It looks like Montana is suffering greatly by not having a senator on the appropriations committee, especially on the Energy and Water appropriations subcommittee.

The Great Falls Tribune is reporting today that, “So little federal money is trickling into Montana’s two fledgling regional rural water projects that, barring a drastic increase in funding from Congress, it’s possible they’ll never be built, according to project proponents.”

That’s bad news for Fort Peck/Dry Prairie and the Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana projects, not to mention the St. Mary Project.

I predicted there would be tough times ahead for Montana to obtain appropriations dollars. We’ve seen Defense appropriations cut in half, and now it appears that some of the vital water projects may never be completed.

Also according to the Tribune, “Rural regional water projects in the Dakotas have fared much better in Congress than Montana’s projects. [Sen. Kent] Conrad is chairman of the Senate Budget Committee while Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., sit on the Appropriations Committee.”

Ouch!