Founding SWPA board member Russ Chinske offers remarks about the success of the Salmon Whitewater Park while current and former board members look on.
The David Krosting Sustainability Award was named in honor of the Bureau of Land Management Salmon Field Office manager, David Krosting, who lost his battle with cancer in 2005. Dave challenged his employees and himself to consider not just how a project affected the environment, but also to look at community and economic benefits. Since 2008, the award has gone to an individual, organization, or local business who displays a commitment to Lemhi County's economy, community, or the environment.
Sustainability is defined as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Award recipients display a strong commitment to at least one of the components of the sustainability triple bottom line: economy, community, and the environment. The David Krosting Sustainability Award is presented to recipients creating a lifelong legacy in Lemhi County. As the SVS staff and board discussed the name of the award - is it still "Sustainability" or should it change to "Legacy"? - our 2024 recipient surely fits both names - a commitment to all three pillars of sustainability and a lasting legacy in our community.
The 2024 David Krosting Sustainability Award was awarded to the Salmon Whitewater Park Association at SVS's annual Harvest Fest event on September 27, 2024.
Craig McCallum, SWPA board member and owner of Oddfellows Bakery (2019 winner of the Krosting Award), provides additional thanks and recognition to all who made the Salmon Whitewater Park possible. Craig also spearheaded the installation of the park's Founding Fish Wall.
Here is the speech SVS Board Member Cori Allen presented upon recognizing SWPA board members past and present:
Some of you grew up in Salmon, Idaho and took Zane Abbott’s Lifetime Sports class. Lifetime Sports offered an introduction to recreational activities not commonly experienced at home, PE, or school sports. One such sport kids could experience was kayaking. The class started off the beginning of the school year by busing kids to the city pool to practice this new skill, which included learning how to safely roll. Many kids began a lifelong love of the water and the opportunities it provides thanks to Lifetime Sports. Some of these enthusiasts took summer employment opportunities during high school and college by guiding on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers. Two such Salmon kids did just that and eventually took an opportunity to guide in California on the Kern River in May of 1999. During their time in Kernville, they visited their first whitewater wave park; that inspiration fostered a vision and dream to bring this experience to their own backyard and the community of Salmon. Chace Slavin and his brother Michael were those two young men and upon their return to Salmon, embarked on a 25-year journey of what was to eventually become the Salmon Whitewater Park Association.
In the early days, the Slavins gathered the support of the current Lifetime Sports instructor Frank Garrett, and teacher and summer river guide Russ Chinske. The four approached the City of Salmon employees Lanny Sloan and Jay Townsend, convincing them enough of their vision that the Whitewater Park was eventually written into the comprehensive plan for the City of Salmon. Lemhi County Economic Development Association became their fiscal sponsor and the civic club lunch meeting rounds, and community fundraising efforts began. Their first donation was $500 from Rotary and then $5,000 from Steele Reese Foundation. In 2005 they were able to hire Gary Lacy of Recreational Engineering to create the initial concept and develop a PowerPoint slideshow to present to interested parties to further the support of the project. With the concept in place, permitting was well underway by 2010. Engineering of the park design and construction would eventually fall under S20 Design.
As interest grew in the early days, so did the committee. Joining the original four the SWPA members past and present include Seth & Amy Tonsmeire, Jo Philpott, Breann Green, Craig McCallum, Mark Troy, Chris Gaughan, Josh Henroid, Chris Healy, Jonas Seiler, Tully Mackay, Matt & Adrienne Rigsby, Tessa Sever and Lisa Byers.
Around 2013 the first Riverfest celebration was held to bring awareness to the park and help raise money. With a blessing of the boats, live music, competitions, and surf clinics, the multiday event has grown to be the official kickoff to the summer river season.
The journey to bring everyone to the table was not an easy one. In 2015, a small opposition grew against the park. Proposition 1 would be put to the city voters and tensions were felt in the back-and-forth Letters to the Editor in the Recorder Herald. The measure, if passed, “bans a person, group or government organization from creating a whitewater kayak recreation park or any improvements tied to it on property owned by the City of Salmon or face being charged with a misdemeanor.” Thankfully the measure failed 339 to 560 and the committee moved forward with their vision.
Fundraising efforts and progress was slow and seemed daunting at times. While parks were being built in Boise, Missoula, and Cascade, Salmon’s struggled. However, in 2020 the whitewater park received an anonymous 4 to 1 match up to $800,000 breathing life into the project. As momentum gathered, the SWPA achieved official 501(c)(3) status later that year and fundraising efforts ramped up with increased community involvement. This added to the grants from Steele Reese Foundation, LOT Funds, Idaho Wild Rivers License Plate fund, Fish Wall sponsors, and private donations. It’s important to note, the completed wave project coming in just over $1.1 million dollars was fully paid for with grants, local fundraising, and private donations and without money from the City of Salmon.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in August of 2022 and Breann Green became the full-time project manager coordinating the joint effort with the City of Salmon to improve their infrastructure in conjunction with the park construction. In June of 2023, the 10th Annual Riverfest Celebration featured the grand opening of the park and official commemoration of the Guleke Wave.
Today, the park is a destination to all in Salmon and the surrounding area. Whether you are surfing the wave, floating through the town stretch, or lounging on the beach, the town of Salmon has certainly added another jewel to our crown. For those visionary efforts, dedication and countless volunteer hours, these impassioned individuals created a lasting legacy benefitting our community, adding to our sustainability and economy for generations to come, all three elements pivotal to the spirit of this award. On behalf of the Board members of Salmon Valley Stewardship, we proudly present the Salmon Whitewater Park Association and its members past and present, the 2024 David Krosting Sustainability Award.
The crowd at Harvest Fest listens closely as the Salmon Whitewater Park Association receives the 2024 Krosting Award. The Guleke Wave is just to the right of this photo.
Comments