The jacks-of-all-trades keeping IDFG’s recreation sites open

"One of the biggest challenges is misuse of our access sites," Creson said. "We get a lot of vandalism, dumping, graffiti. We often do road repairs and almost immediately after, they get torn up again."

Every act of vandalism or illegal dumping takes time and resources away from projects that could improve recreation opportunities elsewhere. Instead of building new amenities or tackling planned maintenance, crews often find themselves returning to repair damage caused by careless behavior.

Those repairs come at a cost — not just financially, but in staff time. Resources spent cleaning graffiti, removing trash, or fixing damaged roads are resources that could otherwise be invested in improving Idaho's recreation sites for hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, and families.

Fortunately, the public can play an important role in protecting these places.

Creson encourages visitors to report vandalism, illegal dumping, or other misuse to local city or county law enforcement, or directly to Idaho Fish and Game whenever possible. Even more importantly, he hopes visitors will help care for these public lands as if they were their own.

"We just ask the public to treat them like it was their own land," Creson said.

It's a simple request, but one that can make a tremendous difference. By respecting recreation sites and reporting problems when they arise, Idahoans help ensure these treasured outdoor destinations remain clean, safe, and accessible for future generations.

Behind every well-maintained boat ramp, campground, and access road is a recreation site foreman whose broad skills, dedication and hard work make those outdoor experiences possible — often without visitors ever realizing the effort involved.

To learn more about Idaho Fish and Game's fishing and boating access sites or scroll through an interactive map of sites across the state, visit the Fishing and Boating Access Sites and Guide webpage.