A. This Strategic Plan Was Created By An Unprecedented Partnership 

    Boundary County, the northern-most county in Idaho, is composed of a remarkable mix of cultures. Built upon a natural resource-based economy, the region's communities face growing hardships from long-term downturns in timber and agricultural industries. In the past, collaboration between interest groups, cultures and governments was not strategically important. Today, however, economic and social challenges are so severe that partnerships must be forged to build a stable future for local residents.

    Such a partnership is now a reality. The collaboration between the County of Boundary, City of Bonners Ferry and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho (the "Partnership") initiated this plan as one of the first results of their collective agreement. Their teamwork is unprecedented in the county, and very rare in the Inland Northwest. Through their example, other area teams are organizing; now is the right time for action. 

    The Partnership members contributed equally to fund the strategic plan. In addition, they worked with Panhandle Area Council (PAC) to seek additional funding from a U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant. With the successful grant application, the Partnership (through the Boundary County Commissioners) hired a consulting team led by Tom Hudson Company (THC) to guide the planning process.

    By consensus of the Partnership, EDA and PAC, the plan focuses on five key planning elements (see plan map):

* Downtown revitalization in Bonners Ferry
* Industrial development, with emphasis on the County airport
* South Hill (Bonners Ferry) public safety and development along the highway
* River walk (greenbelt) along the Kootenai River and adjacent to Downtown Bonners Ferry
* Cultural center concept development

Each of these elements is addressed in detail in the remaining chapters of this report.

    The Partnership agreed that the planning process should be community-based. That is, area residents should be active participants in defining values, priorities, and activities that frame the strategy. Toward this end, five systems were organized to guide planning:
    1. An Advisory Team was created to guide all planning considerations. This team is composed of about thirty area residents from a very wide range of backgrounds. Members were nominated by each of the three government Partners. In addition, other citizens who expressed an interest were invited to participate; no one was excluded. The Advisory Team met with the planning team during each of four week-long sessions to discuss planning issues and guide decisions.
    2. The Partnership met with THC at the beginning and end of each week-long session in Bonners Ferry. These meetings included exchanges, updates and briefings on strategic issues. 
    3. Interviews with area residents were formally organized over two months to engage more people and perspectives in the planning process. Leaders from various interest groups were invited as well as representatives from different community lifestyles (e.g., farming, ranching, industry, commerce, youth, seniors, educators, clergy, etc.). In addition, anyone from the area who expressed an interest was interviewed by the planning team. Interviews focused on regional strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. Participants were asked to share their priorities for future community development. In total, over fifty formal interviews were conducted.
    4. The planning team conducted nearly twenty outreach meetings with community interest groups. Key targets included the Chamber of Commerce, Fair Board, Airport Board, School Board, educators, youth, Department of Labor, other government agencies, and service clubs.
    5. Community youth gave their input through a survey distributed to a sampling of eighth and eleventh graders. They expressed opinions about various facets of community life, the Dowtown and their schools. Their insights gave the planning team a view from an important group - future community leaders. 
    6. A series of public meetings were facilitated to engage residents in two ways. First, information related to options and impacts was shared with participants to make them more aware of planning challenges. Second, participants were asked to provide guidance during meetings through straw poll votes and general discussion. This exchange was very fruitful, with surprisingly high consensus expressed on nearly every issue. Results of advisory polls are included in this report. Attendance at public meetings averaged about 130.

    Community feedback has been very positive as expressed through public participation, outreach and regional media. Citizens appreciate both the opportunity to participate and the value placed on their input. Both responses are critical. With such a depressed economy and many separate interest groups, people need to be convinced of the merit of actions that require local resources. The Partnership is committed to continuing the community-based approach throughout implementation of the plan. This orientation will enhance the growing sense of community that is a major byproduct of the planning process. 
B. The Region's Heritage and Economy are Closely Tied

    Boundary County is as diverse in its history as it is in resources. Pioneers called the Kootenai Valley appropriately the "Nile of the North," due to the wealth of natural resources, transportation and economic opportunity it supported. These attractions grew, and regional mining discoveries attracted many migrants in the late 1800's. Bonners Ferry became an early commercial and distribution hub. However, this influx of settlers came at the expense of the area's original inhabitants, the Kootenai Tribe. 

    Settlers' agendas were pitted against the beliefs of the Tribe. The natural resources treasured by the Kootenai Tribe were the primary motivators encouraging settlement. Migration was inevitable. With it came conflict that has left the region with social wounds yet to be entirely healed. 

    History of this area is intricately connected with the Kootenai River for both the Kootenai Tribe and settlers. The river was a source of food and transportation and it continues to play a vital role to this day. Resources discovered in the river lured thousands of individuals over the years. One of those enterprising individuals was Edwin Bonner who established a ferry service on the river for .50 per person and $1.50 for loaded pack animals in 1864. Richard Frey began leasing the ferry from Bonner in 1875 and in 1902 the County purchased the ferry for the amount of $500. Soon thereafter options to cross the river increased when the Spokane International Railroad bridged it in 1906. 

    For a time, Bonners Ferry was actually two towns side by side, but separated by the river. On April 15, 1899, the Kootenai County Commissioners approved the merger of Eaton and Bonnerport and established Bonners Ferry. Due to political geography, Bonners Ferry would exist in two different counties prior to the creation of Boundary County in 1915, with Bonners Ferry as the county seat. 
Lumber and mining made the community a boom town for much of its early history. It was host to one of the world's largest lumber mills, The Bonners Ferry Lumber Company, and an abundance of mines in the nearby mountains. The Bonners Ferry Lumber Company produced 50 million board feet in 1913 despite being plagued by fires, floods and problems with the railroad. Production eventually tapered off until the mill closed in 1926. 

    River flooding was such a problem that in the early 1900's, Downtown Bonners Ferry was elevated substantially. The June 19, 1916, flood was particularly destructive (all along its route through Boundary County). Wooden sidewalks and stores were built on stilts. Even these steps were not enough for additional floods, most notably in 1948 and 1956. More recently, upriver dams and dikes in town brought the river under control. Oddly, these actions created a substantial disconnection between Bonners Ferry and the river. Today there are few places to view or walk along this magnificent natural feature from inside the community. 

    For the first sixty years of this century, downtown Bonners Ferry was a true regional commercial and distribution center. Rail, river and highway service made it a natural connection and gathering point. By 1970, local retail strength began to decline. Good highways and changing shopping habits led more and more consumers south to do their major purchasing. Proximity to Canada, seasonal weather and distance to larger centers enabled Downtown to fare better than many others its size around the west. However, the decline continued. This sense of decline has become visibly present. Today, many storefronts are empty. Even many basic products can no longer be purchased locally. Historic buildings are in need of repair or maintenance. Entries are uninviting. Businesses and citizens alike are calling for action. 

    Meanwhile, "family wage" jobs in Boundary County are in ever shorter supply. The natural resource industry, in most of its facets, is shrinking. Diversification is not keeping up with the real need for high quality employment. Leaders are looking for creative ways to grow a new, more vital economy. The county's many interest groups - religious, ethnic, social, political and economic - have expressed the need for action to restore stability to the lifestyles that have brought and kept them here.

    The rich history of Boundary County includes the ancient presence of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, tales of a boom town, hardy pioneers, vast amounts of natural resources, the rise and fall of major industries, fires and a series of destructive floods. Having endured both hardship and prosperity, the people in this fairly remote region often describe themselves as independent and historically self-reliant. They have tended to prefer minimal government and have seldom needed to act collectively. These historic traits have made it difficult to forge partnerships in the past. A new era appears to have dawned at the start of a new century where partnerships and collaboration will become the primary "natural" resource of a new economy.