Fish and Game explains license‑cash swings, proposes $18.2 million in mostly one‑time enhancements

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game told the Joint Finance Committee it is requesting $18,184,900 in enhancements for fiscal 2026, about 88 percent of which the agency described as one‑time items, and that a dip in license‑fund cash balances in fiscal 2024 reflected federal grant billing timing rather than a permanent revenue decline.

Janet Jessup, Legislative Services budget analyst, said the department does not receive general fund support and relies on dedicated and federal funds, chiefly the Fish and Game Fund derived from hunting, fishing and trapping licenses. She told the committee the agency typically expends roughly 85 percent of appropriations and that many dedicated funds are prescriptive and set aside for specific purposes.

Jim Fredericks, director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and John Oswald, the department’s administration bureau chief, explained the license cash‑balance pattern. "The dip in FY '24 was in part due to... federal grant billing. ...we fell behind several months and we have caught up in fiscal year 25 hence it returning to a more normal level," Oswald said.

Jessup outlined several enhancement line items the department requested in prior years and for FY2026, including roughly $590,000 for wolf census and depredation work, $4.9 million for maintenance backlog, $3 million for depredation claims, $2.5 million ongoing for a capital lease and land for a McCall subregional office, and $679,900 to align appropriations with available federal grants. The department’s FY2026 request totals $18,184,900 with 88 percent identified as one‑time spending.

On information technology, the department said phase 1 of a website redesign used a small portion of an initial $750,000 appropriation for discovery and procurement planning and that the agency estimates a full redesign — including the requested phase 2 — will bring total project costs to about $1.3 million. "We are expecting that now with this additional enhancement that would put us about 1,300,000," Fredericks said.

Regarding wildfire impacts, Fredericks described the Valley Fire east of Boise, which burned roughly 9,900 acres including habitat on the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. The agency purchased seed, applied aerial herbicide and began seeding to preserve winter range. He told the committee the immediate restoration cost is about three‑quarters of a million dollars and that additional work will be ongoing. "We are in conversations with the utility company... they have been very sincere about that," Fredericks said about potential outside contributions.

Representative Manwaring asked follow‑up questions about total rehabilitation cost and potential utility contributions; Fredericks said the initial, immediate expense is about $750,000 but that long‑term restoration will add future costs.

The department also asked for remote connectivity hardware at several hatcheries and wildlife management areas. Committee members questioned the per‑site cost; John Oswald said the agency worked with state ITS to specify equipment and in some locations point‑to‑point links and larger coverage areas raise unit costs. The FY2026 ask includes $65,000 for remote connectivity across multiple sites.

Jessup noted the governor’s recommendation included the department’s requested enhancements and adjusted for benefits and compensation but did not propose additional reductions. The department did not bring any supplemental appropriations beyond the previously described FY2025 items, and no committee vote was taken during the presentation.

Q&A covered billing timing for federal grants, website procurement schedule, the Valley Fire rehabilitation approach and remote connectivity specifications; Fish and Game staff said they will proceed with website procurement and continue discussions with partners about restoration funding.