Parks projects in Post Falls on hold

POST FALLS — A grant that would have assisted with a project at Black Bay Park was put on hold by the federal government, City Administrator Shelly Enderud said Tuesday.

Ten Americorps volunteers were scheduled to complete a trail in and do forest and garden work.

The volunteer team would have saved the city about $57,600 in labor, Post Falls Parks Director Dave Fair said.

The project has been planned for about six months and was expected to take place over six weeks.

AmeriCorps members were expected to arrive in Post Falls next Friday, but city officials were notified the team wouldn’t be arriving after all on Monday. 

“It’s not going to happen,” Fair said.  

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that more than 2,000 AmeriCorps members have been discharged as part of federal efforts to cut government spending.

Fair said the trail installation was in the park master plan and he still intends for the project to be completed. 

“Someday it will, but we don’t have any power to do it. We're disappointed, but it’s definitely not in our control,” Fair said. 

According to the 2025 national report released by AmeriCorps in March, last year more than 1,000 Americans served at more than 200 locations across Idaho. 

The agency focuses on veterans and military families, disaster services, environmental stewardship, education, economic opportunity and healthy futures.

“A lot of staff time was spent to go after the award, but we’re not the only ones impacted, obviously, there are 16 other communities in the same boat as us,” Fair said.

Projects that will continue as planned over the summer for the Parks and Recreation Department include finishing up the boardwalk at Black Bay and improvements at Warren Field Park. 

    Black Bay Park
  

    According to the 2025 national report released by AmeriCorps in March, last year, more than 1,000 Americans of all ages and backgrounds served at more than 200 locations across Idaho on behalf of AmeriCorps. The organization invested more than $9.6 million in federal funding to support lower-cost solutions to issues facing Idaho residents.