Leadership fails to see North Fork as jewel

To the editor,

The Kevin Ramage letter 'North Fork Road really a true jewel' is well stated and pretty much sums up what Columbia Falls civic and business leadership are failing to recognize and act upon.

Four years ago I briefed the Columbia Falls City Council with an extensive outline for a similar proposal. Two years ago I sent a copy of the briefing to the Last Best Place Task Force. To date there has been little to no action along the lines proposed. There's no doubt what both Ramage and I have proposed would involve a long process and lots of work. Harnessing county, state and federal resources to pave the 10.1 miles from Canyon Creek to the Camas Entrance to Glacier National Park would not be an easy task. Becoming a real 'Gateway to Glacier' by polishing the jewel connecting to Nucleus Avenue could bring immeasurable economic benefit to a small city needing all the help it can get in order to capture its share of the tourism and recreation dollar. Visionary and dynamic leadership is required to both build momentum and sustain action after developing a project . That seems to be the ingredient lacking.

For reasons without merit, Glacier National Park officials are opposed to paving this stretch of the North Fork Road. They erroneously claim dust has little to no effect on air and water quality along what I refer to as 'Dust Valley'. They state this without offering scientific proof to substantiate their claim. One must wonder why Glacier National Park would see fit to construct a bridge over the North Fork River and a road connecting Apgar, Going-to-the Sun Road and the West Glacier Entrance, and then stand opposed to North Fork Road improvements to the north as well as to the south toward Columbia Falls.

Without question opposition by Glacier National Park and a large collection of the usual environmental groups could be formidable. Anything of important and lasting value is never easily accomplished. It is always easier to prevent and destroy rather than to create or build or to even improve.

Hopefully awareness and sensibility will someday prevail and Columbia Falls can take advantage of a clean and renewable resource while at the same time providing area Montanans with an expanded year-around playground.

Robert Grimaldi

Polebridge