Lake County considers new parks initiative

In summer, when the heat really gets cooking, the access to the Swan River in Ferndale is a very popular place.

Cars line the narrow dirt road and it’s common to see families packing inner tubes, kayaks and paddleboards down to the primitive river access. Trash and traffic have become an issue to the neighboring landowners.

This is one of the problem areas that the Lake County parks board is trying to fix. Although Lake County has only one developed park, the board is producing a county parks and trails plan to address longterm recreation needs.

The Swan River access on Rainbow Drive is “on the wish list” of projects the Lake County parks board is looking at. “The county is trying to figure out what to do with it,” Dave DeGrandpre, a parks consultant, said. “There are conflicts already with neighbors, parking and garbage.

The Lake County parks plan has laid out four alternatives for the site, ranging from “no change” to developing a new river access for the Rainbow Drive river access.

“As the population in this area increases, the problems at this site will worsen.  Parking will become even more difficult, erosion will continue, and conflicts between users and neighbors will increase in frequency and severity,” the plan states.

The recommended alternative is to develop a new river access at the site.

“To release pressure on the existing access, the Parks Board could identify and purchase a larger property in the same vicinity that can accommodate the use, and develop a new river access with adequate facilities,” the plan says.

The parks board will have to be creative in developing a countywide plan; there is no funding for the projects, so any new projects will have to be a mix of grants, state funding and volunteer work, DeGrandpre said.

The park board is actively seeking public input for the trails and recreation plan. “There are people who know the areas better than we do, and we hope to get some feedback from some people who know the area well,” DeGrandpre said.

The parks board will have three public meetings to present elements of the plan and to hear the public’s ideas.  

Meetings will be:

•    March 3 at the Tribal Community Center in Arlee at 6 p.m.

•    March 4 at the Bethany Lutheran Church in Bigfork at 7 p.m.

•    March 5 at the Polson Rural Fire Station on Regatta Road at 6 p.m.

A copy of the plan can be found at the Ronan and Polson libraries, the Lake County Commissioners’ office and the Lake County Planning Department at the Lake County Courthouse in Polson. The plan can also be found at http://www.lakecounty-mt.org/planning/parks.html.

For information contact Lake County Planning Director LaDana Hintz at lhintz@lakemt.gov or 883-7235; Lake County commissioners  at lakecommissioners@lakemt.gov or 883-7204; parks board Chairman Mike Roberts at mikrobrst@gmail.com; Planning consultant Dave DeGrandpre of Land Solutions at 885-7526 and landsolutions@blackfoot.net.