Update on IDFG St Maries/Black Lake proposed land exchange

In February 2016, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to trade four parcels comprised of 1,402.04 acres of mostly forested land in Benewah County. In the value-for-value trade, IDFG would receive 1,012.72 acres of the Black Lake Ranch which fronts the Coeur d'Alene River and Black Lake in Kootenai County. The four parcels IDFG proposed for trade were purchased in the 1940s with assistance from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) Program. They are part of the St. Maries Wildlife Management Area (WMA), and are located approximately six miles south of the town of St. Maries. The Black Lake Ranch is located on the lower Coeur d'Alene River adjacent to lands already in IDFG ownership. Black Lake Ranch is comprised of floodplain and riparian habitats that are considered rare and unique habitats. Acquisition of the Black Lake Ranch by IDFG would allow for the remediation and restoration of the agricultural wetlands and resolution of water quality issues. The Black Lake Ranch is identified as a priority for remediation and restoration and there are good opportunities for outside restoration funds from multiple partners. When a state proposes the sale or exchange of property purchased with WSFR funding, the proposed exchange must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). As part of that process, IDFG held four scoping meetings in March 2016, to gather public input regarding the proposed land exchange. A total of 146 comments were received by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the St. Maries WMA parcel/Black Lake Ranch trade proposal. Of the comments received, 54 were unsupportive. Over half (58 percent) of those comments not supporting the proposal stated that the loss of public access on the land that would no longer be in IDFG ownership was the main concern. The majority of the commenters (90 comments; 62 percent) supported the exchange and over half of these supporters said that they supported the exchange because they wanted the water quality in Black Lake to improve. IDFG is appreciative of the public for taking time to provide comments on the proposed exchange and is currently working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to analyze and respond to the comments. It is clear from the comments that the loss of public access to the St. Maries parcels is the primary concern of the public. Even commenters who opposed the trade wrote that they were supportive of acquiring the Black Lake Ranch parcel, but not at the expense of losing access to the St. Maries parcels. As a response to these concerns, IDFG is negotiating an easement to retain perpetual public access on the St. Maries parcels as part of the exchange. IDFG emphases that this is very much a work in progress and that many steps are still needed before a second proposal can be provided to the public. If negotiations are successful, a new environmental assessment (EA) will be provided to the public that would include responses to the comments received, and propose a new alternative that includes perpetual public access to the St. Maries parcels. IDFG and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would then notify the public of the start of a new 30 day comment period. For more information, contact Kathy Cousins, (208) 769-1414.