Our sense is that this bill has both positive and negative impacts, and should be amended prior to receiving support from Missoula County. Last year, Missoula County supported senior water right holders in a settlement with DNRC over exempt well rule-making. This bill would render that settlement meaningless, contrary to the best interests of both senior water right holders and the public. Although the bill would establish a process for continuing exempt well discussions, it does so at the expense of the existing process and would continue discussions that two previous interim committees were unable to bring to a positive conclusion. Support for the bill is possible if it were amended to allow DNRC to continue the existing rule-making process.
Pat O'Herren writes:
ReplyDeleteOur sense is that this bill has both positive and negative impacts, and should be amended prior to receiving support from Missoula County. Last year, Missoula County supported senior water right holders in a settlement with DNRC over exempt well rule-making. This bill would render that settlement meaningless, contrary to the best interests of both senior water right holders and the public. Although the bill would establish a process for continuing exempt well discussions, it does so at the expense of the existing process and would continue discussions that two previous interim committees were unable to bring to a positive conclusion. Support for the bill is possible if it were amended to allow DNRC to continue the existing rule-making process.