Comments on the International St. Mary-Milk Rivers Administrative Task Force Report
Ralph I. Pentland
June 06, 2006
- English
In April of 2003, Montana Governor Judy Martz asked the International Joint Commission (IJC) to re-evaluate their 1921 Order regarding the apportionment of the waters of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers, and associated tributaries. The state contended that the Order did not equally divide the waters of the two river basins, that circumstances today are different than they were immediately prior to 1921, and that improvements are required to the administrative procedures that implement the Order
The IJC subsequently held public meetings to gather information, and late in 2004 established an Administrative Measures Task Force to examine and report on "measures for improvements to existing administrative procedures of the St. Mary and Milk Rivers apportionment to ensure more beneficial use and optimal receipt by each country of its apportioned waters." The Task Force released its draft report in April of 2006, and requested comments on it. In this submission, Ralph Pentland argues that the best short-term outcome for both countries would be to broaden and strengthen cooperative institutional arrangements.