1980-06-15 Char-Koosta News

              VOLUMEm.NUMBER 3 NEW MOON OF THE CAMAS                                     JUNE 15,1981
Pipeline given 'green light' to cross Reservation
Three years of debate and discussion 1982.  Councilman Swaney, though,     ly with the public and with all political
ended June 5 when the Tribal Council long an opponent of the pipeline, told     entities. This agreement has been reached
voted to allow the Northern Tier another newspaper that action to stop    in that spirit."
Pipeline Company to cross tribal land the Reservation portion maybe attempt-      And the Governor of Montana stated:
with a 42-inch crude oil pipeline. ed through Tribal Court.                       "This is a landmark agreement, and both
Six months' intensive effort between Most everyone else involved seems     the Flathead Tribal Council and Northern
NTPC and tribal officials and the happy enough with the conclusion.     Tier deserve praise. It represents the
Tribes' D.C. law firm yielded a 30-year Chairman  Tom  Pablo  said  (in  a    culmination of extensive negotations
and $27 million deal. prepared news release): "I'm proud of    conducted in good faith between a pri-
The pipeline will cross about 62 miles our Council for its wisdom and far-    vate corporation and the Confederated
of Reservation land, 25 miles of which sightedness in accepting the offer of    Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Our national
are in trust, on its way from Port Northern Tier Pipeline. It is my hope    energy future will be well served by such
Angeles, Wash, to Clearbrook, Minn. that the Council will be just as farsighted    an agreement. This co-operation stands
Although  the  'nitty-gritty'  details in its plan to use this money. I have ap-     as a model for others to emulate."
have yet to be put in a contract, Foster predated negotiating with Northern Tier       Tribal  members  are  undoubtedly
DeReitzes, an attorney with Wilkinson, during the past year as they have been     making plans for what they expect to see
Cragun and Barker, explained to the businesslike and gentlemanly."               in the way of per capitas. [We have
Council prior to the June 5 vote that a NTPC vice-president Jim Hodge said:     more than 6,000 members, folks. Do
draft agreement contains some 30 pages "In today's regulatory arena it is     the math.]
of promised environmental safeguards, reassuring to discover that opportunities       Briefly, the agreement provisions in-
along with a payment plan. are still available to choose alternatives     elude:
Voting for the deal were Councilmen that are superior technically, economi-        *   Grant right-of-way to NTPC for
E.W. Morigeau (Poison), Noel Pichette cally, and environmentally. From the    a 42-inch pipeline for a thirty-year term.
(St. Ignatius), John McClure (Arlee), outset, the St. Ignatius route across the                            (Continued on page 2)
Chairman Tom Pablo (Hot Springs), Flathead Reservation    ______
Vic Stinger (Pablo) and Louie Adams has been our
(Arlee). Opposing the motion was Joe preferred route in     Inoi/jp /A/c iccUfi
McDonald   (Ronan)   and   Bearhead Western Montana.                     '**UG
Swaney (St. Ignatius). Laurence'Ken-    As part of our com-   Kicking Horse's new idea........................Page 3
mille (Elmo) was absent when the vote    mitment to make      SKCC graduation..............................Page 4
was taken in the morning and Sonny    Northern Tier an      TERS graduation..............................Page 5
Morigeau (Dixon) abstained. energy project of      "Letters to the Editor".........................Page 8
Construction is expected to begin,     the 1980's, it has      Arlee Pow-wow schedule.......................Page 11
when and if the obstacles in Washington    been our policy to     "Around the Camp fire".......................Page 15
state are surmounted, by the fall of    work cooperative-     Tribal Council Minutes........................Page 21