May 1st brings the annual state-wide day of giving

by Kelsey Brasseur  Lake Pend Oreille WATERKEEPER

On May 1st, 2014, area non-profits and Idahoans come together for Idaho Gives, a special state-wide day of online giving and sharing.  Everyone can participate in this exciting event by making a donation or helping your favorite non-profit fundraise online.  Sponsored by the Idaho Non-Profit Center, this single day of giving raised $578,735 across our state last year, from 6,192 individuals who supported 541 nonprofit causes.

Residents of North Idaho are fortunate to be supported by many local non-profit groups who work to make our communities healthy, vibrant and strong.  These non-profits provide critical services to ensure that North Idaho remains a wonderful place to live and work. 

Many local groups will be participating in this year’s Idaho Gives event, including: Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, Idaho Conservation League, Selkirk Outdoor Leadership and Education, Kaniksu Land Trust, Panhandle Animal Shelter, American Heritage Wildlife Foundation, The Panida Theater, Friends of the Pend Oreille Bay Trail, the Memorial Community Center, Transitions in Progress, Priest River Ministries Advocates for Women, and the Rock Creek Alliance. 

From 8 am to 1 pm on May 1st these non-profits will host Idaho Gives donation stations at Evans Brothers Coffee Roasters and Starbucks in Sandpoint.  Stop by to chat with staff from your favorite groups, donate, and join in the fun of swag giveaways and prizes.  The Idaho Pour Authority will also host an Idaho Gives Celebration from 4-8 pm that evening, with door prizes for attendees and proceeds from the keg going back to local groups.  As a special thanks to local donors, Evans Brothers Coffee will provide a free drink to anyone who donates $10 or more to an area non-profit through the Idaho Gives event.  Just bring your donation receipt to the Neighborhood Espresso Bar (524 Church St) between May 1st and May 8th, 2014.

Making a donation through Idaho Gives is easy.  Simply visit www.idahogives.org to find and support participating local non-profit groups.  May 1st is the official Idaho Gives event, but you can also schedule your donation ahead of time by visiting the donation pages of your favorite non-profits on the Idaho Gives website. 

Corporate donors and sponsors have already contributed $48,000 to an award pool that will give local non-profits the chance to multiply donations from their supporters.  So whether you schedule your donation early or plan to give on the day of the event, stop back on May 1st to be part of the Idaho Gives celebration. 

Visit www.idahogives.org for more information, and to see all of North Idaho’s participating non-profits.  

By CAMERON RASMUSSON Staff writer at Bonner County Daily Bee

SANDPOINT — Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper officials are putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to keeping herbicides out of local waters.

According to executive director Shannon Williamson, the organization is offering the city $10,000 from community donations to help take the sting out of costs associated with non-herbicide treatments for a Eurasian Watermilfoil infestation.

“This is really the community’s donation,” Williamson said, later adding, “We’re hopeful that we can work with the city to put together a long-term management plan that doesn’t involve herbicides.”

Waterkeeper officials are offering the management plan and donation to the city as an alternative to an herbicide treatment proposed by the Idaho State Department of Agriculture. The plan uses a combination of diver dredging, the manual removal of invasive species, and bottom barriers, large black tarps that block the plants from sunlight and eventually kill them. Williamson said that without volunteers, the management plan will cost around $53,300. Volunteer labor will likely lower that number to $40,140.

The promise of an initial $10,000 should soften that financial blow somewhat. In addition, the group is aiming to acquire another $8,000 grant and will undertake fundraising measures to help as much as possible.  

Nevertheless, the decision will likely be a tough one for City Council members when they examine the issue at their regular meeting this Wednesday. Although Lake Pend Oreille Waterkeeper is offering financial assistance, the Idaho State Department of Agriculture will apply herbicides at no cost.

“I feel the council members have been very interested in researching all the different options out there,” Williamson said.

The issue boils down to a disagreement between Waterkeepers and the state department over whether or not herbicides are safe for the environment and humans.

Williamson said studies have linked triclopyr, the principle chemical in the herbicides, to several health conditions. In high concentrations, it causes eye and skin irritation in humans. Tests have shown kidney damage in rats and dogs, reproductive problems in rabbits and rats, inhibited neurological activity and tumors in animal subjects.

On the other hand, state officials say the low and diluted chemical dosages needed to kill off invasive species shouldn’t have an effect on anyone using the lake. Neither should it impact the wildlife or ecosystem. Triclopyr has difficulty permeating human skin, and in the case of ingestion, usually declines to undetectable levels within 48 hours. The herbicide residue is typically dissipated from water in one to two weeks.

Council members aim to make a decision one way or another 5:30 p.m. this Wednesday at City Hall.