Page 26 - Flathead Beacon // 8.20.14

26 | AUGUST 20, 2014
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point. Jackson said a large por- tion of his constituents have voiced their worries, too.
“Our collective experience with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes suggests that if the recommended con- ditions are not in writing, they will not be done. Verbal com- mitments made now will not necessarily be adhered to in the future,” Jackson wrote to FERC in a motion to intervene in the transfer of the Kerr li- cense. According to officials, FERC received Jackson’s mo- tion and is reviewing it to deter- mine whether further review of the upcoming acquisition is necessary.
Meanwhile, Lipscomb and the CSKT are moving forward, counting down the days un- til Sept. 5 of next year. For the last two years, tribal employ- ees have been shadowing PPL workers to learn the intricacies of operating the dam. Sixty-five people applied to work at the facility, Lipscomb said, and the tribes plan to hire a staff of 21 people to manage and operate all aspects of the dam. So far, 11 of the 18 employees on staff are tribal members.
The employees will work for Energy Keepers, which is a separate corporation under the
oversight of the tribes, similar to S&K Technologies and other prominent CSKT commercial entities.
Energy Keepers will provide direct support to the tribes, Lipscomb said. Since the dam was built on tribal land, the op- erators, such as PPL, have paid rent to the tribes on an annual basis. Last year PPL paid $19 million in land-use fees to the CSKT, which depends on the major revenue source. Energy Keepers similarly will pay the tribal government through rev- enues, Lipscomb said.
The tribal council is also planning to rename the facility, and the new title will likely be unveiled near the acquisition date.
“This is the recapturing of a pretty significant place for us, from a cultural and religious perspective, and it will mean the management of our own re- sources,” said Lipscombs.
“We’re getting back the re- sources that were preserved for us by our forefathers and by our chiefs in 1855 when they signed (the Hellgate Treaty). It will be a great accomplishment from our perspective and allow us to provide that for our future gen- erations.”
[email protected]
Brian Lipscomb, CEO of Energy Keepers, Inc., a tribally owned corporation established to manage the facility’s take over of Kerr Dam.
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