Celebrating conservation and our community

By Jennifer Ekstrom
Reader Staff

As 2024 winds down, we are deeply thankful to our community for supporting conservation efforts across North Idaho. Your involvement in preserving our stunning landscapes and waterways makes all the difference. Here’s a look back at some of the significant conservation milestones this year.

Trestle Creek: United to save this special place

Trestle Creek. Courtesy photo.

In a powerful display of unity, our community came together to save this critical spawning habitat for threatened bull trout and oppose the proposed development, which includes luxury homes and a commercial marina. Over 2,000 public comments poured in to decision makers opposing the last two iterations of the proposal. While the developer remains persistent, hurdles remain:

• Army Corps of Engineers: Permit needed for dredging the lakebed and filling wetlands;

• Idaho Department of Environmental Quality: Clean Water Act certification;

• Panhandle Health District: Approval of sewage disposal plans.

We are committed to saving Trestle Creek and will keep you informed about further opportunities to take action.

Progress for the Kootenai River

Advocacy and persistence yielded a breakthrough for the Kootenai River, with the International Joint Commission (IJC) being activated to address pollution from mountaintop-removal coal mines in British Columbia that harms fisheries and water quality downstream in Idaho. This milestone marks the first step in resolving the transboundary pollution dispute under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, and is the first time in history that Indigenous people have their rightful seat at the negotiation table.

The IJC’s involvement is a significant victory after years of advocacy by the Idaho Conservation League and decades of work by tribes and First Nations. However, the work to reduce pollution is just beginning. 

Watchdogging mining activities

ICL has a long history of protecting Idaho’s clean water and special places from impacts of mining. This year, we took several critical actions:

• Silver Valley: Filed a notice of intent to challenge America’s Gold and Silver for violations of the Clean Water Act stemming from pollution at the Galena Mine, prompting corrective actions from the company;

• Bunker Hill Mine: Engaged with Bunker Hill Mining Corporation to minimize environmental impacts as they work to reopen.

Our newly released report, Unearthing Idaho: Mining and Environmental Impact in the Gem State, outlines the effects of mining, provides a project inventory, and explores mining law reform and best practices. The report is a guide for citizens, mining companies and regulatory agencies alike.

Charting a path for North Idaho wilderness

North Idaho’s wildlands hold tremendous potential for wilderness designation, yet none of the 4.7 million acres of Idaho’s designated wilderness lie north of the Lochsa River. That’s why ICL helped launch the Idaho Panhandle Public Lands Initiative, a collaborative effort among conservationists, timber companies, recreationists and tribes.

Since April, stakeholders have been working toward a legislative proposal for wilderness in Bonner and Boundary counties. If successful, the initiative could enhance recreational access, secure public lands and address forest management concerns.

Wolverine protection achieved

After decades of advocacy and legal battles, wolverines are finally protected as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. This decision represents a critical step toward reversing the species’ precarious status. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must now implement conservation measures to mitigate human impacts and protect wolverines from threats like incidental trapping.

Lake Pend Oreille monitoring

For the 13th consecutive year, water quality stewards collected critical data on Lake Pend Oreille. Monitoring 13 locations over four months, they conducted 52 sampling events and we analyzed 10 water quality indicators for each event. This work has generated a robust dataset of 6,760 data points over 13 years, providing scientific evidence to advocate for protecting our water. Of note are the extremely elevated pollution levels in Boyer Slough, and the resulting work to correct it by the Department of Environmental Quality and Kootenai Ponderay Sewer District.  

Safeguarding water quality

Water quality is a cornerstone of our conservation work. This year, we released our seventh Wastewater Treatment Plant Report, which revealed that 58% of Idaho’s sewage treatment facilities failed to meet Clean Water Act standards for their discharge. While challenges persist, there is progress:

• Kootenai-Ponderay Sewer District: Secured funding to upgrade its failing facility;

• City of Sandpoint: Expressed commitment to improve the wastewater treatment plant and ensure compliance with their pollution limits.

Looking ahead

These achievements would not be possible without your support. Whether through membership, taking action, committing to a summer as a water steward or cheering us on, your contributions fuel our efforts. Thank you for standing with us to safeguard North Idaho’s natural treasures. We wish you a joyful holiday season and look forward to continuing this vital work together in 2025.

Jennifer Ekstrom is North Idaho director for the Idaho Conservation League.