Fish and Game outlines $18.2 million enhancement request, website overhaul and Valley Fire rehab needs

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game told the Joint Finance Committee that its fiscal 2026 enhancement request totals $18,184,900, about 88% of which the agency described as one‑time, and that it needs immediate funding for post‑fire rehabilitation in the Valley Fire area.

Director Jim Fredericks said the department — which receives no general fund appropriations and is funded by dedicated license and federal funds — is seeking one‑time capital and replacement funding and is aligning appropriations to available federal grants. Janet Jessup, Legislative Services budget analyst, said the department's 2026 request is dominated by one‑time items related to fisheries and facilities.

On a question about apparent swings in license‑fund balances, John Oswald, administration bureau chief, told the committee the FY 2024 dip reflected delays in federal grant billing and that the agency caught up in FY 2025. “The dip in FY '24 was in part due to… getting our arms around federal grant billing,” Oswald said, adding that FY 2026 uses of existing cash reserves are deliberate for one‑time projects such as a salmon region office remodel and Pocatello office remodel.

Senator Cook asked about a planned website redesign. Fredericks said the agency has spent only a small portion of an initial $750,000 and completed discovery and an audit of the existing site; the department expects to go to bid in March and estimates a total new cost of about $1.3 million based on other states' experience.

The department also described immediate rehabilitation work after the Valley Fire, which burned roughly 9,900 acres east of Boise and affected the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. Fredericks said the department expects initial, short‑term costs of about $750,000 for seeding, aerial herbicide and related emergency treatments and that additional, multi‑year restoration work (sagebrush replanting and infrastructure replacement) will increase long‑term costs. The department said it is in discussions with the utility company to seek voluntary contributions but had no final commitment during the hearing.

Other 2026 requests include $500,000 ongoing for a 25‑year capital lease to secure land and construct a subregional office near McCall, $140,000 for ArcGIS software licenses, and $679,900 to align appropriations with anticipated federal grants. The request also lists $65,000 for remote connectivity at multiple locations; John Oswald said the department worked with state ITS on a point‑to‑point solution that raised per‑site costs compared with a simple consumer solution.

Fredericks emphasized that roughly 46% of FY 2024 expenditures were personnel costs and that the agency maintains about 550 full‑time positions; he said many expenditures are for utilities and maintenance of 19 hatcheries and remote facilities. The governor's recommendation, Fredericks said, did not deviate from the agency's enhancement requests but adjusted benefits and compensation.