IDL outlines navigable-waters permit workload, mine-reclamation role and lease activity
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Summary
IDL said two Sandpoint-based resource specialists manage submerged-land encroachment permits (docks and launches) on Lake Pend Oreille and other waters, and that the program oversees over 3,000 active permits.
Eric Scholquist told county officials that the department administers encroachment permits for submerged public-trust lands (docks, boat launches and other overwater structures) on Lake Pend Oreille, Clark Fork, the Priest River and select other waters. He said two resource specialists in Sandpoint work in that program and that there are "more than 3,000 active encroachment permits" covering docks, boat launches and waterfront structures.
Scholquist also summarized IDL—s role under the Mining Land Reclamation Act, which requires reclamation plans for mining operations and funds some abandoned-mine work and safety closures. He said the abandoned-mine program is largely voluntary but that funding and contractors exist for projects such as bat gates or plugging shafts where safety is a concern.
Chad Ramsey and Eric Scholquist noted that the Sandpoint office manages leases for recreation cabins, four mineral leases in Bonner County, and one grazing lease. Staff said that most legal easements on endowment lands are for natural-resource use and do not automatically guarantee public access; public access is allowed where it does not conflict with fiduciary obligations to generate revenue for beneficiaries.