History is being made on the Flathead National Forest with the recent designation of two National Historic Districts in the National Register of Historic Places: Big Creek Ranger Station and FNF Backcountry Administrative Facilities.
The public is invited to learn about and discuss these National Historic Districts during the next Flathead Forest Friday on Feb. 27 at the Nite Owl Back Room Restaurant on 8th Street West in Columbia Falls.
The no-host breakfast chat starts at 7 a.m. Attendees will learn about these unique facilities and why they were deemed worthy of listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Big Creek RS National Historic District:
Established in 1908, the Big Creek Ranger Station Historic District reflects construction dating to 1927 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its historical associations with the creation and administration of Flathead National Forest programs, and fire management in USFS Region One and the western United States. The property has added significance for the qualities of the buildings which reflect Craftsman influences combined with a rustic aesthetic, a typical format for USDA Forest Service buildings in the west and particularly Region One.
FNF Backcountry Administrative Facilities National Historic District:
The Flathead National Forest’s system of administrative sites in the backcountry of the Middle and South forks of the Flathead River includes the Ranger District headquarters, guard stations, and the trails and communications systems that connect them. The system is listed in the National Register of Historic Places because it is representative of USDA Forest Service management policies and of the aesthetics that guided the agency’s permanent improvements program. Unlike the service’s front-country facilities, these physically isolated resources reflect the principals of limited development as it applied first to designated primitive areas (established in 1931) and, in 1940, to the service’s own wilderness area policy.
Every other month, the Forest Service coordinates no-host breakfast meetings at a local restaurant with the goal of sharing good food, great company, and a little information about what’s happening on the National Forest.
If you plan to attend or have any questions, notify Public Affairs Officer Colter Pence at [email protected] or (406) 758-5252.