Partnership seeks proposals

SHOSHONE COUNTY — The Restoration Partnership is inviting project proposals from the public and stakeholders, from April 17 to June 1, for natural resource restoration in the Coeur d’Alene Basin.

“There is a lot of restoration potential in the Coeur d'Alene Basin, and we are excited to support the community members' ideas for clean water and clean habitat for people and wildlife in the area,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Coeur d’Alene Office Supervisor, and member of the Partnership’s Trustee Council, Christy Johnson-Hughes.

The basin includes several streams, rivers and lakes spanning around 2.4 million acres of mountainous terrain, feeding water in Lake Coeur d'Alene and out the Spokane River. The basin is affected by mine waste contamination, which has prompted the partnership to seek proposals for projects to enhance uncontaminated streams, restore connectivity between streams, restore and improve areas next to ongoing projects, and support water quality and ecological improvement projects.

Having spent almost three years implementing natural resource restoration projects in the Coeur d’Alene Basin, the partnership is currently seeking more specific proposals on the following areas:

• Enhancing uncontaminated streams that provide critical habitats for bull trout;

• Restoring connectivity between streams that contain high levels of metals and those adjacent to uncontaminated water refugia and reestablishing migration corridors for native salmonids between identified strongholds and injured streams to facilitate recolonization and self-sustaining aquatic communities;

• Restoring and improving areas next to the ongoing stream and/or wetland restoration projects or those that have previously received funding from other sources;

• Restoring and/or enhancing wetlands that have been remediated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency;

• Supporting water quality improvement projects that complement the Leading Idaho Initiative projects; and

• Supporting ecological improvement projects, stream and wetland restoration that directly flow into Lake Coeur d'Alene.

The partnership seeks project ideas from private citizens, businesses, nonprofit organizations, local, state and federal agencies, Tribal governments, and others. Project ideas must meet the goals and objectives outlined in the Restoration Plan.

Project proponents are asked to describe their desired projects using the project idea form briefly. Trustees for the partnership will review and rank project ideas received over a two-week review period. Once a project idea is selected, the partnership will invite the successful proponents to submit full applications. If you have any questions, email info@restorationpartnership.org.

Project idea forms and selection criteria, as well as more information, can be found at https://www.restorationpartnership.org/index.html.