Smoother Sailing For All Concerned

(From editorial page, June 8, 1999): Chuck Matheson chairs the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s lake management board. Saturday’s editorial incorrectly identified Dave Matheson as chairman.

Boaters shouldn’t be scared off by the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe’s new jurisdiction over the lower third of Lake Coeur d’Alene and 20 miles of the St. Joe River. If anything, they should be glad the tribe has pledged to use every nickle from revenue generated by its licenses and fees to improve available boating facilities and fishing. Also, boaters should be aware that Kootenai County has expanded its no-wake zone from 100 to 200 feet and takes a no-tolerance attitude toward drunken boating. Nothing spoils a day of fun in the sun in beautiful North Idaho like a citation, accident or trip to the local jail.

Local sportsmen, of course, have been waiting to see how the tribe will handle its restored waterways jurisdiction. The early returns are encouraging. So are comments made by Dave Matheson, chairman of the tribe’s new Lake Management Board. “We’re not out there to cause anybody hardship,” Matheson said. “We know it’s going to take people a while to get used to the changes. A lot of people launching their boats probably don’t know anything’s different.”

Indeed, the tribe will be a welcome new presence on the lake, if it follows through on promises to educate, rather than cite, this season, and to use its new revenue stream as matching money for such things as waterways grants to build docks, pump stations and parks. The extra patrols will ease the burden on the thinly spread sheriff’s marine divisions in Kootenai and Benewah counties. The key here will be continued cooperation among governments and peoples, an approach in which the Coeur d’Alenes take pride.

The Coeur d’Alenes rarely take on projects without considering their impact on non-Indian neighbors. That was true when they made their impressive medical, dental and wellness centers available to the non-Indian public. That neighborliness was displayed again this winter when the Coeur d’Alenes staged a series of public meetings to gather input and discuss their new waterways authority. Currently, officials from the tribe and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are meeting with small groups to address questions about the multilevel lake jurisdiction.

The presence of two non-Indian representatives on the Lake Management Board offers further proof the tribe wants a smooth transition. “We want to let people know they’re welcome down here,” tribe spokesman Bob Bostwick said.

The prospect of a new level of governmental cooperation with the Coeur d’Alenes is exciting. We’re confident it will be mutually beneficial.