The park, which today spans 4,800 acres was made possible in part through the Recreation & Public Purposes Act, which allowed the agency to sell public lands to state and local governments for recreational purposes.

The state park system expanded precipitously in the decades that followed, and today spans 28 state parks, 60,000 acres of land and 2,500 overnight campsites, far from the “embarrassment” Heyburn had once anticipated. It was less than two decades ago, however, the state was considering pulling back on some of its established public sites that had been frequented for decades.

In 2009, when the state was in the throes of the Great Recession, IDPR was at one point being considered to be parted out to other agencies. At the time, Just joined former IDPR director Yvonne Farrell to form the Friends of Idaho State Parks and garner support for the state’s park system — the agency ultimately survived the economic downturn, but not without a more than 80% cut to it budget, Just said.

Engagement in the parks has continued to be elevated since the COVID-19 pandemic, after people in Idaho and across the country were itching to get outside their homes and into the outdoors. In 2020, a record 7.6 million people visited Idaho state parks and IDPR has reported an average of 7.1 million visitors between 2020-2023.

While serving as a senator on the Idaho Legislature in 2023, Just served as a bill sponsor for an $100 million expansion of IDPR’s budget — the largest in state history, This was followed in 2024 with an allocation of $20 million in funds for deferred maintenance at state parks.

“COVID frankly showed us how much people love the state parks,” Just said. “When they were stuck at home, they got out in the fresh air where they could enjoy themselves and just inundated state parks. Not just here, but everywhere.”

McCandless covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Idaho Press of Nampa and Coeur d’Alene Press. He may be contacted at rmccandless@idahopress.com.

GOODING (Idaho Statesman) — Idaho law enforcement agencies are investigating the killing and mutilation of livestock across southern Idaho in recent weeks, according to a news release that Idaho State Police shared Friday.

The agency said the State Brand Inspector, which verifies livestock ownership through brands, and multiple county sheriff’s offices are investigating incidents of cattle shot and killed in Jerome and Gooding counties. Officials said three cattle deaths have been confirmed as illegal killings, while five others are under investigation.

The news release said the killings happened in “remote grazing areas” and included multiple incidents near Wendell, and cases in Jefferson and Payette counties.

Idaho State Brand Inspector Cody Burlile told the Idaho Statesman in an email that investigators don’t believe the killing of a calf that was found “dead and partially mutilated” near New Plymouth in late April or the killing of a calf in Jefferson County are related to the other cases.

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Killing livestock that are valued at $1,000 or more is a felony under Idaho law.

“This is a serious crime that directly impacts Idaho ranching families and their livelihoods,” Burlile said in the Idaho State Police news release. “These producers invest significant amounts of time, money and effort into caring for their livestock. The losses associated with these incidents are in the thousands of dollars.”

Burlile told the Statesman that five ranchers have reported suspicious cattle deaths, and the three confirmed illegal deaths were each linked to a different ranch.

“The other deaths were suspicious and in near proximity to the confirmed deaths in Gooding County, but we have not been able to positively determine foul play was involved,” Burlile said in an email.

Officials said some of the cattle were partially butchered, while others were left untouched where they died. They said it appeared some of the animals suffered before they died. Some of the cattle were cows with calves.

“When people hear about livestock being shot, they often think only about financial loss,” Burlile said in the news release. “What they don’t see is the suffering these animals endure, the impact on calves that depend on their mothers, and the effect on the livelihood of those who care for them. These aren’t just property crimes we are investigating.”

Anyone with information related to the killings is urged to contact local law enforcement or the State Brand Inspector at 208-884-7070 or ContactBrands@isp.idaho.gov.

The Idaho Cattle Association is offering a reward for tips that lead to the successful identification and prosecution of the person or people responsible, officials said.