The Idaho Department of Fish and Game formed the Albeni Falls Interagency Work Group in 1985 for the purpose of determining wildlife impacts associated with the construction of the Albeni Falls hydroelectric project. Work Group members include the IDFG, the Kalispel Tribe, the Coeur D'Alene Tribe, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers. Once the loss assessments were completed, the group worked collectively to protect, enhance and mitigate wildlife impacts in the Coeur d' Alene and Pend Oreille Subbasins. This contract provides for the enhancement, operations and maintenance, construction and implementation on mitigation properties managed by the Coeur d' Alene Tribe.  In addition, this contract provides the funding for the Tribe to conduct planning and design activities for the potential acquisition of mitigation properties.  Currently the Tribe owns and manages approximately 3,300 acres under the Albeni Falls Wildlife Mitigation Project.

Continuing activities encompass long-term operation and maintenance with targeted enhancement activities.. Stream restoration and flood plain enhancement is being conducted on the Benewah Creek mitigation acquisition as part of the Fisheries Program's enhancement project as well as wetland enhancement / creation on the Goose Haven lake mitigation acquisition.

The properties acquired to date by the Coeur d' Alene Tribe fall into two general categories. Those that are conservation type with limited enhancements necessary and those that have high potential habitat value but require active enhancement activities to realize their potential.