Idaho Parks and Recreation seeks consolidation, seasonal pay increases and repairs to Heyburn marinas

Janet Jessup, a budget and policy analyst for the legislative services office, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation is seeking program consolidation, staff pay adjustments and capital outlay for park repairs and replacements as part of its fiscal 2026 request.

The proposal would merge the department’s management services and park operations programs into a single budgeted program, a change Jessup described as largely ministerial that “nets to 0” but would make it “a lot easier for us to manage across the system,” Director Susan Buxton said.

The request includes two targeted compensation changes: raising seasonal employee base pay from $12 an hour to $15 an hour using dedicated funds, and a tiered ranger pay structure to address compression among long‑tenured rangers and managers. Buxton said the department’s intent is to use “dedicated funds” to create step differences so later CEC (compensation) increases still yield meaningful increments for long‑standing employees. “When you have a pay scale, you want to bring everybody in at 80% of the pay scale,” Buxton said when explaining compression concerns.

The department listed several sizable capital requests; Jessup highlighted Bear Lake Fish Haven…