Boise’s Public Camping Ban and the Greenbelt Debate

The Boise River Greenbelt is a series of parks and trails running along the Boise River from Lucky Peak Dam to Eagle. It is a popular destination in the Treasure Valley for walking, biking, boating, and other recreational activities. It also serves as a parallel transportation corridor through Boise for those who would rather bike than fight automobile traffic.

Earlier this week, I wrote about how two recent tragedies on the Greenbelt—a murder and an assault—seemed to be treated as inevitable events by Boise’s progressive leaders rather than as problems that can be addressed by enforcing the law. House Speaker Mike Moyle and Rep. Bruce Skaug, who cosponsored a bill to ban public camping in 2025, issued a scathing statement holding Boise Mayor Lauren McLean responsible for the tragedies.

Following the publication of that article, I was sent several pictures from residents who live near the Greenbelt showing apparent public camping. Users on social media posted several more as well.

The posts received a great deal of attention on social media, and reactions were mixed:

• Jason: “July 7th I walked the Greenbelt from N. Americana up to Eagle Road and saw exactly zero homeless encampments?”
• Valerie: “I’ve lived in the Treasure Valley for 26 years and this is not a new situation. There have always been homeless people that camp near the Greenbelt. It’s more now because of the growing population and ridiculously high housing cost, which the mayor is trying to address. Some people don’t want help but those that do often can’t get it or don’t know how to.”
• Jeff: “I couldn’t take my granddaughter fishing on the river in a spot in the park because of a homeless camp. I used to fish there as a child. We should be able to feel safe in places like this. You can thank the Mayor for bringing in her liberalism to the city.”
• Julee: “Instead of blaming a person or party why don’t we get together and come up with solutions. People need an affordable place to live and enough money for basic needs to be met and they wouldn’t live like that, and if they choose that, mental health care is necessary and there’s not enough of it because our govt, especially the current one, has cut social agencies. This is everybody’s problem and up to all of us to solve”
• Stephen: “I ride the greenbelt all different directions multiple times throughout the week and don’t see this. I’m sure it pops up every now and then but this place is no Portland and the Police do take care of business.”
• Trevor: “And what the issue… do yall relise how bad it used to be down there and how much improvement has been done for the parks and the homeless i lived her my entire life yall dont relise how great it is compared to my childhood. The only thing that has made the valley worse was the influx of people moving here the entire Valley has declined in the quality of people the live here and thats not because of people actually from idaho”
• Karen: “The authorities need to get on the no camping in the park and not being in the parks after dark violators. There’s a reason these people aren’t staying in the shelters, because they can’t follow the rules (drugs and alcohol). Clean up the city before it gets worse!”
• Chris: “This isn’t even on the greenbelt, lol. Its the parking lot for the dog park, the homeless guys (and gals) have been hanging out there during the day for years. YEARS. Way to villify the homeless though. Some of the regulars who hang out there have been there since before the current mayor took office, how are you going to blame her for that?”
• Matthew: “But hey, the city looks bright and beautiful with all the tax payer funded pride stickers and banners all over the light poles and windows.”
• Le’Shanda: “They have been there since you can drink over there. That’s at Ann Morrison park. The city already has cameras installed over there. They’ve been there since before 2007 ppl are just now noticing and complaining.”

The issue of public camping, as part of the larger issue of homelessness, has been a vexing problem for policymakers for many years. Vagrancy often leads to increased crime, vandalism, littering, drug abuse, and even—as we saw last week—assaults and murders. Cities and other government entities have a responsibility to address the problem in a way that does not violate constitutional rights while also protecting their citizens.

In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Martin v. Boise that the city’s ordinance against public camping was unconstitutional because it targeted homeless people as a class. However, in 2024, the Supreme Court essentially overturned Martin with its ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson, holding that anti-camping ordinances do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment.

In the wake of that Supreme Court ruling, Sen. Codi Galloway and Rep. Bruce Skaug sponsored Senate Bill 1141 in 2025, prohibiting public camping in cities with more than 100,000 people. The bill affected Boise, Meridian, and Nampa. After Gov. Brad Little signed it into law, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean denounced the bill, calling it “the Galloway law” and warning that it would make it “harder for people to get back on their feet, for families to stay together, and for our police officers to do their jobs.”

The Boise City Council complied with the new law by establishing an ordinance that it explicitly labeled the “Galloway Law,” along with a $10 fine for each violation. According to court data, there were 51 such citations issued from July through December 2025. I have submitted a public records request to the Boise Police Department to learn how many citations have been issued in 2026 and exactly where they were issued.

As you can see from the sampling of reactions on social media, opinions differ on the situation. Is vagrancy in Boise parks and along the Greenbelt increasing, or is it simply receiving more attention following the recent tragedies? Is Boise doing enough to enforce state law and protect its citizens, or is it doing the minimum and hoping people lose interest in the problem? Is vagrancy in Boise parks driven by a lack of space in the city’s shelters, or are there some who would simply rather sleep on the street than stay in a shelter?

The debate over how best to care for people who have no place to go, whether by choice or circumstance, and how best to protect our communities from the negative effects of homelessness will continue. I will keep asking questions, following the evidence wherever it leads, and reporting what I find.

About Brian Almon

Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.

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