Cougar Island Auction
In June, the Idaho Department of Lands announced that it would move forward with auctioning Cougar Island— the minimum bid for the 14.2-acre endowment land starting at $8.8 million. The state constitution requires the Land Board to maximize financial return over the long term, benefitting mainly public schools. Cougar Island is being auctioned because state land managers say the island is underperforming, and it is in the state’s best interest to sell it.
The City of McCall and several groups are still continuing their efforts to protect and preserve Cougar Island, a valued piece of undeveloped land. Members of the community are concerned about the land’s future, which sits on the community’s sole source of drinking water, Payette Lake. Once sold, development of the land could also impact the lake’s ecosystem, the nature of the island, and recreational access.
The island is made up of five lots, and state officials will either auction them separately or as a whole depending on the highest bid. Of the five lots, only two are capable of having a septic system. The city discourages the Land Board from accepting bids that intend on developing infrastructure that requires septic systems. The city has asked to adopt an emergency ordinance that prohibits development on islands until a county code can be adopted regulating wastewater systems on islands in order to protect the drinking water source.
The Idaho Department of Lands is primarily concerned with the best interests of the endowment. They have expressed a willingness to work with numerous individuals and organizations, like United Payette, and to preserve endowment lands as long as they can meet their statutory obligations.
The Idaho Department of Lands will be auctioning Cougar Island on Wednesday, September 14 at 1:30 p.m. in the Waters Edge Event Center.
Idaho Business for the Outdoors, maintains that the preservation of this land is critical to our state, economy, local businesses and our Idaho quality of life. The United Payette Coalition is currently raising money to try and conserve the island. To learn more about Cougar Island and donate, click here.