Kootenai County, ID Environmental Rules: Defensible Space (2026)

206(A)(7). The report must identify sufficient and accessible emergency water supplies, and each water source has to sit at least fifty feet from any structure, be ringed by defensible space so firefighters can reach and use it during a wildfire, and carry signage approved by the fire district with jurisdiction, the Idaho Department of Lands, or Kootenai County. The same section requires an explanation of any modifications or appurtenances, such as pumps or hydrants, needed to use the water source, and if pumps rely on above-ground power lines, the county can require a plan for emergency power generation.

901(A)(9), must additionally mark the location of hydrants and emergency water sources so reviewers can confirm the fifty-foot separation and defensible-space buffer before the plat is approved. A professional forester prepares and certifies the whole plan, and Community Development, together with the fire protection district or the Idaho Department of Lands, has to sign off before a final plat can record. 603, including misdemeanor liability under section 1-4-1 and a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per incident per day, capped at $20,000 per incident.