KVRI looks back at 10 years of a

KVRI looks back at 10 years of accomplishment

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."