Idaho Parks requests seasonal pay boost, program consolidation and funds for dock replacements at Heyburn State Park

The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation asked the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Oct. 23 for targeted increases to seasonal pay and internal program consolidation while outlining one-time capital needs and ongoing operating cost pressures.

Department Director Susan Buxton told the committee the agency is proposing to raise seasonal pay from $12 to $15 per hour and to use dedicated funds to address pay compression among longer‑serving staff and managers. She said the department hires roughly 300 seasonal employees and more than 500 volunteers each year to operate 30 state parks and trail systems and that some park locations require higher wages to recruit staff.

The request also includes a ministerial consolidation of the Management Services and Park Operations programs into a single program for budgeting purposes; Buxton described the change as administrative and said it would “net to zero” in total appropriation while making it easier to manage operations and revenue/expenditure tracking.

Why it matters: Lawmakers pressed the agency on recruitment realities in resort and remote communities and on how the department uses dedicated revenue streams such as vehicle, boat and snowmobile registration fees. Committee members asked for more documentation about deferred maintenance projects and for a breakdown of capital and one‑time expenditures tied to previous general fund and federal transfers.

Key details and discussion Buxton said most of the agency’s staff work in park operations; the department is allocated about 190.8 full‑time positions in the budget book and administers 30 state parks. She and legislative analyst Janet Jessup explained that prior general‑fund transfers and federal grants—particularly a sizable transfer for deferred maintenance in fiscal 2023—temporarily increased the agency’s appropriation and that multi‑year projects explain lower spending rates in subsequent fiscal years.

On seasonal pay, Human Resources Officer Jennifer Quindell Miller and Buxton told committee members that $15 an hour is becoming a market floor in many parts of Idaho but that in some resort communities the department sometimes must offer $17–$18 to hire staff. Buxton noted that seasonal employees do not receive classified step compensation (CEC) and said the pay request is intended partly to reduce hiring pressures that create compression with longer‑tenured employees.

Committee members asked for a written summary of deferred maintenance projects and their current status; Co‑Chair Harman and other members requested project lists and expenditure timelines.

Equipment, capital and local partnerships The department highlighted several one‑time capital requests that the governor recommended in full, including improvements at Bear Lake (Fish Haven) and Lake Cascade. Buxton and operations administrator Troy Elmore also described a planned purchase of a compact wheel loader funded by snowmobile registration revenue. Elmore said the department owns grooming equipment and that roughly 27 counties operate local snowmobile programs; the loader purchase would replace aging equipment and service parking and grooming locations used by snowmobilers.

Heyburn State Park dock replacements Buxton addressed questions about Heyburn State Park on Lake Coeur d’Alene, saying two marinas—Rocky Point and Chatcolet—are eligible for replacement because the existing facilities are historic and in need of update. She said federal and state appropriations plus an earlier Tribe‑funded design have supported planning and that the Coeur d’Alene Tribe had offered at least $1 million toward marina work; the replacements would maintain existing footprints while adding slips.

Process and limits Jessup and Buxton emphasized that many dedicated funds are statutorily prescribed for specific purposes (for example, vehicle or boat registration fees) and cannot be freely moved across programs. The department’s FY26 requests included both ongoing operating increases—utility and personnel costs—and predominantly one‑time capital items.

What’s next Committee members asked the agency to provide a detailed deferred maintenance inventory and expenditure status, and Buxton said the department would provide the document that is already in the committee packet. The governor’s recommendation included the agency’s enhancement requests in full.

Ending Buxton thanked the committee for its attention and reiterated the department’s priority to preserve parks and recreation infrastructure for future visitors.