Gov. Butch Otter issued this statement on the impending retirement of state Parks Director Nancy Merrill:

“Besides being a great friend, Nancy has been a skilled and energetic director at Parks and Recreation. She brought enthusiasm, experience and a hard-nosed business approach to managing the agency that was badly needed and will be sorely missed.”

Merrill, 66, said she’s proud of her record at the department, and with her husband retiring in May, it seemed like the right time. “We’ve accomplished a lot, and I feel good about it,” she said. “We had some tough years.” She said of Idaho's state parks, "We have learned to kind of stand on our own, and that includes looking at our fees and the way that we do business, and that includes bringing in additional revenues to help sustain ourselves." That focus will need to continue in the future, she said, including tapping corporate sponsorships and other sources of funding to help the park system stay solid. You can read my full story here at spokesman.com.