Island Park News-June, 18 2009

State cuts funding to snowmobile, ATV, boating, and other recreation programs

ISLAND PARK — Motorized recreation programs, a critical component of the Island Park economy, could be history because the Idaho Legislature has cut a huge portion of their funding.

During the last two days of their latest session, legislators stripped the recreation community of its gas tax, effective July 1, 2010. The tax has been in place to fund snowmobiling, ATV, boating, and other programs since 1983.

Sandra Mitchell of the Idaho Recreation Council (IRC) has launched a grassroots effort, the Give Us Back Our Gas Tax campaign, to convince Idaho legislators to continue to allocate gas taxes to the recreation programs. IRC is an advocacy group for motorized recreationists, cyclists, and horsemen.

“Instead of raising the gas tax, our legislative leaders and the governor agreed to a package that included elimination of the 3% state fuel tax that goes to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) for maintaining our recreation programs. This 3% represents a portion of the motor fuel excise tax collected from non-highway recreational fuel use. This is fuel used for off-highway recreation by snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles, boats and off-highway light trucks,” Mitchell explained.

As part of the package, a Legislative Task Force of four senators and four representatives was created to identify “alternative dedicated funding” for IDPR. Its first meeting is in Boise on June 30. The public can attend but cannot speak. The Task Force is co-chaired by Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, and Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, the two lawmakers who also chair the budget-writing Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. Members are Sens. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston; Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls; and Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello; and Reps. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry; Raul Labrador, R-Eagle; and Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow.

Mitchell said, “If they fail to name another dedicated source, IDPR would be funded out of the general fund, competing with schools, prisons, highways, and others for precious state dollars.”

Members of the task force have said they will try their best to find other sources.

Mitchell said the fuel tax transfer is a reasonable way for recreationists to contribute to the development and maintenance of recreation facilities. It came about as a result of recreational users giving up their ability to get a refund of gas tax for fuel not burned on roads as long as the money is distributed to IDPR.

“Now recreational users are the only Idaho group required to pay a tax on fuel not burned on roads or highways. This is patently unfair and needs to be corrected as soon as possible,” she noted.

Fremont County Parks and Recreation Department Director, Tamra Cikaitoga, had this to say about the issue: "In Fremont County alone, we are dependent on the gas tax to purchase the equipment used to maintain 500 miles of internationally known snowmobile trails. At this time, we currently have five trail groomers and drags with a value nearing $1 million. When not in use, the groomers are housed and repaired in a building of which $75,000 of the overall construction costs were funded through the recreation gas tax."

"Snowmobilers will not be the only recreation group impacted by the change," Cikaitoga emphasized. " If you have visited Stone Bridge, near Warm River, to fish or float the Henry's Fork of the Snake River, you have parked at a site funded, 50 percent, through the recreation gas tax. If have stood on the new fiberglass boat docks at Ashton or Island Park Reservoirs, these facilities were also funded, in part, by the gas tax dollars in question. Should you turn on the water at Frome Park on Henry's Lake, again, the recreation fuel tax at work. The list of projects funded in Fremont County alone goes on and on."

"Each of Idaho's counties has a similar story to tell," Cikaitoga added. "The past distribution of funds has been fair, competitive and shared. Some counties have benefited by the addition of ATV trails, the construction of bridges, greenways or through the purchase of equipment needed to create recreational opportunities. Funds have also been used for the installation of toilets or for signing. If you enjoy the outdoors in Idaho, chances are you have utilized facilities funded through the gas tax previously earmarked for recreation.Make no mistake, this is not just a snowmobile issue. Recreation in Idaho depends on these funds."