Stewardship of our waters and adjoining lands

North Idaho’s waters and their adjoining lands are truly one of our most precious treasures. What have we done to deserve these gifts? They were here long before us and it is up to us to ensure they remain for posterity. Have we been good stewards ensuring they are and will remain for the benefit of all peoples, including those tourists who seek even for a brief moment to share in their pristine beauty? Have we been responsible and caring stewards of these treasures, or have we become careless and allowed them to be sold off to the highest bidder for the limited enjoyment of a privileged few?

The past is history and we cannot undo it. However, shouldn’t we periodically ask ourselves what we are doing to ensure future generations will be able to enjoy these treasures?

Our population is growing rapidly. Folks in less desirable parts of the country long for what we have, where their dreams can flourish and become reality. They pack up and add to our numbers. They expect to find availability and access to our treasures. But when the population doubles (and it will!), the availability and access to our waters and adjoining land on a per-person basis is diminished by 50 percent.

We must protect what we have.

I understand the city of Coeur d’Alene is considering the acquisition of some 47 acres of land touching the Spokane River. As I understand, there is discussion of purchasing the land, dividing it up and selling part of it to finance the portion of the land that would eventually become city property. I have a problem with this approach for several reasons:

Having the city purchase the land for the purpose of turning around and selling it to anyone at any price puts the city in the business of being a real estate intermediary. I am not a lawyer, nor a real estate professional, but this simply does not sound to me like a proper role for a municipal government or its staff.

There seems to be a reluctance to ask the taxpayers to support a bond to purchase the property. Is there a reasonable chance the taxpayers of our community would support a bond for such an important acquisition? I believe our community is more than capable of making right choices when accurate, complete and reliable information is made available to it.

So, citizens of Coeur d’Alene. Let’s take this seriously. Before we entertain tactical steps about how to pay for whatever we do, shouldn’t we come to agreement on the real issue and its future implications? To do anything else would be “putting the cart before the horse.” Don’t we want future generations to acknowledge that we have been good stewards? Shouldn’t we agree first that whatever land is acquired, is acquired wholly for the good and benefit of the public, not just for today, but also for posterity? Let’s get smart, stand up for what is right and move on.

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Frank Orzell is a Coeur d’Alene resident.