POLSON — Lake County Democrats and Republicans want people to recognize that water quality is an issue that surpasses party lines. In fact, protecting Flathead Lake is an issue that crosses national boundaries as well.
The two parties have issued a joint resolution supporting the protection of the entire Flathead River basin, from Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park through Flathead Lake and the entire Flathead River drainage.
Gehrand Bechard and Suzanne Luepke, leaders of the Lake County Republican and Democratic parties, respectively, signed the document on December 27 in honor of their general constituencies to show the dedication the people of Montana have for preserving the quality of the state’s environment.
“It’s a topic I’m very concerned about,” said Bechard. “It’s a very real thing that people need to pay more attention to. Flathead lake is a very fragile lake. People don’t recognize that because it’s so big.”
The joint resolution references coal mining and coal-bed methane extraction planned for the northern areas of the basin, across the nation’s border in Canada.
“We have grave concerns that the proposed massive development could have critical and dangerous impacts on the Flathead River Basin, its biodiversity and high water quality,” the document states.
“I don’t think the value of the dollar replaces the value of this lake,” Bechard emphasized.
The resolution recognizes the right of Canada to develop it resources, but takes aim at the value of such development.
“Coal development and coal-bed methane extraction hold the potential for short-term monetary gains in Canada,” the resolution acknowledges, but they conflict with Montana’s constitutional promise of a healthful environment. Thus the document proclaims the coal developments’ “long-term negative impacts, including significant pollution in both the United States and Canada, far outweigh any conceivable benefit to either nation.”
It’s not such a wild fear, Bechard said.
“I’ve seen lakes become so polluted that you can’t even swim in them,” Bechard said.
When he was living in California, the republican chair frequented Paris Lake.
“It’s 1,000 to 1,500 acres in size. We all boated on it.” But the lake “became unusable due to the disrespect of nature,” Bechard said. He said pollution form trash, sewage and boat effluvia made the lake unsuitable for human recreation. He fears the same thing could happen to Flathead.
“(People) feel it’s always going to be here in the same form, but its not,” Bechard said.
“It’s dangerous to allow contamination to start,” Bechard said of his interest in protecting the Flathead’s waters.
Luepke agrees.
“I am very interested in the water issues and do support them,” she said.
“Everybody wants the water to be clean, it’s not a partisan issue.”
While the resolution addresses Canadian mining, Luepke said the joint resolution is not meant to antagonize the Canadian government.
“The Flathead Basin Commission has been working really hard with the Canadians,” she said. Instead, the proclamation is an expression of cooperation between the American political parties, Bechard said.
“We want to show them we are united in a front to protect this lake,” he stated.
“It’s not to harm them,” Bechard said of the Canadian businesses, “but the sites they have picked out will really harm our lake.”
The writers of the agreement hope that “governmental organizations, concerned institutions and other political entities in both the United States and Canada (will) work cooperatively to protect our crystal clear and clean waters as well as the beauty and pristine nature of the entire Flathead Basin,” according to the document.
Both representatives hope the resolution gets the attention of all those who might impact the environment of the Flathead River basin.
“Everybody was agreeable that it was a good ting to do,” Lupeke said.
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