McCall – In late May Valley County and the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) signed a non-commercial recreation lease covering over 1,200 acres of state endowment land along Big Payette Lake in Valley County. United Payette, a coalition working to conserve the McCall area endowment lands, initiated the lease negotiations with the County and IDL.

This lease covers the Crestline Trail area (Parcel E) along Eastside Drive and the Greengate area (Parcel L) along Warren Wagon Road (as defined in the state’s Payette Endowment Lands Strategy or “PELS”).

These areas represent two of the most beloved and visited sections of endowment lands that surroundBig Payette Lake. The lease begins in June and runs through the end of 2024.

The purpose of the lease is to support public access and non-commercial, multipurpose public recreation on endowment lands and to conserve open spaces. Maintaining open spaces around the lake will also benefit water quality in Payette Lake, which flows downstream to Cascade and beyond. The money from the lease will go to the state’s endowment trust, primarily to support public education. The lease meets several of the state of Idaho’s objectives for managing endowment lands including accommodating public use of these lands while providing additional revenue to the state’s endowment trust.

“The lease contains provisions for performing annual maintenance and conservation work, as well as restrictions on commercial glamping. This will provide the public with continued recreational opportunities to appreciate and support the state lands in our area,” said Jeff Mousseau, United Payette. “We are funding the lease through the generous support of our donors”.

Larry Laxson the Valley County Recreation Director said, “This lease is a win-win for Valley County residents and visitors and for the State of Idaho because it benefits the continued opportunity for multi- purpose public recreation in open spaces in Valley County in two key areas bordering Big Payette Lake.”

Additional information on this lease and a copy of the lease itself can be see HERE.