We are very excited about the upcoming Conference on Recreation and Tourism. It looks like we will have record attendance and one of the strongest industry showings in our history. Thank you for coming together. If you pre-order now, you will have the opportunity to pick up Travel Guides while you are at the conference. Please email Laurie Zuckerman the number of Travel Guides you would like before Thursday 3 May. There are 39 Travel Guides in a box, and you can arrange for pick up of your order at the Registration Desk during the Conference.

ICORT 2012 in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

May 8-10, 2012

 Check out the agenda and register today, current registration prices will increase on April 16th!

Speaker Highlights:

Tim Brady – Expose Yourself.  Putting personality up front to increase your business.  In this one hour session you will see how putting your small businesses personality in the spotlight can shift your business to a new level and separate you from the pack.  Not suitable for minors; this hour will be crammed with the real deal, nothing held back, high energy, information you need to truly “expose yourself”.

Emilyn Sheffield – Emilyn Sheffield is a professor at California State University, Chico. Her high-energy presentations and applied research projects help local, state, and federal agencies and conservation organizations respond more effectively to changing demographic and lifestyle trends. She is currently exploring trends in community engagement, volunteerism, and conservation stewardship at the Golden Gate National Parks.

Field Trip Sneak Peak:  Silver Valley Magical History Tour – Jump on the Silver Valley Magical History Tour with Prime Minister Rick Shaffer at the helm.  Depart modern day Silverwood Theme Park for the thrills of another ilk. Travel back in time to the days of young Idaho had its origins in the gold and silver mining camps of Murray, Kellogg, Page, Eagle and Wallace. Walk in the same steps as Wyatt Earp, Calamity Jane, Big Ed Pulaski and President Teddy Roosevelt as the Coeur d’Alene Mining district affected the going-ons of a new country and growing world. Coach along the old Mullan Road to the Silver Capital of the World, Historic Wallace where history lives every day. 

A fun filled scavenger hunt/poker crawl will ensue with all time travelers hitting the well heeled streets in search of history, mystery, fun and prizes. Sure to be included is the Oasis Bordello, Wallace District Mining and Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museums as well as the newly reprised Wallace Brewing Company and the North Idaho Mountain Breweries of the libatious sort.  Retreating well informed and happy, the troupe will stop by the Old Mission State Park for a bit of spiritual engaging at the Oldest Standing Structure in Idaho and perhaps the newest being the Sacred Encounters. Get educated, get up and moving and come along for some real fun!

Don’t miss out on ICORT 2012!  Register today!

25th anniversary artwork designed by Ward Hooper

March 22nd Be Outside, Idaho will be at the Idaho State Capitol to meet and greet legislators and update them about getting kids outdoors to interact with nature. Grateful for the support of government agencies and foundations, they invite anyone in Boise to visit the second floor rotunda where they will have two information tables to display materials and their videos stories. Please stop by 8 am – noon! (They will be serving juice and bagels!)

Be Outside, Idaho! was formed in 2007 to “connect Idaho’s youth to nature from backyards to mountaintops.” Our statewide coalition has grown to include over150 agencies and organizations working together to get Idaho’s youth outdoors for their physical, mental and emotional health.

Be Outside, Idaho! efforts to encourage Idaho’s youth to get outdoors have benefited from strong support from elected officials, including Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter, First Lady Lori Otter, the Idaho congressional delegation and state legislators. SCR 113 was passed by Idaho’s Legislature in 2011, encouraging outdoor experiences for youth and their families, as well as land stewardship.

Be Outside, Idaho! is currently working on the 2nd annual “Unplug and Be Outside” celebration April 21-28. Events are planned throughout the Treasure Valley, Idaho Falls and North Idaho. We welcome participation from all corners of the state! For details, go to: www.unplugandbeoutside.com.

Be Outside, Idaho! also maintains a list of “101 Things to Do Outside” for parents, curriculum materials for teachers, and other resources at www.beoutsideidaho.org.

By Megan Ronk, Public Information Officer, and Karen Ballard Administrator of Tourism, Idaho Department of Commerce

IGEM Bill Heads to Governor After passing both the House and Senate with overwhelming support, House Bill 546 – is headed to the Governor for signature.  Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) creates a platform to facilitate and accelerate the commercialization of new technologies out of Idaho’s research universities. The Department of Commerce will be responsible for providing support and leadership to the IGEM Council once it is formed.

Department of Commerce Budget Approved by JFAC The bill now moves on to a vote by the full House and Senate. The budget included a number of enhancements, including:

• $400,000 in ongoing funding for the Business and Jobs grant program
• $300,000 enhancement to the Rural Initiative (bringing the total available for this program up to $1.25M – $500,000 for rural ED pros and $750,000 for RCBG/Gem grants)
• $50,000 in ongoing funding for the Small Business Assistance Grants
• $1,000,000 for the IGEM

Oil and Gas Bills Proceed with Mixed Results House Bill 464, which addresses oil and gas regulations, was sent to the amending order by the Senate on Friday.  While this bill has been supported by industry and local government associations, some Senators believed more local control was needed.  The vote to send it to the amending order was a 17-17 tie when Lt. Governor Brad Little voted yes to break the tie and the bill was narrowly sent to the 14^th Order.  The additional bills as part of this year’s oil and gas industry package – H460, H462 and H463 – passed the Senate on Friday and will now head to the Governor for his consideration.

Aircraft Sales Tax Bill Becomes Law House Bill 417, legislation that would make Idaho competitive with 24 other states with similar exemptions for aircraft parts, was signed by Governor Otter on Friday.  This bill will expand the private aircraft industry in Idaho by making businesses involved in the refurbishment and maintenance on private aircraft more competitive with the elimination of the sales tax on parts.  Primarily sponsored by Western Aircraft in Boise, it will have a positive impact on a number of companies in Idaho and bode well for the travel industry served by private aircraft. Over the next five years, it is estimated that over 100 new jobs will be created through the legislation due to more work being performed in Idaho.

• 8:30am – Director Sayer testifies in support of H613 to make changes to terms Idaho Travel Council members serve so that they begin January 1st rather than July 1st to better align with our grant cycle and bringing new members on board. We are also asking that former members be eligible to return to service.
• 1:00pm – Director Sayer participates in China pre-trade mission briefing

From Megan Ronk and Karen Ballard

Idaho Travel Council change in terms proposed House Bill 613 Amends existing law relating to the Idaho Travel and Convention Industry Council to revise provisions relating to the term of office so that they begin January 1st rather than July 1st to better align with our grant cycle and bringing new members on board. We are also asking that former members be eligible to return to service. The Bill is expected to be considered in the House State Affairs Committee sometime this week.

IGEM Bill Makes Progress in Senate On Thursday, the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee unanimously passed House Bill 546, which creates the Idaho Global Entrepreneurial Mission (IGEM) program.  The bill now moves on to a full vote by the Senate. IGEM creates a platform to facilitate and accelerate the commercialization of new technologies out of Idaho’s research universities. The Department of Commerce will be responsible for providing support and leadership to the IGEM Council once it is formed.

Oil and Gas Moves Forward The Senate Resources & Environment Committee, after more than three hours of testimony, voted 6-3 to send House Bill 464 to the Senate floor for a do-pass recommendation.  H464 clarifies the state’s ability to assert control over development of natural gas resources similar to the state’s current regulators power over mining, timber, fish, wildlife and water.  This could open the door to future natural gas production.  The Committee subsequently approved H462 and H379.

Aircraft Parts Sales Tax Break Bill Heads to Governor House Bill 417, the sales tax break bill for aircraft parts installed into out-of-state aircraft, passed the Seante on a 33-0 vote and now heads to the Governor for signature.  The bill, which includes a five-year expiration to allow lawmakers to review its effectiveness, is the first sales tax break to clear the Senate Tax Committee in at least four years. Primarily sponsored by Western Aircraft in Boise,  it will have a positive impact on a number of companies in Idaho and bode well for the travel industry served by private aircraft. Over the next five years, it is estimated that over 100 new jobs will be created through the legislation due to more work being performed in Idaho.

Video Service Act Passes House House Bill 539, the Video Service Act, unanimously passed the House floor this week.  This legislation will encourage competition by streamlining the process for video franchising in the state, with the ultimate goal of bringing further investment in broadband infrastructure to Idaho.  The bill will be heard in the Senate State Affairs Committee next week.

House Passes Tax Cut 49-20 The week, the House passed House Bill 563 on a 49-20 vote.  This legislation reduces the Idaho individual income tax rate from 7.8% to 7.4%, and the maximum corporate income tax rate from 7.6% to 7.4%.  This bill now moves on to the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee.

House Legislative Leadership Encourages Interim Committee/Task Force on Internet Sales Tax Issues After a three-house committee hearing, the House Revenue & Taxation Committee failed to act on House Bill 581 – the streamlined sales tax bill.  Proponents of the legislation indicated the change was necessary to level the playing field for Idaho businesses competing with online retailers.  The complicated bill failed on a 9-9 vote after a series of motions.

Parks Passport Program Heads to Governor Legislation creating the new Idaho State Parks Passport program is on its way to the Governor’s desk.  House Bill 446 allows Idahoans to purchase either a $10 annual pass or a $20 two-year pass to all Idaho state parks when they renew their vehicle legislation.  The hope is that by widely offering the passes to all motorists at a lower price, it will generate an estimated $1.9 million a year in net revenue.

NEXT WEEK (March 5-9, 2012)

 JFAC will be setting the Department of Commerce budget on Friday (March 9).  We are first up on the agenda, so I imagine that will start right at 8am! Here is the link to listen in.