Huckleberries Online

Idaho Parks Face Budget Ax

Posted by DFO

Dec. 17, 2009 9:19 a.m. • 5 comments

While state recreational facilities are seeing a 14 percent increase in visitors - to more than 4.2 million a year - the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation has reduced its workers by 10 percent and grappled with double-digit budget cuts. Soon the agency will turn over one of its parks to Clearwater County, and it is preparing to close two more of the state’s 30 parks if the governor orders more immediate cuts from the budget year that ends June 30, Director Nancy Merrill said Wednesday as guest speaker at the Idaho Environmental Forum. But these cuts pale in comparison to what the department may face in the coming year - as her agency and every other one in the state anticipate deeper budget cuts down the road/Cynthia Sewell, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: How often do you use Idaho state parks? Which ones? For what reason?

Five comments on this post so far. Add yours!

BethB on December 17 at 9:30 a.m.
Speaking of Idaho - and having access to no Wild Card yet - did people see the article in today’s paper about Agri Beef - from Boise - donating $50,000, and $77,000 worth of beef and pork, to Second Harvest food bank in Spokane? They’ve donated $50,000 every year the last five years to Second Harvest. And they donate in Idaho as well. Stand up guys. Family-owned company. I’m committed to purchasing their product (though have no idea how to ensure that I’m doing that). I blogged about it this a.m. (link below). Anyone have ideas about how to make sure I buy Agri Beef?

http://accidental-rabbit-trails.blogspot.com/2009/12/buy-agri-beef.html
Phaedrus on December 17 at 9:37 a.m.
BethB, speaking of no wildcard, perhaps if the Spokesman Review splurged as part of their employee recognition awards they could spring for a pack of Post-it notes and DFO could slap one up on his monitor that said “POST WILDCARD AT 8 AM”
BethB on December 17 at 9:41 a.m.
DFO - do you hear us calling you? (the sound echoes into the valley, and calls back to us - “DFO - DFO - DFO” - until it fades away…)
hhuseland on December 17 at 12:22 p.m.
The picture above is from Farragut State Park, which definitely won’t close.
BigMike on December 17 at 5:10 p.m.
My wife and I volunteer for the month of August at Indian Creek Campground at Priest Lake State Park. We are amazed how few Idaho residents use and/or volunteer at such a premier place. There are almost all out of state visitors and the place is packed all summer.

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About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.