LETTER: Take the long view of effects of bottling plant

The Creston bottling plant proposes to ship 231 million gallons of water out of Montana. Using — or exploiting — a precious state resource such as this sets an important precedent. How and under what circumstances is state water used? This question implicates public trust principles, and is far beyond business as usual at the Department of Environmental Quality! How will we, as a state, feel in 10-20 years if we can chart a course of conduct where massive amounts of water can be sent out of state based on traditional property rights laws?

Make no mistake, this is no ordinary or traditional property-right analysis. Exporting Montana’s water out of state merits consideration of the Legislature, and a new paradigm established for how we analyze and approve deals of this magnitude affecting important natural resources of the state of Montana.

Who has what right to water will only become more important in future years. We must make decisions with a view of the future. No bottling plant in Flathead County!

—Elsa Putzier, Bigfork