Kootenai County is considering relaxing shoreline regulations, giving Lake Coeur d’Alene property owners more flexibility to clear native trees and shrubs and plant lawns near the water. Current regulations require a 25-foot buffer of native plants, which is already one of the most permissive in the region. The buffers are intended to absorb runoff and protect water quality. But Marc Eberlein, a Kootenai County commissioner, said current regulations put too many restrictions on lakeshore owners, who should be trusted to do the right thing on their land. “If there’s a nice-looking pine tree, I can’t imagine that someone will cut it down,” said Eberlein, who was elected last fall on a platform that included upholding private-property rights. The prospect of more green lawns on the waterfront worries the state and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, whose monitoring shows a five-year decline in the lake’s dissolved oxygen levels. Phosphorus-rich runoff from fertilizing and watering lawns spurs aquatic plant growth in the lake, contributing to the oxygen decline/Becky Kramer, SR. More here.

Thoughts?