COEUR d'ALENE - The Kootenai County commissioners are considering selling a parcel of county property that includes the Chilco waterfall, which has devoted ice climbers and environmentalists in the region rallying in objection.

"I believe it is an asset to the county," said Hayden ice climber Jason Baker, also a member of the Chilco Falls committee for the Kootenai Klimbers. "It's the only accessible local ice (for climbing) within a couple hours."

But county officials justify that the site is inaccessible, not maintained, often unused, and that its sale could fund a more useful county effort.

"I believe they traverse private property to get to this," said Commissioner Dan Green. "It's hard to get to, and there aren't that many people that go there. These ice climbers, I didn't even know we had ice climbers in Kootenai County."

The commissioners had been approached by county Parks and Waterways Director Nick Snyder some time ago about the property that was basically sitting unused, Green said.

At a February commissioners' debriefing, Commissioner Jai Nelson suggested selling the property at public auction "and use the funds to improve other parks," according to the meeting minutes. At an April meeting, Nelson reported that county attorney Pat Braden had been authorized to move forward with selling the property, the meeting minutes state.

Nelson had also requested the property be removed from the Parks and Waterways website, according to the minutes, because it is listed as a park, "and the county doesn't maintain the property for that purpose."

Green said the commissioners are open to other suggestions for the site.

"If these people are using it and we can create access for them, and find some funding mechanisms, I think we're all open to ideas," he said.

The falls can be seen about a half mile north of Chilco Road off Highway 95.

The Kootenai Environmental Alliance has received more than 20 calls and emails in the last few days from climbers objecting to the sale, said Adrienne Cronebaugh with KEA.

The nonprofit is working with Baker to get word out and pursue stopping the sale, she said.

"It's just poor practice to be liquidating public property in exchange for funding to supplement departmental operating budget," Cronebaugh said. "It's wrong to assume that this park isn't being used, because the people who have been calling us are using the park often. They have loved it in the past and hope their children get to use it in the future."

KEA is willing to volunteer and fundraise to improve access, she added.

"If that is the only issue keeping the county from keeping that park, we're here to help keep public lands public," she said.

Baker said he and other ice climbers take on the falls 10 to 20 times a season, he said.

"If the property is sold, I would imagine then we would not be able to use it," he said, insisting that though public access to the fall is unmarked, it does exist.

Former ice climber Duane Rasmussen said maybe if a parking lot was added to the site, it could also be used for picknicking and hiking, while still allowing for climbing.

"This is a very important sport for some people," the Hayden resident said. "They would have to travel two hours or more to find anything really comparable."

But Matt Roetter, Kootenai County Republican state committeeman who has also climbed the waterfall, wondered if the property poses a liability for the county.

"Ice climbing is not the safest sport in the world," Roetter said. "Maybe it is a good idea to sell it because of the liability."

Green said the commissioners will listen to all input.

Although he couldn't guarantee there would be a public hearing on the matter, the elected officials will make a decision at a noticed public meeting, he said.

"Nothing has been cast in concrete," Green said.