Fish and Game requests $18.2 million in largely one‑time enhancements; seeks funds for fire rehabilitation and website overhaul

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee it has requested $18,184,900 in enhancements for fiscal 2026, of which agency staff said roughly 88% are one‑time items, including replacement equipment, office remodels, and website and license‑system work. The agency also described a recent Valley Fire rehabilitation effort and explained apparent swings in license‑fund balances as the product of federal grant billing and planned one‑time expenditures.

Legislative analyst Janet Jessup said Fish and Game is funded entirely by dedicated and federal funds, not general fund dollars, and that the agency is allocated about 550 FTP. Jessup said the department operates 19 state run hatchery facilities and that trustee and benefit payments—largely federal—comprise a large share of recent expenditures.

Director Jim Fredericks and administration bureau chief John Oswald answered committee questions about several high‑profile items. Fredericks said the department expects to spend a modest portion of an earlier website phase‑one appropriation and now anticipates total web redesign costs near $1.3 million after comparing peer work in other states. Fredericks said the department has completed discovery and will go to bid soon for the redesign.

On license‑fund balances, Oswald said a dip in FY2024 reflected lagging federal grant billing that has since been caught up; for FY2026 the department plans deliberate use of cash reserves for one‑time projects such as the salmon region office remodel and the Pocatello office remodel. "The dip in FY '24 was in part due to... federal grant billing. We fell behind several months and we have caught up in fiscal year 25," Oswald said.

The agency described a Valley Fire rehabilitation effort east of Boise that affected nearly 9,900 acres including part of the Boise River Wildlife Management Area. Fredericks said initial immediate costs are expected to be about $750,000 for actions such as aerial herbicide application and seeding; he cautioned that restoration will be ongoing and that the department is discussing voluntary contributions from a utility company but no agreement is finalized. When asked, Fredericks said about two‑thirds of the fire footprint lies on Fish and Game land, which increased the agency's direct obligations.

Other items discussed included a requested ongoing $500,000 appropriation for a 25‑year capital lease to secure land and construct a subregional office near McCall; software licenses (ArcGIS) for $140,000; alignment of federal grant appropriations ($679,900) to match expected federal drawdowns; and replacement items for vehicles and equipment used in remote work.

Oswald and Fredericks also answered questions about a $65,000 remote‑connectivity request for multiple hatcheries and management sites; Oswald said ITS supplied the specifications and that point‑to‑point links and other factors explain per‑site costs. Senator Cook asked about spending on phase‑one of the website overhaul; Fredericks said only a small portion of the initial $750,000 had been spent on discovery and audit work and that the department expects to proceed quickly if additional funds are approved.

Jessup said the governor's recommendation did not deviate from the agency requests and noted that many enhancements are one‑time. Fredericks closed by thanking the committee for its support.