IDPR grant funding boat launch improvements

SANDPOINT — A $275,463 grant from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation will be funding the second phase of Sandpoint's Memorial Field boat launch improvement project.

Improvements include replacement of old docks on either side of the boat launch, the addition of new docks to accommodate boats outside of the direct launch ramp for passenger loading and unloading, and temporary access to facilities such as the bathroom and for shelter in case of a storm, said Tiffany Brunson, North Region grants specialist for IDPR.

The grant is the second of two awarded for the boat launch, she said, as the city also received a grant for phase I of the project last year.

In addition to those improvements, the docks will be available for short and long-term moorage for Marine Patrol to promote safety and support the Pend Oreille River, Brunson said. The dock will also feature log booms outside the launch area to prevent inflow of invasive weeds from the river current into the launch area and protect boats from wakes and waves.

Grant recipients are selected by a citizen advisory committee, said Kathy Muir, state and federal grant manager for IDPR.

That committee scores projects on 10 criteria questions, which include items such as the recreational opportunities the project provides, quality of design and urgency based on resource damage or health and safety concerns. Those scores are averaged, and the projects sorted highest to lowest to determine funding.

More information on the IDPR grants is available at parksandrecreation.idaho.gov/grants-and-funding .