It’s time to renew funding for Boise’s beautiful open spaces | Opinion

Walk down to the Boise River or bike the Greenbelt along the river at almost any time of day this summer, and you will see dozens, often hundreds of our neighbors, friends and fellow Boiseans enjoying its cool, clean water. Whether you’re floating the river or walking, bicycling or running along it — there’s no question — the Boise River is one of the things that makes Boise so special.

In 2015, 74% of Boise voters passed a levy to fund projects to increase access to parks and pathways and keep Boise’s water clean. Now that fund has less than $500,000 left in it. It’s time to step up again to ensure we continue investing in the very reasons that we all call Boise “home.”

This year, the Boise City Council voted to put a new levy before voters on this November’s ballot. This new levy would provide critical funding to protect our waterways, to keep the Boise River and other waters clean. But that’s not all it would do.

As our city continues to grow, the levy will help pay for protecting our open spaces, parks, and trails. Acting now will ensure that we preserve our last open spaces before they’re lost to development forever.

Recent fires in the foothills demonstrate how critical it is to invest in wildfire prevention. That’s why this measure will fund open space preservation, conserving and managing land to reduce wildfire risk.

There’s something in this levy for all us here in Boise. Whether you are a small business owner who relies on the over 1 million visitors annually the city receives to enjoy our vibrant downtown and abundant recreation opportunities; or you are a family that enjoys our trails, parks and pathways on a regular basis; or you are one of our brave first responders who answer the call when wildfires strike, this levy is important for all of us.

Next time you’re down at the river, take a moment to look around. Note the thriving businesses that help get folks out on the water. See the children laughing and playing along the riverbanks while learning about the magic of our outdoor spaces. And most importantly, look at the clean, healthy waterway each and every one of us gets to enjoy because it’s protected and kept clean through investments like this upcoming levy.

Let’s keep Boise the special place we all know and love. This November, please join me in voting “yes” to support Boise’s Clean Water and Open Space levy.

Michael Lanza, of Boise, is treasurer of the Boise Clean Water and Open Space levy campaign and a board member of Conservation Voters for Idaho. He has frequently enjoyed Idaho’s trails, mountains and rivers for three decades.