Posts tagged: Idaho parks
Under much-debated legislation passed by the Idaho Legislature this year, youngsters 15 and younger who ride off-highway vehicles on U.S. Forest Service roads are required to be supervised by an adult who is riding within 300 fee; also, all riders who lack driver's licenses, including youngsters, must take an approved off-highway vehicle safety course. The new law, SB 1001, takes effect July 1, but the state Department of Parks and Recreation is urging young off-road enthusiasts to sign up for the required classes now. “Our agency would like to encourage people to take classes early, so that we can accurately gauge what demand is going to be for the classes and do our best through the summer to help accommodate that demand,” said Jennifer Blazek, state parks spokeswoman. You can find out about available classes here, and get more info here.
Idaho’s state Department of Parks & Recreation will dedicate a new ATV/motorbike trail on Sept. 11 from the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park Interpretive Center to Bayhorse. The new 9-mile trail is named in honor of Ernie Lombard, a Boise architect and longtime state Parks Board member, and its current vice-chairman, who worked for more than 20 years to establish the trail. A group ride and BBQ lunch are planned; click below for full info.
Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, says Idaho’s efforts to keep invasive quagga and zebra mussels from getting into the state’s waterways appear to be succeeding. “We were very successful this year,” he told the Legislature’s interim committee on energy, environment and technology. “We seem to have avoided any contact with these critters in our waterways this year.” Seventeen sites were set up statewide to inspect boats coming into the state, and Idaho required boaters to buy a special sticker to fund the anti-mussel efforts. “It’s absolutely paramount that we stay diligent - we’re going to have to do more,” Anderson said. “We have been successful - this is like trying to prevent a terrorist act. Professionals out there feel that we have really dodged a bullet.”
One boat that was chased through three states actually was launched in the Spokane River, Anderson said, but extensive monitoring followed and no contamination was found. “I was concerned because I just live downriver, just downstream from that,” said Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene. He said the launch took place at Blackwell Island. Anderson and officials said the boat turned out to have been out of the water long enough before its Idaho launch for any invasive critters on it to have died.
Swung by the Idaho parks & rec office and purchased my invasive species sticker, which I then plastered onto my sailboard. Now we’ll see if it sticks. They were plenty busy, but it was a breeze picking up the $5 sticker (for non-motorized craft; Idaho-registered boats are $10, those registered elsewhere are $20). There was no wait. Phones were ringing off the hook, and parks workers were advising folks that if they order their stickers on the Internet and keep their receipts, they can show those to the cops over the holiday weekend and they won’t get a ticket, even if they haven’t gotten their stickers yet. Here’s a link to the full info about Idaho’s new boat-sticker program to raise money to fight invasive species, including keeping fast-spreading quagga and zebra mussels out of the state.
Betsy Z. Russell covers Idaho news from The Spokesman-Review's bureau in Boise.
Named best state-based political blog in Idaho for 2013 by The Fix
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