Boise Open Space Levy Property Purchases and Projects

Open space and land conservation has been part of the Boise experience for generations. Boise voters have approved three levies to fund foothills property purchases, support clean air and water and preserve park property in growing areas of the city. The first Foothills Levy was approved in 2001 and led to important land preservation actions that have shaped recreation and promoted the protection of wildlife in Boise’s backyard.

In November of 2015, a resounding majority of Boise voters approved a second $10 million levy to support the preservation of open space and habitat, along with supporting clean water improvement projects in the Boise Foothills, Boise River and open space sites throughout the city. Residents clearly indicated a strong desire to protect wildlife habitat, provide recreational opportunities, improve access to open space and park sites for everyone, and enhance clean water for the enjoyment of future generations.

More than 80% of Boise voters approved a third Clean Water and Open Space Levy in November 2025 that will generate $11 million to continue the work of protecting wildlife habitat, providing recreational opportunities, improving access to open space, park sites and pathways for everyone, and enhancing clean water for the enjoyment of future generations. Money will be collected over a two-year period from 2026 to 2027.

Information about the history of Boise’s open space levies, property purchases and projects supported through levy funding is included below.

Property Acquisitions

Improvement Projects

Current Levy Balance

Open Space and Clean Water Advisory Committee

Properties Purchased with 2015 Open Space and Clean Water Funding

In the last 10 years, the City of Boise has used 2015 levy funds to acquire and preserve more than 500 acres of open space and park property across Boise.

Property	Year	Acres	Location	Market Value	Levy Funds Expended
Healthwise	2019	8	Hillside to Hollow Reserve	$485,000	$435,000
Pierce Park Farm Donation	2019	74	Pierce Gulch Farms	$1,300,000	$21,464
Viper Investments LLC	2019	3	Hill Road Parkway	$520,000	$357,054
Little Family	2020	325	Northwest Boise Foothills	$2,600,000	$1,222,587
JLJ Investments	2020	3	Polecat Gulch Reserve	$345,000	$2,108
Horizon Hills	2021	29	Horizon Hills Reserve	$720,000	$629,080
Shamrock Street Park Site	2023	1	West Boise	$850,000	$850,000
Miller	2024	80	Barber Valley	$500,000	$360,000
Welford Park Site	2024	0.26	West Boise	$250,000	$250,000
Fry Street Park Site	2024	0.66	West Bench	$552,036	$550,000
			Total:	$8,122,036	$4,677,293

Properties Purchased with 2001 Open Space and Clean Water Funding

More than 12,000 acres of open space were acquired utilizing these levy funds, including property at Table Rock, Hulls Gulch Reserve, Military Reserve, Polecat Gulch and more.

Property	Year	Acres	Location	Market Value	Levy Funds Expended
ORIDA/United Water	2002	42	Hulls Gulch Reserve	$160,000	$84,000
Blessinger	2003	120	Polecat Gulch Reserve	$850,000	$892,000
Boyer-Satz	2003	58	Table Rock Reserve	$700,000	$353,000
Noble	2003	600	Noble Reserve	$3,000,000	$9,000
Castrango	2003	0.1	Trail Easement	$3,000	$3,000
IDL and IDFG (Administrative Land Exchange)	2003	1,928	Table Rock, Shaw Mountain, Highland Valley	$1,375,000	$60,000
Hawkins	2004	260	Military Reserve	$2,730,000	$2,516,000
Donnelly	2005	40	Polecat Gulch Reserve	$510,000	$373,000
Dengler	2005	80	Polecat Gulch Reserve	$720,000	$723,000
BLM, IDL and USFS (Legislated Land Exchange)	2008	5,000	Polecat Gulch Reserve, Stack Rock, Custer Creek, Stewart Gulch	$16,500,000	$939,000
Smith	2008	5	Camel’s Back Reserve	$196,000	$3,000
Block	2008	0.75	Camel’s Back Reserve	$35,000	$0 (Donation)
Oberbillig	2009	120	Shaw Mountain	$960,000	$20,327
Stack Rock	2010	1,320	Stack Rock	$1,286,108	$311,453
Dengler	2010	80	Polecat Gulch Reserve	$500,000	$270,784
Yorgason	2012	154	Polecat Gulch Reserve	$1,300,000	$500,000
Boise Foothills LLC	2013	258	Hillside to Hollow Reserve	$2,370,000	$1,903,503
Coston	2014	0.05	Castle Rock access	$5,454	$5,454
N Bogus Basin Rd Parcel	2015	40	Hawkins Range Reserve	$320,000	$299,520
Idaho Humane Society Parcel	2015	160	Hawkins Range Reserve		$240,000
Idaho Humane Society Parcel	2016	40	Hawkins Range Reserve		$0 (Donation)
Hawkins	2016	160	Hawkins Range Reserve	$650,000	$650,000
AR Boise - Stack Rock	2017	840	Stack Rock	$420,000	$420,000
Peace Valley Overlook	2017	25	Peace Valley Overlook Reserve	$390,000	$100,120
Lancaster donation	2018	2	Trail Access	$10,775	$0 (Donation)
			Total:	$34,991,337	$10,676,161

*The City of Boise also purchased 701 acres of property, known as Hammer Flats, in 2010 for $4.2 million. Idaho Fish & Game later purchased the property from the city in 2012 as part of an administrative land exchange, allowing the city to recoup those funds. The foothills property is currently managed by Idaho Fish & Game and therefore is not reflected in the table above.

Levy Improvement Projects

The City of Boise has approved the use of levy funds for open space and clean water improvement projects throughout the city and foothills. These projects meet conservation goals across five criteria categories: Critical Open Space, Clean Water, Native Habitat and Wildlife, Trails or Pathways, and Community Engagement/Partnerships.

These improvement projects were recently approved to use levy funds:

Boise River Habitat Improvements ($48,000 approved)

Tuttle-Spaulding Pathway ($1 million approved)

Peasley Street Connection Improvement ($850,000 approved)

Settlers Canal Path ($2.1 million approved)

Ridge to Rivers Accessibility Projects ($52,000 approved)

Hawkins Range Reserve Trails & Trailhead ($820,000 approved)

Goathead Removal ($109,000 approved)

Current Levy Balance

There is a current balance of approximately $1.1 million available in the 2015 levy fund.

Open Space and Clean Water Advisory Committee

As part of the 2015 levy approval, a citizens advisory committee was created to provide recommendations associated with the expenditure of these funds to Boise City Mayor and Council. The Open Space and Clean Water Advisory Committee was established to serve in an advisory capacity in each of the following ways:

Work in collaboration with city staff and within the framework of city management plans (such as the Interagency Foothills Management Plan, the Boise Open Space Reserve and Boise River Resource Management Plans and the Ridge to Rivers Master Plan) to achieve the goals provided within the Open Space and Clean Water initiative.
Provide recommendations to Mayor and Council on the use of levy funds for property acquisitions and improvements project opportunities.
Promote, support, and build awareness of the conservation goals for the City of Boise.

The Open Space and Clean Water Advisory Committee holds a public meeting monthly (usually the first Wednesday of each month) in the Meeting Station at the Boise Depot, located at 2603 W. Eastover Terrace, Boise, ID, 83706. The meetings begin at 4 p.m. unless otherwise posted on the monthly agenda.

Agendas and Meeting Minutes