County Brief

On Feb. 8 during the Valley County Commissioner Meeting, commissioners agreed to contribute a donation of $1,000 to the St. Mary’s Irrigation Project. The funds will be used to produce a film that demonstrates the need to rehabilitate the irrigation system along the Milk River, and maintaining the dam at Shelbourne Lake, near Glacier National Park. The dam diverts water into the Milk River which then flows up into Canada, before returning back into the U.S. near Havre .If it were to fail the Milk River could run dry. The film will be used while lobbying to demonstrate the importance of the project . The budget for the video is $41,000 and the estimated cost for the St. Mary’s project is 40 million dollars.

The commissioners also voted to accept the proposed Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM). The PDM is required by FEMA for the county to be eligible for grants and must be updated every five years. The PDM outlines strategies for the county in the event of disasters such as tornadoes, flooding, and civil disobedience. The PDM identifies areas and structures or areas that could possibly be hazardous around the county, as well as an estimate as to the cost to repair or correct these problems.

Integrated Solution Consultants prepared the PDM for Valley, Sheridan, Roosevelt and Daniels County at a cost of $122,666.68. 75 percent of the cost of the PDM was cover by the Federal Government, the remaining $30,666.68 was split four ways. Valley County’s share of the cost was $7,666.67 and was paid with a grant through FEMA. The next step for the PDM is for towns across Valley County to pass resolution to accept the PDM.

For more information about or to view Valley County’s Pre-Disaster Mitigation contact Rick Seiler by email at [email protected] or by phone at 406-263-1479.