Our Current Advocacy
We direct our advocacy and education within three pillars of focus: Terrain, Water, and Climate.
Within these pillars, our efforts vary from public-facing outreach and programming to behind-the-scenes collaboration and development.
Regional Terrain
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 advocacy and education efforts:
Working with regional allies to monitor Region 1 National Forests (USFS) management plans.
Monitoring development and advocating for long-range, local land use planning.
Promoting community gardens, sustainable agriculture, and local foodsheds and farmers.
Waterways
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 and eduction efforts and goals include:
Bringing stakeholders together to form a Small Lakes and Waterways Alliance to promote water quality protection and restoration remediation in our region.
Participation in the regional Our Gem consortium to educate the public on the health of regional waterways ways take action to protect water resources.
Host the annual Water Festival for 5th-grade classrooms to educate on our local watersheds and wildlife. Work with 3rd-grade classrooms on hydrology.
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:
Working with the USFS Nursery to coordinate volunteer opportunities to help with seedling production.
Educating businesses on clean energy alternatives to reduce carbon emissions.
Hosting an Annual Green Summit to present climate solution actions people can initiate to offset negative climate impacts.
Opportunities to Get Involved
