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Recreation director says $200,000 donor offer could seed Warm Lake groomer project; Horse Thief business plan to be reviewed
Summary
Valley County Recreation Director Larry Lacks reported a $200,000 donor offer toward a permanent groomer at Warm Lake, told commissioners of parking and trail-safety projects and said a business plan for taking over the Horse Thief site will be circulated for a work session with Fish and Game and the recreation advisory board.
Valley County Recreation Director Larry Lacks told commissioners on June 9 that a private donor has offered $200,000 toward purchasing a permanent snow groomer to be based at Warm Lake, and that the county cannot move forward with grant applications until the donation is secured in writing.
Lacks said the county may use a Forest Service campground as storage and that the donation would serve as a match for grants. He characterized groomer costs as significant, citing an on-record estimate: "We're running around 400,000," which he used to explain why the $200,000 would be a material contribution toward a larger purchase or match for a grant application.
Lacks also discussed trail maintenance plans, including trail remarking in burned areas (Anderson Creek, Sheep area) and a research project to evaluate shifting plow responsibility on Clear Creek’s lower six miles to an alternate higher trail to preserve low-elevation groomed trail access. He said staff will ride the alternative route to evaluate feasibility and that a grooming budget will be submitted after July 1 when county numbers are available.
On parking, Lacks said the county is working to move a launch-parking fence out about 15 feet to create additional vehicle space and reduce overflow onto adjacent private property. He said the recreation advisory board and staff will pursue signage to educate users about private-property boundaries.
Lacks said the recreation advisory board has prepared a business plan for taking over operations at Horse Thief (the plan will be emailed to commissioners); he recommended a work session including Idaho Fish and Game and the advisory committee to review the plan. Commissioners agreed the plan should be circulated and followed by a work session.
No formal vote was required for the discussion items; Lacks asked the commission to note that items will come back for action once grant or donation details are finalized.
