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Flathead River International Study Board records, 1976-1991

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Flathead River International Study Board.
Title
Flathead River International Study Board records
Dates
1976-1991 (inclusive)
Quantity
4.6 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number
MC 259
Summary
These records consist of the files of an international board directed to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed Cabin Creek Coal Mine in British Columbia on, the Flathead River in Montana under the auspices of the International Joint Commission, 1985-1988. The files (1976-1991) include correspondence, financial records, board and hearing minutes, and committee and board reports (1985-1988). Also included are files of various subcommittees.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

On April 18, 1985, the International Joint Commission (IJC) established the Flathead River International Study Board to examine current water use, water quality, and fisheries of the Flathead River at the United States-Canadian border and to evaluate the effect upon the river of the construction, operation, and reclamation of the proposed Cabin Creek Coal Mine in British Columbia. The IJC was created in 1909 as part of the Boundary Waters Treaty as a means of arbitrating disputes between Canada and the United States over water issues. The Board, chaired jointly by Jim Posewitz, Montana Dept. of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and E.M. Clark, Inland Waters Directorate, created six technical committees to collect and analyze data relevant to the proposed mine: the Mine Development Committee, the Water Quality and Quantity Committee, the Biological Resources Committee, the Water Uses Committee,the Water Quality Criteria Subcommittee, and the Limnology Task Force. Over a four year period, 1985-1988, public hearings were held in Montana and British Columbia and technical reports were written analyzing potential impacts on the Flathead River. In December 1988 the Board recommended that the mine, as proposed, not be approved because of concerns about impact on stream fisheries and habitat, resources protected in Article IV of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. Shortly thereafter, on December 15, 1988, the Canadian coal company, Rio Algom, announced that it would not pursue development of the Cabin Creek Coal Mine due to the low price of coal.

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Content Description

Records. 1976-1991. 4.6 linear feet. This collection consists of the files (1976-1991) kept by Richard Moy, Secretary to the Board and an employee of the Montana Dept. of Natural Resources and Conservation. The records contain general correspondence, financial records, hearing minutes and transcripts, board minutes, reports, subject files, newspaper clippings, and printed materials, documenting the activities and concerns of the Flathead River International Study Board. In addition to Board records there are subgroups for subcommittees on Biological Resources, Limnology Task Force, Mine Development, Water Quality and Quantity, and Water Uses. The bulk of the collection consists of committee and board reports (1985-1988), which include editorial comments for the various technical drafts. The correspondence (1984-1991) between technicians and bureaucrats and their comments on various reviews, provides insight into the workings of Montana and British Columbia resource agencies and conflicts between the U.S. and Canada over resource development. Also significant are the public hearing transcripts (1985-1988), documenting public perceptions of resource issues. The library holds the printed reports and findings of the Board and various technical committees.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

by series

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Water--Pollution--Montana.
  • Bull trout--Montana.
  • Coal mines and mining--Canada--British Columbia.

Geographical Names

  • Flathead Lake (Mont.)
  • Flathead River (B.C. and Mont.)
  • Glacier National Park (Mont.)

Finding aid prepared by Bill Summers, 1994.
2005

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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