The Bonneville Power Administration will pay Idaho about $40 million over 10 years to protect wildlife habitat in southern Idaho.
Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter announced the agreement Tuesday that's part of the utility's requirement to mitigate impacts that hydropower projects in southern Idaho have on wildlife.
The money will be paid to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
About $22 million will be used for restoration, acquisition and stewardship of at least 13.5 square miles of land. Another $4 million will be used to administer the program over 10 years.
The remaining $14 million will be put in the state endowment fund to pay for management of an additional 13.6 square miles already protected in the mitigation program.