Rep. Mike Simpson secured $8.5 million for a major conservation and education facility outside Boise as part of the federal government’s fiscal year 2027 spending process, marking another substantial appropriation for Idaho in the Republican congressman’s fourteenth term in the House.

The Project

The funding, included in the House Appropriations Committee’s fiscal year 2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies bill, is directed toward the Global Conservation Education and Condor Recovery Center Project at the World Center for Birds of Prey, located south of Boise. The money will support construction and renovation of facilities and infrastructure at the site.

The project is a joint effort between Boise State University and The Peregrine Fund, a nonprofit organization that has operated the World Center for Birds of Prey for decades. The Peregrine Fund is internationally recognized for its work restoring raptor populations, including California condors, which were on the brink of extinction before a multi-decade recovery effort.

Simpson secured the appropriation through the Community Project Funding mechanism, a process that allows individual members of Congress to direct federal dollars to specific local or regional projects within annual spending legislation.

What Officials Said

Simpson, who represents Idaho’s second congressional district, pointed to his longstanding relationship with both institutions as motivation for pursuing the funds. “As a longtime supporter of Boise State University, The Peregrine Fund, and the critical work that they both do, I am proud to advance funding for the proposed recovery center,” he said.

Chris Parish, President and CEO of The Peregrine Fund, framed the investment in broader terms, saying the funding would position Idaho as a global hub for conservation collaboration. “This investment doesn’t just support the condor,” Parish said. “It establishes Idaho as a global center for collaborative conservation excellence.”

Legislative Status

The House Appropriations Committee has approved the measure, but the full appropriations process still requires action by the full House and Senate before any funds are formally obligated. Congress has historically struggled to pass individual spending bills on time, often relying on continuing resolutions or omnibus packages to fund the government. The fate of any individual Community Project Funding earmark depends on whether the underlying bill advances through both chambers and is signed into law.

Simpson has a track record of using the appropriations process to secure federal investment in Idaho. Earlier this year, he also secured $5 million for Idaho potato research in the House’s fiscal year 2027 agriculture spending bill, reflecting the range of priorities he has pursued through the committee’s project funding process.

Broader Context

The World Center for Birds of Prey has operated as a flagship institution for raptor conservation and public education for more than four decades. A new recovery center facility would expand the site’s capacity to house and breed California condors, one of North America’s most endangered bird species, as well as serve as an educational destination connecting the public with conservation science.

Boise State University’s involvement adds an academic research dimension to the project. The partnership reflects a growing model in conservation science where universities, nonprofits, and government agencies collaborate on both recovery programs and the training of future wildlife professionals.

Simpson, a Republican first elected in 1998, serves on the House Appropriations Committee, a position that gives Idaho significant leverage in the annual federal spending process. His committee assignment has enabled the state to compete for federal infrastructure, research, and conservation dollars that might otherwise be more difficult to secure for a state of Idaho’s population size.

Idaho’s federal delegation has remained largely unified in pursuing project-level funding for in-state priorities, even as broader debates over federal spending levels continue in Washington. How the fiscal year 2027 appropriations bills ultimately advance — whether individually or as part of a larger package — will determine the timeline for any funds reaching Boise.