Despite funding that suddenly vanished, a new handicap-accessible fishing pier at Penny Lake in Warm Springs canyon is scheduled to be built this fall.
A number of U.S. Forest Service projects budgeted for late-summer or autumn were deferred this year to free up resources in the federal fire-fighting budget, but this small, $3,500 project near Ketchum is chugging forward. Construction is scheduled to begin around Sept. 20.
Ketchum Ranger District fisheries biologist Dan Kenney has worked with interested area residents and stakeholders to help the fishing pier at Penny Lake move forward.
Ketchum Parks and Natural Resources Superintendent Jen Smith, who is also a board member of Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, said the project is the result of a public, private and nonprofit partnership among Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, the Forest Service, city of Ketchum and Poster Construction.
Smith met with Dave Spaulding of the local chapter of Trout Unlimited and Kenny last month to work out details of the pier.
"Dave and Dan heard that the city of Ketchum handed over the McShane Trust money that is to be used for regional accessibility projects and programs to Sun Valley Adaptive Sports, and they contacted me to see if SVAS was willing to help out with this effort as well," Smith said.
Smith said the late Jim McShane donated several thousand dollars to the city about 10 years ago to facilitate projects of this nature.
Last year Ketchum Mayor Randy Hall and the City Council decided Sun Valley Adaptive Sports had the expertise, capacity and volunteer base to move the fishing pier project forward.
After Brian Poster of Ketchum-based Poster Construction Co., heard from Kenney about potential budget cuts to the project, he offered to fill in the budget holes.
"Brian secured funds from an anonymous donor to complete the project," Smith said. "He also is offering up construction expertise, in-kind work and materials procurement."
Smith said Poster also committed to assisting with a separate though similar Rotary Park accessibility project, which should materialize in fall of 2009.
"Wheelchair access to the outstanding fishing opportunities here is simply a winning situation," Smith said.
