We understand the fear that a new board and initiative by the International Joint Commission may expand authority and regulation of the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods watershed.
Those concerns were voiced by local elected officials many months ago during a very public process that resulted in the establishment of a watershed board. And those local officials asked the right questions and publicly met with the right people to get answers to their questions.
But we must agree that a challenge issued now — 10 months after the report was completed and acted upon by the United States and Canadian governments — by the National Water and Conservation Alliance and the Washington state-based American Land Rights Association is vague and the timing questionable.
We wonder what prompted this challenge now? And why did NWCA Cochairman Don Parmeter, who was invited to take part in the process, not participate?
And we must take issue with ALRA executive director Chuck Cushman’s assertion that the vast majority of people affected have not seen the report. We believe that many offered and were invited to be a part of the process. In addition, this newspaper published several stories about the process and how people could provide input and get involved.
Clearly, the IJC and the task force that developed the recommendations have the best interests in mind when it comes to the water quality of the Rainy River and Lake of the Woods watershed.
And we don’t believe that creating a board to deal solely with water quality issues is an expansion of IJC’s authority.
Instead, it serves to coordinate efforts on both sides of the border. Lack of coordination between the two nations on other issues of concern, such as aquatic invasive species, has been criticized locally.
We encourage local citizens to read the report and decide for themselves whether the recommendations are a threat to our rights or property values. And we applaud all those who took part in the public process that led to the establishment of the new board.
