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County weighs stronger shoreline enforcement, education as tribe and DEQ urge protection of lakes
Summary
Kootenai County discussed tougher responses to shoreline and site-disturbance violations after staff showed photos of cleared shorelines and retaining walls; the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and Idaho DEQ urged stronger protection and education, commissioners asked staff to pursue remedies and consider code changes and contractor accountability measures.
Kootenai County commissioners on Thursday discussed ways to strengthen enforcement and encourage compliance with shoreline and site-disturbance rules after staff presented multiple examples of cleared buffers, removed vegetation and large retaining walls along county shorelines.
David Callahan, Community Development director, described dozens of current cases and images of shoreline disturbance and told commissioners that modest fines in the existing fee schedule are inadequate to address damage that can cost tens of thousands of dollars to remediate. "The fines that we have are inconsequential," he said, and noted that the county's code includes a civil-penalty tool of up to $1,000 per day (capped at $20,000) for recorded violations but that triggering it requires prior notice and recorded findings.
Communi…
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