Executive Order

EXECUTIVE ORDER ESTABLISHING THE UPPER MISSOURI RIVER BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT TASK FORCE

WHEREAS, Secretary of Interior Gale Norton has requested the input of the Governor of the State of Montana regarding recent monument designations within the State of Montana; and

WHEREAS, the upper Missouri River area contains important cultural, scenic and natural resource related resources; and

WHEREAS, the area encompassed by the boundary of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument contains a mixture of federal, state and private property; and

WHEREAS, agriculture, local government, small business and natural resource dependant industries are directly or indirectly impacted by the designation of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument; and

WHEREAS, the Central Montana Resource Advisory Committee was unable to reach consensus on issues critical to the management decisions related to this designation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JUDY MARTZ, Governor of the State of Montana, in accordance with the authority vested in me, do hereby establish the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Task Force.

I. PURPOSE

The Task Force shall facilitate public meetings and take public input in deference to the specific points outlined in the letter received from Secretary of Interior Gale Norton. The Task Force shall make recommendations in the form of a report to the Governor of the State of Montana with supporting rationale regarding each of the points outlined by the Secretary. The report shall be delivered to the Governor no later than August 15, 2001.

II. COMPOSITION

The Task Force shall be comprised of one State Senator and one State Representative from the affected area and the Chairman of the Fort Belknap Tribe or his appointed representative. Additionally, one County Commissioner or one duly appointed representative of each County as appointed by the County Commissioners from each of Blaine, Fergus, Chouteau and Phillips Counties shall represent the constituents of the affected area on the Task Force. The names and addresses of members who shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor are submitted by separate letter to the Secretary of State

III. DURATION

The Task Force shall remain in effect until January 1, 2002 unless otherwise terminated by subsequent executive order.

This Order is effective immediately.

	GIVEN under my hand and the GREAT SEAL of the State of Montana, this ___ day of __________, 2001. JUDY MARTZ, Governor
ATTEST: BOB BROWN, Secretary of State