Welcome (updated Aug 06)

Specifically, our Area of Interest is 31,000 acres of foothills bounded on the south by Homer Road (City of Eagle Area of Impact), on the north by the Gem/Ada County Line, and on the east and west by State Highways 55 and 16, respectively (to view a map showing this area, click here). 

The Association was formed in 2003 in response to a trend away from these foothills being used for rangeland, agriculture, habitat and recreation to development of residential subdivisions and planned communities.  To existing residents in and near the area, it became clear that existing plans, policies, and zoning did not anticipate this trend and were completely unprepared for either the immediacy or the magnitude of development pressure. Despite the fact that the 1996 County Comprehensive Plan designates the entire area as a combination of "Agriculture, Rural Lifestyle" (1 dwelling unit per 40 acres) and "Rural Residential" (1 dwelling unit per 10 acres), provisions within that Plan would allow significant development, including major planned communities.  Development was beginning to be proposed (and approved) in piecemeal fashion, with no guiding vision for the area as a whole.  This circumstance raised many issues both to current residents in/near the area and to citizens from the broader Treasure Valley region who use the area for recreation and open space.  For current residents, the most pressing concern was (and is) the possible impact of further groundwater development on existing wells/water rights.  Another significant local concern is traffic and road access--only one road leads into the Area and that road is the northerly extension of Eagle Road, already severely over capacity.  To citizens both locally and regionally, it became clear that important recreation, open space and habitat resources may be lost, piece by piece, with no consideration of how development might occur hand in hand with these broader values.

NACFA is not an "anti-development" group and recognizes that its Area of Interest is primarily in private ownership.  Nevertheless, existing residents and users of the area have valid concerns about what the future will look like.  Many existing residents chose to live here because current County and City plans designate the entire area as "Agriculture, Rural Lifestyle" or "Rural Residential".  People in the broader region stand to lose significant recreation and open space resources.  So, if things are changing, a new plan is warranted to guide these changes in a comprehensive fashion.

NACFA's primary purpose is to actively work with Ada County, the City of Eagle, water resource and transportation agencies, affected landowners and other interested parties, to create and implement a plan for these North Ada County Foothills.  A full statement of our mission, concerns, goals and objectives is contained in the "Our Mission" portion of this site.  Simply stated, we want a comprehensive & sustainable vision for future use of this Area, a vision that respects landowners rights within the limits of resource and service carrying capacity, minimizes impact on current residents and users of the area, and recognizes the significance of this open space and recreational resource in the broad context of a growing region.

Due at least in part to our activism, the process of creating this vision for the North Foothills began in late 2005. Information on the status and progress of this effort (and how you can help influence its outcome) is contained in the Updates/Alerts and Maps & Plans pages of this site (see also Membership, below). 

Guide to the Site

The following is a general outline/table of contents for this site to illustrate how it is organized and help visitors find what they are looking for.  Feel free to roam at will, use the information provided, and participate in our quest as you see fit.

Home:  You are here...

Our Mission:  Information on our objectives, key issues and concerns. 

Updates/Alerts:  The latest information on what is happening related to our ideas, concerns and objectives.  Regular updates by the NACFA chair, co-chair, or issue leaders (sent also by email to the membership), as well as summaries of Association meetings are posted here in reverse chronological fashion.  Alerts are also posted regarding upcoming meetings, hearings or other events of importance to our mission.

Maps & Plans:  The place to find information on what is being contemplated for this area by the County, the City of Eagle, ACHD, Compass (yes, each of these has some form of planning process going on involving all or part of the area...be careful what you ask for...).  Also included is [1] general information on the major landowners and the latest on what they are contemplating for their foothills lands (see landowners/developers) and [2] an evolving NACFA Concept prepared by our organization to suggest approaches to both achieving landowner/developer objectives while making sure that existing residents do not become collateral damage (e.g. water supply or traffic impacts), and that regional open space, recreation, and habitat resources are retained hand-in-hand with development

Water Matters: Information on our efforts to protect the local groundwater supply from depletion due to increasing development, including our petition to the Idaho Department of Water Resources to conduct studies necessary to truly understand the carrying capacity of the local, foothills groundwater system so that local residents’ wells will not be impacted by new development

Contacts:  Provides the addresses (physical and email) to use in contacting NACFA; and links to/information on other organizations, agencies, and individuals involved in the future of the North Ada County Foothills.

Organization & Membership

NACFA membership/participation includes many residents in the southern part of the North Foothills area, both in Ada County and North Eagle (in the latter regard, many prefer to think of the NACFA Area of Interest as the “Eagle Foothills”).  Most of the neighborhoods and homeowners associations north of Beacon Light road are represented.  Membership also includes many from the broader Treasure Valley region who use this area for recreation and open space (e.g. equestrian groups, bicyclists, runners, hikers, dog-walkers, and others). 

We are generally informal, communicate primarily via email, this website, and a Yahoo Groups site, and have meetings only when necessary.  In terms of leadership, officers are elected (more like drafted) annually; issue leaders and special working groups are selected (drafted) as the need arises.  The main job of members/participants is to keep abreast of what is happening, weigh in when Association positions need to be defined, and show up at critical meetings/hearings to demonstrate strength in numbers.  We also ask that participants contribute $10 (or whatever they can) annually to help defray the costs of our activities (like this website, printings and mailings).

We welcome the participation of all residents in and near the North Foothills area, and any individuals or groups who use or appreciate the Area in general.  You can become a member/participant of NACFA simply by sending your name, email address, and street/city address to the NACFA Chairman (see Contacts).  Since we communicate primarily via email, that is most important; we ask that you send your physical address so that we can keep track of members’ geographic distribution.  If you can, we also ask that you send the $10 contribution noted above (check made out to NACFA); if you cannot, don’t let that stop you from participating!  By joining our network, you will be kept informed of NACFA activities, invited to attend Association meetings, and offered the opportunity to assist in our efforts.  WE ARE MAKINGE A DIFFERENCE WITH YOUR HELP.

This Home page provides [1] a summary description of who NACFA is,and why we exist as an organization, [2] a general guide to how this site is organized, and [3] membership information.  Read on...

An Introduction to NACFA

The North Ada County Foothills Association (NACFA) is a group citizens concerned with growth and development pressures affecting the foothills area of Ada County, Idaho, generally north of the City of Eagle. 

North Ada County Foothills Association

One Voice, One Plan