Current News Coverage
Lace 'em up, Idaho. This Christmas gift will keep on giving … forever.
Boise State Public Radio, 12-23-24
“What this means is this access will be in perpetuity. It will always exist, no matter what happens to that land in the future.”
As we're waist-deep in the season for giving, it’s difficult not to consider what’s about to happen near one of Idaho’s most beloved outdoor destinations as anything but a holiday keepsake for the ages.
“It’s coming at the right time. Yes, it’s a gift,” said Craig Utter, executive director of the Payette Land Trust. “And we’re thankful to everyone involved.”
It begins with a $300,000 grant from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, through Governor Brad Little’s Idaho Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council (ORFAC). But that’s just the beginning. The grant will allow the land trust to purchase a permanent trail easement from the Idaho Department of Lands, and that trail – quite unofficial up until now – has linked generations of Idahoans into Ponderosa State Park.
“The area we’re talking about is between Pilgrim’s Cove and Lick Creek, just east of [McCall]. I think a lot of people might recognize it as Standish Road,” said Utter. “It has been an area that has been known as a way to get into the park without having to go through the main entrance.”
But purchasing the trail isn’t anywhere near a simple process. The state’s endowment has very specific standards, including the fact that the land must be purchased. So, the grant will do just that. But there’s an extra holiday bonus: because the money will go to the land trust, those funds will ultimately benefit some of Idaho’s neediest beneficiaries, including public schools.
“All of the people who support us … well, yes, it’s a gift,” said Utter. “We exist because people support us.”
Utter joined Morning Edition host George Prentice to reveal the holiday surprise and detail how the Land Trust used a very particular template to make it all happen.
“What this means is that this access will be in perpetuity. It will always exist, no matter what happens to that land in the future.”
Regional News Roundup: Valley County commissioners consider land management court case
Lewiston Tribune, 12-23-24
Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part two, with part one having appeared in Saturday’s Tribune.
Valley County (Idaho) Commissioners on Monday discussed a Supreme Court case that aims to put states in charge of millions of acres of federal lands, sparking public outrage about the proposal.
About a dozen people attended Monday’s meeting and at least 83 letters were sent to county commissioners, all in opposition to to the county supporting the court case.
The commission’s agenda listed the possibility of supporting the lawsuit Utah v. United States, which argues the about 18.5 million acres of Bureau of Land Management land should be turned over to the state. The court’s decision could also have sweeping implications for land managed by the Forest Service and other federal agencies.
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“Idaho Department of Lands seems to be the most likely candidate,” he said.
IDL’s constitutional mandate to maximize revenue from endowment lands and its inadequate background and limited staff would jeopardize access, opportunity and current uses on Idaho’s public lands creating chaos for outfitters and other permit holders, Hurty said.
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Post Falls marina project draws opposition
Coeur d'Alene Press, 12-21-24
A proposed expansion of Marina 33 at the former Red Lion Templin's Hotel on the River faced public scrutiny Thursday night during a hearing at Coeur d'Alene High School.
The hearing attended by about 25 people was triggered by some opposition to an Idaho Department of Lands application. It focused on plans by new owner StanCraft to add 100 boat slips to the existing marina. StanCraft purchased the 1986 waterfront property earlier this year.
Administrative law judge Merritt Dublin, who emphasized her independence from IDL, presided over the hearing. During the evidentiary portion, audience members sought to challenge statements made in StanCraft counsel Scott Hislop's presentation.
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Preserving land for public trail to Ponderosa State Park thanks to Idaho Outdoor Recreation Fund Grant
Big Country News, 12-20-24
MCCALL – A new public access trail to Ponderosa State Park is closer to construction thanks to an Idaho Outdoor Recreation Fund grant that will fund the purchase of a trail easement. There is currently one official entrance to the park, which is the main entrance at 1920 North Davis Avenue in McCall.
The Outdoor Recreation Fund Advisory Council (ORFAC) was created by Idaho Governor Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature to recommend projects to expand outdoor recreation or access to it in Idaho. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) are to work cooperatively to gather proposed projects submitted by applicants across the state to present for ORFAC approval. Project examples include expansion of recreational facilities such as parks and trails and agreements to gain entry to new areas for public recreation.
Purchasing an easement for a public trail to Ponderosa State Park was proposed by the Payette Land Trust (PLT). A $300,000 ORFAC grant was approved so PLT can buy an easement where the trail will eventually be constructed off Lick Creek Road. The easement will be purchased from IDL. An easement purchase is appropriate in this case because the land where the trail is planned is on Idaho Endowment Land. Endowment lands are managed by IDL for the best long-term financial benefit of the endowment beneficiaries that own the lands, which include Idaho public schools. Once the easement purchase is official, PLT will work with other organizations to fundraise and gather funds to build the public trail.
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Idaho Land Board Distributes $63 Million to Public Schools
Big Country News, 12-17-24
BOISE - The Idaho Board of Land Commissioners announced a $63,039,600 distribution to public schools for the current school year, representing the largest portion of a total $103,221,600 allocated to endowment beneficiaries. The funds are generated through revenue from managing endowment land and investments.
During a holiday celebration in the State Capitol rotunda, a symbolic check was presented to Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and the Capital Singers, a student music group. Critchfield acknowledged the significance of the funding, emphasizing the impact of endowment-generated revenue on Idaho’s public education system.
The endowment fund currently holds $3.3 billion, with reserves designed to cover approximately seven years of distributions for nine designated beneficiaries. This reserve structure is intended to ensure continued financial support during economic downturns.
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Idaho State Parks & Recreation Preserving Land for Public Trail to Ponderosa State Park
DailyFly, 12-20-24
(McCall, ID) – A new public access trail to Ponderosa State Park is closer to construction thanks to an Idaho Outdoor Recreation Fund grant that will fund the purchase of a trail easement. There is currently one official entrance to the park, which is the main entrance at 1920 North Davis Avenue in McCall.
The Outdoor Recreation Fund Advisory Council (ORFAC) was created by Idaho Governor Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature to recommend projects to expand outdoor recreation or access to it in Idaho. See the Executive Order. The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) are to work cooperatively to gather proposed projects submitted by applicants across the state to present for ORFAC approval. Project examples include expansion of recreational facilities such as parks and trails and agreements to gain entry to new areas for public recreation.
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Idaho public schools receive $66 million donation from Department of Lands
Cherokee Tribune, 12-19-24
Idaho public schools recently received a multi-million-dollar distribution from Idaho’s Department of Lands.
The $63 million distribution announced Tuesday will be dedicated to Idaho’s public schools for the current school year. The distribution — presented by Idaho’s Land Board — makes up the largest portion of the $103 million distributed to beneficiaries this year, according to a news release from the Department of Lands.
“It is exciting to receive this check on behalf of Idaho’s school children from the state’s endowment fund,” Debbie Critchfield, superintendent of public instruction, said in the release. “The men and women of Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and the Endowment Fund Investment Board (EFIB) believe in the endowment mission. The revenue made from these lands and endowment investments makes a difference every year for Idaho’s public schools.”
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