Hammer says he'll sue to stop Swan race

Whitefish endurance runner Andrew Matulionis sees a 100-mile foot race along the Swan Crest as a grueling but fantastic way to showcase some of the best landscape the Flathead Valley has to offer.

But environmentalist Keith Hammer and the Swan View Coalition are threatening to sue the Forest Service if the race is held, claiming it could harm grizzly bears. The Swan View Coalition has filed a 60-day notice to sue the Forest Service if the race is approved, and it will seek a court injunction to stop the race.

Matulionis and other race organizers have asked the Forest Service for a special-use permit to hold the Swan Crest 100-Mile Run on July 29-31 along Alpine Trail No. 7, from Swan Lake to the base of Columbia Mountain.

He said the race, which is billed as "Montana's first 100-miler," will require that all runners view a bear safety video prior to the run and carry bear pepper spray. The race route also avoids the Jewel Basin primitive area.

But Hammer says that's not good enough. He claims the event will displace grizzly bears by putting too many parties on the trail at one time, a violation of the Endangered Species Act. He says the race should be moved to a less sensitive area in the valley.

It's been noted that Hammer and his Swan Rangers group hike in the same area on a regular basis, often in large groups. But he claims that because the Swan Crest runners are spread out, each runner amounts to a single "party." In effect, there will be 50 parties on the trail at once, he claims.

Heavily-used trails in Glacier National Park see thousands of hikers a day in prime grizzly bear habitat, but Hammer says Park bears in those areas are "familiar" with people and he doesn't want the same thing happening to grizzlies in the Swan Range.

Matulionis says the race won't amount to 50 parties. In many cases, runners stay together to help each other along, and typically the race amounts to a "long glorified hike for people in really good shape."

While the race has local sponsors, including Whitefish-based Hammer Nutrition, there is no prize money, other than a T-shirt for finishing. The race is expected to completely end in about 36 hours. Medical support staff and on-call support from horse parties will be available if needed.

Matulionis wonders if runners on a trail that already sees dozens of hikers and motorcyclists a day is deemed inappropriate, what's next?

"Do you need a permit to have a picnic?" he asked.

Swan Lake District Ranger Richard Kehr said the threat of a lawsuit has no bearing on the review process for the race. Kehr said the Forest Service will consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on potential impacts to grizzly bears, and it will send out a 'scoping" letter this week to gauge public reaction to the race.

Shorter runs on the Flathead National Forest have been approved by the Forest Service in the past.