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Council reviews March project awards; member urges study of Blue Ribbon funding erosion
Summary
Council staff reviewed which Blue Ribbon and Habitat Council projects were funded for the fiscal year and the council debated the program’s purchasing‑power decline; a member offered to draft a white paper and requested a meeting with the Division deputy director to consider funding adjustments.
At the June meeting the council reviewed the outcome of the March funding round and a fiscal update for the Blue Ribbon restricted fund, then discussed concerns that annual Blue Ribbon allocations have lost purchasing power over time.
Council staff summarized the March project decisions: the council’s recommended projects plus a number of Habitat Council contributions together funded most project proposals; two Blue Ribbon proposals (a non‑motorized launch at Strawberry and a large WMA fencing request) were not funded this cycle but staff said the Strawberry access project would be re‑scoped for a future proposal. Staff also explained that Habitat Council and Division offices supplemented Blue Ribbon funds for several proposals so most high‑priority projects will proceed.
During the discussion, council member Bill Popp presented a calculation showing that the Blue Ribbon allocation’s real value has fallen substantially since the program’s founding: adjusting for inflation, he argued the current yearly allocation buys far less than it did in 2007. Popp said he had prepared a short white paper and offered to update it. Council members agreed the topic merited a focused conversation with the Division’s budget leadership.
Next steps: Council chairman and members agreed to ask for a short meeting with the Division deputy director who oversees aquatics budget issues to review the funding history and options (indexing to license sales or inflation, other sources of match). Popp said he will revise his white paper and share it with staff ahead of that meeting.
