BOISE — State natural resource leadership made clear Monday the impact of proposed state budget cuts could rear themselves in the near future as the summer months bring both greater engagement in Idaho’s natural resources as well as a heightened risk of wildfire.
Directors for several of Idaho’s key natural resource agencies went before members of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) on Monday, to provide appraisals for the respective budget landscapes of the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). In both cases, agency directors said budget cuts bring statewide ramifications.
The message comes shortly after JFAC set agency maintenance budgets on Friday to align with the committee’s ongoing 5% budget reductions starting next fiscal year. This will cut most state agency resources for the years to come if the House, Senate and Gov. Brad Little pass the budgets into law…