‘We all took these trees for granted’
By Jane FritzReader Contributor For 48 years, every time I drove east down Oak Street in Sandpoint, I thanked the resplendent heritage Norway maple on the corner of Fourth Avenue for its remarkable beauty...
Category: Conservation Corner
When regulators fail, the courts are the last refuge for bull trout
By Jennifer EkstromReader Contributor From high mountain streams to the deep expanse of Lake Pend Oreille, waterways shape our community, economy and identity. They are also the lifeblood of one of the Northwest’s most...
Holding the line
A brief history of the Priest River Experimental Forest and a conversation with the ones who keep the legacy alive By Ben OlsonReader Staff Tucked beneath boughs of western white pine, fir, hemlock and...
Idaho deserves a BLM chief who won’t sell public lands, access to lakes and waterways
By John RobisonReader Contributor The jewel thieves at the Louvre captured international attention for their brazenness in stealing some of France’s most treasured possessions. In terms of national treasures in the U.S., we don’t...
Sandpoint preps to enforce outdoor lighting code
By Zach HagadoneReader Staff Sandpoint City Hall is advising residents that it will step up enforcement of its outdoor lighting code, often referred to as the “dark sky ordinance,” which seeks to “protect public...
Environmental protection groups sue over Trestle Creek adjacent marina
By Soncirey MitchellReader Staff The Center for Biological Diversity and the Idaho Conservation League filed suit Dec. 18 against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Army Corps of Engineers, challenging their permit approvals...
BoCo property owners’ wetlands appeal moves forward
By Zach HagadoneReader Staff A Bonner County couple’s appeal of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision classifying a portion of their property as wetlands is moving forward after a decision Dec. 2 that...
Leadership transition underway at Idaho Conservation League
By Reader Staff After seven years as executive director of the Idaho Conservation League, Justin Hayes has announced that he will leave the organization to pursue the next chapter of his career dedicated to...
Off-road vehicles must be managed to protect public lands for everyone
By Brad SmithReader Contributor Strong public opposition to recent proposals to sell off public lands to pay for tax cuts demonstrates the deep, bipartisan support Americans have for their public lands. Across the political...
Give Thanks for the Wild
Two decades of gratitude By Phil HoughReader Contributor The Reader and the Friends of Scotchman Peak Wilderness both turn 21 in the coming months, passing into adulthood. For readers who haven’t heard the news,...
