The Courier
NEWS
Groundbreaking at Thousand Springs State Park
Construction began Thursday on a new Visitors Center to enhance recreational and historical offerings for guests of Thousand Springs State Park and the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument by putting rangers and resources in a single location. The project springs from a novel partnership between the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR) and the National Park Service (NPS), which have agreed to co-locate to provide more services at less cost. "The Hagerman Valley has wonderful recreational and historical resources, spread about a large and scenic area,” said Pete Black, chairman of the Parks and Recreation Board. “This center will become the linchpin, the place where visitors learn about what’s on offer and chose their adventures.” Thursday’s groundbreaking starts a 12-month construction project, which will result in a $2.5 million, 3,400-square-foot structure that will provide new opportunities for historical interpretation, improved recreational access and economic vitality for the Hagerman Valley. The center will consolidate access to the seven units of Thousand Springs - Malad Gorge, Kelton Trail, Billingsley Creek, Ritter Island, Crystal Springs, Niagara Springs, and the Box Canyon Springs Nature Preserve. It will also provide better access to the Hagerman Fossil Beds, information and interpretation close to the archaeological site. “We are absolutely delighted with the partnership project at Thousand Springs State Park” said Wade Vagias, Superintendent of Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, a unit of the National Park Service. “Together our two agencies will orient and educate visitors to and about the many wonders of the Hagerman Valley and I am looking forward to collaborating with our IDPR colleagues for years to come at the new park.” The State of Idaho is building the center, while NPS has agreed to lease space for the next 25 years. Only a handful of such agreements are believed to exist in the nation. "By linking the many parts of Thousand Springs and the wonders in the fossil beds, we provide a richer experience at a lower cost," Black said. In addition to the center, two related projects at Thousand Springs will boost recreational opportunities. A new, $460,000 bridge to Ritter Island, currently under construction, will provide better, safer access for visitors, and the 50-spot Billingsley Creek Campground, which will begin construction a year from now, will add needed camping opportunities. The $6 million campground is expected to open by early 2023.
News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
September 30, 2020
Vol 44 Num 40
Camas County Considers Airport... Again
The Camas County P&Z Commission held three public hearings last Tuesday, all loosely connected to the same issue - a private airport on the east end of the county. The request for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) was specifically for the airport, while proposed downzones on the Land Use Map and the Zoning Map were indirectly connected. The history of the county’s zoning map has been contentious. During the 2006 public hearings, the Camas County Commissioners made a de facto promise to reverse any county initiated zoning not acted upon by landowners or developers within four years. The promise was made primarily to placate citizens who were concerned that large swaths of 5 and 10 acre parcels would led to rural sprawl. Sprawl is characterized by an increased number of roads to serve a relatively small number of residents. This leads to increased costs to the county for road maintenance, snow removal, emergency services, and fire protection. Many of the citizens on the east end of the county were concerned about a large swath of Ag-5 zoning (1 mile wide by 2 miles) along North 1000 East (Princess Mine Road). They supported the growth of the Blaine Townsite (just south of US 20 on 1000 East), but felt the Ag-5 zoning would not promote smart growth. Their concerns were largely ignored by county officials and the maps were adopted. This, as well as other issues, led to several years of litigation against Camas County which ended in virtual stalemate. Meanwhile, in the middle of all this turmoil, the economy crashed making those zoning changes all but worthless... until last Tuesday. The owner of 300 acres along Princess Mine Road asked for a downzone from Ag-5 to Ag-80. There has been no residential development in this area and the owner has no desire to do so. Downzone requests are rarely rejected, and with the de facto promise from 14 years ago this should have been a simple request. The complication is that the owner, Ix-Nay Investment Trust, wants to build a private airport. The area of Ag-5 zoning is only a small portion of the whole property, but Ag-5 does not allow private airports. The opponents of the airport (mostly from the east end of the county) now want to use the Ag-5 zoning as a roadblock to the airport. Arguments were made that the county would be losing the potential of about 60 homes, continued on page 3...