Blue Ribbon Council reviews FY27 project scoring, current budget and volunteer opportunities

Trina Hedrick demonstrated the Blue Ribbon project database and scoring process during the Jan. 15 Blue Ribbon meeting, explaining how reviewers should evaluate fish, habitat, access, staffing and the likelihood of project success.

Council members were shown the project details tab, finance breakdowns and where to download project summaries. Staff emphasized the importance of documenting in-kind contributions and permitting status in each project’s entry; that information informs scoring on efficient allocation and likelihood of completion. "You can put in your in-kind match and describe technician days and permitting status," Hedrick said, noting those details materially affect prioritization.

The council reviewed the current FY27 project list and the funding gap: approximately $642,812 of requests have been submitted while about $450,000 is available (figures on the Blue Ribbon site). Staff reviewed current project expenditure status on funded FY26 items and reminded members that principal score sheets must be downloaded, filled and returned after the March presentations (deadline ~two weeks after the March meeting).

Staff also reviewed volunteer opportunities (gill netting, spawning-trap work) and encouraged members to sign up. Emily (hatchery/field staff) invited members to join gill-net sampling and spawning-trap days; the council agreed to coordinate dates and boats for Bear Lake and Pineview volunteer outings.

Next steps: council members will rank projects using the downloadable score sheets by early April; staff will compile scores and discuss funding allocations at the joint March 19 meeting with the Habitat Council and in subsequent scoring steps.