Facts endorse tribe stewardship

As summer winds down, non-Indians who’ve been crying wolf since the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe regained control of Lake Coeur d’Alene should take note of one impressive tribal law enforcement statistic: As of a week ago, the tribe’s marine patrol had issued no boater citations.

In other words, all the fear mongering by non-Indian lake and river dwellers about potential tribe heavy-handedness has been so much hot air.

The southern third of the lake and a good portion of the St. Joe River are in at least as good hands today as they were when the state of Idaho controlled them. Not only does the tribe dedicate part of its law enforcement budget to patrol the lake, but dozens of water biologists, technicians and interns are working on reservation waters to improve fisheries, habitat and water quality. The evidence suggests the tribe is committed to their ancestral waters and their neighbors, even those who are skeptical or hostile.

Ultimately, a few will never concede that the Coeur d’Alenes have a right to manage their waters as they see fit. The rest of us appreciate the Coeur d’Alenes’ extended hand and the way they have sought out discussion rather than litigation after the historic 1998 decision that restored the lake to them.

Under the long tenure of former chairman Ernie Stensgar and now Chief Allen, the Coeur d’Alenes have proved their willingness to manage common resources for the benefit of all. Non-Indians as well as Indians are welcomed at their renowned health and dental clinics. Their wellness center is open to all. They have donated millions of dollars in gaming proceeds to area public schools. They invite non-Indians to be part of the governing board that oversees management of their waterways.

Yet, their critics, largely in the St. Maries area, fret.

Now, the doomsdayers are worried about the recent decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that allows the Coeur d’Alenes to set water quality standards on their part of the lake and the St. Joe River. Also, tribe opponents are complaining about “taxation without representation” because the Coeur d’Alenes charge $200 to build a dock and $100 a year thereafter instead of the state’s one-time $250 fee for a dock permit. But they should give credit to the Coeur d’Alenes for pouring money raised from dock fees back into improving water quality and recreational enjoyment.

If the way the tribe has conducted itself during the last quarter century is an indication, friends and foes alike should expect it to adopt water quality standards that mirror those on the upper two-thirds of the lake. They should also anticipate the tribe to be cautious about raising current dock rates in the near future. Finally, they can expect the tribe to continue to be the good neighbor it has been for so long in the past.