Rep. Moore Reports
Constituent Connection
It has been a busy spring, but I wanted to touch base with my constituents to relay some of things I have been working on and organizations I have been working with on behalf of my district.
For well over a year, I’ve been working with Mike Thievin in hopes of securing the small parcel of stateowned land adjacent to Pioneer Town to expand the site to house the antique tractors. This move would eventually make a new home for the Flaxville Depot. Through some contacts I was able to find a surveyor willing to survey the land at a much more reasonable rate than the state could offer. Next, the land had to be appraised by a state approved vendor which has now been done. To say I was shocked to have the appraisal for the just over 7 acres come in at $99,000 is an understatement! Since then, I have been reaching out to other appraisers to try and understand the criteria used to evaluate a parcel of land that has sat idle for well over 40 years. I have worked closely with the director of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to try and find a solution and will continue my quest on behalf of the community of Scobey and historic Pioneer Town.
On that note, I wanted to share one of the appraisers I reached out to was Bethany Toews from Wolf Point. Congratulations to her on her appointment by the Governor to the Montana Board of Real Estate Appraisers. This will give NE Montana a much better voice and perspective to this board.
Recently I was able to attend the annual Montana Main Street Conference which was held in Glasgow. It was exciting to show off our corner of this great state and the Glasgow Chamber along with Two Rivers Economic Growth did an excellent job of hosting their guests from all over the state. The conference is designed to help communities of all sizes leave with practical tools and fresh ideas to support downtown revitalization. Something most all communities can use, and I am anxious to share the many opportunities and benefits available in the state.
The conference also included the Minnow Tank competition, Montana Chamber of Commerce’s version of Shark Tank. Savanah Frederick of Scobey walked away with the runner up award and $500 for her new business venture, Frosted Feelings, a bakery with cookies, pastries and cakes as her specialty. She plans to buy a dough sheeter with her award monies and is anxious to get her business up and running in the former Shu’s Kitchen building.
Bridger Pipeline held a landowner meeting in Scobey to address any questions and concerns specific to landowners or leaseholders of land where the pipeline will cross. It was very productive and I walked away with the feeling most all were comfortable with the project moving forward. As I stated earlier, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our counties in the form of new property tax values. Zac Weis, head of governmental affairs for Bridger, told me they were happy they received the Presidential border crossing permit, and they are progressing with the regulatory work with BLM and DEQ.
I am working closely with Bridger, the Governor, and the Department of Environmental Quality to do my part in making this a reality in not only a timely manner, but also in meeting all the requirements and safety standards that we all expect and deserve.
If all goes as planned, construction and reclamation are scheduled to begin in the fall of 2027 putting the pipeline in service late in 2028.
As always, I am honored to represent you and bring your voice to Helena. Never hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns you might have. Rep. Valerie Moore, HD 29 dvmoore@nemont.net Phone: 406-385-7983
