The Montana Congressional Delegation’s Work in Support of Legislation to Rescue Sidney and Kinsey Irrigators
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n October 30, 2020, President Trump signed Public Law 116-191, which allowed two small Montana irrigation water entities, the Kinsey Irrigation Company (KIC) of Custer County and the Sidney Water Users Irrigation District (SWUID) of Richland County, to continue using affordable project use power generated by the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. This legislation, without which the KIC and the SWUID would likely have had to cease operations, did not come from nowhere. It was pushed through Congress by the determined efforts of Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester and then-Congressman Greg Gianforte (now the governor of Montana). In this interview, Senators Daines and Tester and Governor Gianforte tell Irrigation Leader about their efforts on behalf of Montana irrigators.
Senator Steve Daines Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your work on the Sidney and Kinsey bill that recently became law.
Irrigation Leader: What effects will the new law have? Senator Daines: This law saved family farms and ag operations in the Sidney and Kinsey areas. Irrigators can continue to use the Pick-Sloan program and won’t have to worry about astronomical rate increases in the future. Irrigation Leader: What are the most effective ways for irrigated farmers to keep in touch with their elected officials and to communicate their priorities to them? Senator Daines: I am here to serve Montanans. I encourage anyone who needs help to reach out to any of my offices about any issue. We will do everything possible to help Montanans in need.
14 | IRRIGATION LEADER | February 2021
Senator Daines: Water is a fundamental resource that is critical for agriculture, public health, wildlife, and many other things. There are many needs related to outdated water infrastructure in Montana. I will keep fighting to ensure that Montanans have the resources they need to keep and maintain access to reliable, clean water.
Governor Greg Gianforte Irrigation Leader: Please tell us about your work on the Sidney and Kinsey bill that recently became law. Governor Gianforte: It was an honor to get this bill to President Trump’s desk and signed into law to support more than 130 family farms in eastern Montana. During my time in the House of Representatives, our team worked side by side with the affected irrigators to understand the situation and spent long hours coordinating with Reclamation. We originally hoped that this could be fixed administratively, but once we knew a legislative fix was needed, we went to bat for our farmers and ranchers to get this bill across the finish line in the House. Senator Daines did the same in the Senate. We were incredibly proud to get this piece of legislation signed for Montanans. Irrigation Leader: What effects will the new law have? Governor Gianforte: The new law requires Reclamation to enter into a new contract with the irrigators that will allow them continued access to project use power, keeping costs down and protecting Montana ag jobs. Irrigation Leader: What has your role been in securing federal investment in Montana agriculture more broadly? Governor Gianforte: Agriculture is the number 1 driver of Montana’s economy, which is why I’ve always supported efforts to improve Montana’s infrastructure. Our farmers and ranchers work hard to feed the world, and I was glad to bring their voices to Congress, to advocate for Farm Bill programs and rural development programs to improve irrigationleadermagazine.com
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE OFFICES OF STEVE DAINES, GREG GIANFORTE, AND JON TESTER.
Senator Daines: I worked extensively and in close coordination and partnership with the Bureau of Reclamation and with the SWUID and the KIC to craft this critical legislation. We knew from the beginning that getting movement through Congress would be difficult, so I reached across state and party lines to the Oregon delegation to combine our legislation with a similarly pressing technical bill dealing with water issues in Oregon, which helped in the final push to get this critical bill signed into law.
Irrigation Leader: What are the next steps for Congress when it comes to securing the future of Montana’s irrigated agriculture?
