As Idaho moves toward transferring hundreds of state-owned cabin sites on scenic Priest Lake to private owners through land exchanges or auctions, the state wants to protect the value of the land - and nearby state endowment land - through restrictive covenants. Most Priest Lake cabin owners who now own their cabins, but not the land, are on board with the idea, but some are objecting.

The restrictions would keep in place current regulations limiting the sites to single-family homes, rather than condos, resorts or commercial development; ban mobile homes; require earth tones and "unobtrusive" construction; and require erosion control and defensible space to cut wildfire risk. Restrictive covenants aren't being proposed for similar cabin sites on Payette Lake to the south, but that's because those cabin sites are within the McCall city area of impact, subjecting them to restrictive zoning regulations. That's not true of the Priest Lake sites, where Bonner County's current zoning regulations could permit a variety of changes if the land became privately owned.

Gov. Butch Otter requested a formal legal opinion from Attorney General Lawrence Wasden on the matter today; once the board receives that in a week or so, it'll set a special meeting to decide on the covenants. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.