We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Last week, Democratic candidate Ryan Busse made a stop in Chinook for the purpose hearing concerns on the repairs to the St. Mary's Siphon and the Milk River Project.
The discussion was spearheaded by former state senator and PSC member Greg Jergeson at the Library meeting room. Among those in attendance were Harlem Havre Mayor Doug Kaercher and Chinook Mayor Glenn Huestis along with Blaine County Commissioners Delores Plumage and Miles Hutton along with other concerned citizens.
Busse said he understood the siphon and canal project well and listened intently and took notes as attendees voiced their concerns. Jergeson stated it was a dire situation with a possibility of no crop next summer.
Most of the concerns stemmed from the additional burden the repairs would put on water users along the Hi-Line for irrigation and water use. Since it's inception, water users have been required to match approximately 75 percent of the cost of the capital projects on the St. Mary/Milk River Diversion and Conveyance System. "Over the years, irrigation districts used their own equipment and members to cover part of that match requirement," Jergeson said. "Cost to farmers and ranchers has been $32 per acre per year."
Mayors along the Hi-Line recently received letters from the Bureau of Reclamation saying they needed to also provide funding for the repairs. Chinooks share would be $100,000 with payment expected by the end of the month. Havre's share would be 567,000. Heustis and Kaercher said they are looking at alternate sources of funding to cover the payment at this time.
During the 2023 Legislative session, Senator Mike Lang from Malta and Representative Paul Tuss from Havre worked together as members of the Long-Range Building Committee to include $26 million in HB 6 as a grant to be applied to priority projects on the St. Mary/Milk River system. "This bipartisan work would have not required a match since it's pretty evident that water users on the Milk River are already matched up to their eyeballs." Jergeson said.
According to Jergeson the appropriation passed the House of Representatives as Lang and Tuss had constructed it. "Unfortunately, when it got to the Montana Senate, the Governors budget office and some of the budget allies in the Senate decided that a grant with no match requirement was unacceptable, because, as it was explained to me, 'those water users on the Hi-Line need to get some skin in the game.'"
Candidate Busse is very familiar with the term, "skin in the game." "How much more skin can you put in the game and still keep your farm," Busse said. Several in attendance agreed saying we're pretty much skin and bones now. County Comissioner Plumage added that Eastern Montana is often overlooked when it comes to funding.
When the governor's allies were shown the results of an ability to pay survey, they came up with a plan that this loan would not have to be repaid, just the interest at market rates. This adds an additional $13 dollars per acre to the farmers and ranchers.
Plumage also mentioned Senate Bill 442 which would have provided funding from Marijuana sales for local infrastructure projects including county roads. The bill passed the Montana legislature with an overwhelming 90 percent support. "That is amazing," said Busse. "You can't get 90 percent to agree on ice cream." The bill was ultimately vetoed by Governor Gianforte and efforts to override the veto have failed.
Emergency repairs such as the siphon project require a 50% match from the users, which will put an additional burden on the farmers and ranchers in the area.
"We ought not be waiting for an emergency," Busse stated, "We should be planning ahead."
Senator Jon Tester secured $100 million in the bipartisan infrastructure bill to help cover costs for replacing the diversion dam at Babb with no match for users. This would save users conservatively $30 and acre for the next 50 years. The cost of the project which was scheduled to start Aug. 20,
The Fort Belknap Water Compact would also provide funding for the repairs saving water users another $90 per acre. The Compact passed the Senate unanimously but failed in the House of Representatives and is now stalled.
