Addressing the growing needs on the North Fork

WALLACE — The Shoshone Board of County Commissioners have been keeping a steady eye on the situation brewing up the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River and after careful consideration, they now have a plan ready to be put in place.

Over the past month (and really the last few years), concern has arisen from locals and outsiders alike as the popular recreation grounds have been consistently growing more full and less maintained by those using the area.

The BOCC has been very active in identifying and assessing problems and evaluating possible solutions. This activity has led the county to make sure that any plan moving forward addresses the following issues:

- Adequately provide services needed.

- Provide those services cost effectively.

- Allocate costs for the services to those who receive the services.

Based on the information the BOCC has provided to the New-Press, they have initiated a 4-phase process to addressing the issues in NFCDA area.

Each phase will address existing services and funding, cost recovery from long-term recreational users, additional services, and cost recovery from short-term recreational users.

Phase 1: The first phase has the goal of understanding cost and isolating the costs of existing services in the NFCDA River area. Tasks in this phase are completed, underway and pending. To date, the County has been assessing existing services (garbage bins, restroom, road striping/signage and law enforcement) and the cost to provide those services. With that knowledge, the Commissioners are planning to designate specific budget line items for tracking costs and offset revenues that cover the costs.

These are services already being paid for by the county and its taxpayers, and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

“I think people don’t necessarily understand that we’re already paying for everything that is currently being done up there,” BOCC chairman Mike Fitzgerald said.

Phase 2: The second phase will focus on Cost Recovery from Long-Term Users. The proposed program would closely follow the fee based approach that is in-place for the Benewah County St. Joe River recreational properties. Fee sites would be generally defined as locations on recreational land which contain utility hookups (water, sewer and/or electric), otherwise designated RV pad(s), or identifiable areas in which recreational vehicle or structures are located. Benewah County’s fee per site is $51.50 per year.

The BOCC will be meeting with the Benewah Board of Commissioners on Aug. 13 to seek guidance and to look at how they currently do things pertaining to the St. Joe River. This includes all of the recreational activity that goes on along it.

Phase 3-4: Phase 3, which involves recovering costs from short-term users, is a quite a bit more complicated. Put simply, the county will want to develop and implement a plan that addresses the needs and costs associated with day users. These users typically utilize the NFCDA River to fish, swim and float without staying overnight. This phase will need good planning, require extensive outreach and coordination, and take more time. The County’s strategy plan will be to take our time, enlist the assistance of all interested parties and representative user groups, and formulate a plan to the benefit of all. It also requires that we look at options for additional services (Phase 4). Things like designated put-in/put-out locations, paid parking lots, etc.

“This is the hardest part for us,” Fitzgerald said of these last phases. “Regulating the day users and the short-term users. This is where we need the public’s help. They come in all shapes and sizes, from fishers to floaters, there are so many things people use the river area for. This is where the additional services phase comes in. Do we add a day permit system, or designated put-in/take-out spots, or do we organize special parking areas for single day users to come and enjoy what we have to offer?”

The BOCC recognizes that this issue must be resolved as best as possible by next year. With that in mind, they hope to have the beginnings of a plan to implement several concepts that take into consideration the people of Shoshone County first and foremost.

But when it comes to the final phases, which seem to be where most locals get very emotional, the BOCC would like to hear the public’s input on what solution (within the parameters set forth by current laws and regulations) would work best for Shoshone County.

Fitzgerald and the rest of the BOCC believe that they will be able to tackle this issue later this year in the fall and winter months, but are encouraging people to keep a dialogue open concerning this issue so that everyone who would like to be heard can be.

For background information on this topic, check out the first articles “No easy solution to North Fork dilemma” and “BOCC weighs in on North Fork comments,” by visiting www.shoshonenewspress.com.