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Idaho parks seek consolidation, higher seasonal pay and targeted ranger raises in 2026 budget request
Summary
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee it wants to merge two budget programs, raise seasonal pay from $12 to $15 per hour, address pay compression for rangers and managers, and advance capital projects including marina and recreation-area work funded largely by dedicated and federal dollars.
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday that it plans to consolidate its management-services and park-operations programs, raise seasonal pay and add targeted ranger pay increases as part of its fiscal 2026 request.
Janet Jessup, a budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, told committee members the department administers 30 state parks and trail systems and is currently allocated 190.8 full-time positions. She said the department’s budget combines general, dedicated and federal funds and that capital projects make up a large share of recent spending — roughly 41% of the department’s 2024 expenditures were in capital outlay.
Jessup said the agency asked that management services and park operations be merged into a single program “to make it easier for us to manage across the system” and noted the governor’s recommendation included the agency’s full capital requests.
Director Susan Buxton said the department’s pay requests aim to fix internal compression — situations in which newly hired employees are paid as much as, or more than, long-serving employees — especially for bureau chiefs and park managers. “We started working in 2020 to find where there’s compression,” Buxton said, adding the department is using dedicated funds to create step differences so longevity and merit remain meaningful. Buxton said most park staff have STEM backgrounds and that park managers run complex, small-city operations that include water, sewer and security responsibilities.
Buxton also described two targeted enhancements in the 2026 request: raising seasonal pay from $12 to $15 an hour and a tiered ranger compensation program to address compression for ranger positions. Budget materials reviewed during the hearing show the department requested roughly $210,000 in 2026 for the seasonal-pay increase; committee members noted prior incremental funding in recent years (about $150,000 in one year, $200,000 another) and asked for clearer multi-year accounting.
Troy Elmore, operations administrator for Parks and Recreation, said a requested “compact wheel loader” will be paid for from the snowmobile sticker fund and used at parking areas that support snowmobile activity. Elmore said the department administers a snowmobile program that serves about 27 county programs statewide; the department owns groomers and counties operate equipment in a pass-through arrangement.
Committee members pressed Buxton on Heyburn State Park marina replacement work on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Buxton said the department is working with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, which previously funded early design work and offered at least $1 million toward marina replacement. “We are using federal funds and the tribe’s cooperation to replace two large marinas — Rocky Point and Chocolat — and we expect to add slips as part of the replacement,” Buxton said.
Buxton said the department hires about 300 seasonal employees annually and uses more than 500 volunteers. Jennifer Quindell Miller, the agency’s human resources officer, confirmed managers have discretion to set seasonal pay levels and said the department will likely need to push wages higher than $15 in some resort or high-cost areas to recruit staff.
Committee Vice Chair Lisa Miller and Representative Tanner asked for written detail on deferred-maintenance projects and asked the agency to provide the breakdown of previously appropriated funds; Buxton said detailed materials are in the committee packet and agreed to provide additional written summaries on projects such as Massacre Rocks and sewer repairs.
The department’s request also lists sizable capital-outlay items, including Bear Lake (Fish Haven) improvements and work at Lake Cascade; Jessup said the governor recommended the agency’s full capital requests. Buxton closed by thanking the committee for past support and offering to provide additional detail on any item.
The presentation and supplementary materials referenced by Jessup are available on the committee SharePoint, per her remarks.
