Forest partners with developer to address housing issues
Contact Information: Jessica Maddock jessica.maddock@usda.gov
KETCHUM, Idaho – The Sawtooth National Forest entered into a 99-year lease agreement today with Ketchum Lookout Partners for development of 1.94 acres in the city’s light industrial area, where the Forest Service’s Ketchum Work Center currently sits.
The undertaking aims to address the shortage of affordable housing for Forest Service employees and other service workers in the community.
“This is the culmination of nearly two years of work, negotiation, and problem solving that will lead to a significant increase in the availability of workforce housing in the Wood River Valley for both Forest Service employees and the larger community,” said Forest Supervisor Jake Strohmeyer. “This is a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership, and my hope is that the work that was put into this will help pave the way for similar projects across the country.”
The development, dubbed Project Lookout, will provide the Ketchum community with workforce housing, work-live units, and industrial units by repurposing an underused Forest Service administrative site.
The partnership was made possible under provisions in the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 and the recently signed Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act.
Additional details about the project will be released as they become available.