1984-11-13 Char-Koosta News

              CHAR-KOOSTA
Newspaper of the Confederated Salisb & Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation
VOLUME 13    NUMBER 14
THE STORYTELLING MONTH
NOVEMBER 13, 1984
Natural resources in the news:
Kerr Dam, polluted fish, road closures, river restrictions, and FIP
The Oct 4 agreement between the Tribes and the Montana Power Company on the terms of a joint, 50-year Kerr Dam license has yet to be formally filed, because a few items aren't proving so easy to agree on.
The name Char-Koosta is derived from Chief Charlo's and Chief Koostatah's names. They were the Tribes' last traditional chiefs.
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A pre-hearing meeting between lawyers for the Tribes and MPC, and FERC judge Bruce Birchman Nov. 5 led to both sides given two weeks to iron out problems with the contested "bargain block" of power allegedly due to the Flathead Irrigation Project, interim minimum flows of water in the Flathead River, and a recent court decision from Yakima County.
The first problem stems from the Tribes' claim that a 1930 agreement for MPC to provide cheap power to FIP from the then- new Kerr Dam expired in 1980 along with the original license. Although MPC and FIP have agreed on what the former will charge the latter
Polluted fish, page 2 Road closures, page 3 Restrictions, page 4 FIP, page 5
for power during the first 30 years of the 50-year joint license there's been no concensus between FIP and the Tribes on the proposed lease's 20 years of Tribal operation.
The Tribes and MPC also cant agree on the minimum amount of water needed to maintain the fish in the lower Flathead River. The Tribes' natural resources experts would like to see the river maintained at 3,200 (Continues on page two)
Council votes for $200 for Christmas
The Tribal Council, after something of an oral auction, voted Nov. 9 to pay out a $200 per capita
The payment is December's regularly scheduled $100 plus August" s budgetted $100. If s being made with this warning: If the Kerr Dam lease agreement falls through, there will be no money for an August 1985 payment
The motion for the payment underwent the usual amount of debate before approval Tribal Executive Treasurer Vern Clairmont who is currently acting as Executive Secretary as well, expressed concern that FY 85's stumpage and interest income will be lower than in
years past If Augusts $100 were to be given out an additional$50,000 would be lost in interest he cautioned
Pablo's Vic Stinger shared Clairmonts cautious views, saying the Council should just grit its teeth and stay with the planned $100 payment If and when the Kerr lease was approved, maybe a bigger payment could be made next Christmas
The first motion was for$100. "Would it hurt very much to go $150?" Chairman Joe Felsman asked '7m thinking of the children"
A second motion called for $200 apiece A third motion went back to $100, until (Continues on page two)