Mr.
Karl
Wirkus
Deputy
Regional
Director
Great
Plains
Region
U.S.
Bureau
of
Reclamation
P.O.
Box
36900
Billings,
MT 59107-6900
Re: Comments
on
the
Red
River
Valley
[Water]
Supply
Project
Draft
Documents
Distributed
at
the
August
20,
2002
Policy
Forum
in
Fargo,
North
Dakota:
-
Memorandum
of
Understanding
-
Environmental
Impact
Statement - Operating
Principles
-
Report
on
Needs
and
Options - Operating
Principles
Dear
Mr.
Wirkus:
Thank
you
again
for
the
opportunity
to
comment
on
these
documents. You
have
already
received
our
initial
comments,
on
the
original
September
4,
2002
deadline. The
comments
contained
in
this
letter
are
in
addition
to
those
initial
comments.
The
initial
comments
sent
on
September
4,
2002
and
the
comments
contained
herein
shall
not
be
construed
as
acquiescence
by
[the]
state
of
Missouri
to
an
interbasin
transfer
of
water
from
the
Missouri
River
basin. The
state
of
Missouri
remains
firmly
opposed
to
such
a
transfer
and
retains
any
and
all
authority
to
address
such
a
proposal
through
legal
action,
should
that
become
necessary. However,
we
have
decided
that,
at
this
time,
it
is
in
our
best
interest
to
remain
engaged
in
the
stakeholder
processes
being
carried
out
by
the
Bureau
of
Reclamation. It
is
in
this
context
that
we
offer
our
comments.
In
the
Memorandum
of
Understanding,
Section
V,
please
clarify
that
the
pubic and
identified
stakeholders shall
be
notified
of
open
meetings. Additionally,
all
stakeholders
should
be
provided
copies
of
all
documents
prepared
in
anticipation
of
and
as
a
result
of
the
meetings
of
the
co-lead
agencies. (As
a
practical
matter,
email
notification
that
such
documents
are
posted
on
Reclamation's
website
may
be
sufficient
for
most
stakeholders
involved.) This
comment
is
offered
in
the
specific,
as
well
as
the
general
sense. In
other
words,
pursuant
to
the
spirit
of
the
Dakota
Water
Resources
Act,
Reclamation
must
ensure
this
project
and
its
processes
are
as
open
and
transparent
as
possible,
and
the
numerous
stakeholders
involved
are
kept
apprised
of
the
activities
of
the
co-lead
agencies.
We
have
also
read
the
comments
submitted
by
Gary
Pearson
and
Neil
Stessman,
and
trust
you
will
give
them
thorough
consideration,
along
with
any
other
comment
letters
you
receive.
Again,
thank
your
for
the
opportunity
to
submit
comments
on
these
documents. It
was
a
pleasure
talking
with
you
in
Fargo
on
September
10. We
look
forward
to
our
continued
association
and
dialogue
on
the
critical
policy
matters
in
question
of
the
Red
River
Valley
Water
Supply
Project
and
the
Dakota
Water
Resources
Act
2000.
Sincerely,
DEPARTMENT
OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES
Stephen
Mahfood Leanne
J.
Tippett
Director Assistant
to
the
Director
Member
of
Study
Review
Team |
