‘ease Bias, United States Senate January 26, 2016 President Barack Obama ‘The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama: I write regarding the upcoming official visit of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, As the senior senator from Montana, I know how critically important our relationship with Canada is to our economy, national security and environment. I understand Prime Minister Trudeau will make an official state visit in March to meet with you, With that in mind, I respectfully urge you to open a dialogue with Prime Minister Trudeau on a number of issues related to the above. For more than 50 years, the United States and Canada have cooperatively worked to develop and operate water resources on both sides of the border to provide for flood control and power under the 1964 Columbia River Treaty. The shared responsibilities to manage water resources in the Columbia River Basin are critically important to the economy, environment, public safety, and energy needs of communities and tribes in Montana and throughout the region. I appreciate that the State Department has appointed a Chief Negotiator, and iti important that the United States formally engage with Canada to modemize the Columbia River Treaty so that it reflects the long-term needs and goals of the region and continues to provide benefits to both the United States and Canada, In addition, I would encourage your Administration to discuss transboundary water quality issues with the Prime Minister during his visit. The abundant natural resources in Montana and British Columbia benefit each of our respective economies, from outdoor recreation, to mining and logging. The quality of our water, however, must be constantly safeguarded. For years, Montana and British Columbia have partnered to protect the North Fork of the Flathead River, balancing competing interests to protect water quality throughout the Rocky Mountain Front of Glacier National Park and beyond. In other watersheds, however, such as the Elk River valley in the Kootenai River watershed and other portions of the Flathead River, resource development threatens water quality and wildlife downstream. We should be looking at these watersheds holistically and in partnership with Canada to responsibly develop resources while protecting water quality. Bozenan Bure Gienowe rar Fats even Kausreu 6) 886-4450 400) 720-3277 (40s) 35: 452-058 (40) 449-540 200) 257-2260 Buus ssourr {406} 252-0550 406) 728-2003‘As you know, Canada and the United States work closely together to ensure the safety of our citizens. Joint security efforts with Canada start at our countries” borders. Transnational criminal organizations, traffickers, and violent criminals are always seeking new ways to exploit the broad terrain and vast territory along our Northern Border. As these criminal efforts become increasingly sophisticated, we must continue to work with our partners in Canadian law enforcement to shore up cross-border vulnerabilities and disrupt criminal activities, We must also ensure that during joint duties across the border, our Canadian partners extend American Jaw enforcement officers the same equipment and authorizations they are extended when conducting joint patrols in the United States. It goes without saying that we cannot afford to place our law enforcement officers at risk when they are on the job ‘Asa farmer, I know firsthand how important our relationship with Canada is for our economy. They are Montana’s largest and most important trading partner. In 2014, Montana exported nearly $550 million worth of goods north, which accounted for approximately one-third of Montana’s total exports. While our trading partnership with Canada remains productive, it is critical to Montana that the United States addresses a troubling issue regarding the system Canada employs to grade wheat imports. Under current Canadian law, Montana’s wheat is automatically downgraded to the lowest quality designation when exported to Canada. The downgrade occurs without considering the variety or quality of the grain, which is counter to the United States’ system of fairly grading Canadian wheat. urge you to raise this issue directly in order to promote a level playing field for Montana’s world class wheat products. Another important Canadian trade issue for Montana is the expiration of the Softwood Lumber Agreement (SLA). Many of Montana’s lumber mills are operating well below capacity and we have seen hundreds of hardworking Montanans lose their jobs in the timber sector as a result. Current lumber market conditions are threating this once-vibrant industry. That is why it is crucial to negotiate a new SLA with Canada to replace the agreement that expired last October. Moreover, itis important to use the expiration of the SLA as an opportunity to take current market conditions into account. appreciate your attention to these matters and stand ready to assist you if you have any questions. Sincerely, Jon Tester