Survey Results
91% of survey respondents are very or extremely concerned about Payette Lake privatization.
United Payette, in conjunction with the University of Idaho’s College of Natural Resources, launched a survey in the summer of 2025 with the intent of hearing from Valley County residents regarding their thoughts about the future of IDL’s endowment Lands that surround Payette Lake and Little Payette Lake. Over 800 residents responded with an overwhelming desire to keep these lands open for public access and environmentally healthy, while avoiding privatization.
Highlights of the survey are noted below, but please review the United Payette Executive Summary of the survey results - download it with the link below.
● 99% of survey respondents believe that residential development does not provide a significant beneficial use of the endowment lands.
● 98% of respondents believe management priorities for the lands surrounding Payette Lake and Little Payette Lake should focus on protecting water quality
● 93% of Valley County residents see increased residential development of the lands surrounding Payette Lake and Little Payette Lake as very much a threat or an extreme threat.
● 91% of survey respondents are very or extremely concerned about the potential of privatization.
● 87% of survey respondents view loss of wildlife habitat as either very much a threat or an extreme threat.
● An overwhelming 85% find the issue of a potential land exchange important
● 83% of survey respondents view decreased drinking water quality as either very much a threat or an extreme threat.
● 69% of Valley County residents disagree that lands around Payette Lake and Little Payette Lake should be managed to maximize long-term financial returns
● 17% of respondents reported being unfamiliar with the land exchange process, 47% were somewhat familiar, and 37% were either very or extremely familiar with the land exchange process
● A majority of Valley County residents support a hypothetical land exchange scenario that transfers ownership of state endowment lands around Payette Lake and Little Payette Lake from IDL to the USFS (66% total support; 29% support; 37% strongly support)
● Though a majority of Valley County residents self-reported familiarity with the difference between public lands and endowment lands, 18% reported they are not at all familiar with the difference
● Valley County residents indicated a preference for USFS (42%), Idaho Parks and Recreation (40%), and IDL (39%) as the agencies responsible for the management of the McCall endowment lands