http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/03/02/2473454/gliding-comes-back-to-the-crow.html

After a three-year hiatus, hang gliders can resume a 35-year
tradition of launching from a plateau overlooking the Boise River near Lucky
Peak Reservoir. The Idaho Fish & Game Department this week issued a special-use
permit allowing gliders to use the gliding area atop Hammer Flat from May 1 to
Nov. 15.

Fish & Game opened the property to the public, but kept it closed to hang
gliding because aircraft cannot be launched or retrieved within Fish & Game
wildlife management areas without a special permit. Fish & Game and members of
the local hang-gliding association then started working on a solution.

The wildlife area is closed to vehicles Nov. 15 to May 1 - critical
winter-migration time for Idaho's big game. Opening it to hang gliding during
the summer months when the ungulates move to higher elevations was a better fit.
"This time frame coincides with general hiking access allowed into the wildlife
management area, and encompasses the best gliding weather Boise has to offer,"
Kangas said.

http://www.ktvb.com/home/Paragliders-will-fly-once-again-in-east-Boise-194376861.html

"It's one of the best ridge soaring sights around for sure," said
Patrick Harper, a pilot who pushed for the special use permit.

For more than 30 years pilots would launch from Crow's Gliding Hill near Hammer
Flat. But that came to a standstill in December of 2011 when the city of Boise
sold the land to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to provide mule deer a
winter range. As a consequence of that sale, paragliding and other activities
were prohibited. "So we had to work with folks to figure out how to go about
that process and it took a bit of time," said Jerry Deal with Idaho Fish and
Game.

But it's finally happened. Patrick Harper and a group of other pilots approached
Fish and Game to hear their case. "Working with the Fish and Game has been
great. They've been a great help," said Harper. The pilots agreed to play by
Fish and Game's rules.

"Although this isn't something we would typically approve on most of our areas,
it is a unique area and we were convinced of that," said Deal. It's because of
that unique nature and the argument made by the pilots that Fish and Game agreed
to a one-year special use permit.

Here are the details: Only 15 pilots at any given time can take off from the
area just off the Highland Valley Road entrance point. The area will be opened
from May 1, 2013, to Nov. 15, 2013.

"It's kind of nice to have, just to have the access back," said Harper. Harper
said the agreement is a win, win. "We believe in Hammer Flat. We're glad it's
not a development. We're glad that it's a wildlife management area, we're just
very lucky to be flying there again," said Harper.

While it's not part of the permit agreement, many pilots will volunteer and help
Fish and Game plant bitter and sage brush next to the gliding hill. That happens
Saturday at 8 a.m.