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[article provided by LH. Thanks!]

http://www.spokane.net/news-story.asp?date=021600&ID=s744355&cat=section.tribal_news

Tribe shapes environmental plan
Coeur d'Alenes ask for public help in setting priorities

Julie Titone - Staff writer
02/16/00

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.

---
Staff writer Julie Titone can be reached at (208) 765-7126
or by e-mail at juliet@spokesman.com.
 
 

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