Page 28 - Flathead Beacon // 11.9.16

LIKE I WAS SAYING 30 TWO FOR THOUGHT 30 DRAWING BOARD 31 Viewpoints
LETTERS
Teck Committed to Ensuring Health of Watershed
I am writing in response to the Oct. 26 article “Senator Pushes to Protect Health of Lake Koocanusa,” in order to provide your readers with a more com- plete picture of the work underway on both sides of the border to safeguard our shared environment.
The fact is extensive work is being undertaken in cooperation between government agencies, First Nations, scientists, academics and industry, to carry out studies and to take action to ensure that the aquatic health of Lake Koocanusa and the Elk River watershed is protected.
A key part of that e ort is the Lake Koocanusa Research and Monitoring Working Group, which brings together public and private stakeholders to pro- vide ongoing oversight of environmen- tal work related to water quality and aquatic health. The working group includes representatives from the state of Montana, Teck, federal agencies such as Environment Canada and the EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Geological Survey and the Confederated Salish and Koote- nai Tribes and Ktunaxa Nation, among others.
Teck is also implementing the Elk Valley Water Quality Plan, a compre- hensive approach to safeguarding the health of the watershed, developed in cooperation with governments in Can- ada and the U.S. as well as First Nations, U.S. Tribes, and scienti c experts. Under the plan, we are constructing water treatment facilities at our steel- making coal mines in B.C., the rst of which became fully operational earlier this year. That facility is now success- fully reducing concentrations of sub- stances such as selenium and nitrate in the watershed, and helping improve water quality downstream.
Teck is committed to continuing to work cooperatively with stakeholders in the U.S. and Canada to ensure the health of the watershed is maintained for generations to come.
Marcia Smith, senior vice president, Sustainability and External A airs Teck
Hospitality of the Valley
This past month Kalispell Public Schools hosted its sixth and nal state sports’ championship for the year – the state AA soccer tournament. The week before, the Montana High School Asso- ciation’s Cross Country State Champi- onships represented every size school in the state in a nal competition. This past spring, we hosted AA Tennis
Championships, the Archie Roe Track and Field Invitational, Basketball’s Western B Divisional and nally Girls’ AA Softball.
These events bring fans, friends and families from across Montana to Kalis- pell, providing an important boost to our local economy – particularly when these events happen during the fall and spring shoulder season, when peak sum- mer tourism declines. Each event takes countless hours of preparation from sta , in addition to their normal duties. The MHSA Cross Country State Cham- pionships alone was three years of plan- ning and preparation.
Thank you to Bryce Wilson and Mark Dennehy, the activities directors who worked long hours to make these events happen. Thank you to the won- derful volunteers who make each game and division possible. And to the resi- dents of Kalispell who make the athletes and their support ‘teams’ feel welcome. A special thank you to Rebecca Farm, their generous donation of their incredi- ble venue made the MHSA’s Cross Coun- try Championships an unforgettable memory.
Kalispell Public Schools is proud to be a part of the economic fabric of the Flathead and proud to host these events. More than one person has commented on the extraordinary hospitality they experienced while staying in the valley.
Mark Flatau, superintendent, Kalispell Public Schools Andrea Johnson, assistant superintendent Kalispell Public Schools
The Path Ahead
The Kootenai National Forest is one of Montana’s hidden secrets. Productive forests, soaring peaks, rushing water, and small communities are around each bend in the road.
Even with so much going on to sup- port communities and the land in our area, there’s a lot that is still as it should be. Folks still cut their own wood to heat their homes each winter. They ll their freezers every fall with venison or elk, and they prefer to work out their di erences together instead of in the courtroom.
It’s in this spirit that a group of busi- ness owners, community leaders, mill operators, and conservationists hashed out a plan over time that will provide a more predictable ow of timber, protect access for recreationists, and secure some of the best big game habitat for future generations. Through the bet- ter part of a decade, the Kootenai For- est Stakeholders Coalition remained dedicated to nding a unique, Mon- tana-made solution to our public land challenges by focusing on a better future
for the Kootenai.
It’s no secret; the Kootenai National
Forest has been a tough place to nd agreement, but we’ve worked through the toughest times and our public lands don’t have to be a place of winners and losers. We don’t have to choose between harvesting trees and harvesting elk. It’s not a choice to have wilderness areas or snowmobile trails. Instead, we agree that the 2.2-million acre Koote- nai Forest is big enough for each of us – where others see impossibility, we see potential.
That’s why we worked together to draft guidelines outlining common ground to improve timber management that bring economic and forest resto- ration bene ts to our communities. Our common ground agreement is our vision for how the current forest plan can be implemented on the Kootenai National Forest and informs how we participate in the public comment process.
We worked together to ensure motor- ized and non-motorized recreation has a place in the forest sand we agreed to set aside some areas like the Scotchman Peaks, Roderick Mountain and Canyon Peak as wilderness so that places in the Kootenai stay just the way they are today.
Our plan is an investment in jobs. It’s an investment in the forest. It’s an investment in adventure. It’s an invest- ment in our future. It also has the sup- port and endorsement of groups and individuals from the forest industry, local and regional conservation groups, local elected o cials and outdoor motorized recreational groups.
Now we would like to hear from you.
Join the Kootenai Forest Stakehold- ers Coalition at one of our open house meetings near you to discuss a vision of community-based stewardship for our national forest. These meetings are open to the public and will be held around northwestern Montana in Troy, Noxon, Libby and Eureka. You can visit kooenaifuture.org for details and to learn more about our ongoing work together.
The Kootenai Forest belongs to all of us. A love of our public lands and respect for one another brought us together. Please join us.
Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition Executive Board: Ed Levert, Lincoln County Forester Robyn King, Yaak Valley Forest Council Paul McKenzie, F.H. Stoltze Tim Dougherty, Idaho Forest Group Amy Robinson, Montana Wilderness Association
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NOVEMBER 9, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
LETTERS
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