Page 9 - Flathead Beacon // 4.29.15

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS APRIL 29, 2015 | 9 Glacier Park Plows Within Two
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Going-to-the-Sun Road plow crews reached Triple Arches last week
By JUSTIN FRANZ of the Beacon
Plow crews on Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road are with- in sight of Logan Pass.
Park officials said the plows are mak- ing rapid progress clearing the 50-mile road that slices through the park. If ev- erything goes according to plan, visitors will be able to access Logan Pass from the west side much earlier than last year, when the road opened on July 2.
On April 27, the west side plow crew was working just below the Triple Arch- es, about two miles from the continental divide. The east side crew had reached Siyeh Bend, about three miles away from Logan Pass.
However, park spokesperson Denise Germann said there are still some big obstacles in the way, including a series of snow slides on the western slope below Logan Pass and a massive, wind-blown drift just east of the pass that in years
A plow on the Going-to-the-Sun Road works near Big Bend. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Miles of Logan Pass
past has been 70-feet deep.
Germann said weather would deter-
mine how soon the west side of the road opens. Due to ongoing roadwork on the east side of the road, the earliest visitors will be able to access the St. Mary to Lo- gan Pass section of road will be June 19.
While the road past the Lake Mc-
Donald Lodge is still closed to vehicles, hikers and bikers are able to use it on weekends and evenings up to Packer’s Roost, about 12 miles past the lodge. For the latest on plowing and the road sta- tus, visit www.nps.gov/glac.
[email protected]
Report: Glacier Park Visitors
Spent $193 Million Last Year
New analysis shows strong economic impact of national park tourism
By BEACON STAFF
Glacier National Park’s record year benefited businesses in the Flathead Valley in a big way.
Visitors to Glacier Park spent $193 million in surrounding communities last year, according to a new economic analysis of national parks released April 23. The spending supported 3,405 jobs in the local area, the report states.
According to the latest study, most visitor spending was for lodging (30.6 percent) followed by food and beverages (20.3 percent), gas and oil (11.9 percent), admissions and fees (10.2 percent) and souvenirs and other expenses (9.9 percent).
“This study reinforces the fact that Glacier National Park plays a significant role in the economy of the state of Montana, and specifically Northwest Montana,” Glacier Park Superin- tendent Jeff Mow said in a news release.
Mow noted that the park hosts visitors from across the country and from around the world, and visitation is increas- ing each year. Glacier experienced a record year in 2014 with 2.33 million visitors.
Last year’s visitor spending surpassed the 2013 total of $178 million and the 2012 total of $172 million.
Economists with the U.S. Geological Survey conducted the peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis along with an econo- mist with the National Park Service.
Visitors travel along Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park.
BEACON FILE PHOTO
The report shows $15.7 billion of direct spending by 292.8 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a na- tional park in 2014. This spending supported 277,000 jobs na- tionally; 235,600 of those jobs are found in these gateway com- munities, the report states. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $29.7 billion. System-wide visitation estimates in 2014 increased by 7 percent, or 19.2 million visits, compared to 2013.
“I believe the National Park Service is a good buy for the American taxpayer,” Mow said.
He added, “We appreciate all our partners and neighbors, and the local and regional businesses and organizations that contribute to supporting visitors to Glacier National Park.”