LemhiWeb

The Lemhi County Sheriff’s Office has submitted a grant application to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation January 25^th, 2012, requesting funds to purchase a new jet boat which will be used for boating safety patrols on Williams Lake and the Salmon River, and will be available for search and rescue also.

The grant applied for involves the “Waterways Improvement Fund (WIF) and requires Lemhi County to provide 25% matching fund, which would be around $10,800. According to Sheriff Bowerman, we are currently using a boat made in 1978, for these boating safety patrols and all searches made by the Sheriff’s Office when someone disappears in the river. This 34 year old boat has served its purpose and I am genuinely concerned for the safety of my searchers and my deputies when we launch it on the Salmon River or at Williams Lake.

We have looked at the Wooldridge Boats associated with River Rat Marine of Idaho Falls, Idaho who have provided specifications and a quote on a new 2012, twenty foot, Alaskan XL Model boat with an Evinrude 200 hp outboard jet motor. This boat has a tunneled hull, which would allow it to operate in 4 inches of water, while on plane. The boat grant includes lockable, custom storage boxes, upholstered seats, a light bar with search lights, and a single axle trailer. The total cost of the boat was estimated at $43,000.

Due to the type of funds being used in this grant, the Idaho Parks and Recreation Department asks that the Sheriff put this out to the community for public comment. Anyone with questions or comments can contact Sheriff Lynn Bowerman at 756-3115, ext. 248 or call your county commissioners at ext. 221. The grant will be awarded around July 1^st, 2012 and your comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated. The Sheriff is anticipating asking for this boat to be included in his 2012/2013 budget request.