Committee advances bill to expand Parks Passport, add funding for nonmotorized trail maintenance

The Idaho House Resources and Conservation Committee voted to send House Bill 57 to the floor with a do-pass recommendation after more than an hour of debate and public testimony. Representative James Petzke, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure would expand the existing Parks Passport to a Parks and Trails Passport and raise the annual resident passport fee from $10 to $20.

The bill is intended to shore up an ongoing revenue stream for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and to establish the state's first dedicated funding source for nonmotorized trail maintenance. Representative James Petzke said, "The fee for the passport will be $20 versus the current $10," and explained that $16 of each pass would fund parks maintenance and operations while $4 would be earmarked for nonmotorized trail work.

Supporters at the hearing — including recreational groups, business owners and outfitters — testified that Idaho's trails need steady funding. Tim Martin, chair of the Idaho Trails Association, told the committee, "Trails are part of Idaho's history and part of who we are as…