SANDPOINT — The Bonner County Zoning Commission unanimously approved the Earth Keepers outdoor homeschooling program to continue operating, with conditions tied to traffic and site use.  

The two-and-a-half-hour hearing saw approximately 40 community members in attendance, with the room divided between supporters and opponents of the file.  

Of the community members in favor of the file were a handful of children who are part of the Earth Keeper program, all of whom shared their gratitude for the program and described it as their ‘favorite day of the week.’  

“The light of Earth Keepers is in the people, the way we share this land together and learn how to respect our home. It’s a community, like a tribe, an intricate network of kindness, support and mutual respect that links us together in our learning and our play,” Earth Keeper Nishta Hicks said. “We learn not only about the world and its natural wonders, but also how to live in harmony with it.” 

Among other comments from Earth Keeper parents and students, CUP co-applicant Jed Peterson also spoke in support of the program, highlighting both its educational value and his wife’s role in leading it. 

“In a world where it’s impossible for anybody to agree on anything, I feel like we can all agree about being concerned for our kids and grandkids’ future,” said CUP co-applicant Jed Peterson. “Remind the kids how to play and have fun outside without the need for a screen in their hand. ... When a young person builds something with their own two hands, it builds a foundation of self-confidence that ripples throughout their life.”  

Most of the comments in opposition to the file dealt with the program’s access road, Red Cedar Lane. The road, according to community members, is unsafe with the program’s added traffic, noting that the road is narrow and essentially single-laned, with multiple blind turns leading to the property, creating safety concerns with increased traffic.  

Several residents shared personal experiences of being “run off the road” by drivers they said were traveling too fast, describing the situation as dangerous. 

“I’ve been forced off the ditch twice by these student parents who did not want to yield and were driving so fast. And one time, with the loaded dump truck with gravel, and I almost couldn’t recover. It would have really been a disaster for me and the road,” said one community member. 

Many of those opposed emphasized they were not against the program itself but were concerned about traffic and road safety. 

To mitigate those concerns, applicants are required to limit their hours of operation to between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., provide additional off-street parking, prohibit amplified sounds on the property, limit the class sizes to 24 students per class and make improvements to Red Cedar Lane up to the driveway entrance.  

Earth Keepers is a seasonal, outdoor-only homeschool program that operates in the spring and fall. Its program emphasizes nature-based learning, focusing on outdoor exploration and practical outdoor skills.