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Fish and Game presents one‑time capital needs, fire rehabilitation and software upgrades; explains license fund balance variance
Summary
Department officials told the committee their FY2026 requests are dominated by one‑time items including hatchery and office repairs, website redesign and rehabilitation after the Valley Fire. Officials said a FY2024 dip in fund balances resulted from delayed federal grant billing rather than an unexpected revenue loss.
Janet Jessup, budget and policy analyst with legislative services, told the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee that the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) is funded entirely from dedicated and federal sources and that most FY2026 enhancement requests are one‑time expenditures.
Director Jim Fredericks and chief financial staff briefed the committee on the department’s funding structure, which relies on the Fish and Game Fund generated by hunting, fishing and trapping licenses and numerous dedicated set‑aside accounts prescribed by Idaho code. Jessup said the department does not receive general fund support and that dedicated funds are often statutorily restricted for specific purposes.
Committee members asked why consolidated fund balances for license fees appeared erratic between FY2023 and FY2024. Chief John Oswald said the FY2024 dip was partially attributable to a lag in federal grant billing and that the department had caught…
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