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Important
Issues
Jobs
Scott’s
biggest concern for Lincoln County is solving
the unemployment problem. Good jobs for our
citizens is his highest priority."We have seen a
drain of our best workers to North Dakota and
other states for good paying blue collar jobs.
Lincoln County is rich in resources and we must
make them available for harvest. We must
eliminate the adverse regulatory environment so
business can thrive in Lincoln County."
Water Rights
Letter to the Editor
Scott Brandos
Eureka
Dear Editor:
War has been
declared on Lincoln County. Most residents do
not know it. Currently The United States and
Montana State negotiators are negotiating with
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
negotiators. Lincoln County is getting the short
end of the water bucket.
It is understandable
that the tribes want sovereignty on the
reservation lands but that’s not enough, they
want control of all aboriginal waters. What this
means is, if a Native American fished on a creek
or took a drink from a stream in the last 1000
years then it’s their water.
Montana is a state
that has implemented the concept of first filed,
first right in regards to water rights. The
Tribes claim the Hell Gate Treaty of 1855 gives
them first right. A state negotiator said not to
worry about a “call” north of reservation
because it has never been done before and it is
not practical. If it’s not practical it should
be written into the compact that it would not be
done. “Call” is a non-threatening word used in
the compact to mean “taking”.
Tony Berget, Lincoln
County Commissioner requested that Grave Creek,
Libby Creek, and Callahan Creek be left out of
the compact since these water supplies are
important to our cities of Eureka, Libby, and
Troy. This request was well received by most of
the negotiators; tribal negotiator Patrick
Pierre flatly rejected it. Mr. Pierre went on to
explain that they were at war and they were
going to beat the white man with his own weapon,
the law. Mr. Pierre is well respected among the
tribes and is a much stronger negotiator then
the State of Montana has to offer. It appears
that the negotiators for the state of Montana
are willing to sell out Lincoln County to get a
deal with the tribes.
Sincerely
Scott Brandos
Eureka, MT 59917
Our National
Forests
Brandos Letter to Kootenai
National Forest
Plan Revision
Our National Forest
must be managed for all the people who live,
work, and recreate in and near them. The
Kootenai National Forest should be no different.
I am a resident of
Lincoln County with more then a mile of shared
property line with the Kootenai National Forest.
I also am an avid hiker, backpacker and
cross-country skier. The forest must be
accessible to all people. Both winter and summer
motorize access should be increased not
decreased. The only way to get people to have an
appreciation for, and a desire to defend and
protect the forest is to have them experience
the forest first hand.
I love wilderness,
but we have plenty of wilderness in our forests
now. Creating more wilderness will only limit
access to the people and reduce the opportunity
for commercial harvest. Creating new wild and
scenic designations for our rivers and creeks
will threaten the water supply for Eureka and
other communities in the county.
Our forest is a
national treasure and should be used for the
benefit of the people of the country. With
unemployment in the county at over 18 percent it
is a crime that we are not using the resources
of the forest, to create jobs in recreation and
timber harvest. While protecting wildlife
habitat is important, we must not lose sight of
the fact that the people belong at the top of
the food chain.
Forest Plan D has
the best management plan. It would be the
preferred plan with the following changes.
Eliminate the increases in wilderness and
wilderness study areas. Eliminate the wild and
scenic study areas. Increase accessibility by
increasing motorize access. The goal of the
forest service should be to put our resources to
work for the benefit of the people of this great
country.
Thank You
Scott Brandos
Pinkham Creek Area
PO Box 1655
Eureka MT 59917 |
