The Idaho Museum of Natural History in Pocatello told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee it has secured a three-year $180,000 grant to purchase a mobile museum van and pay part-time staffing for two years, and asked the committee for ongoing general-fund support to sustain the mobile outreach program after the grant expires.

Kevin Campbell of the Legislative Services Office reviewed the museum’s budget and said the museum has 8.2 authorized FTP and recently filled two vacancies. Director Leif Tapanila told the committee the museum’s grant from the David B. Jones Foundation will fund a van purchase in year one and part-time educator pay in the subsequent two years, and that the museum expects the mobile unit to travel roughly 6,000 miles annually to reach schools and libraries, particularly in rural counties.

Tapanila said the grant provides time-limited funding for vehicle purchase and part-time staff and that additional operating costs — materials, exhibit maintenance, educator travel and supplies — are not fully covered by the grant. The museum requested a modest increase in general-fund operating support to make the outreach program sustainable once foundation funding ends.

Why it matters: the museum emphasized outreach to rural communities and schools that otherwise have limited access to museum education. Committee members asked for clarity about what the requested operating funds would purchase and for performance measures beyond raw attendance counts; the director said qualitative educational outcomes are important though harder to quantify and said the museum will continue to refine metrics.

Ending: Tapanila highlighted the museum’s collections (more than 1.5 million artifacts) and its role in research and education, and asked for continued committee support to preserve collections and expand outreach.