Columbia Basin Trust

Description

The Columbia Basin Trust was created by the Columbia Basin Trust Act in 1995 to benefit the region most adversely affected by the Columbia River Treaty (CRT). The CRT, ratified by the United States and Canada in 1964, led to the construction of three storage dams in the Basin (Duncan, Keenleyside and Mica Dams) and one in Montana (Libby Dam). The purpose of these dams was flood control and power production in both countries. Most of the benefits of the CRT were enjoyed by areas outside the Basin while most of the negative effects were, and still are, felt by the Basin and its residents. There was a lack of prior consultation with the people of the Basin, including the 2,300 residents who were displaced by flooding of their communities and farms. The people of the Basin came together in the early 1990s to press the Province for recognition of the injustice of this situation. Local governments in the Basin coordinated their efforts at the regional district and tribal council level under the Columbia River Treaty Committee, which first met in 1992. The Committee, in partnership with elected officials from the region, negotiated with the Province. They had two objectives: - The creation of a trust governed by a board of Basin residents. - The allocation to the region of funds representing a fair share of the ongoing downstream benefits earned under the CRT, to be managed by the trust. On both counts negotiations were successful and the Columbia Basin Trust was formed...

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