Hillside To The Hollow Coalition

If you’re visiting this page you are no doubt interested in the open space and the opportunities it provides in the Boise foothills. As you likely know, there have been some significant changes in recent months.

Since its inception a few years ago, the Hillside to the Hollow coalition has been striving to preserve the roughly 300-acre open space area stretching from Hillside Junior High School on the west to Harrison Hollow on the east. This area is heavily used by hikers, bikers, dog-walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts.

As a group, the Hillside to the Hollow Coalition has sponsored hikes, a fire rehabilitation and reseeding effort, attended countless city and county meetings, and worked diligently to promote the city’s purchase of this land through the Foothills Levy Committee using levy funds voted for by the citizens of Boise. We have believed, and continue to believe, this area is a critical component of maintaining a high quality of life for all Boise and Treasure Valley citizens.

As the old adage notes, there is no more land or open space being created. Once it’s lost, it’s gone. As members of the coalition, we value this land just as you do. We have sought to preserve the current uses as having greater value than a few homes and roads.

Due to recent events, the challenge we all face is perhaps greater than ever before.

· Kastera Homes once held the majority of this land under one ownership. Today, it’s a complex situation involving multiple owners, with multiple interests. There are a lot of unknowns at this point, and a lot of questions remain about the future of this site and about how it will be managed, retained or sold.

· The Foothills Levy Committee recognized the value of the Hillside to the Hollow property and indeed attempted to negotiate a purchase when the site was under one ownership. But as the Hillside to the Hollow situation became more complex, a phenomenal opportunity arose for the Levy Committee to purchase Hammer Flat, a beautiful and critical open space in the east foothills.

Hammer Flat is an excellent area having unique and remarkable wildlife habitat resources. We share in applauding the Levy Committee’s commitment to preserve it.

The Foothills Levy Committee has done an excellent job in preserving critical open space areas with the funds available. But those funds are now nearly exhausted and we at the Hillside to the Hollow Coalition are reassessing and considering new strategies to protect and preserve this critical area.

We are just as committed, as dedicated and keenly driven to accomplish this task as ever. We just need to pursue new and different avenues to achieve our goal.

We need your help. Check back here for updates and upcoming opportunities to be a part of this effort. There will be opportunities to volunteer your time as well as other ways to show your support. Financial donations are always helpful, appreciated and necessary for us to move forward.

The Hillside to the Hollow Coalition was very fortunate to work with Boise's own Wide Eye Productions to produce this new video about the importance of preserving the Hillside to the Hollow area, what's at stake, and the support behind our effort.

Many thanks to the talented folks at Wide Eye for crafting this beautiful and compelling video about the Hillside to the Hollow area.

Please view the video and share it with your family and friends. Enjoy !

Hillside to the Hollow

"Hillside to the Hollow" is Boise's last, best chance to protect approximately 300 acres of open space and trails immediately adjacent to Boise. Residents have been hiking and biking on more than 10 miles of trails in the Hillside to the Hollow open space area for years thanks to the courtesy and generosity of private land owners. Now is the time for Mayor Bieter, the Boise City Council and the Foothills Levy Committee to preserve Hillside to the Hollow.

Foothills Pictures

The Hillside to the Hollow area is popular year-round. Its close proximity to Boise makes it convenient for hiking, biking, running, and dog walking. So hike it, bike it, save it, or lose it !

Animals

The Hillside to the Hollow is full of wildflowers, plants and animals. In March and April you can see the rare Aase's onion with its beautiful pink flowers. In the spring and summer you can listen to meadowlarks and watch fox pups dancing in the tall grass. In the evenings you can hear the hooting of great horned owls.

City of Boise purchased Hillside to the Hollow open space!