Fish and Game outlines fire rehabilitation, website overhaul and connectivity needs; license fund balances vary with federal billing

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game presented its FY 2026 requests to the Joint Finance Committee, emphasizing that it receives no general fund support and relies on dedicated license revenues and federal grants to operate hatcheries, wildlife programs and enforcement.

Janet Jessup, the budget analyst, reminded the committee that the department operates 19 state hatcheries and that personnel and operating costs are a substantial part of the budget. Director Jim Fredericks and administration chief John Oswald answered legislators’ questions about recent variances in license fund balances and a one‑time request for fire rehabilitation.

License fund variance and federal billing: Committee members asked about an apparent dip in license‑fund cash balances between FY 2023 and FY 2024. John Oswald, administration bureau chief, said the FY 2024 dip “was in part due to…falling behind several months” on federal grant billing; the department caught up in FY 2025. Oswald added that the FY 2026 figures also reflect deliberate use of reserves for planned one‑time projects such as office remodels and website work.

Valley Fire rehabilitation: The department requested supplemental one‑time funding after a wildfire burned roughly 9,900 acres east of Boise, including parts of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. Fredericks said initial costs for immediate rehabilitation (seeding and herbicide application) are expected to be about three quarters of a million dollars, and that ongoing restoration work will add costs over multiple years. He said the utility company has expressed interest in contributing to restoration, but those discussions are ongoing. “This will be…an ongoing thing,” Fredericks said.

Website overhaul and other capital items: The department has spent a small portion of an initial $750,000 website enhancement (phase 1) on discovery and audit work and expects to solicit bids for redesign work this spring. With the additional phase‑2 request, the department now estimates a total project cost near $1.3 million, up from an initial estimate of about $1.1 million and below comparable out‑of‑state projects that cost roughly $1.5 million, Fredericks said.

Connectivity and remote sites: The department requested $65,000 for remote connectivity at multiple hatcheries and management sites. Legislators questioned per‑site costs (about $8,000 per location based on eight sites). John Oswald said the department worked with the state ITS office on a hardware specification that, for some locations, provides point‑to‑point connections across large areas and raises per‑site costs relative to consumer satellite options.

Budget structure and priorities: Jessup noted that about 46% of Fish and Game expenditures in FY 2024 were personnel costs and that many enhancements the department requests are one‑time in nature. Recent ongoing items included funding for depredation claims, a wolf census, maintenance backlog work and leases for recreational access. The governor’s recommendation included the agency’s requested enhancements and adjusted benefits and compensation but did not add new items.

Ending: Department leaders said they appreciate legislative support and will continue to provide detail as the committee requests; no formal committee votes were taken on these items during the hearing.