il-june-18

MONTANA
Bear Paw
Development
Corporation
boundary
MANAGER PROFILE
chickpeas and lentils. Montana has gone from
being a bit player in the pulse crop market just
a few years ago to number one in the nation
for growing certain pulse crops, including
lentils. Our region here in northern Montana
is heavily involved in that market. None of
this would be possible without the capacity
to irrigate these acres with water that flows
into the Milk River because of the St. Mary
Conveyance.
Kris Polly: Are you interested in attracting
processors or potential specialty crops to the
valley?
River Valley flourishes because we are able to irrigate tens of thousands
of acres of land. We live in a fairly arid part of the country, and the
Milk River, which flows right through Havre, would actually run dry
7 of 10 years if this infrastructure component had not been constructed
100 years ago. We owe our livelihood to this incredible piece of
infrastructure that, unfortunately, needs work right now. It is located on
the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and delivers water that ultimately goes
into Canada and comes back into the United States just north of Havre.
This water is used not only to irrigate an incredible amount of land, but
also for municipal drinking water, economic development purposes, and
of course, recreational purposes throughout our region. We refer to it as
the lifeline of the Hi-Line.
Kris Polly: Is Bear Paw interested in further economic development of
the St. Mary's project in the Milk River Valley?
Paul Tuss: We sure are. We seize every opportunity we can to help
communities grow and become great places to live, work, raise a
family, and build a business. Candidly, none of these things could
happen without this project. This is arguably the single most important
infrastructural enhancement in northern Montana when it comes to
making communities economically viable and great places to live. We
are heavily invested in making sure that this project moves forward and
that the necessary rehabilitation happens as quickly as possible.
Kris Polly: How many acres are irrigated by the project now?
Paul Tuss: Around 121,000 acres are irrigated with water from this
project. Agriculture is the backbone to our economy here in northern
Montana and always will be. This level of agricultural production
simply would not exist if this infrastructural enhancement had not been
constructed over 100 years ago.
Kris Polly: What are some of the crops that are grown there, and what
types of economic projects are you trying to bring to the project?
Paul Tuss: We have traditional crops, including wheat and barley, that
have always been grown here. However, there are now a significant
number of pulse crops that are being grown in this area, including
Paul Tuss: You bet. We understand full well
that as significant an economic driver as
traditional agriculture is, taking traditional
agriculture to the next level and adding value to
the commodities we grow is equally important.
We at Bear Paw Development greatly value
the partnerships we have with industry and
the agricultural community to add value to the
commodities we grow. In other words, rather
than simply shipping wheat to the Pacific Rim,
it would be far better to be baking bread with
it and getting a higher price for the quality
products we grow here. The idea is that valueadded
activity will result in higher profits for
our agricultural producers. Rather than simply
raising cattle, we can produce high-end beef that
can be processed right here. We have an entire
department at Bear Paw Development that is
devoted exclusively to value-added agriculture.
We assist people at the local level when it comes
to things they want to do. For example, we
have helped a local snack food manufacturer
whose product is grown organically here in our
region. If we can add value to these incredible
agricultural products that farmers and ranchers
have been growing for over 100 years in our
region, we are going to see the benefits of that
for decades to come.
Kris Polly: What are some advantages that
companies should be aware of before doing
business in Montana?
Paul Tuss: We are 35 miles from the Canadian
border. Even for those of us who live that
close to Canada, we tend to forget that our
neighbors to the north are not just great
friends of ours but also are consumers. There
are a lot of people who live on that southern
border of Canada. If I were to get in my vehicle
IRRIGATION LEADER 27