Irrigator meeting sparsely attended, communication disconnect blamed
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ST. IGNATIUS – There were only a handful of irrigators on hand for the Bureau of Indian Affairs bi-annual meeting for the Flathead Indian Irrigation Project and it appears a communication disconnect between the BIA and Flathead Joint Board of Control might be to blame.
The May 5 meeting was announced in the Valley Journal and the Bureau of Indian Affairs gave the Flathead Joint Board of Control, which represents 90 percent of the project’s irrigators, notice of the meeting a more than a week ahead of time.
“I thought it would be emailed out,” BIA Project Manager Pete Plant said. He believed the board would forward the notice to irrigators.
“We need to get our own email list,” Plant said.
BIA Superintendent Bud Moran said notice of the meeting has gone through the board in the past. The Bureau of Indian Affairs operated the project from the 1920s until 2010, when a Cooperative Management Entity consisting of equal tribal and Flathead Joint Board of Control membership. The local management structure fell apart when the Flathead Joint Board of Control dissolved in a bout of political infighting and the Bureau of Indian Affairs resumed control in April 2014. Control of the project is currently being litigated in federal court.
Flathead Joint Board of Control Executive Manager Johanna Clark released the following statement the next day: “Our office is aware that concerns were expressed at a recent Flathead Irrigation Project meeting on May 6, 2015, related to what some perceived as the Flathead Joint Board of Control’s failure to release proper notifications to the Flathead, Mission and Jocko Irrigation District communities of the irrigation project’s intention to hold an educational public meeting. It is and always has been the intention the FJBC administrative office to provide irrigators and interested public with as much pertinent information as possible when it concerns the FJBC and/or water delivery.
That being said, the FJBC Commissioners and administrative staff will strive to communicate with the Flathead Irrigation Project and Bureau of Indian Affairs, our availability and willingness to forward information on their behalf and at their request, to those irrigators/interested public on our email distribution list to ensure an uninterupted informational flow and public participation. As always, we welcome feedback from all irrigators and interested public and will continue to work diligently to meet the needs expressed when possible.”
Clark encouraged irrigators to follow the board’s social media sites for updates.
“I would also kindly remind the public of the FJBC Facebook page that will also list upcoming meetings and useful information,” the statement said. “Please do not hesitate to contact our office with any questions or concerns you may have regarding this issue.”
The Flathead Joint Board of Control can be reached at (406) 745-2090. The Flathead Indian Irrigation Project Office, under control of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, can be reached at (406) 745-2661.
