1950s
Boise Ridge: Story of a
Mountain Past, Present
1970s
Comprehensive land-use planning in the Boise Foothills dates
back to the Mid 1970s with the inception of the Ada Council of
Government's (ACOG) Concept Plan. Ada County and Boise City had
comprehensive land-use plans, but both plans were becoming
outdated. At that time, many projects were developed in the county
and later annexed into the city. City and county plans were
inconsistent, and the city had little control over design for
county projects. In 1975, the Boise City area of impact boundary
was included into the Local Planning Act of 1975 which gave the
city planning control over areas that would be annexed in the
future.
In 1978, during development of the Boise City Comprehensive Plan
(Metro Plan), the Metro Plan Steering Committee knew that it was
physically impossible to make Boise's downtown the geographic
center of the city. However, the downtown area could act as the
demographic center by increasing densities in the southeast and
northeast areas and by permitting development in the Foothills.
Because of controversies centered on Foothills development, the
decision was made to "permit Foothills development" instead of
encouraging it. Based on the issues and concerns surrounding
Foothills development, the Metro Plan Steering Committee
recommended policies that were adopted and set forth in the Metro
Plan.
The major issues facing the Metro Plan Steering Committee were
the engineering aspects of Foothills development and the impact
from traffic on the community. Environmental concerns associated
with wildlife, wetlands, and public open space were not addressed
in detail. This plan left individual projects with little guidance
regarding transportation, environmental, aesthetic, recreation, and
open space issues.
1990s
In 1993, the Ada County Ridge to
Rivers Pathway Plan was adopted. The comprehensive pathway plan
was designed to improve pathways in Ada County. In 1994, the
Foothills Plan Background Report was completed describing the
resources associated with the Foothills, their context, and
sensitivity. In 1996 the seven federal, state, and local managing
agencies in the Foothills signed an MOU outlining management
objectives in the Foothills.
Then, on August 26, 1996, a human-caused fire consumed 15,300
acres (22 square miles) of the Boise Foothills. The fire
encompassed all of Hulls Gulch and a large portion near Bogus
Basin. Rehabilitation work started immediately to mitigate possible
flooding. Agencies spent $3.3 million to reduce erosion and restore
the watershed. A 5-year monitoring program began shortly after
rehabilitation efforts. This event accentuated the need for
management of human activities in the Foothills. In 1997 the Boise City
Foothills Policy Plan was adopted as an amendment to the Boise
City Comprehensive Plan. The plan contains policies that govern
future development in the Foothills in a manner that protects
public safety and the environment.
2000s
In 2000, the Boise Foothills Management Plan was
completed, describing the location and importance of plants,
wildlife, riparian corridors, soils, slopes, recreation and public
open spaces. The plan outlined the need for conserving natural
resource values, educating the public, and providing sustainable
recreation and resource use.
All told, Boise's thirty years of planning efforts set the table
for an important community decision: how does the community protect
public open space in the Boise Foothills in the face of growing
development pressure? With leadership from the Mayor, City Council
and a grass-roots community coalition, the citizens of Boise passed
a $10 million serial levy on May 22, 2001. This serial levy
provides the city with an important tool to work with private
property owners in conserving important open space corridors and
creating a valuable public resource for future generations.
2012
THE FOOTHILLS: BOISE'S BACKYARD
The story of the Foothills tells of citizen heroes stepping up
to save land when no one thought it could be done and of public
agencies coming together to craft management agreements unheard of
in the West. Enjoy this Outdoor Idaho episode, "The
Foothills." Learn more about the history of Foothills
preservation. Find out about the experts' favorite wildflowers and
discover where you can go travel the Ridges to Rivers trail system.
Come explore Boise's backyard, "The
Foothills."