Another bay, another permit for North Idaho Maritime

Despite receiving an encroachment permit for property in Wolf Lodge Bay in August, North Idaho Maritime is applying for an after-the-fact use permit in Cougar Bay after the Idaho Department of Lands discovered its unauthorized dock usage.

Sharla Arledge, IDL's public information officer, said that in 2008 North Idaho Maritime owner John Condon applied for a permit to use his Cougar Bay property for dock storage and construction. She said the request was denied after a public hearing due to its failure to meet the Lake Protection Act and IDL administration requirements.

Recently IDL's staff notified three dock construction and storage companies, including North Idaho Maritime, of their non-compliance with the rules and regulations regarding business on Lake Coeur d'Alene. Arledge said these companies were given two options — either applying for a use permit or removing their infrastructure and stopping their services.

Metal contamination, pilings, and debris pollution have historically been a problem for Lake Coeur d'Alene due to mining, logging, and recreation use. To combat these issues, the Idaho Department of Lands has set a yearly inspection goal of 190 checks on over 10,000 permits statewide, Arledge said.

"IDL has been involved with issues in and around Cougar Bay since the last lumber mill closed in the area," Arledge said. "We have worked with DEQ, Kootenai County, and the city of Coeur d'Alene several times to address piling removal and safety issues."

While North Idaho Maritime's permit application already received a public hearing in September, IDL is planning on holding a second discussion after learning of the company's continued unauthorized dock usage.

William Stach, a Cougar Bay resident for over 50 years, lives directly across from Maritime's dock area.

"The derelict docks (Condon) has there are all barely floating, it's just like trash," Stach said. "He builds new docks for people around the lake, takes back the old ones, ties them up in Cougar Bay, and leaves them. He should be removing them from the lake like all the other dock companies."

Stach said he and the Cougar Bay homeowners association are concerned about Maritime's continued use of Cougar Bay and its impact on the lake's beauty and safety of recreational users.

"This is the most congested part of the lake," Stach said. "We have at least 10 times more boats on the lake as we used to and over 15 boat rental agencies. Most people who use them are inexperienced out-of-towners, and this debris is putting them at risk of a fatality."

The Idaho Department of Lands has not officially scheduled the public hearing on the permit, Arledge said, but she estimates it will be in the first two weeks of November. After the meeting, the hearing coordinator and IDL director will release a final order on the use permit.

"While some may wish situations like this could be resolved more quickly, the department must follow a standard process," Arledge said. "[IDL] will work through that process as quickly as possible."

Condon could not be reached for comment.