Former FEMA lots near Bumblebee Bridge cause headaches for Shoshone County

Public debate has persisted in recent weeks about two former Federal Emergency Management Agency lots near the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, following an Oct. 8 Board of County Commissioners meeting.

County Commissioner Dave Dose described the situation as "a sore spot" for local residents. 

"We have a real dilemma," Dose said in a recent interview. "Right now, there's no action on those lots, and we've received almost all negative feedback. I'm still searching for a better answer."

The county has already spent significantly more than anticipated this summer on law enforcement and emergency patrols along the river.

"It's a Catch-22," Dose said. "We've got terrible expenses, pollution, trash, and some unsafe situations with all these visitors. If we could raise the cost of visiting, it could help."

During the October meeting, county officials discussed multiple challenges, including the significant garbage problem. Carol Young from the Shoshone County weeds department reported that six truckloads of garbage had been removed from the FEMA lots. 

Dawn Wiksten of the Friends of the River Coalition suggested using the sites as parking lots to reduce congestion near Bumblebee Bridge, a proposal that quickly met with local resistance.

The proposed parking solution has sparked intense pushback from residents. 

"They're saying, 'I don't want parking near my house,'" Dose noted, reflecting the community's frustration with potential changes to their neighborhood.

Jill Gist, a local resident near Prichard, wrote to the Shoshone News-Press warning against a "build it and they will come" approach. 

She noted big changes to the river use over the years she and her husband have been living there and voiced her concerns that a parking lot would further invite river tourism in rather than manage the impact on the area that residents are already facing.

"We can't handle the influx of people we have now," she said. "This is only going to make it worse."

Her comments underscore the growing tension between increased river tourism and the community's capacity to manage its impact.

He started a citizen committee last year to weigh in on controversial topics such as the FEMA lots in question.

The county continues to explore various options to address the situation, including potentially leasing the lots to create camping spots or implementing a float pass or vehicle sticker to manage and offset tourism costs. However, Dose said that a definitive solution remains elusive. 

"It's just totally up in the air right now," he said.