Funding to combat mussels on upcoming legislative agenda

Montana’s susceptibility to invasive mussels has rattled policymakers across the state, and despite a tight budget, boosting the state’s invasive species programs appears to have gained bipartisan traction.

In November, the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced that invasive mussel larvae had been detected in Tiber Reservoir. Further testing of water samples has since indicated that the contamination may be limited to the Central Montana reservoir, but for many state lawmakers, the detection hammered home the risks posed by the aquatic invaders.

The potential devastation from mussels and other aquatic invasive species to Montana’s aquatic ecosystems, recreation economy and underwater infrastructure has been the target of legislation since former Sen. Verdell Jackson, R-Kalispell, introduced the Montana Aquatic Invasive Species Act in 2009. Since then, Montana has implemented a system of boat check stations, an education outreach program and an emergency response plan to limit that potential.

The state currently spends about $1.2 million each year on those programs, mostly within the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. But in light of the realities of invasive mussels suddenly coming to bear on the Treasure State last month, lawmakers from Northwest Montana and elsewhere in the state say the state’s efforts need considerable ramping-up.

“I think that’s probably got to be one of the top priorities,” Rep. Mike Cuffe, R-Eureka said in an interview. “If we doubled the hours on our boat-check stations ... that’s probably another million dollars, but I think that’s just going to be the beginning.”

Cuffe will chair the joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Long-Range Planning during the 2017 session. Since his election to the House in 2011, Cuffe has emerged as one of the central voices sounding the alarm on invasive mussels, as well as other potentially harmful aquatic invasive species.

“I think it’s going to be a main topic, and this may be the best across-the-board topic,” Cuffe said. “I suspect the bigger question will be, how much can we spend and where can we spend it?”

Cuffe said specific proposals are still being developed, but confirmed that he would push for more aquatic invasive species check stations throughout the state, where vehicles transporting watercraft are required to stop and allow officials to inspect their boats, kayaks and other gear for invasive hitchhikers.

To that end, he floated the idea of a “firewall” along a geographic boundary like the Continental Divide, assuming the bivalves haven’t yet crossed into Western Montana. That idea has also been suggested by the Flathead Basin Commission.

Cuffe currently has two bill drafts requested for the 2017 legislative session, of a total of 10 in the drafting process as of Monday. Most are temporarily on hold, with vague titles, but include at least one measure to revise enforcement of the state’s invasive species laws.

Among lawmakers crafting bills to address the issue is Rep. Jim Keane, the Butte Democrat tapped to carry Bullock’s proposed state budget in the House.

“It’s probably one of the biggest economic issues for the state of Montana,” Keane said.

He expects to introduce legislation that will increase the number of check stations in the state, while also expanding their hours of operation. Keane also supports upgrading the state’s water-sampling efforts, in which test results currently aren’t available until months after the samples are taken.

“This has to be one of the priorities of the session: How do we fund this going forward?” he said.

Like Cuffe, other lawmakers have been candid that an aggressive response to the invasive mussel threat won’t be cheap.

Rep. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork, last year passed legislation that authorized up to $10 million for a new Invasive Species Trust Fund to provide grant money for AIS prevention efforts. He said no money has been deposited in the account, but expects that will change in the coming months.

“Now I’m hoping that they’ll say, ‘OK, let’s put more effort into it,’” Noland said. “Because we’re in a budget crunch, we’re probably not going to get much, but ... I think it’s an opportune time to get this right.”

He added, “Our livelihood is on the line here for the Flathead Valley.”

WITH INVASIVE mussels knocking on the door of the Flathead River basin, Northwest Montana can take some comfort in having a deep legislative roster ready to go to bat on the issue.

Cuffe and two Flathead Valley Republicans will together chair three of the six joint appropriations subcommittees, while Sen. Chas Vincent, R-Libby, will return to his post as Chair of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. A pair of Thompson Falls Republicans, Sen. Jennifer Fielder and Rep. Bob Brown, will serve as the Senate Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee Chair and the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee Vice-chair, respectively.

Carl Glimm, R-Kalispell, will be at the helm of the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Transportation. He said in an interview that invasive mussels have “moved to the forefront as an issue, and it’s definitely going to receive more attention.”

While he criticized the initial response by Gov. Bullock’s administration, Glimm has been encouraged by the incident command team assembled by the governor earlier this month to tackle the issue. With test results from water samples expected to wrap up in the next few days, Glimm said the extent of mussel contamination throughout the state will help inform the legislative response.

“The frequency of people going through those water bodies [in Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs], to here or anywhere, that whole program is going to have to be ramped up, no matter what happens,” he said. “... I think there’s going to be plenty of support to do it, but the age-old problem is we’re still going to have to come up with the money from somewhere.”

Regardless whether mussels are found to have crossed the Continental Divide as water sampling continues, legislators throughout Northwest Montana hope the Tiber detection will serve as a wake-up call for their colleagues across the state.

“It should have gained momentum a long time ago,” Zac Perry, D-Columbia Falls, said. “That’s something that should really be scaring the heck out of everybody, and we need to make it a priority.”