Letters To The Editor

More communication needed, less supervision

Re: The Rathdrum Prairie Project. I am very cautious about any new government group to help manage our citizens. We seem to have too many laws and procedure hoops to jump through right now. We need more government communication to the public about future developments but less government supervision. We have enough government bodies in this domain.

Ted S. Pulver Post Falls

Greenbelt between states should be set aside

I would like to see a greenbelt legally set aside between Spokane and Post Falls - zoned only for agriculture or very low density housing. To accommodate existing sprawl, more than one might be necessary. It would be a shame to have to weather the traffic and scenic blight of strip malls from city to city. Dan Erlacher Coeur d’Alene

Growth plan must include aquifer

There’s been a tremendous outcry over the proposed Burlington Northern Sante Fe refueling depot and the potential for contaminating the aquifer. Lost in the fury of this discussion has been the more fundamental issue of supply and demand (of groundwater, that is). The Rathdrum prairie is, for better or worse, poised for tremendous growth in the coming decades. As I understand from arguments over the depot, we currently know very little detail about the structure of the aquifer. This kind of information is essential to have in order to know just how much development can be sustained without getting into extraordinary measures to meet water demands. Water levels already are dropping in Spokane, so we at least know it’s not an endless supply.

We live in a beautiful area with mountains, extensive forests and abundant water. However, it’s been proven over and over throughout the country that, no matter how much of anything there appears to be, we have the unenviable ability to use up every last bit of it. Planning for growth in the Rathdrum Prairie needs to include a very detailed understanding of the aquifer, including its structure and interconnectedness throughout the aquifer’s extent. Otherwise, we may as well build a pipeline to Lake Pend Oreille now with year 2000 dollars, rather than wait til 2040 or so. Eric Krueger Hayden Lake

Aquifer, prairie in need of protection

The county commission decision on the BNSF refueling depot, the city of Rathdrum annexing land to put in a power plant and local cities letting developers build three-houses-to-an-acre subdivisions.

These are recent examples of ways of managing the Rathdrum prairie. It’s called managing by greed. The acknowledgement that there will be growth on the prairie is only one of the three guidelines that will stand in time, because of money to be made by developers and the tax base for cities.

With high density housing, you have the problems caused from the the lack of space such as dogs, room for kids to play and noise. Most of these problems will not surface until long after the planners and developers have gone. Where will the money for extra law enforcement and teen programs come from? As for respecting the rights of the property owner, ask the people who live next to BNSF, a power plant or a gravel pit. The property owners rights they’re talking about belong to BNSF, Avista and Acme, not the homeowner.

The prairie is flat with few or no trees to block the view or sound. Permanent buffers must be put in place by zoning laws and enforced so present and future homeowners know what to expect and protect their investment.

Protect the aquifer and the prairie by leaving the requirements of five-acre minimum lots of land and leaving the greedy cities and corporations with their air and water pollution off of the Rathdrum Prairie. Robert Gibson Post Falls

Change in order for prairie management

It’s almost too late to meaningfully manage growth on the Rathdrum prairie.

Land use patterns now in existence will direct future growth. Prevailing values will continue to provide for the transformation of agricultural land to residential, commercial and industrial usage.

Where strong public support exists, it may be possible to successfully address specific issues. However, the recent decision of the Kootenai County commissioners allowing the BNSF fuel depot over the aquifer demonstrates the strength of entrenched interests.

Local governments with control over land use will be able to apply their management tools to the Rathdrum prairie. But why should we expect the Rathdrum prairie to be managed more intelligently than existing development has been managed?

To manage change on the Rathdrum prairie, city and county governments should begin by reviewing the tools and processes they use to manage their jurisdictions and coordinate with other local governments. Are they effective? If not, (and in my opinion they are not.), they need to be changed. Then there will be hope for the prairie. Philip Waring Coeur d’Alene

It’s no wonder skepticism exists

The Rathdrum Prairie Project is in trouble already by violating one of its major (and most important) tenets - to protect the aquifer. The other goals of the Project, to protect property rights, appears to apply only to large corporate interests. The majority of local citizens have no voice or representation.

Management of growth in the Rathdrum Prairie is apparently only in the hands of two Kootenai County commissioners. In the face of opposition to the railroad fuel depot, two of the three commissioners decided that the voices of local city councils, numerous citizen’s groups and many scientific studies as well as the ordinary unaffiliated citizen did not matter. The third commissioner and the only one to vote against it was apparently more concerned about being blamed for any future problems with the depot rather than making a decision based on his assessment of the facts and the voices of his constituency.

Once again, another example of why people are skeptical of all politicians. Representation of the people does not seem to exist. Demonstration of personal agendas is obvious. It would save a lot of newsprint, citizens’ time and opinions if the fate of the Rathdrum Prairie was unilaterally decided behind closed doors by our temporarily elected officials, as always. This is a testimony to the ability of the average citizens to elect competent representation. James F. Meyer Post Falls

It’s time to tell government to back off

Because of the left-Wing liberal morons in the Panhandle Health District, the Rathdrum Prairie is a hodge-podge of houses. Because they require five acres on which to build a house, there has been no rhyme or reason to the building pattern.

The first thing that needs to be done is to tell the Health District to mind its own business. Nobody in government at any level should be telling anyone what to do with his property when the mentality of government officials is to allow the BNSF refueling depot to be built.

On one hand, government wants to tell me I can’t build a home on my three acres because my feces might pollute the aquifer; but allow the railroad to build a much more dangerous facility over the same aquifer.

I think the people in this valley should do what they please and tell all these government people to mind their own business. We need to take back our rights and get the government at all levels off our backs. Theodore E. Guindon Post Falls

Depot decision reminiscent of past

The recent decision by the Kootenai County commissioners to allow BNSF to build over our aquifer is reminiscent of another botched resolution in this country’s history: prohibition. A small handful of individuals was able to go against the majority sentiment by coercion and sleight of hand tricks.

Clearly this community does not want such an irresponsible, immoral company to move in and threaten our sole-source unprotected aquifer in the name of progress for that company, and yet those who are supposed to represent us have turned their backs on the same people who voted them into office. But I suppose that I couldn’t expect anything more from a panel whose mind was made up before the hearings even began.

Unfortunately we will not be able to drink the crow that our commissioners may have to eat if something goes wrong with the depot. Hannah M. Currey Post Falls

Project necessary before time runs out

I favor the formation of the Rathdrum Prairie Project. It seems a reasonable way to recognize the environmental fragility of the area as well as the inevitability of growth and the complexity of overlapping jurisdictions. The necessity of the project was demonstrated by the short-sighted and unilateral conditional approval of the BNSF application for a fueling facility made by the Kootenai County commissioners.

I believe that city, county, state, tribal and federal recognition and participation should be considered in such a project, and suspect that the California Coastal Commission might be a model for such an organization.

Our life together is quickly being impacted by the development that many of us moved here to escape. We have a chance to do things differently here than has been done in those other places, and we don’t have much time. Grant MacLean Dalton Gardens

Face it, you get what you vote for

Recent developments and decisions concerning fuel storage over the aquifer fly in the face of attempts by Rathdrum Prairie Project organizers to control growth. The conditions included in the project - “protection of aquifer” and “respect for the rights of property owners” already have been ignored, despite public sentiment to the contrary.

Why am I somehow not surprised by this ultimate outcome? Kind of makes a mockery of the project, now doesn’t it! Hey you get what (or should I say who) you vote for! Just keep the “puppets of industry” in place election year after election year and sit back and watch as the pristine beauty that attracted you to this area in the first place rolls away like a hurryin’ freight train. Thomas Keenan Coeur d’Alene

Highways need to be dealt with, too

Re: The Rathdrum Prairie Project. My first response is to stop the railroad refueling depot. That goes along with protecting the aquifer. The next would be dealing with north-south routes other than U.S. Highway 95 and state Highway 41. Amelia Phillips Coeur d’Alene

Smoke preferable over contaminated water

Why not allow the farmers to continue to farm the Rathdrum Prairie? I’d rather have the inconvenience of a little grass burning smoke, than a lifetime of contaminated water that gives my children cancer! I am not impressed by the $5 million dollar cleanup fund … that will get us the first layer of gravel removed, and then those fools that voted for this depot will probably vote in a nice tax increase for us to pay to clean up the mess. The people of Spokane need to wake up and join the opposition since they drink the same water we do. Marsha Dornquast Post Falls

Majority should rule, but it doesn’t

Re: The Rathdrum Prairie Project. What good would any suggestions accomplish? The powers that be will do exactly what they want to do, regardless of what the majority of the people want. Kay Cameron Hayden

Stop recruitment, do some studying

Re: Rathdrum Prairie Project. Here’s a suggestion: Quit trying to recruit more businesses and a larger tax base. Also, study some examples of successful anti-growth ordinances, e.g. Davis, Calif. Otherwise, just stand back and enjoy. Harley Barnhart Post Falls