Palisades ranger district to seek recreation funds

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)-The Palisades Ranger District of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest will ask the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to approve four recreation projects in the district.

The state grants are used to help leverage funds for more work on the ground.  The program funds over $7 million in projects in each year.

This year, the district is asking for funding to expand the Big Elk Creek Boat Ramp, about 1.4 miles east of Highway 26 and Palisades Reservoir.  It would be used to expand the parking area, widen the road and relocate the bathroom at the Big Elk Boat Ramp.

The district hopes to install 50” restrictor barriers on motorized trails to help preserve the trail use experience for smaller, motorized vehicles and reduce damage caused by larger side-by-sides and full-sized vehicles.

A second project would use recreation funding to help with general maintenance of motorized and non-motorized trails.  Palisades District currently has 282 miles of motorized trails and 298 miles of non-motorized trails.

And, the district is seeking funding help purchase a replacement snowmobile to help groom snowmobile trails in remote areas or areas that are too narrow for larger grooming snowcats.

“Last year, funding from the Off-Road Motor Vehicle Fun was used to repair the popular Bear Creek Trail by installing new bridges and rerouting one mile of trail annually impacted by spring water flow,” said Colby Jacobson, recreation manager for the Palisades District. “This project was supported by amazing community members and organizations who spent hours of volunteer time working on the trail.”