Page 11 - Flathead Beacon // 4.27.16

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NEWS
Plowing operations along Going-to-the-Sun Road. COURTESY GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
Avalanches Delay Sun Road Plows While Other
Glacier Roads Open
Many Glacier and Chief Mountain roads open for summer in Glacier National Park
BY BEACON STAFF
While avalanche activity is delaying plow crews on Going-to-the-Sun Road, vehicles can now travel the Many Gla- cier and Chief Mountain roads in Glacier National Park.
The National Park Service announced April 22 that the two roadways are cleared of snow and open for summer. Vehicles can now travel Camas Road, Many Glacier, Chief Mountain, Two Medicine and for 17 miles on Going-to- the-Sun Road. Visitors can drive 11.5 miles from the West Entrance to Lake
McDonald Lodge, and 5.5 miles from the St. Mary Entrance to Rising Sun.
The Inside North Fork Road was closed as of April 25 at Doverspike Meadow, Bowman Lake Road, Polebridge South Gate and Fish Creek due to inclem- ent weather.
There were no hiker/biker restric- tions on the west side, but travel past The Loop is not advised due to high avalanche danger.
The east side also does not have hiker/biker restrictions, but travel is not advised past Jackson Glacier Overlook due to high avalanche danger.
Plow crews are approaching Big Bend but did not work on April 21 due to a new large avalanche in Haystack Creek. Plow- ing is not planned to resume until April 26 to let avalanche activity subside as predicted rain could create more slides, NPS o cials say. Avalanche concerns are preventing the Hudson Bay plowing operations beyond Siyeh Bend, and they are working in Many Glacier to repair slumps and potholes and grading and drainage maintenance on Cutbank Road, according to the NPS.
news@ atheadbeacon.com
Glacier Park Visitors Spent Estimated $198 Million A total of 4.96 million people visited national parks in Montana last year
BY BEACON STAFF
A new National Park Service report shows visitors to national parks in Mon- tana spent $478.3 million in the state in 2015.
A total of 4.96 million people visited national parks in Montana last year. Last year’s total was a 10.6 percent increase in spending and an 8.2 percent rise in visi- tation over 2014.
Visitors to Glacier National Park spent an estimated $198 million in the sur- rounding community, according to the report. This spending supported an esti- mated 3,474 jobs.
“This annual report con rms again that national park tourism is a signi cant
driver in the national economy, return- ing $10 for every $1 America invests in the National Park Service,” said Sue Masica, director of the NPS Intermoun- tain Region, which includes Montana and seven other states. “As we celebrate the NPS centennial this year, that nancial reality makes national parks tourism a signi cant factor in Montana’s economy, too. It’s a result we all can support.”
Montana’s ve national parks include: Glacier and Yellowstone national parks; Little Bighorn Battle eld National Mon- ument; Grant-Kohrs Ranch National His- toric Site, and Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.
The peer-reviewed visitor spend- ing analysis was conducted by U.S.
Geological Survey economist Cather- ine Cullinane Thomas and NPS econ- omist Lynne Koontz. Nationally, the report shows that a record 307.2 million park visitors directly spent $16.9 bil- lion in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 295,000 jobs. The cumulative bene t to the U.S. economy was $32 billion.
According to the 2015 analysis, most park visitor spending was for lodging (31.1 percent). Other major categories include food and beverages (27.2 per- cent), gas and oil (11.8 percent), admis- sions and fees (10.2 percent) and souve- nirs and other expenses (9.8 percent).
news@ atheadbeacon.com
APRIL 27, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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