Idaho parks seek consolidation, higher seasonal pay and capital work as maintenance backlog eases

Susan Buxton, director of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, told the Joint Finance Corporation Committee that the agency’s FY2026 request centers on operational consolidation, targeted pay adjustments and continuing work on deferred maintenance funded largely through dedicated and federal sources.

The changes matter because the department manages Idaho’s 30 state parks, employs roughly 190.8 full‑time equivalents and relies heavily on fees, registrations and federal grants with statutory limits on how those dollars may be spent. Agency leaders said several requested items are one‑time capital projects while some are ongoing compensation adjustments intended to address internal pay compression.

Janet Jessup, a budget and policy analyst with legislative services, reviewed the department’s budget and fund structure. She said capital development is budgeted as a zero‑FTP program because those line items are for one‑time outlays such as construction and land acquisition. Jessup noted an uptick in appropriations in fiscal 2023 tied to a general‑fund transfer and federal grants for deferred maintenance; those dollars were available for multiyear projects and therefore appear as a hump in…