390 square-foot manufacturing facility it used to occupy is leased to an outside firm, Ground Force Manufacturing, an international firm specializing in the manufacture of mining equipment and large-body trucks used primarily in the mining industry. Agriculture and Livestock. Agriculture provides approximately 10 percent of the employment opportunities for tribal members. Agricultural enterprises include a 6,000 acre farm that produces wheat, barley, peas, lentils, and canola for commercial markets.Another thirty thousand acres of tribal land produces Kentucky bluegrass. Approximately 150,000 acres of tribal lands are occupied by privately owned farms. Forestry. The reservation lies partially within national forest land in a region where the timber industry has been traditionally prominent, and a limited amount of timber harvesting continues. Over 180,000 acres of the reservation are forested, and though a considerable number of tribal members find employment through this industry, many tribal members work through non-Indian timbering enterprises. Pacific Crown Timber Products is the largest private employer in this domain. The tribe does not authorize clear cuts; all logging is done with selective cutting. Gaming. The Coeur d’Alene Casino, first opened in March 1993, has been expanded upon and renovated. It offers over 1,400 slot machines, bingo, MegaBingo, off-track dog and horse betting, and video pull-tabs. Facilities now include an adjacent four star luxury hotel and spa/resort, six restaurants, and an entertainment venue. The 170,000 square foot resort has 202 guest rooms, a conference center, video arcade, and daycare accommodations upon request. The resort offers transport to Spokane International Airport, as well as daily shuttles to Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and Post Falls. Fisheries. The region surrounding the reservation is rich in streams, rivers, and lakes, most of which have excellent recreational fishing. Tribal members continue to fish on and beyond reservation boundaries. The tribal lake management and natural resources departments manage and control all non-tribal uses of Coeur d’Alene Lake, including licensing for boating and fishing. The tribe established a recreation management program to oversee shoreline protection standards. Construction. In 1999 the tribal housing authority oversaw construction of 221 homes on the reservation. An estimated 163 more are needed. Manufacturing. The manufacturing industry is the second largest source of employment among tribal members. As of 2004 manufacturing represented employment for 10 percent of the tribe’s workforce, employing 268 tribal members. Except for the reservation-based cottage industry of traditional artisans, virtually all of these people work for enterprises located off the reservation. Industrial Park. The tribe has proposed construction of theCoeurd’AleneECO-IndustrialParkon24acres south of Plummer. Development will include upgrading of the existing Union Pacific Railroad road and construction of sidewalks, parking lots, walkways, transit parking, and boarding sites. Highway 95 and Agency Road will receive upgrades, and bridges will be constructed at the existing culverts. Facilities will be constructed in three phases. Phase one will include construction of a business incubator building, a retail and light manufacturing building, and six cottage industry/residence units. Phase two includes two office buildings and a manufacturing/ warehouse building. Phase three will complete the complex with four additional office buildings and a manufacturing/warehouse building. Real Estate/Commercial Development.The tribe is in the process of constructing housing units at various sites across the reservation. Plans call for construction of 17 units and include improvements to local roadways. Media and Communications.The tribe publishes the Coeur d’Alene/Schitsu’umsh Council Fires, a monthly newspaper; however, they also post public notices and other items of interest on a Coeur d’Alene Council Fires Facebook page. The tribal youth sports program operates another. The information technology department provides IT services for all tribal programs and offices. They maintain the tribal GIS system and operate KWIS 88.3 FM, the tribal radio station. Tourism and Recreation.The St. Joe river courses through the reservation to Lake Coeur d’Alene, a trout- fishing destination.It is the highest navigable stream in the world and serves as a waterway for tugboats working the Spokane River. The historic Mission of the Sacred Heart in Cataldo is the oldest standing building in the state of Idaho, built in the mid-1840s by Jesuit priests to serve the Coeur d’Alene tribal people. In the 1870s the mission was moved from the church site to a building in De Smet when tensions between the tribe and Euro-American settlers began to rise. The historic Catholic Mission and the adjacent Sisters’ Building, built in 1880, continue to serve as important cultural and religious gathering places for members of the tribe. In 2011 the tribe opened a visitor center at Old Mission State Park to house their “Sacred Encounters” exhibit, an historically accurate representationof the tribe’s interactionswithJesuitpriests. In 2012 the tribe negotiated with a private landowner to purchase additional acreage surrounding the Mission. The recreation management programmanages the 15- mile reservation portion of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and Veterans Memorial Park, located at the trailhead in Plummer, and Camp Roger Larson, a recreation facility formerly owned by Washington State University. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the reservation’s abundant fishing, boating, and water sport activities. In the more remote regions to the east, hunters pursue big game, such as bear, elk, and deer, as well as waterfowl. Golf, hiking, mountain climbing, and winter skiing are all quite popular. There are several camping areas on and adjacent to tribal lands. The recreation management program also manages the De Smet-Tensed Trail, completed in late 2009, a paved pedestrian connection between the communities of Tensed and De Smet. This trail features a 150-foot bridge across Hangman Creek with benches and a picnic area. The casino sponsors cruises on both Lake Chatcolet and Lake Coeur d’Alene. Cruise tours include special events and private charters. Opportunities include seaplane tours, fishing, performances, and boating. The casino provides direct access to the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene. The casino hosts numerous entertainment acts and events, including the PRCA Coeur d’Alene Casino Championship Rodeo Series and the Julyamsh Coeur d’Alene Tribe annual encampment and powwow. Coeur d’Alene GOVERNMENT The tribe’s governing body is the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Council. The council is empowered to act on behalf of the tribe under the terms of the revised constitution and bylaws adopted on November 10, 1984, and approved by the secretary of the interior on December 21, 1984. This council consists of seven members, each elected to three-year terms. Officers include a chairman, vice-chair, and a secretary-treasurer. The general council consists of all tribal members who are of voting age.Tribal governmental departments include gaming, housing, health, economic development, law and order, tribal school advisory boards, each with their respective directors and office staff in varying offices, including finance, information technology, grants, facilities/public works, human resources, enrollment, social services, natural resources, and education, including early childhood learning, legislative affairs, culture, housing, planning, Benewah Medical Center, and justice. They have a tribal police force and court system, and jurisdiction over the reservation is concurrent with state and local law enforcement agencies. The reservation is serviced by volunteer fire departments fromWorley, Plummer, Sorento, and Tensed. ECONOMY The economy of the reservation is sustained to a lesser extent in the 21st century by logging and agriculture, with gaming and tourism industries becoming the more important sources of revenue. The tribe’s enterprises fund enhancement of tribal services. GovernmentasEmployer.Thetribe was northern Idaho’s largest employer, with just over 2,000 employees. Economic Development Projects. The tribal planning department plays an essential role in economic development by carrying out long-range comprehensive planning and site specific or project-specific development planning in coordination with all other tribal departments in keeping with established land use codes. Beginning in 2004 the tribe has operated within the framework of this comprehensive plan. With oversight from the planning department, the tribe has developed numerous projects, including improvements to roadways that enhance tourism and recreation in the region, construction of an industrial park, the development of a ferry system and an airport, and the creation of educational tourist attractions in the region. One such project was the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, approximately 15 miles of rail bed converted to a multi-use trail within reservation boundaries.Atrailhead at Plummer marks the historical trail as the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes; it includes a tunnel under U.S. 95 that connects the trail to the tribal celebration grounds. The tribe also operates a grocery store, the BenewahMarket in Plummer, Idaho, Benewah Ace Hardware, the Fightin’ Creek Market, a smoke shop and convenience store in Worley, Idaho, a Conoco gas station, Benewah Automotive store, the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Farm, the Coeur d’Alene Casino and Resort, including Circling Raven Golf Course, and Red Spectrum Communications, a wireless internet service provider. The tribe built a Community Technology Center in downtown Plummer, providing free Wi-Fi Internet connectivity and computer access, and laid over 275 miles of broadband fiberoptic cable throughout a 377 square mile service area, permitting over 3,500 house-holds to have internet access. Echelon, LLC, a former tribal enterprise is no longer operational; however, the 55,000
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