MT Lawmaker to Chair Regional River Governance Council

Rep. Debby Barrett, R-Dillon, has been named chair of the Legislative Council on River Governance, a cooperative association of regional legislators who meet to discuss common interests and challenges along the Columbia River Basin.

Barrett was appointed to the council by House Speaker Scott Sales, R-Bozeman. She will serve two years as chair. The council is made up of legislators from Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. The chairmanship rotates among participating states.

The council has identified several issues and needs common to all four states, including the federal Endangered Species and Clean Water acts, reasserting state authority over water rights, state sovereignty, coordination among states, tribal relations, and participation in federal decision-making related to state issues.

"The state has to be at the table for these issues," Barrett said. "It's our authority and our duty to manage the natural resources in our state."

Barrett noted the importance of the Columbia River Basin, saying that 40 percent of all U.S. hydropower is produced from its waters.

"The navigation cargo transportation business is vital and is a multimillion-dollar business," she added, "and the agriculture industry is also heavily reliant on the river system."

Other Montana members on the council are Rep. Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings; Sen. Steve Gallus, D-Butte; and Sen. Aubyn Curtiss, R-Fortine, who was recently appointed to replace longtime member Sen. Bill Tash, R-Dillon.

For more information on the Legislative Council on River Governance, visit the Council of State Governments website.