Fish and Game Gets New Digs

Anyone driving past the Salmon Fish and Game office cannot help but notice the construction and resulting mess being created next to the existing office. One entrance is now closed and heavy equipment creates an obstacle course for employees and visitors alike. But all this mess will be worth it when Fish and Game's new office building nears completion next spring. Fish and Game is currently housed in what was once an old screen shop building with no insulation. The original structure was constructed in 1962 and several additions have been added over the years. Currently, space is cramped for many employees, some of which have no permanent office space to call their own, not even a desk. The heating and air conditioning system is old, tired and inefficient, frequently unable to handle the load during peak periods. Electrical and plumbing systems are also out-dated and do not meet current building codes. In addition, maintenance and repair of the old building has become cost-prohibitive. It became obvious that a new building was needed to provide a safe efficient environment for staff and visitors. Regional Supervisor Jim Lukens is "Looking forward to having a safe, efficient and properly-sized work facility for both our staff as well as the visiting public. The new building will provide a work atmosphere that will allow the staff to provide the best public service possible." Unfortunately, regional budgets did not include funds for construction of a new regional office building. Stepping in to undertake this task is the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a non-profit organization whose mission is to help protect Idaho's wildlife heritage for present and future generations. "Part of the Foundation's mission is to assist Fish and Game with projects that they cannot undertake on their own and this was a good opportunity to create a win-win situation for both the Foundation and the Department" says Salmon resident and member of the Foundation Board of Directors, Hadley Roberts. "The Foundation took advantage of low interest rates to finance the building of the new Salmon office as well as regional offices in Jerome and Lewiston. The Foundation has also provided funding in the past for the Idaho Falls Regional Office, the Nampa Fisheries Research facility and the Salmon Outdoor Classroom" says Roberts. Once the project is completed, Fish and Game will lease the building from the Foundation for 20 years after which time ownership will be transferred to the state. The new Salmon office will be approximately 9,300 square feet including a 1,500 square foot conference room that can be divided for use by two groups at once. Cramped office space has been enlarged providing employees with conditions that will allow them to be more efficient and effective in their work. Seasonal employees will also have small private work spaces to complete their assignments in an efficient manner. Visitors to the office will also benefit from a more spacious entry with easily accessible restrooms. Modern energy efficient heating, cooling and insulating systems will be used to make the new building energy efficient, cutting down on energy costs. In addition, construction of the building is involving a number of local contractors. More than half of the successful bids submitted for various phases of construction were awarded to local contractors. These businesses include Absolute Construction, Amar Heating, Cooling and Appliance, Dahle Construction, Erickson Glass, Harber Drilling, Independent Building Materials, Stokes Brothers, Inc., Taylor Mountain Surveying, and Wellard Construction, Inc.