Tribe Lists Hazards In Action Plan Environmental Risks In Four Categories

Pesticide contamination of culturally important plants is one of most extreme environmental risks facing the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, according to a newly released ranking of hazards.

Twenty-five threats were listed as part of the tribe’s Environmental Action Plan, which is being conducted with the help of non-Indian residents on and near the Idaho reservation. The release of the list marks completion of the first phase in the action plan.

The rankings will be consulted as the tribe develops an environmental management plan, program manager Tiffany Allgood said Friday.

“We’ll also consider how fixable the problem is, how much it costs, what the impacts are on the local economy,” she said.

The risks fall into four categories. Some were included in two categories because of split votes on the steering committee: Extreme: Tribal cultural food and medicines, such as camas, huckleberries and water potatoes; human population growth and development patterns; wetlands; culturally important species such as blue grouse, beaver, wolf and snowshoe hare; native fish habitat; tribal cultural sites.

High: Agricultural chemicals; forest health; roads; localized effects of Hanford Nuclear Reservation; drinking water quality and contamination; ground water contamination; hydrologic changes; nonpoint source water pollution; native plant and animal populations and species diversity; non-native plant and animal species; soil productivity.

Medium: Agricultural chemicals; energy production and consumption; food contamination; hazardous waste; solid waste generation and disposal; indoor air pollution; outdoor air pollution; point source surface water pollution; wetlands; native wildlife habitat.

The plan doesn’t include metals pollution caused by historic mining activity, which is being assessed by the tribe and federal government.

Within the next two or three months, the public will be invited to participate in management planning. People will be asked to share their vision of the future reservation, Allgood said.

Copies of the assessment of environmental concerns, or the executive summary, can be ordered from Tiffany Allgood by calling 686-8802 in Plummer, Idaho.

This sidebar appeared with the story: FAST FACT Planning Information

Copies of the assessment of environmental concerns, or the executive summary, can be ordered from Tiffany Allgood by calling 686-8802 in Plummer, Idaho.