Tribe Shapes Environmental Plan Coeur D’Alenes Ask For Public Help In Setting Priorities

Agricultural chemicals, drinking-water quality and population growth were among the hottest topics during an elaborate assessment of environmental issues on the Coeur d’Alene Indian Reservation.

Now, the tribe is inviting people to help decide which of the 25 issues should get top priority in its environmental action plan. A series of public meetings is scheduled beginning next week to discuss what has been learned in three categories: human health, ecology and quality of life. The tribe has not disclosed further details of the assessment.

“We want to share the contents of this report. We’re open to modifying, to adding,” project manager Tiffany Algood said. “One of our main objectives is to have the public help us do pre-ranking.”

Participants will be given forms and asked to circle whether they believe the threat posed by each issue is a low, medium, high or extreme risk.

“People can get a summary of key findings on the state of our environment,” Algood said. “They’ll learn a lot about the history of land use on the reservation.”

The assessment phase has involved Indians and non-Indians both on and off the reservation. A March 24 deadline for comments will set the stage for management planning and, ultimately, action to protect the reservation and its residents.

The idea for the environmental action plan grew partly from the curiosity tribal members had about the growing number of employees in their natural resource department, Algood said.

“Tribal members started asking the (tribal) council, `What are all of those people doing?’ So the council asked, `Do you have something to show these people, some kind of plan?”’

The tribe secured grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for planning and assessment. Over four years, it has received $80,000, $180,000, $140,000 and $127,000, Algood said. A separate EPA grant of $150,000 has been stretched over three years.

A technical work group was formed for the assessment work. A variety of people participated, including farmers, loggers, health department and hospital representatives, activists and retirees.

“We had a really nice cross section,” Algood said.

Three subgroups were formed. Consultants were hired to work with the human health and ecology subgroups.

The EPA provided technical support for studying quality-of-life issues. That work was supplemented with in-depth interviews of 12 tribal members and nontribal residents, 60 surveys of residents and a report on natural resources and the reservation economy.

The tribe expects to start its management planning this summer.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

IF YOU GO

Meetings

Monday, Grange hall in Tensed, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, wellness center in Plummer, 6 p.m.

Feb. 24, community center in Worley, 6 p.m.

Feb. 26, tribal meeting, Coeur d’Alene Casino, 10 a.m.

March 2, Avista Corp. auditorium in St. Maries, 6 p.m.

For more information, contact Tiffany Algood in Plummer at (208) 686-1800.