Idaho Environmental Forum #175
The Foothills Levy
Monday, June 28th, 2010
The lunch buffet begins at 11:30 am.
The program runs from noon to about 1:00 pm.
Logistics
PLEASE NOTE: This program
will meet in the 2nd floor ballroom at the
Owyhee Plaza Hotel located at 1109 W. Main
Street in downtown Boise.
Free parking is available in the
adjacent lot located on the corner of 12th and Grove
street.
The Speakers:
Chas. F. McDevitt, Chair of the Foothills
Conservation Advisory Committee,
Julia
Kertz Grant, Foothills Open Space Manager; and
We will also have the unique opportunity to hear
from the anonymous donor who in 2009 donated $1
million of personal funds to the City purchase of
1,320 acres of property in the Foothills, including
the prominent Stack Rock geologic formation.
The Program
In May 2001 Boise voters approved a special property tax levy to raise $10 million for acquisition and protection of open space in the Boise foothills. The 58 percent in favor of the ballot ushered in a new age in conservation in the Treasure Valley and placed the City of Boise in the vanguard of efforts across western states to protect open land in an era of high population growth and rapid real estate development.
Taking the long view, the vote in favor of the $10 million levy represents an initial summiting that built on years-long community effort that first produced a Foothills Policy Plan in 1997 and a Foothills Open Space Management Plan in 2000. With the plans in place and the funding secured the city of Boise went about the long, intricate and sometime arduous process of securing lands in the Boise Foothills to protect the open space. Much has been accomplished.
The local news media dutifully reported on each transaction as it was announced, and annual reports of the program are posted on the city’s website. Today we will get the inside story from some of the key players who have been involved in the land acquisition efforts. The presentation will go beyond the sound bites and headlines and uncover the work that is going on to protect what Mayor David Bieter calls a signature part of Boise’s livability as well as the city’s "scenic backdrop."
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