Here we go again. The Fort Belknap Water Bill 1394 died in D.C. Now Fort Belknap Indian Council has written a new water bill for 2019 and have shown this bill to Phillips and Valley Counties, Montana County Commissioners in mid January. Senator Jon Tester sponsored 1394 and most likely will sponsor the 2019 water settlement bill. I would think most people who do not like the giveaway of tens of thousands of state and federal lands that are included in this "Water Bill" along with millions of dollars will ask our senators and congressmen to oppose this bill. One should contact Senator Testers office and ask that he have a hearing period and a letter writing period so we can voice our opinions on this bill before it goes to Washington D.C.! Tester brags that he is for public lands in public hands, but not in this "Water Bill". Most of you people in Eastern Montana cherish the Little Rockies in Phillips County for all aspects of outdoor activity. There are state and other federal lands in total of 58,588 acres in this land giveaway, 20,296 are State land on reservation. I did see the new bill. I for one do not like senators giving away our public lands along with taxpayers money. What about you! If you are a sportsman who uses Montana outdoors, you might want to write Tester, he has a website for his office, easy to post directly to him. Post under Indian affairs and then Subject: Fort Belknap Water Settlement Bill of 2019. If we jump early on this we might change the possible bad outcome!
Fort Belknap Water Settlement Bill of 2019
- Thread starter 3wisemen
- Start date
Schaaf
Well-known member
Your other thread didn’t address this?
Schaaf
Well-known member
Could you provide a link to the bill language?
Yes i mentioned this before in old water bill, but this is another new attempt to ram this down our throats.The new bill has NOT been released to the public. It has been written, but not sent to Washington yet by Fort Belknap Indian Council. Send letters to Senator Jon Tester as he more than likely has seen the new bill and needs to release it to the public for review and comment! Tester sponsored the other water bills to Washington D.C.
widnert
Active member
Tester.....politician......SMH
Schaaf
Well-known member
I think I'll hold my outrage until I can actually read the text. I would advise you to do the same.
I have been advised to send my concerns on Fort Belknap Water Settlement of 2019 to my Senators and Representatives now. This was from a staffer of Rep. Greg Gianforte. The bill is a basic repeat of the SB1394. The new bill moves the boundary of the lands mentioned in water bill a quarter of a mile or so away from the old mine sites. Otherwise the tribe is looking for millions of free dollars and 58,588 acres of state and federal lands to be given to the tribe. Don't know how it will affect the irrigators down stream from Fort Belknap, but that is another chapter. If you don't like the tribe taking our BLM and State owned land which we all enjoy in different ways, then you might send a e-mail to our people in Washington D.C. to air your views. Be sure to mention the Fort Belknap Water Settlement of 2019 soon to be released to public. For you to research, Please google Grinnell Treaty, this is part of the lands in the giveaway. A lawsuit in federal court by Judge John P, Wiese in the 1980's gave tribe money for being "shorted" on original purchase in 1895. Check original agreement and you decide if the tribe was cheated? This is third attempt on water bill in Washington D.C. I'm sure a lawyer or two are stirring the pot and throwing this money and land deal in with water rights which by itself may have merit.
howler
Active member
I remember the previous water bill and to a greater extent the land give away,, there may have been a few changes in the new bill but the land give away is most important to me and is an absolute deal breaker. every chance you get tell your senator and congressman that you do not support this bill
Addicting
Well-known member
Thinking your going to get people to blindly do what your asking after calling them a fool is quite foolish of you.
Well if you don't like being called a fool, don't be one! This Water Settlement of 2019 is playing out now, so you are not going to get a punchline yet. If we sit and wait, this will be in Washington and signed into Law! Game over! Is that what you want Addicting? We had a meeting in Zortman last Thursday. All who attended by invite from Lesley Robinson from Gianforte's office received a suprise when a fellow who was hire by Island Mountain Development (Tribe) gave us a snow job on what he could do for us (consessions) if we supported the giving of the Grinnell Lands mentioned in the Settlement. Those who attended thought it was Federal people from Tester's, Daine's or/and Gianforte's office, it was not. Lesley never spoke to us, just the clown hired by Island Mountain. He preached to us that Island Mountain Development wanted to secure the water coming off the mountains that feed to the north and onto the reservation. I told him that the headwaters to all these creeks come off BLM lands and are protected. He ignored me and spoke on. Nothing else about water rights were discussed by the clown. Well have you read the compact? A summary version is attaced, not the long form. You should look at the States approved water compact and compare it to this Federal version. The Tribe and thier lawyers have added lots to the Federal version! I have notified irrigators in Phillips and Valley counties that there water rights could be in jeopardy if the tribe get's thier way.
shoots-straight
Well-known member
Maybe we can sway Tester to get public lands that are already inside the reservation boundary and use them instead.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
I am not familiar with this part of Montana at all. Where are these acres located specifically? What game animals reside on these federal lands ? Why the complete lack of interest?
"Other Federal lands have been identified and designated to be transferred to the
United States to be held in trust for the FBIC, consisting of 30,879 acres. This Federal land
transfer includes the following lands: (1) 24,785 acres designated as Bureau of Land
Management lands (including a portion of what is known as the “Grinnell Lands,” to include
14,496 acres); (2) 2,575 acres designated as Bureau of Reclamation lands (commonly
referred to as “Dodson Lands”); and (3) 3,519 acres designated as Department of Agriculture
lands (former trust lands that were judicially foreclosed on, and acquired by the Department)."
"Other Federal lands have been identified and designated to be transferred to the
United States to be held in trust for the FBIC, consisting of 30,879 acres. This Federal land
transfer includes the following lands: (1) 24,785 acres designated as Bureau of Land
Management lands (including a portion of what is known as the “Grinnell Lands,” to include
14,496 acres); (2) 2,575 acres designated as Bureau of Reclamation lands (commonly
referred to as “Dodson Lands”); and (3) 3,519 acres designated as Department of Agriculture
lands (former trust lands that were judicially foreclosed on, and acquired by the Department)."
Yes that is what i've been saying to Tester, right on! That is just compensation on the water right in my book. what ii don't understand is why the nonindian can't hunt those school sections inside the reservation, access is the problem i would say? Those federal (USDA loan defaults)and state lands (school sections) are useless as the reservation is a no trespass reservation.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
Doing a little Google research, it appears to me the "Grinnell Lands" used to be part of the reservation. Then minerals were discovered in the Little Rockies.
Probably a lot of conflicting history surrounding this mess, and one that I am going to leave to the better informed to sort out.
Probably a lot of conflicting history surrounding this mess, and one that I am going to leave to the better informed to sort out.
BigHornRam
Well-known member
The Little Rockies has some bighorns in it, right? We will probably see some sheep hunts for sale there soon. Oh frickin joy!
BuzzH
Well-known member
Not if all the sheep in breaks are dead from the Brown Family Goat and Woolgrowers Association...just a matter of time for the Little Rockies herd too.
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