Citizen Coordinating Council

What does citizen engagement mean?

According to Robert Langley, a retired urban planning professional, it means participation in “activities intended to improve the quality of life in one’s community by addressing issues of public concern…and developing the knowledge and skills needed to address those issues (Longley, Robert. "What Is Civic Engagement? Definition and Examples" ThoughtCo, Oct. 4, 2022, thoughtco.com/what-is-civic-engagement-definition-and-examples-5072704).”

Citizen engagement can provide meaningful input for decision-making and project implementation. Decision makers realize public involvement and awareness is important — that drawing on local knowledge from a diverse group creates solutions that are practical and effective. Engagement groups create local networks for community members, helping improve their knowledge about issues and allowing them to see multiple sides of a problem. Working together improves communication and understanding, increasing trust in the decision-making process.

In 2002, the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission (BEIPC) was established to “protect and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of Idaho in a manner consistent with local, State, Federal and Tribal participation and resources.” The statute that created the BEIPC also called for the creation of a subgroup to provide public input to the commissioners. The group called the Citizen Coordinating Council (CCC) was established as an advisory group for the BEIPC to provide ongoing dialogue and collaboration in support of the environmental actions to address the mining-related heavy metal contamination in the Coeur d’Alene Basin.

Community advisory groups are an essential part of the Superfund cleanup process. Community engagement increases visibility and understanding of issues, empowering communities to have say over decisions that affect their lives, their towns, cities and neighborhoods. Furthermore, community participation can contribute to the health and well-being of participants by increasing their sense of belonging, identity and satisfaction, and by developing their skills, knowledge and networks.

The CCC’s primary function is to support the implementation of the Record of Decisions for the Bunker Hill Superfund Site. The intent of the CCC is to convey citizen concerns and perspectives to the BEIPC Board. They also provide citizen input to the BEIPC’s Technical Leadership Group. The CCC strives to be an open and inclusive body representing diverse and balanced views. Public participation is encouraged.

The CCC is not a formal decision-making authority of the BEIPC, but provides public input for ongoing and planned remediation work. BEIPC’s new executive director, Sharon Bosley, believes the CCC offers tools to keep citizens informed and their voices heard. Bosley notes participation has declined in recent years. She would like to see more involvement within the CCC to help guide the commissioners’ decisions regarding the ongoing Coeur d’Alene Basin remediation. She says that communication within the Coeur d’Alene Basin community is vital “so that more people in the basin are aware of what is going on with the clean up,” and she would “like more people to be aware of how they can recreate safely.”

The BEIPC focuses not only on the Superfund remediation but also works to promote Coeur d’Alene Lake Management efforts. To better understand the community’s interest in basin activities, she has created an online Google survey form. The outcome of this survey will help guide the future direction of the Citizen Coordinating Council. Please consider filling out this survey — see link below — and become involved today.

https://forms.gle/CSFDPDofknmixcrKA

The Our Gem Coeur d’Alene Lake Collaborative is a team of committed and passionate professionals working to preserve lake health and protect water quality by promoting community awareness of local water resources through education, outreach and stewardship. Our Gem includes local experts from the University of Idaho — Idaho Water Resources Research Institute, Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Basin Environmental Improvement Project Commission, Kootenai Environmental Alliance, Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber of Commerce and Connect Kootenai.