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JFAC approves $8.14 million boost, 5 FTEs for Idaho Parks and Recreation
Summary
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved $8,135,700 in additional spending for the Department of Parks and Recreation, including funds for park personnel, targeted pay increases, capital improvements at Bear Lake and Lake Cascade, and a program consolidation transfer; the motion adds five full‑time equivalent positions.
The Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on March 11 approved additional spending requests for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, funding personnel, targeted pay increases and capital projects and adding five full‑time equivalent positions.
The committee voted to add $5,410,700 from dedicated funds and $2,725,000 from federal funds, a total of $8,135,700, and five new FTEs to the department’s FY2026 budget. The motion, offered by Senator Hart and seconded by Representative Manwaring, bundled several line items including $321,100 for park personnel, $210,000 for seasonal group positions, $195,000 for statewide operating costs, $309,100 to increase pay for targeted positions, $4,000,000 for improvements at Bear Lake State Park, $400,000 for improvements at Lake Cascade, and $2,263,000 for replacement items, among other line items. The motion also transferred $23,035,600 from the management services program into the park operations program to consolidate accounts.
Why it matters: The package funds both staff and site improvements across Idaho’s state parks network and consolidates program funds into a single park operations program, giving the agency greater flexibility to shift money internally for capital grants.
Department presentation and committee discussion Janet Jessup, a budget and policy analyst with Legislative Services, opened the item by describing the agency: “The Department of Parks and Recreation is a state agency and it oversees the management of Idaho’s 30 state parks and trails throughout 6 different regions in the state. It also manages recreational boating, motorized and non‑motorized trail programs and interpretive programs throughout the state.”
Senator Hart presented the committee motion, summarizing the line items and the overall amounts and saying, in part, “I move for fiscal year 2026 … an additional $5,410,700 from dedicated funds and $2,725,000 from federal funds for a total of $8,135,700 and an additional 5 full time equivalent positions.” Representative Metairie, speaking for the work group, explained a reduction in replacement‑items spending by saying the group “thought that they could use some of the retained money going forward even if it was in a future year. So that's why we reduced that.”
Vote and next steps The committee recorded a final committee recommendation to move the budget forward with a do‑pass recommendation. The chair reported a combined committee tally of 17 ayes and 3 nays, 0 absent; the committee accepted language on the screen allowing the consolidated park operations program to transfer monies to the capital development program for the purpose of grants.
The agency now has the committee’s recommendation to advance the budget and the added authorization language; any further changes must occur in subsequent floor action or conference negotiations.
