Mayor David Bieter and the City Council today approved the naming of a 1.6-mile section of Greenbelt – located in a 24-acre natural area along the Boise River – in honor of Bethine Church and her efforts to preserve and conserve public lands.

The unpaved pathway, which begins at the Cottonwood Apartments and ends upstream at the East ParkCenter Bridge, will now be known as the Bethine Church River Trail.

In a presentation at today’s City Council meeting, Mayor David Bieter and the Boise City Council joined Church and many of her friends and supporters as they expressed their support of the resolution honoring Church’s many contributions to the city and the state.

“This is a very special day for our city – an opportunity to recognize a woman who has had, and continues to have, a tremendously positive impact on all of our lives,” Mayor Bieter said. “Bethine Church has demonstrated a boundless commitment to the well-being and enhancement of our state and its people. That commitment is born of a true and long-lasting love affair with Idaho and Idahoans. I am thrilled that we can show our gratitude for all of her contributions by naming this peaceful and beautiful stretch of riverside trail in her honor.”

Church’s contributions to wildlife and conservation efforts in the state are numerous. Church founded and chaired the Sawtooth Society, which has successfully lobbied for funds to protect the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. The society also works to fund Forest Service projects such as trails and infrastructure, helping to guarantee the survival of the SNRA wilderness area for generations to come. She continues to work with Rep. Mike Simpson for passage of CIEDRA legislation to protect the Boulder-White Clouds wilderness. She chairs the Frank Church Institute, which has brought national speakers including President Gerald Ford and former Vice Presidents Al Gore and Walter Mondale to Boise at her invitation; under her leadership, the institute has raised a $1 million endowment to fund the conferences, the Frank and Bethine Church Professor, and scholarships at Boise State University.

In the fall of 2009, at a ceremony that will be held in Boise, Church will receive the Bob Marshall Award from the National Governing Council of the Wilderness Society. The award is named for the founder of the Wilderness Society, of which she is a member.

Councilmember Maryanne Jordan discussed the origin of the naming opportunity. “Over the last year a diverse cross section of citizens across our community have discussed the possibility of recognizing Bethine’s many contributions by naming an appropriate landmark in her honor,” Jordan said. “We looked at several different possibilities, and finally arrived at what we think is a wonderful choice because it is an area that embodies the spirit of what Bethine has spent much of her life trying to achieve.”

In an earlier vote, the Boise Parks and Recreation commission unanimously recommended approval of the resolution to the City Council.

Documents in support of the resolution included letters from members of Idaho’s congressional delegation honoring Bethine and her life’s work of making Idaho a better place.

• MAP: Bethine Church River Trail
• Mayor Bieter's remarks