Park Conservancy announces grants
<p>Allie Murillo, of Spokane, enjoys the views at Avalanche Lake on a frigid afternoon, as temperatures in Glacier National Park fell to single digits last week. One of the Glacier National Park Conservancy's proposed grant projects is to upgrade shoreline access to the lake.</p>
Glacier National Park Conservancy president Mark Preiss announced last week that the nonprofit will provide $450,000 in grant support to Glacier National Park beginning Jan. 1.
The funds were raised through a series of community and national engagements in 2014, including One Day for Glacier and the Backpacker’s Ball.
“This represents an initial grant to the Park of nearly $100,000 more than last year,” Preiss said. “Our community has stepped forward in a significant way, placing Glacier at the center of our philanthropic giving and our way of life.”
The funds will be applied to various projects, including the Native America Speaks program, rehabilitating the Highline Trail, developing an improved native plant nursery facility, and supporting visiting school children and volunteers.
“There is considerable work left to be done this year to ensure that Glacier’s critical projects, whether science or trail preservation or education for future stewards, can be accomplished in 2015,” Preiss said.
GNPC is Glacier Park’s official philanthropic and outreach partner. Glacier Park officials submitted a $1.7 million funding request to GNPC for 2015, highlighting several ambitious project proposals in research, education and preservation.
In response, Preiss said GNPC plans to kick off a seven-week long Glacier Champions fundraising campaign to raise additional funds for 2015 projects that have not yet been funded.
Here’s a look at some of the projects the Glacier National Park Conservancy has funded this year for the Park and others that still need funding:
• Transportation funding support to replace shuttle buses, funding to be determined
• Citizen Science programs, $75,000 funded
• Revitalizing and restoring Belly River Ranger Station, $31,300 funded
• Determining family tree of grizzly bears, $20,000 funded
• Camas Creek backcountry cabin replacement, $20,000 funded
• Rehabilitate first mile of Highline Trail, $20,000 funded
• Reroute Iceberg Lake Trail, $12,000 funded
• Akokala Lake fish barrier, $17.500 funded
• The Native American Speaks Program, with $32,000 from the Windmill Foundation
• Visitor brochures and information in print and on Internet, $47,100 funded
• Replace St. Mary outdoor amphitheater benches, $10,000 funded
• Support grizzly bear education with tanned grizzly hide and skull, $600 funded
• Apgar and St. Mary visitor centers WiFi, $1,500 funded
• Climate change teacher workshop, $6,000 funded
• Summer college internships, $15,000 funded
• Ice patch archeology, $16,000 funded
• Expand bear-proof box program in picnic areas and backcountry campgrounds, $15,750 funded
• Northern hawk owl research, $10,000 funded
• Restore Many Glacier Hotel’s helical stairway, $100,000 needed to match $300,000 private donation
• Half the Park Happens After Dark astronomy program, $10,000 funded, $10,000 needed
• Cold storage for film negative archives, $9,000 funded, $9,000 needed
• Upgrade the engraver at sign shop, $20,000 funded, $15,000 needed
• Create a native plant nursery facility for volunteer groups and school children, $25,000 funded, $10,000 needed
• Adaptive management for mountain goats and mountain goat research, $400,000 needed
• Assessing wildlife connectivity, $100,000 a year for three years needed
• Glacier Preservation Corps for young people working on historic structures, $60,000 needed
• Repairing Kishenehn Ranger Station, $55,460 needed
• Glacier Park wolf survey, $50,000 needed
• Reconstruct Trail of the Cedars, $30,000 needed
• Phenelogy studies of huckleberry development, $33,100 needed
• Improve Avalanche Lake shoreline access, $24,000 needed
• Trail use study outside Sun Road corridor, $14,000 to $64,000 needed
• International Dark Skies designation, $22,000 needed
• Butterflies and biodiversity, $27,000 needed
• Apgar Visitor Center Phase II feasibility study, $30,000 needed
• Discover Glacier educational programs, $54,000 funded, $23,100 needed
• Documenting rare black chipmunks, $20,000 needed
• Replace Goat Lick overlook, $18,000 needed
• Building GIS and field study capacity for high school students, $18,900 needed
• Family programming at the Apgar Discovery Cabin, $11,750 needed
• Glacier in Focus to bring Boys and Girls Clubs to the Park, $20,000 needed
• Convert former Apgar Visitor Center to education and training center, $30,050 needed
• Repairing Logan Creek Cabin roof, $18,325 needed
• Build raised walkway to Two Medicine Lake boat dock and pray shelter, $15,000 needed
• Pack animals for backcountry projects, $15,000 needed
• Park sustainability funding for solar panels and other green projects, $10,000 needed
• Improve St. Mary Lake Trail, $6,000 needed
• Archive and museum access, $8,800 needed
• Golden eagle and raptor counts, $3,900 needed