ALMO, Idaho (AP) — A plan has been released for a proposed state park that could offer an extensive system of granite rock for climbers.
The managers of City of Rocks National Reserve have issued the document for the Castle Rocks State Park.
The state would receive the land from the federal government, which would obtain state property within the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument.
It would be managed as a "natural" park with little development.
City of Rocks Superintendent Wallace Keck, who would also supervise Castle Rocks, plans public meetings this spring to gather input. The nearby City of Rocks attracts climbers from around the world.
Because there is no money to spare in the state budget, the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation would open the park using only the money it generates from grazing leases and user fees. The park would run on its current budget, less than $20,000.