Payette River Boating Access Work to Begin

Boise, ID – The Boise National Forest, Forest Service and the Four Rivers Field Office, Bureau of Land Management are teaming up to make a number of improvements at two river access sites along the Payette River beginning next week.

Preparations for paving the parking area at Banks Access, the launch site at Banks, Idaho that is across the Payette River from the Banks Store and Café, began over the last couple of weeks and it will be paved next week beginning on July 14, 2008. The parking area will be unavailable for parking during the paving operations with the goal to make the parking available again by the weekend on July 19th, 2008. The Forest Service is requesting patience from local residents and boaters as we accomplish the goal of paving the entire parking lot to provide for a safer and more effective weekend visit for the boaters.

Current plans call for parking lines and marked paths for drive-through boat launch operations to be added after the pavement has setup for about 30 days.

Improvements are also planned for the Beehive Bend river access site including increasing the drying slab for rafters, improving the access at the bottom of the launch ramp, improving the accessible trail and its access to the launch ramp, as well as the installation of an entrance sign.

Our intent is to provide a cleaner, more visitor friendly, and more efficient river access system at both the Banks and Beehive Bend access sites.

These projects represent a partnership of agencies, organizations and local businesses. Paving costs are being paid by a combination of fees, agency funds, and partner contributions including $2,000 from the Idaho Wild Rivers License Plate Fund. The Wild Rivers License Plate Fund also provided $3,000 in a grant for the Beehive Bend improvements. Idaho Transportation Department contributed resources to prepare the area for pavement. The project also received substantial support from the Boise County, Bear Valley River Company, Cascade Raft and Kayak, the Idaho Whitewater Association, and the community of Banks, Idaho.

Fees collected the past six years have averaged over $50,000 dollars annually. They are used in conjunction with Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management funding allocated by Congress, and Idaho State Parks and Recreation grants for recreation management in this high use area. The area includes improved river access sites between Beehive Bend and Banks, as well as access sites along the South Fork of the Payette River between Banks and the Deadwood River.

“Increased site maintenance, construction of new facilities, and enhanced public safety have all benefited from these fees which are directly returned to the site,” said James Keller, Boise National Forest Recreation Program Manager. “It is very important that the public realize many of the facilities they now enjoy, or seek in the future, would not be available without these collections.”

Boaters can help ensure that the funds for site improvements remain available by paying fees during their use of the fee sites. The cost of business continues to rise. The cost to pump toilets, pickup trash, conduct river ranger patrols, and repair facilities is now almost equal to the fees collected each year. The revenues generated through fee collection on the river are also used for large capital improvements such as the paving project. “Those using the area can help themselves by complying with the fee request,” said T. J. Clifford, Emmett Ranger District Recreation Officer. “This has been and can continue to be a very successful program developed to directly meet the needs of the users.”

“We would like to complete improvements requested by the boating users as soon as possible and the combination of fees collected from the recreationists, grants already received, and Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management funds should successfully accomplish these improvements,” Clifford added.

Clifford said that without partners such as the Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho Department of Commerce, Outfitter and Guides operating on the Payette River, and the Idaho Whitewater Association to educate boaters and provide on-the-ground services, we could never accomplish our list of improvements submitted by the general boaters.

Further information is available by calling the Emmett Ranger District at 365-7000.

Contact: Emmett Ranger District