Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor:
For years, we've felt the impacts of the decaying St. Mary Milk River water system. In 2020, a massive drop structure failure resulted in 22 weeks without water flowing through the St. Mary’s Diversion Dam — a structure that regularly supplies the Milk River System with more than 60 percent of its water.
Fixing that one drop structure cost $8 million in emergency funds and was simply a stop gap measure. Much more work remains to overhaul the system and keep water flowing for decades to come.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation estimates that more than $60 million is needed to replace the St. Mary Diversion Dam and help mitigate future problems.
Fortunately, the recently passed Bi-Partisan Infrastructure Deal forged by Montana’s own U.S. Senator Jon Tester provides ample resources to help get the job done. Nearly $100 million is set aside for vital improvements to the century-old St. Mary Milk River system.
The Milk River is 729 miles long and stretches from the Blackfeet Nation along the Hi-Line before emptying into the Missouri River just below the Fort Peck Dam. It provides drinking water to thousands, helps irrigate more than 120,000 acres and serves nearly 700 farms that grow everything from wheat to sugar beets.
That’s exactly the kind of aisle-crossing commonsense we expect from our Senators when we send them to D.C.
There’s one more big item remaining on the to-do list before 2021 comes to a close — passing the Build Back Better Act. We need Senator Tester to help cross it off.
The Build Back Better Act will provide much needed resources for everything from child care to housing costs. However, here in Montana, the Build Back Better Act will also have an outsized impact on important environmental issues.
In the past decade, a dozen extreme weather events have cost the state nearly $5 billion. The Build Back Better Act will provide additional funds for wildfire mitigation and also invest in a Civilian Climate Corps that can help train the next generation to protect our public lands and combat climate change while enjoying a good-paying job all at the same time.
Additionally, the Build Back Better Act will allow seven community colleges throughout Montana to benefit from expanded grants that focus on training workers for new roles in the clean energy economy. Build Back Better contains historic investments that we have to push across the finish line.
We know Senator Tester has a track record of getting difficult jobs done. This is when he shines. Now, every Montanan needs him to take up the torch once again and lead the way.
Rep. Bridget Smith, HD 31
