Boise named one of the top ‘outdoorsy’ cities in U.S.; Idaho funds will restore parks
Boise named one of the top outdoor cities in the country
Boise was named one of the top 25 cities in the U.S. for “outdoorsy lifestyles” by Wilderness Times, a website that offers how-to articles on hiking and camping, as well as outdoor gear reviews.
Boise ranked No. 21 on the Wilderness Times list with an overall score of 6.02 out of 10. The website looked at home prices, proximity to local parks, climate, nearby trails, air quality, national and state parks and population density to determine overall scores.
Many of the top spots on the list went to large cities like Seattle, which ranked No. 1, followed by Boston, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City. Boise was the only Idaho city to make the list.
Boise held its own against major cities in numerous metrics. Its median housing price — $391,745 — was one of the lowest on the list, above only Minneapolis, Chicago and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Boise’s relatively low population density (2,812 people per square mile) boosted its ranking.
So what boosted major metropolitan areas ahead of a notoriously outdoorsy city like Boise? Parks seemed to play a role. Only 69% of Boise residents live in close proximity to local parks, Wilderness Times found, versus 100% of residents in cities like Boston and San Francisco. Boise also boasted just 11 nearby state and national parks — Idaho’s only national park is a small sliver of Yellowstone — while other West Coast cities had dozens.
Boise was the middle of the pack in days with good air quality (248) and miles of nearby trails (429).
Wisconsin man breaks state yellow perch record
A Wisconsin man ice fishing on an Idaho lake broke a 5-year-old state record for yellow perch, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game said in a news release.
Adam Mann of Mosinee, Wisconsin, was ice fishing on Lake Cascade on March 9 when he hooked a yellow perch that weighed in at 3.22 pounds. The 16.25-inch fish broke the previous state weight record by more than a quarter of a pound. The previous record fish was also caught at Lake Cascade.
Mann told Fish and Game that he and several friends were visiting Idaho to fish for trophy perch and had already caught several large fish before reeling in the record.
Mann, who said he ice fishes several times a week in Wisconsin, told Fish and Game the record perch was ““incredible, I’ve never seen anything like that.”
Gov. Little signs legislation directing $3M to Parks and Recreation
Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday signed a bill conferring $3 million to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation for maintenance of state parks and trails.
House Bill 204, which passed the Legislature on March 8, moved $3 million from the state’s general fund to the Parks and Recreation fund. It also designated $3 million from the Parks and Rec fund for capital development.
In a news release, the governor’s office said the funds will go toward improving several state park sites as well as the Centennial Trail, a 900-mile route that stretches from Idaho’s southern border with Nevada to its northern border with Canada.
Other projects include renovations to the Rocky Point Lodge at North Idaho’s Heyburn State Park, repairs at the Bruneau Dunes State Park observatory, rehabilitation of historic buildings at the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park near Challis, repairs at Massacre Rocks State Park near American Falls, and property acquisition between Castle Rocks State Park and City of Rocks National Reserve to improve trail opportunities in the area.
This story was originally published March 18, 2021 at 10:57 AM.
