This bill allocates $390,000 from the General Fund to Idaho's Department of Water Resources for fiscal year 2027 to support personnel, planning, and two specific stream adjudication projects in Northern Idaho and the Bear River Basin. It also transfers $716,000 from the Revolving Development Fund to the Aquifer Planning and Management Fund to finance aquifer monitoring, measurement, and modeling activities. The legislation reappropriates unspent American Rescue Plan funds for nonrecurring water infrastructure projects and allows general stream adjudication funding to count toward filing fees for certain water right claims. Finally, the bill declares an emergency and sets the effective date as July 1, 2026.
This bill allocates $46.1 million to Idaho's Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination for fiscal year 2027 while simultaneously reducing funding and staffing for two related offices. It sets a maximum of 23 full-time positions for the main office, cuts 11 positions from the Office of Energy and Mineral Resources, and reduces 16 positions from the Office of Species Conservation. The legislation also lowers operating budgets for the energy and minerals office and the species conservation office, while maintaining or increasing funding for the main coordination office from various state and federal sources.
This bill allocates funding to the Idaho Department of Lands for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, directing specific amounts to support personnel costs, capital projects, and trustee benefit payments across various programs including business services, forest resources, trust land management, fire protection, and minerals. The legislation provides $2.7 million for fiscal year 2027 and $285,000 for fiscal year 2026, while simultaneously reducing certain appropriations from previous budgets to balance the overall funding. It designates $145,000 specifically for the Idaho Geological Survey and allows the Forest and Range Fire Protection Program to receive unlimited transfers from other departmental funds for both fiscal years. Additionally, the bill limits General Fund bonuses to firefighters with incident qualification cards and requires a report on 2026 fire season bonus awards to be submitted by January 5, 2027.
This bill is a concurrent resolution that formally recognizes and supports Idaho's designation of 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. It highlights the importance of rangelands as natural ecosystems used for grazing and notes their economic, social, and cultural value to Idaho communities and pastoralists. The resolution expresses legislative support for sustainable livestock grazing, balanced public use, and collaboration among various land management groups to maintain healthy working landscapes. It does not create new laws or regulations but serves as a formal statement of the Legislature's position on this global initiative.
HJM 13 is a joint memorial from the Idaho Legislature requesting federal agencies to align their enforcement of the Clean Water Act with the Supreme Court's 2023 Sackett decision. It asks the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers to stop claiming jurisdiction over intermittent streams, ditches, canals, and stockwater ponds - features not considered "waters of the United States" under the Court's ruling. The memorial urges agencies to update policies, training, and guidance to reflect this standard, which requires a continuous surface connection to traditional water bodies like rivers or lakes. This addresses concerns that current federal overreach increases costs and delays for Idaho landowners, farmers, and infrastructure projects. The request is directed at federal agencies and Idaho's congressional delegation, not a binding law.
Idaho's H 630 amends state law to allow permits for shooting coyotes, wolves, and red foxes from aircraft to protect livestock, crops, or land. Landowners must provide written permission for operations on their property, and permit holders must submit quarterly reports to the agriculture department. The bill specifies that red fox control is permitted year-round in designated hunting areas or where predation is causing problems outside those areas. It also eliminates existing administrative rules about this practice, effective July 2026.
This Idaho bill (S 1269) revises state laws governing cloud seeding programs to clarify regulations and requirements. It defines cloud seeding (excluding fog/frost prevention), requires the Water Resource Board to authorize programs and mandate annual public reports on operations, environmental impacts, and effectiveness, and specifies that state funds may only support projects in basins with insufficient water supplies. The law also protects operators from liability claims related to cloud seeding activities and requires monthly operational reports from program operators. These changes directly affect the Water Resource Board, cloud seeding operators, and communities relying on water resources in Idaho basins.
H 737 merges Idaho's Office of Species Conservation and Office of Energy and Mineral Resources into a single "Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination" to streamline natural resource management. The new office, led by a governor-appointed administrator, will coordinate state and federal permitting for projects involving species conservation, energy development, and mineral resources, aiming to reduce regulatory burden and improve decision-making timelines. The bill updates multiple Idaho Code sections to establish this office, define key terms like "species" and "mineral," and clarify its role as the state's primary liaison to federal agencies. This consolidation does not create new regulations or approval layers but integrates existing state functions under one administrative structure.
Idaho's S 1332 is a budget bill that transfers specific funds from specialized state accounts into the General Fund for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. It directs the transfer of $45 million from the Strategic Initiatives Program Fund, $3 million from the Opportunity Scholarship Program Account, $33.7 million from the Permanent Building Fund, $15 million from the Water Pollution Control Fund, and $10 million from the In-Demand Careers Fund (for 2026) and another $10 million (for 2027) to the General Fund. These transfers are intended to provide immediate funding flexibility for state operations during the 2025-2026 budget period. The bill declares an emergency to allow most provisions to take effect immediately upon passage, with one transfer scheduled for late 2026. This is a procedural budget adjustment, not a new policy.
H 511 revises the surcharge for improved forest parcels on private land in Idaho, capping it at $100 per parcel (previously ranging up to $100). It directly affects private forest landowners who maintain improved parcels, requiring them to pay this annual surcharge to fund wildfire preparedness. The bill also updates assessment rules for forest landowners (65¢ per acre for over 26 acres, minimum $25 for 25 acres or less) and establishes a wildfire equipment replacement fund. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, following its passage by the Idaho House (46-22) on February 4, 2026.
