The Idaho Land Board unanimously approved a spending bump for public schools Tuesday, Aug. 21. Education funding will increase by $1 million in the next school year.
Some of that money comes from timber sales on state-owned land.
The board voted in favor of a policy allowing recreational access on state endowment lands. The measure formally recognizes that the board is meeting its constitutional mandate of bringing in the most money possible for Idaho schools.
In a related move, they also approved a plan to keep those lands open to hunting and fishing. If the Idaho Fish and Game Commission approves the agreement, the Fish and Game Department would pay the land board 25 cents per endowment acre for hunting. The idea is to offset the costs of what the land board could make by selling or logging the acreage, with the profits going to public schools.
The five-person land board is made up of the governor, the attorney general, the state superintendent, the secretary of state and the state controller. All of these positions are held by Republicans.
Find reporter Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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