BOCC, USFS agree to significant contract increase in Shoshone
The U.S. Forest Service will now pay Shoshone County $600 per day for use of the county's airport in Smelterville after a new contract was agreed to last week.
JOSH McDONALD
SMELTERVILLE — The Shoshone Board of County Commissioners scored a major win after it negotiated a new contract with the United States Forest Service for the use of Shoshone County Airport.
The new contract, which will run over the next five years, gives USFS access to the rural airport for staging and heliport access during wildfire efforts for $600 per day, up to $50,000 per year.
According to BOCC Chairman Dave Dose, the USFS presented the board with a copy of the previous contract that had been in place — $100 per day, up to $1,500.
He said airport manager Randy Childress looked into how neighboring small airports were handling similar situations.
“Once we had an idea what they were doing, the board approved me to negotiate with the Forest Service," Dose said. "I asked for a rate similar to what some of our neighbors were getting and they agreed.”
In recent years, the small airport has provided strategic access for wildfire-fighting efforts, many of which went well past the 15-day threshold the USFS was paying.
“We want this airport to become self-sustaining and not something that is dependent on our taxpayers,” Dose said. “This should be a significant increase in income for us whenever there are fires in the area.”
The board has been open with its aggressive search for new revenue streams for the county following the discovery of a budget shortfall and the potential for millions of dollars worth of future budget cuts.
According to the approved Shoshone County budget for the 2023/24 fiscal year, the airport’s annual budget comes in around $95,000, with almost $25,000 reportedly coming from levied money. The county estimated that the airport would bring in over $54,000 in revenue from hangar rentals and fuel sales. Along with levied funds and cash balances, it would cover the budget for the year.
Dose said that under the new contract with the USFS, should the airport hit the $50,000 cap, the airport would cover its annual budget with revenue alone.
“It’s important that no potential revenue streams be overlooked,” Commissioner Tracy Casady said.