COEUR d'ALENE - The Inland Northwest Council of Boy Scouts plans to survey its constituents on what so far has been a controversial proposal that would move Lake Coeur d'Alene's historic and popular Camp Easton.

Those constituents include 550 groups such as troops, packs and other scouting units in North and north-central Idaho and Eastern Washington.

Until the council has heard back from those involved with the nearly 11,000 scouts from all the council's districts it won't make a decision on the proposal.

An Arizona-based developer has offered to build a new Camp Easton on the west shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene. In return, the developer, Discovery Land Co., would be given the current Camp Easton property on the east side of the lake.

Discovery is known in Coeur d'Alene for its Gozzer Ranch golf and lake club project near Camp Easton.

Scout council leaders, including executive committee officers Tim McCandless and Eric Brown, met Thursday with The Press to share their game plan and the progress they have made as the proposal is given consideration.

Brown, vice president for properties, said the survey would be sent out later this year, possibly at the end of next month.

Council officials are gathering all the information they can to give constituents an opportunity to examine a complete proposal - what will be there, what it will look like, and what activities scouts could take part in at the proposed camp.

So far, "We have done a ton of research," said McCandless, scout executive.

Brown said the council will use the survey results to guide a decision, not make it.

Discovery is offering to buy 270 acres at what is known as Sunup Bay for the proposed camp, design and build all new facilities that can be used throughout the year, and create an endowment with $2.5 million for maintenance and improvements.

In exchange, Discovery wants the 380 acres at Gotham Bay.

McCandless said only approximately 100 acres of the 380 are used by the scouts. Perhaps its most valuable asset is its sandy beach, while the proposed new site has a gravel beach and rocky shallow area.

The scout officials said they are in the research and evaluation phase of what they called a "significant" and "complex" proposal.

The council has volunteers with professional experience in legal issues, real estate, construction and development reviewing all aspects of the proposal.

Scout leaders want to see all the plans laid out in detail so they know exactly what they'll be saying 'no' or 'yes' to.

As some questions have been answered, new ones have popped up.

For example, it's still not clear if a shooting range could be established on the property of the proposed new site. No gun range would be a dealbreaker, as the current location has shotgun and rifle ranges, the scout leaders said.

Part of the council's research will be into Discovery itself.

The council is talking with others who have done business with Discovery. Scout leaders want to know if the developer will deliver on its promises.

"It has been positive overall," McCandless said of the feedback they have received to date. "It hasn't all been roses."

The current Camp Easton has shortcomings, the scout leaders said.

Its facilities are not winterized, whereas the promised new facilities would be.

A tunnel needs to be completed under Highway 97, which cuts through Camp Easton today. It also needs a new septic system, some water system improvements, a larger dining hall, and the replacement of three buildings that have foundation problems.

The price tag for all that work is $4 million. The council would have to raise those funds, which would take a long time at the current rate of fundraising.

Bob Rackham, a longtime Boy Scout volunteer in North Idaho who also talked with The Press Thursday, said both locations have a lot of potential.

He added, "Whatever is the best for the scouts in this area is what we need to do."

A lawsuit was filed in 1st District Court in Kootenai County by a group calling itself Camp Easton Forever, which aims to stop any land swap or deal with Discovery. McCandless and the scout leaders have declined any comment on the suit.