Kootenai Environmental Alliance recognizes volunteers

It’s been said that volunteers aren’t paid because they are priceless. Kootenai Environmental Alliance, a North Idaho non-profit conservation group and the oldest group of its kind in Idaho, adheres to this adage by regularly recognizing valuable volunteer efforts. In 2011, three individuals and one local business owner were singled out for being passionate about making their communities better places and fostering KEA’s mission “to conserve, protect and restore the environment in North Idaho with a particular emphasis on the Coeur d’Alene Basin.” “Almost everything we do involves some sort of volunteer effort in one way or another,” said Terry Harris, KEA executive director. “We felt the contributions of these individuals went above and beyond.” The awards included: Young Environmentalist: In 2007 Korrine Krielkamp created her own position (volunteer, naturally) at KEA with ideas for how to move the Coeur d’Alene community toward a more self-sustaining local food network. From these ideas sprouted Community Roots, a charitable food distribution program called Roots Local Food Share, and a Community Supported Agriculture called Roots CSA, the region’s only charitable CSA. “Korinne is talented and thoughtful and brings lots of new ideas and energy to what we do,” said Harris. “Each year she just develops the program bigger and better.” Born and raised in Salmon Falls Creek Canyon, Idaho, and daughter of environmental activist Bill Chisholm, Krielkamp grew up with an awareness of the importance of self-sustaining lifestyles. When she moved to North Idaho and worked in Child Support Services, Krielkamp noticed the lack of an equitable food system and felt compelled to do something about it. “There was so much need that came across my desk, but I felt like, physically, I needed to do something rather than just push paperwork,” said Krielkamp. “Growing up a gardener, I also knew how much excess there usually is…I wanted to connect the two.” Roots Local Food Share collaborates weekly with area farmers, farmers markets, backyard gardeners, and the Shared Harvest Community Garden (which she also helped form) to collect excess produce and redistribute it to food assistance facilities. Roots CSA is now in its second successful growing season. “I’m sure, in true Korinne-form, next year it will be even bigger and better,” said Harris. Art Manley Award Julie Dalsaso encompasses the spirit of the Art Manley Award with her sustained efforts to support KEA. “Julie is one of those volunteers/activists who is everywhere, all the time,” said Harris. “She’ll go to meetings, ask for documents, testify at hearings… there’s not a governmental agency in Idaho that hasn’t received a letter from her or heard from her at a hearing…she’s stays engaged and has for a long time.” Since 2001, Dalsaso has worked on protecting water quality in area lakes, protecting the shorelines from contamination, and protecting waterways like Cougar Bay for quiet recreation. Most recently she has been involved in ensuring that the EPA’s Superfund Clean-up of the Coeur d’Alene Basin is “scientifically sound, efficient and promotes the community’s vision for the Basin.” Dalsaso moved to North Idaho from Colorado in the mid 1980s after attending college, which is where she felt her understanding of how everything is connected started coming together. “I had friends who were vegetarian which exposed me to those points of view,” said Dalsaso. “Then I just continued to learn and take notice… having kids certainly made me think more about ‘how could this affect them?’ “ Reed Community Conservation Award Since 1986, Peter Grubb and his company ROW Adventures have helped protect and restore North Idaho’s wilderness and recreation areas. “Grubb is such a solid contributor to what KEA is all about,” said Harris. “This past year, he’s been really actively involved in grassroots Idaho conservation.” Grubb’s volunteer efforts were recognized due to his involvement as a leading plaintiff in the legal battle with the Idaho Transportation Department over the megaloads of machinery heading up the scenic Highway 12 on their way to Canada’s oil fields. “Peter’s willingness to stand up to the oil giants was inspiring, but also true to his nature,” said Harris. Grubb was raised with strong environmental ethics, instilled in large part by his father, a biology and botany teacher, who often took the family camping and on recreational outings, and shared a distrust of big business and developers. “He gave me Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” when I was in high school,” said Grubb. “We were a 1-car family and conscious about the energy we used…and that was in the 1960s.” Grubb’s support has also helped KEA’s efforts to protect Cougar Bay for quiet recreation, prohibit public access to Sanders Beach, and focus on ways to fortify the dike around the Fort Groundx Neighborhood without contaminating the area or removing surrounding trees. Community Business Art Spirit Gallery owner Steve Gibbs felt a natural inclination towards KEA more than a decade ago when KEA board member Janet Torline started working for him. Gibbs grew up in Rapid City, S.D., and spent time hunting, fishing, and in the garden with his parents. When he found KEA, he felt it was a natural fit with his active lifestyle. “KEA is good people doing some really good work,” he said. Not only was he an early sponsor of KEA’s Junk2Funk fall fashion fundraiser, he has hosted KEA’s Annual Membership Meeting every January for the past five years, and helped forge a significant relationship between KEA, the conservation and arts communities. “Steve has always been very generous and helpful in everything that we do,” said Harris. “He’s always open to new ideas and is 100 percent supportive.” In addition to KEA, Gibbs’ involvement in the arts community is profound. He helped start the monthly ArtWalks and the Coeur d’Alene Arts and Culture Alliance, was a Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association Board member for three terms, is currently a member of the Coeur d’Alene Visitor’s Bureau Board, and is in his second term as Idaho Arts Commissioner. KEA was founded in 1972 by former Idaho Sens. Art Manley and Mary Lou Reed, nationally renowned environmental attorney Scott Reed, and representatives from local and regional sportsmen organizations.