Tribes, States, and the Management of Lake Resources: Lakes Coeur d'Alene and Flathead

Divisiveness and conflict have often characterized the relationship between native tribes and state governments. The two orders of government, however, increasingly share resources and confront common problems. Consequently, there is acknowledgment that there are mutual advantages to closer cooperation in some cases. One area of special significance is the management of shared natural resources—specifically, lake watersheds. This article examines state-tribal management of Idaho's Lake Coeur d'Alene and Montana's Flathead Lake. It surveys the three principal issues (hunting and fishing, development, and water quality) for state and tribal policymakers, explores how state and tribal governments are responding to shared jurisdictional and management challenges, and suggests that these responses could be a basis for a more flexible and balanced tribal-state relationship. Copyright 2002, Oxford University Press.