Leave the pilings alone.

Members of the Cougar Bay Osprey Protective

Association, Inc. have filed an application with the Idaho

Department of Lands for a permit to keep the century-old pilings

and booms in Cougar Bay.

As the group's name would indicate, the

goal is to maintain the pilings that osprey and other birds have

come to depend on for nesting and survival.

"It's a tremendous place for birds, both

permanent and migratory ones," said Sue Flammia, the group's vice

president.

The permit wouldn't be in conflict with the

encroachment permit Kootenai County just obtained to install buoys

along the mouth of the wake, assured the group's legal

representative, Scott Reed.

The buoys would simply help establish the

no-wake zone that has been in place at the bay for more than 20

years — also a plus for the osprey.

"Every application (IDOL sees) is to do

something. 'Build this. Do this,'" Reed said. "Here this is — we

don't want to do anything except keep it the way it is." - Alecia

Warren