Greetings, Beacon Nation! Tristan Scott here to kick off a week of spring weather with some Glacier National Park updates, including hiker and biker access on the Going-to-the-Sun Road and new leadership at the park’s official fundraising partner organization.
The park’s fleet of snowplows and excavators this month began the daunting task of clearing the park’s scenic roadways, forging through a winter’s worth of snow and heralding springtime in northwest Montana. But before workers with Glacier’s road crew begin pioneering a route through the heaviest snowpack blanketing the Sun Road’s upper reaches, they’ve been concentrating on lower-elevation stretches of the iconic thoroughfare while clearing secondary roads.
Vehicle closures remain in place at Lake McDonald Lodge on the west side and Rising Sun on the east side east side, but hikers and bikers have started enjoying access beyond the closures on portions of Going-to-the-Sun Road, as well as along the park’s lower roads. On the west side, the hiker and biker closure is posted at Avalanche Creek six miles past the vehicle closure; on the east side, hikers and bikers may not proceed beyond the vehicle closure at Rising Sun when crews are working.
Grist, Camas, and Quarter Circle Bridge roads are open to vehicles for the season, as is the Two Medicine Road to Running Eagle Falls. The Cut Bank Road is open to the trailhead for the season, although the campground remains closed.
The Glacier National Park Conservancy announced last week the appointment of Tagen Vine as its next executive director, effective later this spring. Having most recently served as chief development officer at the Flathead Valley Community College, where he’s worked since December 2021, Vine succeeds Doug Mitchell, who retired after nine years with the Conservancy.
The Conservancy is the official fundraising partner for Glacier National Park and has raised support for various improvements and services in the park.
Prior to Vine’s work at FVCC, he spent 15 years as president of the Kalispell Regional Healthcare Foundation, where, according to a press release announcing Vine’s new appointment, he led major fundraising initiatives, expanded the organization’s philanthropic impact, and built donor relationships across the Flathead Valley, as well as with Montana’s broader philanthropic community. He brings more than three decades of experience in nonprofit leadership and philanthropy to his new role.
“Tagen’s depth of experience and proven track record in leading successful fundraising efforts, along with his ability to build strong community partnerships, make him the right leader to advance the Conservancy’s mission,” Joe Raudabaugh, board chair of the Glacier National Park Conservancy, said in a prepared statement. “The Board is confident he will strengthen our partnerships, expand our impact, and ensure Glacier National Park continues to receive the philanthropic support it needs and deserves.”
Glacier National Park Superintendent Dave Roemer described the Conservancy as “an indispensable partner in our work to preserve and protect this incredible place.”
“I congratulate Tagen on his appointment and look forward to our collaboration for the support for Glacier National Park,” Roemer said in a statement.
Vine was not available for interviews until closer to his start date in May, once he’s wrapped up his current role, according to a Conservancy spokesperson. But in a statement, Vine described the new position as “a tremendous honor.”
“Glacier is a treasured place to me, as well as being one of the most spectacular and ecologically significant places on Earth,” Vine said in the statement. “The Conservancy’s role in supporting the park is vital. I am eager to build on the organization’s strong foundation alongside the dedicated staff, board, and partners who make this mission possible.”
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