[Type text] The Priest River Bioregional Atlas Authors Morgan Bessaw Nick Brown Jesse Buster Danielle Clelland Rebecca Couch Genny Gerke Melissa Hamilton Matthew Jensen Liz Lind Lisa Marshall Liza Pulsipher Monica Walker Project Advisor Dr. Tamara J. Laninga Editor Sue Traver Acknowledgements Special thanks go to the residents of Priest River and the surrounding environs; Sue Traver, University of Idaho Extension faculty; City of Priest River Mayor Jim Martin and the City Council; the Priest River Community Advisory Board, chaired by Wayne Benner; and all of the people interviewed for this atlas including: Bob Denner, Joe Summers, Jack Johnson, Jonny Wilson, Clare Marley, Dan Carlson, Susan Cabear, Dick Cramer, Karl Dye, Marilyn Cork, Marie Duncan, Mike McGuire, Ken Reed, Kerri Martin, Les Kokanos, Mike Bauer, and Danny Barney. We also thank Ted and Rita Runberg for all their support and a great BB and Katie Crill and the Priest River Library Branch for all their assistance and the use of their conference room. Finally, we thank the University of Idaho’s Building Sustainable Communities Initiative for supporting the Bioregional Planning and Community Design program. December 2009 [Type text] Preface [Type text] Table of Contents1 Introduction Section1: Biophysical Section 2: Protected Areas Section 3: Cultural Landscapes Section 4: History Section 5: Agriculture Section 6: Political and Nongovernmental Institutions Section 7: Land Use Section 8: Infrastructure Section 9: Transportation Section 10: Demographics Section 11: Economics Section 12: Housing Section 13: Education Section14: Health and Safety Section 15: Community Life Conclusion 1 The information provided in this atlas is subject to change – please verify all information prior to any decision making processes based on the contents of any section in the atlas. Danielle Clelland and Jesse Buster INTRODUCTION Priest River is a community brimming with possibilities. Nestled within Idaho’s North Country, it boasts a bounty of natural amenities and a small town atmosphere that can rarely be found elsewhere. Within its boundaries are two rivers, the Pend Oreille and the Priest, which are home to abundant wildlife and provide excellent recreation opportunities including boating and swimming. Surrounding mountains offer further opportunities, providing exceptional skiing and ample trails for hiking.1. This city has a strong community spirit and thriving community life that places a high value on education and related activities. The community also boasts many highly active political and non-governmental institutions, well-developed health and safety organizations, and an efficient and improving transportation and infrastructure system. The community is strongly based on its unique timber and natural resource-based history, but is also striving for a progressive and innovative way to entwine its past with its present and future. Figure 1: City of Priest River Source: http://www.sandpoint.com Community development has been a major point of discussion as the Priest River Advisory Group and other vocal community leaders have stepped forward to help guide Priest River on its journey to a more equitable and sustainable future. This Bioregional Atlas contains within it an overview of important elements of Priest River and the surrounding region. It is intended to aide in this process by providing a community profile that outlines some of the community’s most outstanding assets and opportunities. Overview of Priest River Priest River is located in Northern Idaho within Bonner County and has a current population of approximately 1800.2 Within it is the intersection point of US Highway 2 and State Highway 57 and it is situated only 7 miles from Newport, Washington, and 23 miles from Sandpoint, Idaho to the east.3 Surrounding Priest River is acres of prime forest land. For this reason, Priest River has historically been a timber community, heavily dependent upon natural resources for economic stability. As the timber industry continues to suffer decreasing prosperity in present times, Priest River has lost many of its employment opportunities and has suffered economically. Priest River has thereby been presented with the challenge of transforming its economy and livelihood. Bioregional Approach Many past, current, and future problems we face cannot be appropriately or adequately addressed within the existing political boundaries arbitrarily imposed on the land. These issues include environmental health, water use and management, social and financial equity, infrastructure such as housing, transportation, energy, food, waste, and many more which ultimately influence the overall well being of society and the environment. In response, a bioregional approach addresses these critical issues with a more balanced and sensible means. A bioregion can be defined loosely as, "A unique region definable by natural (rather than political) boundaries with a geographic, climatic, hydrological, and ecological character capable of supporting unique human and nonhuman living communities....variously defined by the geography of watersheds, similar plant and animal ecosystems, and related, identifiable landforms...human cultures that grow from natural limits and potentials of the region”4. Bioregionalism is the understanding that humans are not separate from the ecosystems they occupy, but that they are merely a part of them. It is in our interest to protect these ecosystems to ensure our survival. The bioregional approach addresses the intricate interrelation of every action and practice, and that a holistic approach is necessary to promote the greater sense of well being. This approach is guided by a principle called the triple-bottom-line, which balances economic viability, social equity, and environmental health, and each must be addressed equally to optimize life and survival. Summary of Atlas Sections This section provides a brief overview of each of the sections included in the Bioregional Atlas. These sections are: Biophysical; Protected Areas; Cultural Landscapes; History; Agriculture; Political and Nongovernmental Institutions; Land Use; Infrastructure; Transportation; Demographics; Economics; Housing; Education; Health and Safety; and Community Life. Biophysical The biophysical section is an important part of the atlas because it describes the natural state of the region, the physical attributes, and available resources. Often this holds clues as to why the area was initially developed and what is important to the community. This section describes many aspects of the physical region including the geology, hydrology, vegetation, climate, topography, elevation, etc. and helps explain the context in which we view all the other sections of the atlas. Knowing what resources are available makes it easier to identify areas of opportunity for the community as well as critical areas that may need to be better protected and should be kept in mind while doing any planning for the region. The nearby Priest River Experiment Station is useful to the atlas because it has monitored and documented many aspects of the biophysical community, primarily vegetation, since the founding of the community. Understanding the history and values of these resources in the community make us better qualified to plan and protect the region as a whole. Figure 2: Priest River Bioregional Landscape Source: http://pimage3.homesandland.com Protected Areas Protected areas are those natural landscapes preserved for the benefit of environmental health and natural amenities for public use and well being. These lands include natural forest lands and the various water bodies set aside to protect their integrity or other beneficial purpose for natural systems, economic industries, recreation, and cultural and historical significance. The focus of this section is to evaluate those different stakeholders and how they use and manage these lands for the greater benefit. Cultural Landscapes The Priest River area has been a natural collecting place for people dating back to the pre- historic times. Spearheads have been found from the prehistoric era where people would hunt for the now extinct species, the Woolley mammoth and giant bison. The Priest River area is rich with cultural heritage and the process of preserving and passing on this historical cultural knowledge nurtures the relationship with this geographic place. Residents of today can foster their present connection to this place through deepening the understanding of the residents and history of the past.5 History “No place is a place until the things that have happened in it are remembered in history, ballads, yarns, legends, or monuments”6 Each place has a sense of history that reflects the intersection of past events of a personal and public nature. A sense of history locates us in time and space. It provides us with the knowledge of where we came from, who we are, and why we are here. It fills in the gaps in our personal memories and family stories that help us understand our place. Through examining and appreciating our history we explore fundamental questions concerning personal and community identify and our relationship to the environment. Understanding a sense of history can also shape perceptions of the historic preservation of life- place by facilitating communities to define and protect their unique character created from the past that influences the present, which will improve the future. This section reviews key elements of Priest River and Bonner County Pre-Settlement