations and ask questions,” Backs said in a press release announcing the meeting.

Negotiators representing the tribes, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the state will be on hand to discuss where the compact currently stands, “and what they see as the implications for folks who would be impacted by this,” Backs said.

Others who are familiar with the process, such as state lawmakers, will also be present.

The compact will govern water rights matters related to the tribes, and the impacts are expected to extend beyond the boundaries of the Flathead Reservation.

As an example, Backs said the compact could require new water rights holders to compensate for taking water.

“There could potentially be an expensive cost associated with mitigation to replace water that’s being used,” and that could hinder future economic development, she said.

“If water rights become restricted in any way, it’s possible that property values will significantly go down,” she added.

But the parties involved appear to be motivated in developing an agreement that will be widely accepted, she added.

It a compact is not reached and approved by the Legislature and then ratified by Congress, the alternative is litigation that could result in a losing side incurring more harmful impacts than they would under a compact.

“Their goal is to work out something that’s mutually agreeable,” Backs said.

After presentations are made at the meeting, there will be an open question-and-answer session.

Organizers of the meeting “think it’s important to get folks educated” about the negotiations and possible outcomes, Backs said. “I hope to learn a lot myself at this meeting.”

The meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Ronan Community Center, 300 Third Ave. N.W., in Ronan.

By JIM MANN

The Daily Inter Lake

A town-hall meeting to discuss ongoing Water Rights Compact negotiations between the state, the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes and the federal government will be held June 21 in Ronan.

Organizer Terry Backs said the meeting is being held by a group of concerned citizens as an alternative to the monthly meetings held by a committee charged with negotiations because those meetings are usually held in the morning.

“We thought it would be a good idea to offer a different venue, an evening venue, so that people who work would have an opportunity to learn” about the negotiations, Backs said.

The negotiating committee has been meeting for years, but negotiations have taken a more serious turn since the 2009 Legislature directed the committee to come back with a proposed compact for legislative approval next year.

“Because the negotiations appear to be in the home stretch, and the parties are working toward a goal of presenting the agreement to the state Legislature in 2013, this meeting is the perfect opportunity to give local residents an up-to-date status of negotiations and ask questions,” Backs said in a press release announcing the meeting.

Negotiators representing the tribes, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the state will be on hand to discuss where the compact currently stands, “and what they see as the implications for folks who would be impacted by this,” Backs said.

Others who are familiar with the process, such as state lawmakers, will also be present.

The compact will govern water rights matters related to the tribes, and the impacts are expected to extend beyond the boundaries of the Flathead Reservation.

As an example, Backs said the compact could require new water rights holders to compensate for taking water.

“There could potentially be an expensive cost associated with mitigation to replace water that’s being used,” and that could hinder future economic development, she said.

“If water rights become restricted in any way, it’s possible that property values will significantly go down,” she added.

But the parties involved appear to be motivated in developing an agreement that will be widely accepted, she added.

It a compact is not reached and approved by the Legislature and then ratified by Congress, the alternative is litigation that could result in a losing side incurring more harmful impacts than they would under a compact.

“Their goal is to work out something that’s mutually agreeable,” Backs said.

After presentations are made at the meeting, there will be an open question-and-answer session.

Organizers of the meeting “think it’s important to get folks educated” about the negotiations and possible outcomes, Backs said. “I hope to learn a lot myself at this meeting.”

The meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Ronan Community Center, 300 Third Ave. N.W., in Ronan.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.