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Idaho Museum of Natural History seeks operating funds to sustain mobile museum program
Summary
Museum director told the committee a private grant will buy a van and fund limited part-time staff for two years; the museum asked for state operating support to sustain recurring costs once the grant expires and expand outreach to rural counties.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee heard a request from the Idaho Museum of Natural History for general fund support to sustain a new mobile education program the museum purchased with a private grant.
Kevin Campbell, Legislative Services Office analyst, said the museum has 8.2 authorized FTEs and cares for roughly 1.5 million artifacts. The museum told the committee it had secured a multi-year private grant to buy a van and fund part-time educator salaries for two years, but sought recurring state support for operational costs once the grant ends.
Director Leif Tapanilla said a David B. Jones Foundation award will provide $180,000 over three years (with two years of part-time operational funding) and fund purchase of a van in the first year. The mobile museum is expected to travel about 6,000 miles annually to schools and libraries—especially in rural counties—to deliver hands-on programming that the director said the stationary museum cannot provide to all Idaho communities.
“By the termination of this grant, we want to see this mobile museum program continue and flourish and build,” Tapanilla said, asking the committee to consider a partial state contribution to sustain programming and material costs after the grant period.
Senator Cook and others asked for details on how the additional miles and staffing differ from the museum’s prior outreach; Tapanilla said the institution has done travel in the past but the grant will create a dedicated vehicle and staff and enable a predictable schedule to reach every county on a repeat cycle. The committee did not take a vote on the request during this session.
Ending
Museum leadership requested state support to make the mobile program sustainable when grant funding declines and emphasized the museum’s educational and research roles; directors highlighted upcoming programs, including a specimen loan to the Smithsonian in 2026.
