Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative

Meeting Notes

Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative

July 16th, 2007 – 7:08 p.m., Boundary County Extension Office

Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Committee Members in Attendance:

Gary Aitken, Sr., Kootenai Tribe of Idaho & KVRI Co-Chair

Darrell Kerby, Mayor of Bonners Ferry & KVRI Co-Chair

Dan Dinning, Boundary County Commissioners & KVRI Co-Chair

Sandy Ashworth, Social/Cultural/Historical

Tony McDermott, Fish & Wildlife

Paul Merritt, (alt.) Corporate Agriculture

Bob Blanford, Business/Industry

Jim Cadnum, Landowner/Industrial

Mike Gondek, (alt.) Ag Landowner

Patty Perry, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho & KVRI Facilitator

Kristin James, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho & KVRI Recording Secretary

Agency/Others in Attendance:

Justin Petty, The Nature Conservancy

Chan Nagel, Boundary County Citizen

Barbara Nagel, Boundary County Citizen

Tina Jacobson, Congressman Bill Sali

Ina Pluid, Idaho Women in Timber

Mike Sloan, Boundary Economic Development Council

Opening:

At 7:08 p.m. Gary Aitken, Sr. started by welcoming everyone to the meeting; introductions followed.

The minutes from the June 18th meeting were reviewed and approved by consensus.

Discussions:

U.S. Forest Service Update:

Doug Nishek, USFS, attend for Linda McFaddan (District Ranger) to provide the update on the Myrtle Creek Project. Doug stated the USFS is currently working on the record of decision (ROD) which will be released at the end of July. They are also looking at, analyzing and responding to the objections that were received. At the end of the month the decision regarding the project will be available. The fuels reduction units affected by the biological opinion for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) are in last phase of the project. Once the project begins, the habitat units will continue to be reviewed based on the biological opinion to determine whether or not there are any adjustments due to the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Doug also notified the group of two fires that were started from Thursday night from lightning on Parker. There were fire fighters up there on Saturday and the fires were extinguished by Sunday.

The question was asked when the Myrtle Creek Project first started. The Myrtle Creek fire was in September of 2003, and the Myrtle Creek HFRA (Healthy Forests Restoration Act) project began in July of 2004. The project planning with the committee was completed about a year ago. Since that time, it has been going through the public process.

The group thanked Doug for all the time and hard work he has put forth to get this project going.

Committee Updates:

Smith Creek Working Group:

In the absence of Dave Wattenbarger, Mike Gondek, USDA NRCS, updated the group on Smith Creek. Fish & Game sponsored a barbecue last week. The Smith Creek Management area was formerly the Thorman Wetland Reserve Program and is now connected with Boundary Creek (which has their own water control structure). Currently they are both managed by Fish & Game under the WRP. Other items reported: there will be an outhouse structure put up near the cotton grove, the food plots will contain sun flowers, wheat and peas---up to 5% of the 750 acres are allotted for food plots for the water fowl and pheasants, the youth water fowl hunt will take place in September, more shrub planting will begin soon that will contain shrubs such as woods rose and choke cherry. There have been concerns with people shooting at deer from the dike, so the group is trying to get signs to post to make people aware of the dangers of doing that. The water is being drawn down for moist soil management to stimulate wetland plants for the ducks and geese. Also, the group is looking for a tractor to use for the portable pumps.

Grizzly Bear Committee:

Patty Perry notified KVRI of the upcoming meeting being held on July 24th at the Kootenai Tribal Office at 1:30 p.m. The group will be discussing fair booth plans.

TMDL Subcommittee:

Patty stated the group has been making a lot of head way. They have moved rapidly from the TMDL planning to implementation. At the last meeting, Idaho Department of Lands (IDOL) brought maps of the Deep Creek area. Mike Gondek stated he had been helping on the subcommittee. He took Dianna Ellis, Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, to meet with landowners that NRCS already has a farm program contract with. The landowners own nearly 220 acres near Naples with lots of cattle. Mike added they are doing riparian fencing, shrub planting, stream bank, rodent control, pest and weed control, grazing systems, culvert replacements, drainage ditches, etc. Patty stated there are several landowners this will take place with. While most landowners have been receptive to the work efforts, there was one family that did not want to take part because they did not want anything to do with the government. The family has offered to take care of some of the issues on their own though.

The next TMDL meeting will be held on August 24th at the Kootenai Tribal Office at 8:00 a.m. The group will meet to see what progress has been made and if there needs to be more resources brought to the table. Patty added that the group hasn’t needed the 319 money which comes through Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), because the group has had money from the USFWS that Dianna had been able to garner.

On another issue, Patty mentioned that others at USFWS have been working with Dianna to work towards the burbot recovery. They’re are talking about developing some ponds on the refuge that would be closed so they could be used to propagate burbot at some point.

Gary Sr. mentioned that he heard the Yaak has banned fishing because the temperatures are getting too hot for the fish. Tony McDermott stated the water temperature is getting warmer. If the water temperatures get above 55 – 60 degrees it causes undo stress on the fish. It was mentioned there was a large fish kill in Yellowstone because of the temperatures.

Patty also added that the TMDL committee has asked Dan Dinning to talk to the railroad for the Deep Creek project. It will be discussed at the next meeting. The group has also invited Mike Weland to come and discuss the comp plan and tributaries to Deep Creek.

Old Business:

KVRI Outreach:

Patty mentioned at the last meeting it was asked that the group think about developing a committee that would shape what kind of outreach KVRI should have. Some ideas mentioned included how the group came about, where the group is going and general background information. The goal is to get more people interested and possibly involved with the group. Mitch Silvers provided information on the Red Lodge Clearinghouse that could possibly provide funding to help with some of the outreach costs. Patty also knows a contractor, that worked with the Kootenai Tribe in writing the subbasin plan. She also received an email from another contractor, who is interested in doing the type of outreach the group would be looking toward. At that time, Patty asked for volunteers to serve on the committee. Members who offered help included: Sandy Ashworth and Mike Gondek.

Fair Booth:

Kristin James stated the Boundary County Fair takes place August 14th through 18th. KVRI had decided to have a booth at the fair again this year. She asked for any volunteers that would be willing to provide ideas or anyone who would like to help in setting up or volunteering their time to sit in the booth. Several of the members offered pictures, video, and names of individuals that may have some other items that could be displayed. Volunteers to help included Justin Petty, the Nature Conservancy, and Barbara Nagel.

New Business:

West Nile Virus:

Dan Dinning stated they have been testing the mosquitoes that have been collected from the sites, and so far there are no signs of the virus. There are, however, cases of the virus popping up in the southern counties. Dan mentioned there was one site that contained eight or nine different varieties of mosquito.

USFS Mission Brush Project:

The first process of looking at the land in the Mission Brush Project started 10 years ago as Dan mentioned. The project was sold last fall, then a lawsuit was filed to halt it. The lawsuit entered the 9th Circuit Court where a three judge panel issued an injunction; the USFS is considering appealing to the full 9th circuit. Patty has a copy and offered to send it out to anyone who would like to read it. She added she would email it out to the board.

CSP Bat Boxes:

Mike Gondek mentioned that under the Conservation Security Program, they are having farmers put up bat boxes throughout the county, and the farmers are being compensated so much per box. Justin Petty had a bat problem in the attic of his home located on the Westside until he put up several bat boxes. In one box he’s got approximately 1,000 bats. Chan Nagel asked if anyone had taken into account the fact that rabies may pop up around the county. Justin had sent in a couple of bats he found around his property to be tested, and the results came back negative.

Gary Sr. thought it might be a good idea to get some out on the reservation because of the mosquitoes. Mike stated the boxes can be built or they can be ordered.

Congressional Updates:

Tina Jacobson mentioned Congressman Bill Sali will be in Boundary County on August 7th to tour the area. Anyone is welcome to call her and notify her of any suggestions of sites of interest. She also added if there is a public facility available, Congressman Sali would be willing to meet with folks. Gary Sr. apologized that all of Tribal Council will be out of state during the time he will be visiting.

Patty added Senator Mike Crapo will be in Bonners Ferry on August 17th touring the county and receiving updates.

Windstorm Damage:

Darrell Kerby asked if there was any windstorm damage that USFS had concern over. Doug stated there were small pockets of damage that were scattered throughout the county, but the legalities of a timber sale project to clean up the damage would take approximately a year to go through. Initially, all the USFS can do is clean up fallen trees if they are on the road or across camp sites. Tony McDermott added they have 600 acres that had several trees that blew down on the Sagle Peninsula.

Anheiser-Busch got hit hard. Paul Merritt stated they received a great amount of hail that damaged approximately 50% of all their crops – including about 200 acres that will not be harvested. The farm Paul manages had about 70% crop damage. The question was asked, how many employees the company has in Boundary County. Paul stated there are about 25 full time employees and each farm has about 40 employees that are seasonal. He added that harvest is their biggest influx, and under normal circumstances they have about 250 employees. In the spring they have as many as 150 employees. Chan Nagel asked how many of their employees are local and how many are migrant workers? There are about 12 employees that are residents of Boundary County and the rest are migrant workers that mostly travel back to Mexico once harvest is finished.

Fish & Wildlife Commission Update:

Tony McDermott updated the group with several items. The first mentioned was the commission meeting that will take place July 18th through the 20th in Salmon. The Commission’s November meeting will be held in Sandpoint. Topics for discussion this week include changes to the January 07 muzzle loader rules and Panhandle fishing rule proposals. The commission will re-visit the muzzleloader change that outlawed in-lines. It was not their intent to pit one group of hunters against another which is what the January 07 decision accomplished. Tony will recommend that the rule changes include eliminating the requirement for a rotating hammer and standardizing the components will accomplish what the commission had intended. Muzzleloaders must use all lead bullets, have open or peep sights (no scopes) and use loose black powder (no pellets); have an exposed hammer and exposed ignition using only flint, musket or percussion caps (no 209 primers). This year to accommodate the in-lines the Panhandle will replace its normal muzzleloader opportunity with a short range weapons season which allows short range weapons with no restrictions dealing with technology.

One of the fish proposals is to increase fishing opportunity by keeping the Moyie River open all year with a two trout harvest limit. The fishing rule proposals will be open for public comment and finalized at the November commission meeting.

Tony had just returned from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) annual meeting that was held in Flagstaff Arizona. Members include the states west of Kansas to include Canada, Alaska and Hawaii. Tony had the opportunity to speak with Darrel Hall the director of the USFWS and his regional supervisor from Denver Mitch King concerning the scheduled de-listing of wolves. Wyoming has come up with and acceptable plan and will be included in the de-listing process with Montana and Idaho. Tony wants to know many wolves the State should manage and is requesting KVRI input. The de-listing process is on track and should occur in January of 08. The pro-wolf organizations are proposing lawsuits to prevent de-listing. Mitch King felt that the opposing organizations may have a difficult time finding a judge that will stop de-listing because there are 4 times as many wolves as the three states currently need for de-listing. The state plan requires that Idaho maintain 15 pack and approximately 150 wolves.