Church camp plants new roots

For only the second time in history, the U.S. Forest Service is selling Idaho Panhandle National Forests land.

In a move that required an act of Congress, the Forest Service will soon sell the 33-acre Shoshone Base Camp on the north fork of the Coeur d’Alene River to Lutherhaven Ministries of Coeur d’Alene.

Lutherhaven, best known for its Camp Lutherhaven on Lake Coeur d’Alene, has operated the Shoshone camp as a Christ-centered outdoor educational and recreational outreach since 1998.

A price for the land has yet to be set, but an initial appraisal estimated the value at $340,000. Everyone involved in the deal praises the sale, which also has community support.

Bob Baker, executive director of Lutherhaven Ministries, described the sale as a “once-in-forever opportunity.” Baker said he believes the camp, also known as Shoshone Work Center, is the largest outdoor education center in the Inland Northwest, serving as many as 2,500 school kids a year.

Lutherhaven has used half the camp under a special-use permit, which requires the organization to pay a large annual fee unless the money is put back into service projects for the camp.

“We’ve made a significant impact on the Silver Valley, so they like us as neighbors,” Baker said. “We’re really one of the success stories of the Forest Service here.”

For nine years Shoshone has been used for community service, outdoor education and youth leadership training.

“Our whole philosophy is that leaders are really servants,” said Baker, “and the best leaders are those that serve their constituency. It’s really modeled off what Jesus did, when he came to serve.”

The sale of the camp allows Lutherhaven to create a master-use plan, which likely will include national advertising, renovating the camp’s 13 buildings, establishing a horse camp, rebuilding the relocated historic McPherson Homestead, and expanding programs. The sale also allows Lutherhaven to apply for previously unavailable grants that require land ownership.Originally a logging camp dating from the 1890s, the Civilian Conservation Corps established it as Big Creek Camp in the 1920s to provide easy access to the forest for firefighters, loggers and trail crews. By the 1980s, fires were mostly fought from the air, and crews had better transportation.

“Prior to Lutherhaven getting in there,” said Forest Service spokesman Dave O’Brien, “we really had ceased to use 90 percent of the camp. …. We were strongly looking at just demolishing the site.”

County commissioners wanted to find another use for the land. It almost became a halfway house, said O’Brien, who worked with Baker on the sale.

“There was a lot of public opposition to that. In the end, by far and away, the best proposal we got was from Lutherhaven,” O’Brien said.

Though Lutherhaven has operated the camp for nine years, the sale is still unique, he said.

“It’s unusual that we cut the hole in the donut,” he said, “and this literally will be cutting a piece of private land within the larger forest.”

The Forest Service cannot sell public land on its own, but Congress usually allows such deals when they’re in the public interest. Idaho’s Sen. Larry Craig and U.S. Rep. Butch Otter introduced the bill allowing the sale of three properties, including Shoshone Base Camp. Congress approved the legislation and President Bush signed it in December 2004.

The Forest Service has yet to review the independent appraisal that suggests the land is worth $340,000, but the price could go up a little, officials said. The property does not extend to the riverfront – many of the buildings are in bad shape and a deed restriction will bar the land from being subdivided into more valuable subplots – all reasons for the relatively low price tag.

Baker said he is thrilled by the low price. He hopes to raise $700,000 to buy and renovate the camp. The Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation, which funds charitable and educational programs, has donated $150,000.

“That camp is probably one of the 10 best in the country in terms of its programming,” said Mike Feiler, regional manager for Thrivent. “Pound for pound, it may be the best in the country.”

As an example of that programming, Feiler points to a pre-fabricated Habitat for Humanity home Lutherhaven campers built last year, which now sits in the Silver Valley. “Lutherhaven is almost a public utility …. There really just isn’t anything like it,” he said.

O’Brien, the Forest Service spokesman, agreed. “This really isn’t about us raising money. If we wanted to get the top dollar for that site, we would probably put it out on a public auction. We are not going to do that. We don’t want just anybody to have that piece of property,” he said. “Really, the motivation for this is to help Lutherhaven be more successful.”

Gail West, a local Forest Service spokeswoman, said Lutherhaven’s extensive outdoor education programs were key to the sale.

“We’re counting on (those programs) to help us achieve our mission,” West said. “By far, the children who were exposed to this more often and closer to the land have a greater understanding and appreciation of the outdoors.”

Joe Peak, owner of the Snake Pit restaurant, which is part of the Enaville Resort in Shoshone County, said the community is looking forward to the sale. Peak said Lutherhaven’s Habitat house, handicap camps, painting projects and Bible weeks all make the sale a true win.

“Shoshone Base Camp, through Bob (Baker) and through their resident manager Clint, has done a wonderful job,” Peak said. “It’s been a good marriage between Lutherhaven and the Forest Service.”