Agricultural Protection Area Commission (APA COMMISSION)

The Board of County Commissioners established the APA Commission in Fall 2024, mandated by the State of Idaho, to promote and protect the long-term use of land designated for agricultural and timber production in Kootenai County. 

What function does the Commission serve?

Their recommendations play a crucial role in shaping policies that protect the agricultural heritage of Kootenai County, as outlined in Idaho Code 67-9705.

The Commission may make recommendations to the BOCC concerning the process by which the agricultural protection area commission will accept, review, and offer recommendations regarding agricultural protection area proposals to the BOCC, including the nature and type of information provided by applicants and the evaluation criteria required to review agricultural protection area applications.

The Commission shall review applications for inclusion in an agricultural protection area pursuant to the county agricultural protection area ordinance and make recommendations to the BOCC regarding such applications.

The Commission shall review applications to include eligible land in an agricultural protection area and make recommendations to the BOCC within sixty (60) days of receiving such applications.

The APA Commission consists of five (5) members. Since this is a new Commission the various terms will initially be staggered.  The initial appointments will be structured as follows: two members will serve three-year terms, two members will serve four-year terms, and the remaining member will be appointed to a five-year term. After the initial appointments all members will serve three-year terms.