KVRI looks back at 10
years of accomplishment
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July 23, 2011 |
At the turn of this century, Boundary County's
future looked bleak. Mills were closing, you
couldn't get into the federal forests to cut
trees because most areas were home to one
endangered species or another. Going into the
second decade of the new millenium, a
collaborative group of local leaders was formed,
and the progress they've made has been
impressive.
The Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative is
probably unique in the world, with it's key
members being Boundary County, the City of
Bonners Ferry and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho,
established with a mission to "act locally as a
collaborative effort to improve coordination,
implementation, and integration of local, state
and federal programs that can effectively
maintain, enhance and restore the
social/cultural, economic and natural resource
base of our community."
Whereas before, community leaders, overwhelmed
by mandates and restrictions that continued to
place Boundary County, officials, in a choke
hold strangling the economic life blood of the
community in a drive to accoplishing national
goals, fought valiantly against them, but it was
like butting a head into a brick wall.
In 2001 our leaders took a new approach, and
formed the KVRI, and in the decade since, tables
have turned.
By learning the the science, listening to people
and by coming to a realization that, for the
most part, we agree more than we differ ...
local elected leaders came to realize that our
mutual goals are the same.
The national government wants to save, and so
they impose, in an onerous way, terms,
conditions and restrictions; our local
governments, now working together under the
aegis of the KVRI, were able to say, "Hey! Hang
on just a second! We know this place and we have
more sensible ideas."
Back then, the Kootenai Tribe thumbed its nose
at the federal government, who said the tribe
lacked the qualifications or expertise for such
a sensitive operation, while the tribe
recognized that a hatchery was all that stood
between the chance to save the species or watch
it go extinct forever. By their act of courage
and "disobedience," other local entities rallied
to their side and a collaboration was developed.
Since then, the members of the Kootenai Valley
Resource Initiative came to recognize that,
while they might not agree, they can, by putting
on a united front, with good information and
solid science, take the hands of the many
federal agencies and prove to them that our
goals and interests coincide, and that "you
guys"are getting in the way.
Instead of being seen as a wayward child, the
Kootenai Tribe is now seen as an equal and
integral partner; the best hope ... and the
County of Boundary and the City of Bonners
Ferry, with scientific data at hand, are able to
stand with the tribe to say, "Hey! This is what
is in our backyard, and our goals are not to see
us lose what makes this place in the world
great, but to instill good sense!"
The Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative, having
quietly accomplished so much, is now ten years
old, and, some think, moribund. City of Bonners
Ferry Mayor Dave Anderson addressed a very small
crowd this way:
"It's time our community knows what we do, and
what we accomplish .The more all of us to take
part, the louder our voices will be heard."
KVRI meets the third Monday of each month,
typically at the Extension Office at 7 p.m.
Everyone interested is invited to attend.
Meeting dates are typically posted on the
County Commissioners Agenda, and
Dave said that if the meeting moves to 6 p.m.,
dinner is typically involved, and it's always
good.
"You always want to be there for the dinners,"
he said. "You'll probably learn something you
didn't know, and you won't go away hungry." |
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