OUTDOOR RECREATION FUND ADVISORY COUNCIL
On Thursday, December 14, 2023, the Idaho Outdoor Recreation Fund Advisory Council met to score and discuss the projects submitted over the past few months. With $5 million in the Advisory Council’s authority to make recommendations, the Council has the task of ranking the thirteen (13) projects. The total asks from all projects submitted is over $18 million, with the addition of two projects that did not have finalized request amounts. The projects that score the highest will be sent to Governor Little to make the final recommendation to the Parks and Recreation Board for approval.
The Council started by hearing Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) projects. The Horsethief Reservoir would transfer the management between the YMCA and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to IDPR. IDPR estimates a net loss of $200,000 annually due to the need for 3.0 FTP. IDPR would need to double camp fees to $46 per night to account for the loss. The $2 million requested would be utilized for additional development to pave and update forty- five (45) campsites with utility updates and living pads. IDFG did explain that the YMCA has expressed interest in no longer managing the property; IDFG has a sense of urgency to find a solution for who should be managing this site. Council Member Benn Brocksome, Idaho Sportsmen, drew the Council’s attention to Governor Little’s Executive Order 2023-03 to emphasize the purpose of the Council’s recommendations and ensure the Council utilizes this document as the forefront for their decisions.
The Council jumped ahead to the Idaho for All Project request of $498,020. The goal would be to add thirty (30) units to the Idaho State Parks to add accessibility for the disabled community. Rep. Petzke asked if the organization had an idea of the demand at each park to find if the Council could fund a portion of the project at more high-need parks. Director Buxton, IDPR, asked if the organization has thought of where these units would be stored, staff time, and other logistics; the organization believes this would be a case-by-case situation. Director Buxton spoke on the need for these chairs, but this may not be the best time without the facilities in place or included in the requested amount. Some council members believe this project might work best as a pilot project with sites with a large population visiting and already having storage.
The East Fork Rock Creek project was proposed as a subunit of the Massacre Rocks State Park, with an estimated revenue of $50,000. This land is Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) Endowment Land. One question was asked if a fence will be added since there are grazing leases on the land; IDPR does not plan to include a fence, but the goal is with a consolidated area being used for camping, it may be a small issue. The requested $1 million would be used to create a designated camp location with camping facilities needed to condense where campers are. This project would require an endowment conservation fee added to the campsite fee of $46 per day, raise the camping fee, and benefit the endowment fund.
The Henry’s Lake Park Expansion project requested $2,875,000 would be used to build small camper cabins for overnight stays; many referred to this as “glamping” or dry facilities with up to twenty (20) accommodations possible, based on a 500 square feet size. This would also include a vault toilet and additional shower facilities. This park is one of the most popular in Idaho and is typically booked out. With this land also being IDL Endowment Land, the fee would be $80 a night plus the endowment conservation fee of $100 per night. Director Buxton advocated for this project, stating, “If you build it, they will come.” She wants to use this project to help educate recreators on the proper use of public land and also benefit the endowment land.
The Ponderosa State Park Expansion Project requests $9,600,000 to expand campsites, utilities, facilities, and general maintenance. With the hefty price tag, the Council spent little time discussing the project. The Avimor Development request was $615,000 for their trail portion of the land. This largest portion of the funding will be used for restroom facilities, bike storage facility, and bike trails. This trail is on private property but is open to the public to utilize. The Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association (SWIMBA) organization’s goal is to make these trails purpose-built with certain specifications for the entire community to utilize. Avimor will do the maintenance.
The Boulder Lake Road project, brought by the Valley County Parks and Rec, requests $348,000 to obtain the site, put facilities in place, and maintain. IDL owns the land, so Director Miller, IDL, spoke on the Idaho Land Board’s want to only lease land, which would require a competitive bidding process. Valley County’s goal is to hire seasonal workers to maintain the area. The Council continued to work down the list, hearing from the Payette Land Trust – White Pine Heights project. This project did not have an amount attached to it due to the unknown value of the land that would be worth in a lease after working with the Land Board. Their goal would be to increase the access to the Ponderosa State Park. If the Payette Land Trust cannot grant the whole cost, they would fundraise and find other means to finish the project. Director Buxton spoke in favor of the merit behind the project and upheld the Executive Order’s ask on the Council. This could increase the value of the park and uphold public access. The estimated amount is expected to be $200,000. The Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands, Boise River – Plantation Island Greenbelt Corridor Acquisition was discussed amongst the members since a representative of the project was not present. This project did not have an amount presented, and many members agreed this project had many pieces that were not logistical or practical.
Next was the Tamarack Falls Parking Lot, presented by the Donnelly Snowmobile Club. The land is most likely to be sold for $800,000 and is currently privately owned. The goal of the Club is to have the land publicly owned to be used as a parking lot. This has been an ongoing issue for over twenty years and is becoming an increasing safety issue since the public has been narrowing the roads by parking alongside the roads. Valley County has an interest in owning the land, and also spoke in support of the project to increase safety. Director Buxton did mention there may be other options nearby Tamarack Falls to be utilized, but the County believes these parcels would not be viable options. The Aquatic Invasive Species Preventive Campaign, proposed by Idaho State Department of Agriculture (ISDA), requested $200,000 for outreach and education. Rep. Petzke did state the Legislature will have a huge interest in invasive species, but he believes this project needs to fit into the goals of this fund. Director Buxton emphasized the want to help ISDA in any way possible. The Council was mixed on the use of the funds for this project but is divided due to the high need to address this issue.
The Cooperative Management Recreation Area Project by the Eastern Idaho Grazing Association is requesting $300,000 for the public section of the land for public facilities. Director Miller spoke on how this land has been “loved to death,” and with the lack of proper land management, many issues have arisen. The Grazing Association has seen these challenges, and these funds would help solve a portion of the issues. One fear was that the private portion of the land would be closed; were that to happen, these investments wouldn’t be worthwhile. While the Association cannot guarantee the private land will not close, the Association does not believe closing the land would be plausible. Director Miller and others spoke on how the entire $300,000 may not be needed.
The last project reviewed was the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation’s Trail Restoration project request of $81,146. This is a federal land project, and the Council was not sure if the fund should be used for anything but state land. However, this project does have a benefit to state lands and will make the land more useable. Many members were fond of this project and mentioned the matching funds that will be provided as well as the relatively low dollar amount requested compared to other projects.The Advisory Council rounded out their discussion by asking why there were no projects from Northern Idaho. It was suggested by IDL staff that there were a few projects from the area, but none were ready to be considered. Some council members considered breaking the funding into two rounds, but many felt the projects that have been through the process deserve to be funded in some fashion. Many also advocated for partial funding and funding as many great projects as possible.
Many members believed more discussion was needed, and after the heavy discussion today, the Council felt their scoring had changed. The Council wanted to use a mixture of the scoring and discussion before finalizing a motion for a recommendation. The Council all agreed to not support funding the Ponderosa State Park Expansion and Idaho Foundation for Parks and Lands, Boise River – Plantation Island Greenbelt Corridor Acquisition from the list of potential recommendations. This decision was best based on the discussion today. A motion was made to have Council members submit total scores by Friday, December 15, 2023, at the end of the day. A meeting next Friday, December 22, 2023, will be used to make the final recommendation to Governor Little.
