SANDPOINT — Bonner County commissioners will seek more information from the Idaho Department of Lands before deciding whether to support a proposed waterfront recreation lease off Lakeshore Drive. 

The decision was made by commissioners Brian Domke and Ron Korn during a special meeting Monday, after learning that the meeting was called to determine if the commissioners wanted to meet with officials from IDL to discuss the agency's proposed boat club recreation lease.  

The approximately 29 acres in question are part of IDL's state endowment lands, property that can be leased to fund a handful of different services, mostly related to education. According to IDL, state endowment lands are managed by IDL for the public's benefit.  

Officials from IDL are seeking to propose a waterfront lease with the potential for commercial or recreational use of the property. The property currently holds a noncommercial campground that IDL says can be removed once the land is leased, as it will recommend a commercial/residential use, despite the current zone of Rural 5. 

Under the lease process, applicants for the property can recommend commercial operations outside of a municipality zone if it fits the nature of the surrounding property.  

The 29-acre property is part of the agency's 352.4-acre parcel encompassing dynamic hillsides and viewpoints accessible by a maintained forestry road. 

Commissioners Domke and Korn opted to wait to vote on the request to lease the land until they could learn about the potential usage of the property, as access is provided to the parcel via county-maintained roads.  

At the time of publishing, a meeting has yet to be scheduled.  

IDL can lease 2.5 million acres of endowment land for public use. According to the organization, Idaho's constitution requires IDL to maximize the revenue generated from the leased lands for the beneficiaries, including Idaho public schools, the Idaho Department of Corrections, among other entities.  

    The property in question that IDL is seeking approval to lease. Funds made from the lease would be used to support general education in Idaho, among other state entities.