Abstain from swilling project critics' Kool-Aid

The restoration project under way in the Pack River Flats is the probably the best thing to happen in the fading delta’s modern history.

The collaborative project involving the Idaho Department of Fish & Game, Ducks Unlimited and other organizations seeks to restore the ecological glory the delta lost to the installation of the Albeni Falls Dam on the Pend Oreille River.

The work is regulated, leading edge and being conducted by folks who have a deep affinity for the delta and its unique importance.

But despite media coverage of the project in The Daily Bee, The Spokesman-Review and Sandpoint Magazine, some remain suspicious of the motives behind it. Some appear to be basing their views solely on the presence of workers and machinery in the flats.

It’s laudable that people are paying attention, but it’s unfortunate project critics aren’t doing their homework to learn what the project is really about. At least one person has publicly ripped the restoration project as a ruse influenced by developers looking to carve up and sell off more of the county’s unique charms.

That notion is breathtakingly ludicrous.

But to some people, a conspiracy theory is sexier, better tasting Kool-Aid than the truth.

If you distrust what you read, see and hear about the project, find out what the project is about on your own. There will be ample opportunities to get a boots-on-the-ground look at the project in April and June, when the public is invited to help put in trees and other vegetation.

n Keith Kinnaird is a reporter and news editor for The Daily Bee. His favorite Kool-Aid flavor is cherry.