Idaho Reports · Idaho Public Television

Extra: Investment in the Parks with Susan Buxton, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation

·24 min·2 clips

Idaho's state parks saw a 35% spike in visitors while grappling with a $200 million deferred maintenance backlog.

This Idaho Reports episode features an interview with Susan Buxton, Director of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, conducted at Bruneau Dunes State Park. Host Melissa Davlin tours the park's new observatory and discusses park management with Buxton. The conversation centers on managing record visitation and a major recent investment in park infrastructure. The Idaho legislature appropriated $160 million over three fiscal years starting in 2022, with $95 million from state surplus and $65 million from the American Rescue Plan Act. This funding addresses a deferred maintenance backlog that was approaching $200 million while also expanding capacity. Specific projects include adding 300 parking spots at Bear Lake State Park, 30-35 truck-and-trailer spots at Farragut State Park, and reorganizing facilities at Priest Lake and Box Canyon. The department is adding at least 250 new campsites, 25 day-use areas, and 150 docks or boat slips system-wide. Visitation spiked by about 35% during the pandemic, surpassing 7 million annual visitors to Idaho's 30 state parks. The outdoor recreation industry in Idaho is valued at roughly $4 billion, with state parks contributing over $1 billion in economic benefit. A new, fully accessible observatory at Bruneau Dunes, operational since June 2023, offers enhanced research and programming capabilities. To manage crowding, some parks like Bear Lake now use an online reservation system for day-use, while a new, more mobile-friendly reservation platform was launched for campgrounds in January. The department actively increases ADA accessibility, with projects like a renovated lodge at Heyburn State Park and a planned "tree house" elevated campsite at Round Lake. Buxton notes changing visitor expectations, including demand for Wi-Fi hotspots, 50-amp RV power connections, and accommodations for activities like drone use and fat-tire biking. The department's trail program, funded by user sticker fees, clears about 2,000 miles of trail annually on federal lands using staff equipped with small bulldozers and motorcycles. Buxton highlights partnerships, such as managing facilities for federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers. A new "Foster Families in the Park" program, launched with donations from Regence Blue Shield and Idaho Business for the Outdoors, provides free park access and special event days for foster families. The first state park was Heyburn State Park, established in 1909 after the federal government deeded the land to Idaho. Buxton became interim director in September 2020, inheriting the deferred maintenance challenge during the visitation surge. She emphasizes a philosophy of keeping public lands "open for the public, not from the public." The tone is conversational and educational, blending a facility tour with a detailed policy interview. The style is informative and forward-looking, highlighting recent achievements and future initiatives for the park system. This episode would appeal to Idaho residents, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone interested in public land management, infrastructure funding, and state government operations. Listeners seeking highly contentious political debate or investigative reporting might find it less engaging.

As heard by us

A clear look at how park funding becomes access, maintenance, and room for more visitors.

Idaho Reports frames a state-parks funding story through Bruno Dunes State Park, keeping the focus on how Idaho's $160 million in park funding, spread across three fiscal years starting in 2022, shows up in daily use.

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Why you'd press play

You want a clear answer for where Idaho's park money went.

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