At the request of local property rights advocate Russ Crowder, the Flathead County commissioners on Wednesday will take public comments and discuss the proposed water rights compact involving the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes.

The commissioners also may vote to affirm or rescind their letter of support for “a compact process” sent in January to the Legislature’s Water Policy Interim Committee.

The public discussion begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the commissioners’ chambers on the third floor of the main Courthouse.

Crowder, chairman of the American Dream Montana property rights group, said he asked the commissioners to set aside a two-hour block of time to take comments and discuss the compact in a format similar to last week’s Agency on Aging discussion and votes.

He also wants the commissioners to determine if they want to support passage of the proposed compact by the state Legislature that convenes in January.

Commissioners Gary Krueger and Cal Scott voted in late December 2013 to send a letter to the water policy committee while Commissioner Pam Holmquist opposed the county show of support.

The letter soft-pedaled Flathead County’s support, saying the commissioners supported a compact process but not necessarily the compact as it was proposed a year ago.

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

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

Crowder is referring to minutes of a tribal meeting in June during which a $22,000 payment to the Republicans for Responsible Government — a political action committee with which Tutvedt is affiliated — was approved “to help get Republican support on the ballot for the water compact.”

Tutvedt, of West Valley, represents Senate District 3. He told the tribes during that meeting that he is “solidly one of the largest irrigators in Flathead County so I have skin in the game just like you do.”

Tutvedt further 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 said during the meeting. “We have a plan in place how to fix that 60-vote problem in the House.”

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

“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 would quantify the tribes’ water rights and spend millions of dollars to improve the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project, but opponents argue it may impair landowners’ water rights and usage.

Ahead of the upcoming public discussion, Commissioner Krueger has drafted a letter to Gov. Steve Bullock that 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 compact is negotiated.

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

The letter further 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.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.