The following letter was signed by the Commissioners today to send to Governor Bullock:
Dear Governor Bullock:
The Missoula County Commission would like to sincerely thank you for your leadership this legislative session. We closely track legislative activities to assess how efforts in Helena will affect Missoula County residents. We have concerns about the impacts of HB 339 - Revise laws related to exempt appropriations of water and request that you veto the bill.. If signed into law, HB 339 will have adverse impacts to our economy, resources and residents.
HB 339 is built on the assumption that the impact of the unregulated proliferation of exempt wells can be mitigated by separating the wells by 330 feet in open basins and 660 feet in closed basins. This is not based in scientific finding. As a result, our planning division has significant concerns that HB 339 will threaten our aquifers by deciding water consumption allocations based on arbitrary numbers and not based in the tested practices we implement when planning for growth. How we use and allocate water is a critical community decision we must undertake with strategic precision.
Furthermore, HB 339 will harm senior water rights holders across the state. Under this bill, when a residential use is exempt from the requirement to obtain a water right, there is no provision to notify senior water rights holders. Additionally, there is no recourse for senior rights holders if the exempt wells impact water availability. HB 339 places a home sprawling across a landscape of unplanned land use at a significant advantage over agriculture and industrial users. Encouraging such development without regard to water supplies will impact our ability to plan and assist a variety of land owners in the sustainable use of limited natural resources.
Lastly, HB 339 threatens our natural environment. The allocation of our aquifer under HB 339 is without regard to topography, geography or hydrology which will result in adverse impacts to our rivers and lakes and our community. If we wish to balance development with the natural environment, the strategic use of our water resource is critical.
Water use is not something we should approach without sound science. We cannot place our residents and economy at risk by making decisions on our water consumption based on arbitrary numbers. We urge you to exercise your veto authority on HB 339.
Please feel free to contact our office if we can provide further information or data regarding these concerns related to HB 339.
Per Pat O'Herren: Suggest we monitor this bill for now. Linda is doing background research for us.
ReplyDeleteThe following letter was signed by the Commissioners today to send to Governor Bullock:
ReplyDeleteDear Governor Bullock:
The Missoula County Commission would like to sincerely thank you for your leadership this legislative session. We closely track legislative activities to assess how efforts in Helena will affect Missoula County residents. We have concerns about the impacts of HB 339 - Revise laws related to exempt appropriations of water and request that you veto the bill.. If signed into law, HB 339 will have adverse impacts to our economy, resources and residents.
HB 339 is built on the assumption that the impact of the unregulated proliferation of exempt wells can be mitigated by separating the wells by 330 feet in open basins and 660 feet in closed basins. This is not based in scientific finding. As a result, our planning division has significant concerns that HB 339 will threaten our aquifers by deciding water consumption allocations based on arbitrary numbers and not based in the tested practices we implement when planning for growth. How we use and allocate water is a critical community decision we must undertake with strategic precision.
Furthermore, HB 339 will harm senior water rights holders across the state. Under this bill, when a residential use is exempt from the requirement to obtain a water right, there is no provision to notify senior water rights holders. Additionally, there is no recourse for senior rights holders if the exempt wells impact water availability. HB 339 places a home sprawling across a landscape of unplanned land use at a significant advantage over agriculture and industrial users. Encouraging such development without regard to water supplies will impact our ability to plan and assist a variety of land owners in the sustainable use of limited natural resources.
Lastly, HB 339 threatens our natural environment. The allocation of our aquifer under HB 339 is without regard to topography, geography or hydrology which will result in adverse impacts to our rivers and lakes and our community. If we wish to balance development with the natural environment, the strategic use of our water resource is critical.
Water use is not something we should approach without sound science. We cannot place our residents and economy at risk by making decisions on our water consumption based on arbitrary numbers. We urge you to exercise your veto authority on HB 339.
Please feel free to contact our office if we can provide further information or data regarding these concerns related to HB 339.
Respectfully,
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS