Before Shovels Hit the Ground
- Bekka Mongeau
- Jun 11
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 12
Brianna Bowhay’s Work Behind South Idaho's Biggest Park Projects
by Friends of Minidoka Staff
When visitors see a new facility under construction, an improved trail, upgraded utilities, or a restored historic structure, it is easy to assume the project simply appeared once funding became available.
In reality, major park projects require years of planning, coordination, approvals, compliance reviews, contracting, and funding requests before construction can even begin. Behind every successful project are people doing the work long before the ground is broken.
The Preparation behind Big Projects
The National Park Service manages one of the largest portfolios of built assets in the federal government, second only to the Department of Defense. Roads, utilities, historic buildings, employee housing, visitor facilities, and maintenance equipment all require careful planning, funding, and long-term stewardship. It is work most visitors never see, but it is essential.
In 2018, the South Idaho Parks, including Minidoka National Historic Site, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, and Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, merged operations. As the parks worked more closely together, leaders in the parks recognized a growing need: a professional project manager role. This position would be someone who could help the parks compete for large-scale capital investment funding (including projects funded through the Legacy Restoration Fund) and shepherd projects through every stage of development and execution.
Meet Project Manager, Park Housing Manager, FMSS Specialist: Brianna Bowhay
Brianna Bowhay started her career with the National Park Service in 2012 supporting facilities management at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. Early in her career, she worked with the complex systems used to track, maintain, and restore park infrastructure.
Brianna stepped into the project manager role for South Idaho Parks around 2022 and has been advancing projects ever since.
The role involves much more than overseeing construction. Before a project can receive funding, detailed justifications must be written. Plans are reviewed by multiple approval boards. Environmental and cultural compliance requirements must be completed. Contracts must be developed and advertised. Proposals must be evaluated and awarded. Once work begins, contractors require ongoing coordination and support. It is often years of work before visitors ever notice a visible change in the park.
This investment in project management has produced tangible results. Since stepping into the role around 2022, Brianna has advanced four major projects funded through the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), totaling approximately $15 million across South Idaho parks. Her role involves project management for the historic restoration of the root cellar, mess hall, and barrack as well as the construction of the new staff and maintenance facility. She also is responsible for additional projects underway at Craters of the Moon and Hagerman Fossil Beds. She also manages numerous smaller projects that help maintain and improve visitor experiences across all three parks.
In addition to her project portfolio, Brianna oversees several other critical programs.
For years, she has supervised a Youth Conservation Corps crew at Craters of the Moon, providing 16- to 18-year-old participants with hands-on experience working alongside National Park Service professionals in facilities management.
She has also developed significant expertise in contracting, helping the South Idaho parks acquire major pieces of mobile heavy equipment in 2025 and supporting plans to expand the Minidoka Operations Building in 2026.
At Craters of the Moon, she manages the park's housing program, coordinating accommodations for 10 to more than 20 seasonal and permanent staff members during the busiest months of the year.
Rooted in Idaho
A native Idahoan, Brianna lives in the Lost River Valley with her husband, Zach, in a home they built together about 15 years ago. They are raising three children — Reese, Nyah, and Tripp — while Brianna continues helping shape the future of some of Idaho's most significant public lands.
The next time visitors see a construction project underway at one of South Idaho's national parks, they are witnessing only the most visible phase of a much longer process. Long before the equipment arrived, years of planning, coordination, and persistence were already at work.
So very proud of our daughter.