Our Current Advocacy
We direct our advocacy within five pillars of focus: Land, Water, Climate, Sustainability, and Education.
Within these pillars, our efforts vary from public-facing outreach and programming to behind-the-scenes collaboration and development.
Land
From monitoring timber sales in our National Forests, to conducting county wide workshops on updating the county’s Comprehensive Plan, KEA has played an essential role in protecting our land based resources.
As our population and land development rises, our team is putting it's attention to the following efforts:
“Boots on the ground” field trips to Idaho Panhandle National Forest (IPNF) project sites.
Work with individuals to promote “Open Space Initiative” in Kootenai County.
Monitor land use and permitting applications.
Water
The waters of Northern Idaho are defining features of our region. They give life to a fertile green ecosystem, and a robust recreational lifestyle and industry.
Lake Coeur d'Alene (our Gem) is historically both a gathering place for regional native tribes, and a toxic-waste superfund site.
Our watershed is our life, and it needs our vigilant protection.
Our team's water advocacy efforts and goals include:
Develop and give presentations on the state of the aquifer.
Re-establish our official Waterkeeper licensing, staff and full programming.
Monitoring water access and drilling applications.
Climate
Coeur d'Alene's climate is changing and these changes impact us all.
Extreme heat and wildfire smoke are the most noticeable impacts now, but more will become just as noticeable over time. Please check out the CDA Climate Adaptation Project Report to read a comprehensive analysis on the local impacts of climate change to our region.
Our team's goal is to help our hometown adapt to those changes that are already happening, and to lessen future damage to our community. Our current and planned efforts include:
Improve the CdA Cooling Center process
Establish a solar parking lot
Provide recyclable or compostable beverage options at locally hosted race events
Annual local tree planting
Sustainability
KEA has been at the forefront of sustainability within Couer d'Alene and Kootenai County for many decades. All of our efforts are intended to preserve and sustain our local and regional environment.
From starting the first community garden to helping to initiate a community seed library, KEA has supported sustainability in every way possible.
As we move forward, our current projects include:
Host regular speakers on sustainable solutions to environmental challenges.
Create “water wise” garden and community meeting space.
Education
Providing our community with relevant, current information has been a key component of our role as environmental advocates.
Over they years we have hosted lunch and learns, contributed articles to local newspapers, provided educational programming for K-12 students, and hosted informative fundraising events.
As we move forward with our intention to provide important information and education to our community, our goals include:
Re-establishing regular informative public presentations about relevant local concerns and efforts.
Expand our 1st Grade water education program to more schools.
Build a 3rd Grade water education program.
Restore the 5th Grade water festival educational program.
Develop a monthly report of advocacy opportunities to be shared in our email blasts.
Opportunities to Get Involved
