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Montana Department of Justice

Advisory Councils

UCFRB | BNRC | TRC

Upper Clark Fork River Basin (UCFRB) Advisory Council

In 1998, Governor Marc Racicot established the UCFRB Remediation and Restoration Advisory Council. The Council’s mission is to:

  • facilitate public dialogue
  • promote public understanding
  • advise the governor on remediation and restoration efforts in the basin

Major Council activities include:

  • providing outreach on remediation and restoration issues and activities in the basin
  • reviewing grant applications and recommending grant funding to the governor
  • reviewing and recommending draft guidance and policies related to the expenditure of restoration funds

For more information, contact Kathy Coleman at (406) 444-0205 or e-mail at nrdp@mt.gov.

Council Members

The Council consists of citizen volunteers representing the public and various interest groups, and five government representatives.

The following eight Council members were appointed as residents of the Upper Clark Fork River Basin.

Chair: William Rossbach, Missoula
Roy O’Connor, Missoula
Elton (Mick) Ringsak, Butte
Jim Kambich, Butte
Katherine Eccleston, Anaconda
Michael McLean, Anaconda
Jon Krutar, Ovando
Maureen Connor, Philipsburg

Governmental Representatives

Note: State representatives are non-voting members.

  • Vernon Finley – Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
  • Director or designee – Montana Department of Environmental Quality
  • Director or designee – Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
  • Director or designee – Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
  • Laura Rotegard – U.S. Department of Interior

UCFRB Meeting Notice

The UCFRB Advisory Council typically meets the third Wednesday of the month at various locations in the Basin. Meeting dates, times and locations will be posted.

for more information contact Kathy Coleman 444-0229 or e-mail at kcoleman@mt.gov

 

Date & Time
Subject
Location
To be determined Deer Lodge Elks Club, 230 Main Street Deer Lodge

Butte Natural Resource Damage Restoration Council (BNRC)

The Butte Natural Resource Damage Restoration Council (BNRC) will provide recommendations to the Governor on how to spend the 28 million dedicated to restoration of the Butte Area One Site through the 2008 Consent Decree.

Council Members

The Council consists of nine members, with six appointed by the Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive and three appointed by the Governor.

Elizabeth Erickson, Chairperson
Bill Callaghan
Mark Gollinger
Helen Joyce
Edie McClafferty
John McKee
Chad Okrusch
Emmett Riordan
Dave Williams

For more information, contact Pat Cunneen at (406) 533-6882 or e-mail at PCunneen@mt.gov.

Butte Area One  Restoration Ideas and Restoration Planning Documents

In March 2012, the Governor approved a restoration process plan for Butte Area One proposed by the BNRC.  The BNRC solicited restoration ideas for injured surface and groundwater resources in Butte Area One, pursuant to this process plan.  In October 2012, the State produced a draft Butte Area One Restoration Plan that was developed by the BNRC, with the assistance of NRDP, and the subject to public comment.  In January 2013, the Governor approved a final Butte Area One Restoration Plan as proposed by the BNRC.  Provided below are links to these  planning documents and restoration ideas submitted.

For more information contact Pat Cunneen of the Butte Natural Resource Damage Program at 533-6882, or email pcunneen@mt.gov

 

BNRC Meeting Notice

Date & Time
Subject
Location
To be determined

Trustee Restoration Council (TRC)

In 2000, the Governor created the Upper Clark Fork River Basin Trustee Restoration Council (TRC). The TRC consists of the Governor’s Chief of Staff (Chair), the Attorney General, the Chairman of the UCFRB Remediation and Restoration Advisory Council and the directors of the States’ three natural resource agencies (Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks). The TRC makes recommendations to the Governor about expenditures of natural resource damages recovered by the State in Montana v. ARCO and directs Natural Resource Damage Program about what funding proposals and procedures will be the subject of public comment prior to a final decision by the Governor. The Advisory Council Chairman acts on behalf of the Advisory Council as a voting member of the TRC. The Attorney General is a non-voting member of the TRC. The TRC meets on an as-needed basis, typically quarterly.

TRC Meeting Notice

Date & Time
Subject
Location
TBD